At Johnny Appleseed Festival, enjoy small-town charm, fun

By D.A. Wilkinson

Local celebrities old and young will be at the dunking tank.

LISBON — Apple ice cream, a queen pageant and 600 rubber ducks.

It’s time for the Johnny Appleseed Festival.

The event that runs Saturday and next Sunday is based on the real nursery man named John Chapman who traveled Ohio in the 1800s.

It’s the 41st year for the festival that is rebounding nicely after taking place briefly at the Columbiana County Fairgrounds instead of the village square, and was also canceled for two years.

The festival is back on the square and surrounding streets.

Sonny Reynolds will be portraying Johnny Appleseed. He’s the fourth person to do so since the festival began.

Ryan Hillman and Susan Mowery of the Lisbon Area Chamber of Commerce are co-chairs of the event. Hillman is the president of the chamber, which runs the festival.

Apple ice cream will be offered, along with apple pies and butter.

There are five queen candidates, and five Applebud and Appleblossom candidates. They’ll be crowned right after the parade at 11 a.m. Saturday that will kick off the event.

The rubber ducks are part of a contest at the Steel Trolley Diner, which was extremely popular last year.

“It’s 3 bucks a duck,” Hillman said.

People buy their duck, or ducks, the street will flooded, and the first duck across the finish line wins. Proceeds benefit the village fire department.

More contemporary fun will be over at the dunking tank.

Mayor Michael B. Lewis will be taking a stint in the tank at 7 p.m. Saturday, according to Hillman. County Commissioners Dan Bing and Penny Traina are supposed to take a turn, too.

Members of the village’s football team will have their turns in the tank at 3 p.m. Saturday.

Mowery said a new feature this year will be an outdoor Johnny Appleseed movie shown on the square at 8 p.m. Saturday. The movie will be followed by a popular children’s movie that can’t be named in order to keep the cost down. It features a grinchy character.

The festival will have at least 11 singers or bands ranging from God’s Quad to Los Vatos Locos, aka “Those Crazy Eyes.”

There will be tons of food from vendors to the United Methodist Church’s barbecue and food from the Veterans of Foreign War Post 4111.

While the huge Canfield Fair continues to thrive, and the Columbiana County Fair is growing, Hillman said, “The Appleseed Festival has the charm of a small-town festival.”

wilkinson@vindy.com