The Johnny Appleseed Festival is held every year on the third weekend in September in the Village of Lisbon, Ohio. It is a two-day festival featuring a parade, music, crafts, amusement rides, vendors and a judged quilt show. A festival queen is crowned along with Mr. Applebud and Miss Appleblossom, and "Johnny Appleseed" is there to hand out apples.
The formal name of the sponsoring town is the Village of Lisbon, although it is commonly called Lisbon, a town located in northeast Ohio close to the Pennsylvania border and near Akron and Canton in Ohio, Wheeling, West Virginia, and Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. The village, founded in 1803, associates itself with the story of Johnny Appleseed, the man who traveled throughout the Midwest, including Ohio and the region surrounding Lisbon, planting apple trees. In front of the sign that reads "Welcome to the Village of Lisbon," stands a statue of Johnny Appleseed, whose real name was John Chapman. The sign and statue are featured on the website of the Lisbon Area Chamber of Commerce. The statue, on the village square, welcomes all who come to the annual festival.
The annual Johnny Appleseed Festival is an important event in Lisbon, whose population in 2003 was estimated at 2,900. It is prominently featured on its website and on websites in Ohio that list events and festivals. The festival gives vendors the opportunity to sell their products. The quilt show provides those who make quilts the chance to present their craft and be judged against other quilt makers. Of course, the parade and amusement rides are big events for children and adults alike. The festival brings the whole small town together, welcomes visitors and puts Lisbon on the map every year.
Continuity is a big part of the Johnny Appleseed Festival, as it has been an annual event in the month of September since 1968. By scheduling the festival on the third weekend of the month, everyone can block off that weekend far in advance. It becomes part of life in the northeast part of Ohio, surrounding Lisbon.
Part of the Johnny Appleseed Festival is the judged quilt show. Each contestant must complete an entry form, which in addition to the standard personal information, includes a space for the name of the quilt entry, and, if it is a bed quilt, the size of the quilt. Finally, there is space for the entrant to tell the story of the entry, and to state whether or not the quilt is for sale.
Beginning in 1968, collector's plates have been made for the festival. The Lisbon Area Chamber of Commerce has a display of the plates on their website. For residents of the area, these plates provide a link to the past and are another reason the festival is a special event.
