A celebration of Hereford-shire's trademark fruit takes place this weekend with The Big Apple.

The event tomorrow (Saturday) and Sunday promotes and celebrates the variety and quality of local apples and cider. It is organised by communities around Much Marcle and Putley.

"Harvest time is the traditional time to celebrate this very traditional fruit-growing and cider-making. The wonderful smell of apples is very much part of the festival," said Janet MacKay, one of the organisers.

The festival is now in its 16th year and involves seven rural parishes. Apple growers join forces with cider-makers, schools, churches and pubs to offer a weekend of displays, tastings and a whole range of apple related attractions.

The festival offers visitors the chance to enjoy the autumn countryside with local orchards and cider makers holding open days, tastings and guided tours.

There will be apple sales at Reddingend in Much Marcle and Little Verzons in Pixley. There will be cider tastings and sales at Westons, Lyne Down, Greggs Pitt and the Much Marcle village shop, while local pubs and restaurants will be serving special lunches and suppers using apples and cider.

Hellens Great Barn in Much Marcle is the venue for this year's Feast of Apples, with the opportunity to feast your eyes and tastebuds on delicious displays of traditional apples, cider fruit and perry pears.

St Bartholomew's Church in Much Marcle will have a display of harvest produce for sale and tours of the bell tower and Lyne Down Cider will be demonstrating traditional cider-making and serving a pig roast.

Apple teas will be served in Much Marcle Memorial Hall and visitors can join the Big Apple bike ride on Sunday and follow the cider trail from Ledbury, leaving from the Market House at 10.30am.

The bike ride will take cyclists along country lanes, stopping at orchards and cider producers, with time in Much Marcle for a picnic.

Details of all the attractions and opening times are available from the Ledbury Tourist Information Centre in the Homend or on www.marcherap ple.net/bigapple/.