Johnny Appleseed Festival returns to Apple Creek
Starting on July 24 at noon at the Dale James Ford parking lot, the parade through the village is a tradition at the Johnny Appleseed Festival in Apple Creek.
Johnny Appleseed will again be celebrated in Apple Creek after a year off because of the pandemic.
“We’re hoping to get us back into some good feelings after what we’ve all been through this past year,” Apple Creek Mayor Rodney Mackey said.
Slated for the weekend of July 23 and 24 at the village park, the long-running annual festival will observe the village’s Johnny Appleseed connection with live musical entertainment, food, inflatables, contests and raffles. The time for Friday’s celebration is from 4-10 p.m., and Saturday’s time is noon to 10 p.m.
There will be booths sponsored by businesses, local clubs, organizations, churches, schools and concessions.
Mackey said the event usually attracts between 3,000-4,000 people including many who look at the annual event as a sort of homecoming.
Whether the real Johnny Appleseed passed through Apple Creek back in the 1800s, specifically planting some apple trees in East Union Township, seems to be in some question, but it has been passed down through the generations that he made his journey through the area heading west from the Mansfield area, where he had settled.
Appleseed was storied to always have a sack of apple seeds with him, and he wore a tin pot on his head as a hat as he traveled through Ohio, Pennsylvania and Indiana preaching to settlers and Native Americans. Many of Ohio’s orchards were said to be started by Appleseed, but over the years the real history has given way to the fabled story of the American legend.
The Apple Creek Civic Improvement Corporation, a nonprofit organization created by the Apple Creek Village Council, re-assumed responsibility of the Johnny Appleseed Festival after the 2015 festival. The planning committee is made up of CIC members and members of the community.
Chrissie Taylor, this year’s event coordinator, said she hopes for a good crowd. “I really think everyone’s anxious to get out, and we’re very excited about being able to pull this together, especially given all the unknowns earlier in the year,” she said.
One of the attractions Taylor is most excited about is the free musical acts that will perform Friday and Saturday nights. “On Friday night we have Felony, and on Saturday we have Callanaw Redneck,” she said. “They play a mix of everything — some pop, some oldies, and Christian and country.”
On Friday night a princess contest featuring girls between kindergarten and fourth grade will choose a princess through a random draw, and the princess will ride in Saturday’s parade.
The festival will feature food vendors such as Bob’s sandwiches and fries and Eat at Joe’s, as well as the traditional barbecue chicken and fair foods by the local Boy Scouts and others.
There will be traditional bingo by the American Legion, as well as bingo with a twist — goat poop bingo, where players buy a square on the floor and win when a goat, well, you get the idea.
Also on Friday, an honored citizen will be named from exceptional local citizens who have done some kind of community service.
A cake walk will be held both Friday and Saturday, and Beaver Meats will provide the prize for a meat bundle raffle.
Saturday will feature a hot dog eating contest and inflatables, contests, vendors and the Apple Creek Fire Department’s water-barrel fight. Wayne County’s Mobile Command Center will be onsite, and the Apple Creek Police will do canine demonstrations.
The big event is Saturday’s parade on Main Street.
The lineup will start at noon this year at Dale James Ford.
“Have a muscle car? A unique car? Are you part of a band? Is your dog special? Do you belong to a group? Want to showcase your business? All are welcome. Let’s make 2021 the best year ever,” the festival’s Facebook page says.
It says all parade participants need to do is show up to line up for the parade.
Also, keep an eye out for Johnny Appleseed; he’ll be portrayed this year by Dale Smith.