0801 Appleseed Festival parade takes a bite out of the heat and summer storms
By Robin Hauenstein
July 26, 2011
325
Summary: The annual Johnny Appleseed Festival in Apple Creek provided a fun way to beat the heat, July 22-23. The festivals main event, the grand parade, was held July 23, featuring local dignitaries.
The hot days of July slowed everyone down, but not the fun at the annual Johnny Appleseed Festival. The annual Apple Creek event featured pie auctions, contests, music, food and of course, the grand parade. Threatening clouds and thunder held off as the parade featured ancient and current figures.
With Johnny Appleseed himself just behind the Apple Creek American Legion color guard, the parade included Reda Burkholder, the Apple Creek Elementary PTOs Citizen of the Year. Burkholder was honored for her many fundraising and volunteering activities at the school and in the Southeast Local School District. Arlene Amstutz was named the 2011 festival senior queen.
Abe Lincoln (Gerald Payne) made an appearance and spoke after the parade. Also in the parade were Myron and Ann Swinehart, the 2011 honored citizens.
As crowds lined the streets of Apple Creek for the route, they were not disappointed with the amount of treats for the kids.
Floats included Waynedales representatives for Buckeye Girls State, the Imperial Cadets Baton Corps, from the Wooster and Orrville communities, the AU Off Road Jeep Club of Wooster had several entries, and many youth softball and baseball teams, fresh from their winning seasons, were in the parade. The Golden Bear Brigade float provided a display of names and photos of those active in the military. Local businesses in the Apple Creek, Wooster, and Orrville areas participated, as did royalty from the Holmes County Antique Festival.
The parade concluded with several fire trucks, with vehicles coming from Dover, New Pittsburg, and all over Wayne County. At the end, crowds moved down to the park for the honored citizen recognition, games, food and entertainment.
