The Stoke Village Community Wassail

Join us in the fresh air, to make some noise to wake up and bless the apple trees in Blockhouse Park with a hullabaloo! The Stoke Village Community Wassail is open to all who would like to join this fun, noisy and increasingly popular, winter tradition. The intention is to come together as a community to invite a good harvest for the year to come.

If you haven’t been to a Wassail before; expect apple juice, singing, and noise making. The wassailing, or blessing of the fruit trees, involves gathering to drink and sing to the health of the trees as a group, in the hope that they will provide a plentiful harvest in the following autumn. Traditionally toast and green ribbons are hung in the branches, and cider poured on the trees. This ancient custom particularly popular in cider producing areas such as Somerset, Herefordshire and Devon, but Kent and Sussex also celebrate what they call ‘Apple Howling’. We have a surprising number of apple trees within the park, but fear not, we won’t be adorning all of them with toast!

Meet us at The Stoke Inn (due to the popularity of this event, we have sadly outgrown the Stoke Youth and Community Centre) to adorn ourselves in green, maybe borrowing one of our headdresses or wassail outfits, to show the trees how green to become as they grow, ready to process to the trees as a group.

During the three-hour event there will be time spent outdoors waking the fruit trees, this year with the help of our Pagan friends from The Cunning Grove, before we watch the sun go down together and head back to The Stoke Inn, by the light of our lanterns to enjoy the music of Tom O’Reilly (Black Friday).

We are commandeering the whole garden and annex, so there will be plenty of space for all of us. Refreshments will be available to purchase at the main bar in the pub, but do not feel you need to, in order to join in! This event is completely free to attend.

Feel free to meet us at any part of the process, whether it’s just at the orchard or simply at the pub for the music - We can’t wait to see you there.

Meet at the Stoke Inn at 3 to add green accessories

Head to the orchards at 3.30

Blessing led by The Cunning Grove, toast hanging and ribbon tying – and lots of noise making

Sunset 4.15

Lantern Procession through the park and back to the Village 4.20

Return to The Stoke Inn 4.30

Live Music from Tom O’Reilly (Black Friday).

Party close 6.00

This event is also Kirsty’s last time hosting a Culture Club event, so if you have enjoyed her time with us, do pop into the party to say goodbye (although don’t panic, she will still be supporting Stoke in Bloom)

Also check out other Music events in Plymouth, Entertainment events in Plymouth.