Every year, Circleville celebrates pumpkins. Garlic is lauded in Cleveland, and Albany applauds the paw-paw.
While there are any number of fall festivals in Ohio honoring the apple, a small town in Columbiana County likes to take a different route celebrating, instead, the thousands of apple trees flourishing in the Buckeye State and beyond thanks to one man – John Chapman aka; Johnny Appleseed.
The third Saturday and Sunday in September finds the Village of Lisbon decked out in everything apple. The Johnny Appleseed Festival, sponsored by the Lisbon Chamber of Commerce and more volunteers and businesses than one can count, transforms a third of the Village Square and about two city blocks into a small town apple extravaganza.
But it is not just the apple being celebrated. The festival is really all about Johnny Appleseed.
So who is this guy and why all the fuss? Born September 26, 1774, in Massachusetts, John Chapman was an American missionary and nurseryman who helped prepare the way for 19th century pioneers by planting apple trees throughout the Midwest. If not for “Johnny Appleseed” and the apple trees and their delicious fruit, it is thought many early pioneers might not have survived the trip.
John Chapman was a genuine and dedicated professional nurseryman with a plan. Around 1800, he started collecting apple seeds from cider presses in western Pennsylvania and soon began his long trek westward, planting a series of apple nurseries from the Alleghenies to central Ohio and beyond. He sold or gave away thousands of seedlings to pioneers whose acres of productive apple orchards became a living memorial to Chapman’s missionary energy earning him the moniker of “Johnny Appleseed.”
John Chapman’s passion created a legend; that of Johnny Appleseed; a cheerful, generous man who was most comfortable living with nature, who was gentle with animals, devoted to the Bible, knowledgeable about medicinal herbs, and friends with the Native Americans.
Equally as memorable is Johnny, himself. Long hair topped with an inverted mush pan as a hat; bare feet, ragged trousers, and an old coffee sack over his shoulders with holes cut out for arms. Never without his Bible in hand, Johnny Appleseed also carried a sack of apples to share and for planting.
The 53rd edition of The Johnny Appleseed Festival held September 18 and 19, 2021, in Lisbon, Ohio, continued the tradition of having its very own Johnny Appleseed in attendance. Jerry Tyson, a life-long resident of Lisbon, took over this role for the first time at this 2021 event and ran with it. From walking into town Friday night as Johnny, setting up a true camp in the square and living there for the entire festival, to being in attendance at all festival events; Tyson was Johnny Appleseed.
Festival food is in abundance at this event, but special to the Johnny Appleseed Festival are the made on-site apple butter, apple ice cream, apple fritters, and apple dumplings. Festival happenings include an apple pie contest, an apple eating contest, the Grand Parade, a car show, JAF Has Talent talent show, a quilt show including the opportunity to win a hand-made quilt special to the festival, and a Saturday morning breakfast hosted by Lisbon’s volunteer fire department. Bingo, a photography show, rock hunt, pet parade, pedal tractor contest, and the event’s Johnny Appleseed Festival Queen (complete with scholarship money) and her court along with the crowing of Little Miss Appleblossom and Little Mr. Applebud also take place.
Add to this live entertainment throughout the festival, rides for the kids, and vendors lining the festival streets – the Johnny Appleseed Festival is two days jam-packed with activities and fun.
Mark your calendar now for next year’s Johnny Appleseed Festival held in downtown Lisbon, Ohio, slated to take place September 17 and 18, 2022. And when you visit, be sure to get an apple straight from the man himself – Johnny Appleseed.
[Photo credits: Aerial image, Jerry Tyson; Boy & Johnny at Parade, Alicia Rose Rearley; Johnny’s Tent, unknown; Johnny with Johnny, unknown; Girl on Tractor, category winner, Audrey Hickman’s, mother.]