Johnny Appleseed festival returns Sept. 25
‘It is something we all look forward to, and we are looking forward to seeing each other. It has been a long year and a half.’
–Event organizer Richard Marchand
LEOMINSTER » Longtime event organizer Richard Marchand is thrilled to announce that the 28th annual Johnny Appleseed Arts and Culture Festival is back and will be held from 9 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. on Sept. 25 after a pretaped concert was offered last year in lieu of the popular event due to the pandemic.
“It is a celebration of community, we missed it last year,” he said. “It is a great way to go into the fall and holiday season and it has been a tradition to get people together.”
Marchand, a lifelong city resident, said they have made every effort to make this year’s festival “as safe as we can.” The event is being held not only downtown but down Main Street, making it more spread out, and sanitizing stations will be placed throughout. Masks are encouraged and will be available to those who need them.
“It is something we all look forward to, and we are looking forward to seeing each other,” he said. “It has been a long year and a half.”
In addition, Community Health Connections will be offering the COVID-19 vaccine, and there will be three stages for musicians to perform on instead of one main stage. Picnic tables will be set up in front of each one for people to sit and enjoy the music.
“I am working on getting a cleaning crew to wipe down tables behind people,” Marchand said. “We are going to do the best we can to spread everyone out so it’s not so congested.”
The event is truly a community collaboration, with as many as 160 various area nonprofits and charities setting up at it with information and resources and local vendors, crafters, and more
offering products and such.
Marchand said AIS Inc. of Leominster will be providing 250 meals for children and families and the company also sponsored 25 nonprofit and charitable organizations, deferring their fee as a festival vendor.
Many sponsors step up and contribute to the festival each year. Marchand said this year’s “generous” sponsors include Massachusetts Cultural Council, the city Cultural Council, AIS, UMass Memorial HealthAlliance- Clinton Hospital, Rollstone Bank, Leominster Credit Union, Fidelity Bank, IC Credit Union, bankHometown, Avidia Bank, Gagne Realty Corp., TJB Plumbing, Workers Credit Union, Enterprise Bank, Webster First, Dental Smiles, Life Care Center of Leominster, New England Apple, Lamacchia Realty, Enterprise Bank, Webster First, Cinema Smiles Dental, Life Care Center of Leominster, City Council candidate Bill Brady and several city restaurants.
“It is so heartfelt working with all the different nonprofits and organizations and small businesses, it is fantastic how they step up,” Marchand said. “It is a real benchmark of the business community stepping up year after year, they underwrite most of it.”
He said the festival gives people a chance to celebrate the city’s “culture and the diversity, not only cross generational but also multi-cultural.”
The food booth will feature cuisine by the Spanish American Center and there will be two Brazilian barbecues going as well as American barbecue.
“There will be something for everyone,” Marchand said.
Marchand said people are excited for the return of the festival, which he hopes will provide some sense of normalcy.
“It will be good for us to be able to reach out to each other during this special day,” he said. “I think we all need it.”
For more information, contact Richard Marchand at 978-660-2313 and follow the Johnny Appleseed Arts and Culture Festival Facebook event page.