The Julian Apple Days Festival is no longer just a weekend event and is now an almost two month long celebration of Mother Natures Apple Harvest in the historic gold rush town of Julian.
Julian, although a small town whose population has never exceed 600 people, became famous for it's many apple orchards and it's apples won first place at the world's fair back in Chicago in the early 1800's. The town or Julian has to it's credit winning one of the firs ever Wilder Awards, the highest award given by it's Pomological Society for the quality of it's apples.
The town of Julian was founded after the Civil War and some of these veterans from the war headed west in hoped of making their fortune during the days when the phrase " There is Gold in Them Thar Hills" was heard around the world. The gold found in Julian in the mid 1800's was the first gold found in the San Diego region but there wasn't much and the it was short lived.
But there was something of treasure that was found. Rich soil that would support farming. Of the many crops that were planted though, one thing stood out, the most prolific crop was that of the apple orchards. And thus Julian became famous for it's Apples.
Naturally with a fruit like this, women began baking the abundant supply and the famous Julian Apple pie became the new standard for taste and quality. One of favorites as I mentioned to my friend and colleague Jeff Dowler from Carlsbad is the Mountain Berry Apple pie found only at the Julian Pie Company. Imagine starting with an apple pie whose taste is already amazing and adding triple berry filling along with the apples and created a taste sensation that once you have had it, you will never forget the amazing taste. But there is more, so much more than I can put in this post. I have written about Julian before and have done many a number of slide shows capturing the flavor of the town.
As a kid growing up I loved the Fall and the abundant supply of cider back East. But I swear to you this. The cider and taste of the apples is not like anything you have ever experienced before. Buying cider from anywhere else could never compare to what you will taste here in Julian. It is fresh and not pasteurized but that isn't it. It is the taste that has no comparison.