Always the Last Saturday in September

Always the Last Saturday in September

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Our Beginnings

The Origins Of Ontario's Premier Fall Festival

Our Early Years

With the help of local service clubs, organizations and churches, several booths were operated on the Queen’s Bush street mall. In our early years, the Board of Trade ran the pancake and sausage breakfast, the Lions Club sold sausage on a bun, and the Optimist Club ran a wet booth with schnitzel on a bun, while the Lutheran churches sold apple dumplings, and the Mennonite churches sold apple fritters. For several years we also served a smorgasbord dinner serving Waterloo County home cooking, such as pigtails, spareribs, sauerkraut, and roast beef. 

Many of our visitors enjoyed tours in years past to specialty farms and the A.W. Jantzi Cider Mill. We have seen over 100 competitors to our Horseshoe tournament, with many of the top players from Canada and the United States competing. Our street entertainment has always drawn from talent from the surrounding area.

Our Street Mall use to end with the highly anticipated quilt auction which attracted buyers from as far away as the USA. All quilts were donated by local churches and senior citizen groups. Craft demonstrations in the past have included quilting, soap making, bonsai tree making and apple crafts. 

When the weather cooperates, our antique car and tractor display and parade draws over 100 vehicles for our visitors. And no one will forget the “buzz” of the regatta of remote-control boats on the Wellesley pond.

While the Festival evolves each year, many of the traditions of our annual festival can be enjoyed year after year. The craft market, the Queen’s Bush street market, and the variety of food vendors continues to draw thousands to Wellesley on the last Saturday of September year.  The Wellesley Apple Butter & Cheese Festival is an event you do not want to miss.

The Wellesley Apple Butter and Cheese Festival, running since 1976, was formed by members of the Board of Trade. With the help of the Elmira Syrup Festival and the New Hamburg Quilt Auction, the new festival was formed using the best of these two festivals and implementing their local flavour. The festival was formed to promote the town of Wellesley, as well as its major businesses, A.W. Jantzi & Sons Ltd (Wellesley Brand Apple Products) and the J.M. Schneider Cheese Factory. Relying on all volunteer workers, the festival has grown to be one of Waterloo County’s most popular events.

With the help of local service clubs, organizations and churches, several booths are operated on the street mall with all profits going to the festival committee for distribution: the Board of Trade runs a pancake and sausage breakfast, the Lions Club sells sausage on a bun, the Optimists run a wet booth with schnitzel on a bun, the Lutheran churches sell apple dumplings, and Mennonite churches sell apple fritters. We also serve a smorgasbord dinner serving Waterloo County home cooking, such as pigtails, spareribs, sauerkraut, and roast beef. Free tours to specialty farms and the A.W. Jantzi Cider Mill, with free samples of food and drink available at the cider mill. We draw over 100 competitors to our Horseshoe tournament, with many of the top players from Canada and the United States competing. We provide ongoing street entertainment using talent from the surrounding area. Our quilt auction attracts buyers from as far away as the USA. All quilts are donated by local churches and senior citizen groups. Craft demonstrations include quilting, soap making, bonsai tree making and apple crafts. Our vendors market is a main attraction for its crafts and foods. When the weather cooperates, our antique car and tractor display and parade draws over 100 vehicles for our visitors. And the regatta of remote-control boats runs all day long on the Wellesley pond.
The proceeds from the festival are used for major projects within the village of Wellesley. Funds have been used for building an arena, buying parkland, building a ball diamond and soccer field, paving the parking lots at the arena and community centre, uptown beautification through proper curbing and brick sidewalks, buying equipment for the fire department, renovating the community centre with a new kitchen and air conditioning, renovating the arena and installing new flooring in the dressing rooms.
Always The Last
Saturday In September
CONTACT US

For Festival Information:
P.O. Box 298
Wellesley, Ontario N0B 2T0
Tel: 519 656 9346

Market Vendor Information: 
Tel: 519 656 9346

For Trailer and Camping Accommodation:
P.O. Box 298
Wellesley, Ontario N0B 2T0
Tel: 519 656 9346

EMAIL US
info@wellesleyabcfestival.ca
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