Rave Takes the Reigns this Apple Season, Backed by Freshness and Influencer Buzz
July 17, 2025 | 3 min to read
WENATCHEE, Wash. – Retailers looking to kickstart the apple category this fall can look no further than Rave®. Grown by Stemilt in Washington state, by YES! Apples in New York, and Applewood Fresh in Michigan, Rave apples offer an advantage as the first apple to harvest of the season, with dwindling old crop apple volumes, and influencer engagement to spread the word of the apple’s outrageously juicy, refreshing, snappy zing with consumers.
“Rave is naturally positioned as the early-season, back-to-school apple,” said Brianna Shales, Stemilt’s Marketing Director. “Available starting in early August, Rave can help you bring a fresh-from-the-tree apple eating experience to consumers before other varieties are back in stock. This year, there is a shortage of the top-selling Honeycrisp apples, so Rave can help capture early-season sales with a fresh eating experience.”
Rave is a natural blend of the popular Honeycrisp and the MonArk apple, a variety from Arkansas. The MonArk matures early with a bright, fuchsia red color, making it ready for harvest in August, a few weeks before other apples. Rave’s season is brief, running through October, fitting perfectly for back-to-school and fall apple promotions. To encourage fresh ways to enjoy Rave, whether in a lunchbox or as a snack, Stemilt is teaming up with handpicked influencers to generate excitement about the apple’s flavor qualities.
“As we inch closer to harvest, we’re seeing great size development on Rave apples to hit the desired mix of bulk and bags,” Shales added. “The weather conditions in Washington have been phenomenal for apple growth from bloom to today. July is typically a warm month, and that brings on vibrant colors in this apple.”
Rave apples will be available in bulk and bags, with 2lb. pouch bags and poly options. Stemilt also has a paper-based package that sells Rave in a 4-count scannable unit. Rave apple marketers are excited to collaborate with retailers this season to help the apple be “all the rave” in the apple category. With multiple merchandising materials to choose from, Stemilt, Applewood Fresh, and YES! Apples strive to win at the point of sale with the first apple of the season together.
“Growing Rave apples in Michigan allows us to bring a fresh, early-season option to our local retailers and consumers,” said Shelby Miller, Marketing and Business Development at Applewood Fresh. “We’re proud to offer a crisp, juicy apple that perfectly complements the back-to-school season and just might make homework taste better.”
As retailers prepare for the upcoming apple season, they can look to Rave’s regional partners. Each growing region plays a vital role in delivering fresh apples to stores early, to kick off the apple category strong.
“Rave is the apple that stops shoppers in their tracks,” said Tenley Fitzgerald, Head of Marketing at YES! Apples. “We love growing it because it helps people discover something different. That first bold bite wakes up their taste buds and shows there’s more to explore in the apple aisle. With so many snacks vying for space in shoppers’ carts, Rave kicks off apple season early with a fresh, exciting flavor that gets people ready, and hungry, for the wave of apples to come.”
About Stemilt
Stemilt is a family-owned grower, packer, and shipper of tree fruit. Owned and operated by the Mathison family, Stemilt’s mission is to cultivate people and delight consumers with its World Famous Fruits. Stemilt is a leader in sweet cherries and organic tree fruits, and a key supplier of apples and pears. The company stewards an environmentally sustainable and socially responsible business through its Responsible Choice® program, which has been in place since 1989. For more information about Stemilt, visit www.stemilt.com.