2023 Apple Blossom Festival - this years Parade lacking in diversity and inclusion ? many of our diverse Annapolis Valley communities not included this year ?

Mar 27th, 2023 - Frustration ls growing in Kentville N.S. over the deterioration of the famous Apple Blossom Festival under current ABF management ? This first class family event has become unrecognizable and transformed from a well known professional status into some kind of an amateurish mundane and unprofessional product ? Where is the famous Queen Annapolisa and where are all of the Apple Blossom Princesses with their child attendants riding in their beautiful hand crafted Village floats ? Where are all of the town criers, the local students and the Camp Aldershot cadets that always come ? And, where have all the amazing professional marching bands gone ? Where are all of the majorettes and the great marching bands and pipers that always came up from Halifax, Cape Breton, Bridgewater, etc.. ? Where are Hantsport and Windsor ? And where are Wolfville, Digby, Annapolis Royal, Lawrencetown, Middleton and Canning ? Why are these diverse villages that have always come to Kentville and always participated in Grand Street parade not being included this year ? Has something or someone hurt their feelings or in some way insulted these loyal longtime parade veterans ? And, the Kentville Apple Blossom Princess (aka Miss Kentville) whom a lot of citizens identify with at this time of year, isn't included atop this year's Kentville float which now holds residents who represent different ethnicities in a theme that appears to identify, advertise and promote the town of Kentville's diversity and inclusion ? And also, unfortunately, the New Minas float did not include the Apple Blossom Princess New Minas this year, however her float was cleverly transformed to advertise and promote the famous New Minas UFO incident which is identifiable to many New Minas citizens as being an important part of their local history. The Berwick float did'nt include Princess Berwick but had also been cleverly transformed to advertise and to honor Berwicks 100th anniversary celebrations. And the Kingston float did not include the historic Princess Kingston but instead advertised the instantly identifiable Kingston Steer Barbeque. The RCMP contingent was very good but noticed there was only 1 other large marching band in the parade when usually at least 4 or more would come from places like Cape Breton, Bridgewater, Dartmouth etc ? And where have all the animals gone - there was no heavy horse teams, wooden wagons, riders or livestock this year ? And the greyhound dogs didn't come either ? Also noticed that some spectators may have joined in the parade and began to walk along with it to become a part if it , and that others must have come over with strollers from the Children's parade ? There was a variety of business advertising, (some from out of town), and other forms of commercialism ?