Fall Fun at the 2nd Annual Johnny Appleseed Apple Fest Presented by Peoples Bank of Gambier

MOUNT VERNON, Ohio – The Johnny Appleseed Apple Fest returns to Downtown Mount Vernon! Sponsored by The Peoples Bank of Gambier, the event is set to take place Friday, October 8, from 5-8pm. East Ohio Avenue between South Main and South Gay will be packed with vendors, food trucks, performances and more! Honoring one of Mount Vernon’s most famous pioneers, and everything Apple, the fest is back for its second year downtown!
The Open Road Renewables Main Stage, located directly in front of 20 East Ohio, will kick off the festivities with the Appleseed Squares inviting attendees to join in on square dancing beginning at 5:30pm! At 6pm, Experience Mount Vernon welcomes 3rd Grade students from local elementaries with Johnny Appleseed performances beginning at 6pm.
Pleasant Street and Wiggin Street elementaries take to the stage at 6, with Columbia and Twin Oak elementaries performing at 7. In between the two performances, catch an appearance from Johnny Appleseed himself provided by Mount Vernon Players. The evening ends with Six Miles to Nellie taking the Happy Street Bru Werks stage at 7:30 to finish off the night!
The Wendy’s of Mount Vernon Kids Zone will feature games and activities for all ages! 5:30pm marks the start of the Half Baked Cafe “No Hands Apple Pie Eating Contest!” Five participants in an adult division and five in a children’s division will have five minutes to take down a warm and delicious apple pie from Half Baked Cafe without the use of their hands.
One winner in each category will receive a gift card to the cafe! Tour the MTVarts warehouse to see where the magic on stage comes alive and learn more about the ARTSiq program! Apple themed games will also take place throughout the event.
Pick up dinner at the Knox Foodies Food Trail presented by Ohio Rental! Try apple specialties from a number of food trucks, enjoy apple cider and other seasonal drinks, and the fest has also been approved to be a Designated Outdoor Refreshment Area(DORA) event. Partnering with Happy Street Bru Werks, guests who participate in the DORA are allowed to purchase a beverage and cup from Happy Street to consume their beverage within the event boundaries.
Event boundaries include East Ohio between South Main Street and South Gay Street, the Central Ohio Technical College parking lot between Blackberry Alley and South Gay Street and the Happy Street Bru Werks property. All beverages must be consumed from DORA cups. For more information on DORA, head to ExperienceMV.org.
Craft vendors will line East Ohio selling crafts and apple related products. Glen Hill orchards will be on hand selling produce, along with a local family farm.
East Ohio Avenue will be closed to all traffic between Main and Gay starting at 3:30pm on October 8, with the street reopening around 8:30 Friday evening.

Experience a Fall evening celebrating Johnny Appleseed, apples and our downtown merchants at the Johnny Appleseed Apple Fest! For more information on the fest, events coming to downtown, or to learn more about Experience Mount Vernon, head to experiencemv.org.