Apple Day is a collaboration between the University of Bristol, The Cider Box taproom and local community groups. This annual event brings people together to celebrate the harvest while helping reduce food waste by turning unwanted apples into fresh juice and cider.
Visitors can also enjoy a range of family-friendly activities throughout the day, including traditional fête games, Morris dancing and opportunities to learn more about apples, orchards and cider-making.
Residents can bring their apples to the University of Bristol Botanic Garden or donate them in advance to one of the community hubs. Anyone bringing apples on the day will receive free entry to the Botanic Gardens.
Participants can choose between taking home freshly pressed apple juice or receiving a bottle of cider from The Cider Box in 2027. Visitors opting for juice will be able to learn how to safely pasteurise and preserve it through demonstrations taking place during the event.
For every 5kg of apples donated, participants will receive one bottle of cider, up to a maximum of five bottles per person.
To ensure quality, apples and their trees should not have been treated with pesticides. Apples should be rinsed before being donated. Bruised fruit is welcome, but rotten apples cannot be accepted.
Apple Day is about more than reducing waste. It is also a celebration of heritage and sustainability. The place where apples are grown has a direct impact on their flavour, and the West Country has a long and rich cider-making tradition. By pooling fruit from across the city, the community will create a unique cider that reflects Bristol's orchards and gardens.
Nothing will go to waste. Leftover apple pomace will be reused sustainably, helping to close the loop in the cider-making process. In 2025, the event saved 3,000kg of apples from going to landfill and produced hundreds of litres of juice for cider-making.
Apple Day also supports the University of Bristol's commitment to sustainability. By encouraging communities to reuse, recycle and rethink food waste, the initiative contributes to UN Sustainable Development Goal 12: Responsible Consumption and Production. In recognition of its sustainability efforts, the University was ranked 14th in the world for SDG12 in the 2026 Times Higher Education Impact Rankings.
Andy Winfield, Senior Botanical Horticulturalist at the University of Bristol Botanic Garden, said: "What I love about Apple Day is that it's about so much more than apples. It brings people together from right across Bristol. Last year, donations came from 12 of the city's 14 postcode districts, with many more coming from communities across the wider Bristol region.
"This is our third Apple Day at the Botanic Garden, and we're really looking forward to welcoming everyone. Come along to Apple Day and experience the joy of the apple harvest, the buzz of community and the taste of a truly local cider."