Mia
Sean Astin’s daughter Isabella Louis Astin was the Queen for the 96th Apple Blossom Queen. Keep reading to learn everything about her, Bella Astin and the Shenandoah Apple Blossom Festival.
What Is The Shenandoah Apple Blossom Festival?
The Shenandoah Apple Blossom Festival is held annually during late April or early May in Winchester, Virginia. Started in 1924, it celebrates the area’s apple blossoms and is combined with a variety of activities such as parades, concerts, handicrafts, nutrition vendors, and family activities. It is the most energetic event, hugely exciting for the community, attracting visitors from all over to experience the local culture, agriculture, and beauty during spring.
The Shenandoah Apple Blossom Festival is a multifunction and sometimes scheduled more than ten-day event. Some of the most striking activities that are included in this festival are:
Parades: The festival has a grand parade as a part of its celebration with floats, bands, and performances that expand the pomp and gala of the show.
Carnival Rides and Games: There are ample amounts of ride and games for children, adults and all ages across.
Live Music and Entertainment: The festival also has live musical performances from both cherished local artists and some renowned international names. Plus there are also dance performances and comedy shows spread throughout the event span.
Arts and Crafts: Many types of artisans and vendors display and sell their regional talent.
Food Vendors: Food vendors offering anything from the traditional festival food to regional specialties offer visitors a taste of the region.
Special Events: Contests, educational workshops, and community service projects underline the sense of togetherness.
Who Is the Queen Of Shenandoah Apple Blossom Festival?
The Queen of the Shenandoah Apple Blossom Festival symbolizes the spirit of the festival. Every year, there is a fairly competitive process for selecting the queen based on probably the interviews and community involvement and embracing what the festival has stood for. A queen acts as a role model to others and is like an ambassador in that she participates in many events and parades, activities of that festival, and even during other times.
Much of the time, though, the process merely highlights a queen with qualities such as leadership experience, service commitment, or community allegiance. Her reign typically entails promotion of the festival and involvement with local organizations and charities, so through this she becomes a central part of the festival’s community-oriented mission.
Isabella Louise Astin: The New Queen Of Shenandoah Apple Blossom Festival
Sean Astin’s seventeen year old daughter, Isabella Louise Astin, or popularly known as Bella Astin, was the queen for this spring’s 96th Shenandoah Apple Blossom Festival.
The selection of Bella as queen-designate was announced a few days prior to when the event was supposed to take place. It was done at the offices of Realty One Group Old Towne at 1000 Valley Ave.
The Astin family with this, achieved a three-peat title in the festival. Sean Astin’s two other daughters – Alexandra “Ali” Astin and Elizabeth Astin have already reigned as Queen in 2014 and 2-18 respectively.
The President of the Festival Sharen Gromling mentioned that the entire Astin family had flew in from California to watch their daughter Bella being crowned as Queen Shenandoah XCVI at the Coronation Ceremony on May 5th, 2024 at Handley High School.
Executive Director Brad Veach of the festival said officials had not contacted Bella’s grandfather, John Astin, a famous actor himself, to check if he was present. John Astin died at age 92 in Baltimore. Of course, he rose to fame due to his acting career with his title role of Gomez Addams in the popular ’60s TV show “The Addams Family.” The last time John Astin visited Winchester was nine years ago, during the coronation of Ali Astin.
Gromling also says that Sean and Christine Astin and their daughters have been long-time attendees of the festival, for at least 20 years now. Even before any of their daughters were crowned as Queens, Sean came alongside actress Loni Anderson as the co-grand marshals of the festival, back in the year 2004. Shortly after this was the time when Sean Astin had wrapped up filming and being a part of the third and final installment of the “Lord of the Rings” franchise.
From hereon marked the long term relationship of the Astin family with the Apple Blossom Festival. It was in 2018, when Sean and his family came back to Winchester when he mentioned to Gromling that he has a third daughter who had not been crowned. Gromling didn’t think twice at the prospect of Bella being the queen. And thus, Isabella Louise Astin became the Shenandoah Apple Blossom Festival Queen for 2024.
Even Bella has wished and hoped to become the Queen as she had shared the same with The Winchester Star in 2018, when she was still 12.
Bella’s participation for the festival began on May 4th at the Village at Orchard Ridge Queen’s Donner. She also participated in several festival events on May 5th prior to the coronation ceremony. Additionally, she also rode a Hang 10 Car Wash Firefighters Parade and attended the Realty One Group Old Towne Queen’s Ball on the evening of 5th may. Finally she sat on the throne of the Queen’s float during the Glo Fiber Grand Feature Parade on May 6th
The 96th Shenandoah Apple Blossom Festival was held on April 38th to May 7th in and around Winchester.
More About Isabella Louise Astin
Isabella Louise Astin was born to Sean Astin and Christine Astin in July 2005. She is a senior at Oaks Christian High School. She is an animal rights activist as well as an advocate for environment awareness. Her dream is to pursue a career as a documentary shooter who focuses on the needs of animals.
She also has interests in acting, photography and film. Bella is a FemSTEM student and is keen on raising and bringing the light to women’s voices in science, engineering, technology, and math. Bella is also a volunteer at her local animal shelter where she often photographs animals such as puppies who are looking for their fur-ever homes.
It is safe to say that Isabella has grown to be a beautiful, elegant and loving woman. She has kept up the legacy of the Astin family through her activities in and around her community.
