The festival, first held in 1920,[1] has grown from a one-day event to an eleven-day affair including a carnival, golf tournament, food fair, multiple parades, an arts and crafts fair, entertainment on a stage in Memorial Park, and other amusements.

The Ladies Musical Club produced the first festival in 1920, a one-day event in Memorial Park involving songs, speeches, maypoles, and baseball.

In 1921, the Commercial Club, forerunner of the Wenatchee Valley Chamber of Commerce, took over sponsorship of the celebration.

[3] In 1967, Wenatchee established a sister city relationship with the Aomori Apple Blossom Festival in Japan.

[3] On what would've been the centennial anniversary in 2020, officials cite the COVID-19 pandemic as grounds for cancellation.