For many, the Johnny Appleseed Festivalapps yearly celebration of pioneer life and local folklore marks the end of summer and the start of the fall season.
The festival honors its namesake, John Chapman, also known as 19th century American folk hero Johnny Appleseed, who is buried at Archer Park. A period-appropriate festival, guests can find food prepared using traditional pioneer methods, handcrafted goods, and demonstrations by period reenactors across the festival grounds.
Thousands of guests poured into Johnny Appleseed and Archer parks Saturday for the first day of the weekend-long festival. The free family-friendly festival was founded in 1974 and has grown from a collection of 20 vendors to more than 200 this year.
Visitors come from miles around to attend the festival app some of whom make it an annual tradition.
Saturday was Wabash residents Tom and Susan Powellapps fourth year visiting the Johnny Appleseed Festival. They enjoy the food app caramel corn, chicken and dumplings, apple cider, and tenderloins in particular app as well as the history of life in Johnny Appleseedapps day.
appItapps really interesting to see things through the eyes of (people from Johnny Appleseedapps time),app Tom Powell said. appThey didnappt need electricity. Itapps amazing, things like that.app
The couple also said theyappre always amazed by how popular the festival is.
Johnny Appleseed is the biggest festival of the season for the Applejack Cloggers, said Director Jennifer Schweitzer. The group has 17 dancers ranging in age from 16 to 84 and has been performing at the festival since Schweitzer was in high school in the late 1990s. Schweitzer said the group, which was founded in 1992, is her second family.
appWe love seeing all the people out at the festival and itapps just fun to go,app she said. appItapps one of our favorite performances of the year and itapps the one that everybody shows up to.app
Thereapps always a crowd of interesting and enthusiastic people who visit Dale Cantrellapps booth at the Johnny Appleseed Festival. This weekend is the second year Cantrell, a Danville resident, set up his tent of polished agate stone windchimes at the festival.
appI do this full-time and if I do well at a festival, I try to come back,app he said, adding that he had several repeat customers from other area fairs come through his booth Saturday afternoon.
Trish Caudill, owner of Trishapps Dishes, has been coming to the Johnny Appleseed Festival for about 10 years to sell her pottery. The Louisville, Kentucky-based high fire stoneware potter said she loves the Fort Wayne festival for its exceptional crowd and thoughtful organization.
appThis is a great show,app she said. appThe crowd is fantastic, and I have created a really good following here, which is way cool.app
Caudill, whoapps been making pottery professionally for 18 years, said she sells at about 20 to 25 festivals a year.
appI love doing shows. It just puts me out with people, and I love talking and meeting people,app she said. appAlong the way, I meet new vendors and we become friends, and itapps awesome.app
The Johnny Appleseed Festival continues from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sunday.
