The Cider Festival, La Faîs’sie d’Cidre, returns to Hamptonne Country Life Museum this month to celebrate the Island’s cider making traditions.
Although the popular festival was marked last year, with community involvement in apple picking and pressing, the usual festivities were unable to take place due the Coronavirus pandemic and restrictions on public gatherings.
This year’s event, which is sponsored by Ogier, takes place over the weekend of 16-17 October between 10am-5pm. It will be a slightly smaller version of itself but will include dancing, delicious local food and plenty of fun family activities, as well as the all-important apple pressing by Jersey Heritage volunteers.
Nicky Lucas, Jersey Heritage’s Events Curator, said: ‘La Faîs’sie d’Cidre is everyone’s favourite autumnal event. Islanders love to celebrate the apple harvest and cider making at Hamptonne and we’re delighted that we are able to invite them back this year to fully enjoy and take part in the festival at beautiful Hamptonne.’
Two days of apple picking at Hamptonne ahead of the festival have already sold out. Islanders have pre-booked their slots and will be charged with filling about 160 sacks with apples for the pressing to make the cider.
Edward Mackereth, Ogier’s Global Managing Partner, said: ‘Throughout 2021, we are supporting Jersey Heritage as they create fun events with a focus on family learning. Supporting Cider Festival (La Faîs’sie d’Cidre) and related apple picking activity for groups, we are working with Jersey Heritage to keep this community event alive and keep Jersey’s traditional cider making industry at the heart of Island life.’
Limited parking
Parking at Hamptonne for the Cider Festival will be in a nearby field and will be limited. Visitors will need to book their spaces in advance on Eventbrite. There will be disabled parking only in the Hamptonne car park.
If people are walking, cycling, getting dropped off or catching a LibertyBus to Hamptonne, they can arrive and leave at any time during the festival. However, if they are driving to Hamptonne, they will be restricted to the timing of their pre-booked parking slot.
LibertyBus will be using buses with extra capacity on the Hamptonne route over the festival weekend.
Normal entry fees apply, with free entry for Jersey Heritage Members and children under six years old.
For more information about this year’s La Faîs’sie d’Cidre, go to: www.jerseyheritage.org/explore/whats-on/cider-festival/
