2019 Nappanee Apple Festival
Nothing is more American than apple pie, and the Nappanee Apple Festival celebrates that old adage with a sevenfood apple pie, consisting of 800 slices to share.
The 44th annual Nappanee Apple Festival kicked off on Saturday with the annual tractor-truck pull, but the applethemed festivities will run Thursday to Sunday.
The pull draws competition from the Midwest area each year, and has grown over the years to include nine classes. It is hosted in connection with Nappanee Power from the Past.
The festival first opened as a oneblock gathering in 1975. In recent years, Nappanee, a community of 7,000 people, welcomes more than 80,000 people to its festival.
In the spirit of the celebration, you will find crates of fresh apples dotting the downtown sidewalks and more than 20 different food vendors including many local non-profit organizations serving all your favorites.
There are three stages of entertainment highlighting music and other performances throughout the festival days.
Headlining the entertainment will be Loop Rawlins, a “One Man Wild West” show that begins 6 p.m. on Friday and will have intermittent performances until 4 p.m. on Sunday.
Rawlins was a contestant on the 2014 season of “America’s Got Talent,” and made it to the quarterfinals. He is one of the most versatile Western performers in the world today.
His unique act of trick roping, whip cracking and gun spinning has thrilled thousands of audiences.
The other two stages will offer live music with genres including rock & roll, classic rock, folk, bluegrass, country, gospel and variety.
Children’s favorites include Mike Hemmelgarn, a comedy juggler and ventriloquist; Silly Safaris; and the Granpa Crachet Kids Show and Puppets.
Other draws to the festival include:
• More than 150 exhibitors
• Carnival rides
• Parade with a military aircraft flyover
• Miss Apple Blossom scholarship pageant
• Power from the Past Antique Tractor and Engine Show (all day Thursday through Saturday)
• Cornhole tournament
• 5-kilometer road run
• “Napple” baking contest
• garden tractor pull
• Kids and adult pedal pull contests
• Wings and Wheels show at Nappanee Airport
• Apple peeling contests
• Pie eating contests
There is a baby changing and nursing mother’s station located downtown at the heart of the festival.
Those who are attending the festival for apple treats can find crowd favorites including pie, fritters, dumplings, turnovers, fry pies, bread, applesauce, cider and butter to enjoy during the festival or at home.
Find the schedule on Pages 1620 of this guide, or visit http:// nappaneeapplefestival.org.
The festival is made free through financial support from area businesses, city employees, the Chamber of Commerce and dedicated volunteers.
Principal sponsors are Community Foundation of Elkhart County, Elkhart County Convention and Visitors Bureau, CommunityFiber, Kountry Cabinets and Home Furnishing, Martin’s Supermarket, and WSBT.