After a few hours of shopping, watching pioneer demonstrations, and playing children’s games, you’ll no doubt be ready to eat. Fortunately, the Johnny Appleseed Festival offers you plenty of options!

Food vendors at the Johnny Appleseed Festival are required to prepare their offerings using the methods employed during the mid-1800’s, the period during which John Chapman lived. Cooking is done over wood or coal fires – electricity and propane are not permitted – and the foods that they prepare must be appropriate to the time period as well. So, you won’t see elephant ears, fried Twinkies, or frozen ices in bright plastic cups. The food at the Johnny Appleseed Festival hearkens back to the days of the pioneers. Chicken, cooked over an open fire grill. Ham and beans with freshly made cornbread. Grilled turkey legs and buffalo burgers. Since ours is an open-air Festival, you can watch as vendors make fresh caramel corn in giant cast iron kettles, or observe how old-fashioned chicken and dumplings are prepared and served. And of course, there are numerous selections featuring our signature food – the apple! Apple dumplings, caramel apples, fried apples rolled in cinnamon sugar, apple pie, and plenty of cider – the choice is yours. And the scent of the open air cooking is really something that is beyond description – you have to experience it in person.

Food vendors at the Johnny Appleseed Festival pledge a minimum of 20% of their net profit back to the Festival. It is our primary source of operating income, which has allowed us to run the Festival without collecting an admission fee from our visitors. Also, most of the food vendors are not-for-profit organizations – Kiwanis, Lions, and Optimists, as well as school and church groups, so the balance of their profits are funneled back into the community. So if you’re looking for an excuse to have a second sizzle chop or another apple pancake rollup, just know that the food that you’re purchasing helps to support a variety of worthwhile causes. So feel free to indulge!