The Morning Journal (Lorain, OH)
Folks find fun, friends at Apple Festival
Good crowds reported for all three days link to weather, coronavirus frustration
Of all the cars at the classic car show in Elyria on a sun-soaked beautiful Sept. 19, one with an interesting backstory was a 1989 Cadillac Allante.
The bright red, two-seat convertible with leather interior belongs to Elyria native and car enthusiast Bruce Schlosser, who also entered his 1994 white Ford Thunderbird into the show, which was sponsored by the Lorain County Convention and Visitors Bureau.
Cadillac and General Motors developed the vehicle in the late 1980s to compete with European luxury rides like Mercedes and Jaguar.
The aluminum body was produced by the Italian company Pininfarina and then flown by jet to Detroit where it was then placed on a Cadillac chassis.
They were not cheap.
In 1989 you could purchase one from the dealer for just under $60,000, which translates to approximately $124,000 in today’s dollars, he said.
“This is the jewel. It’s all original,” said Schlosser, who wore a white t-shirt, shorts, and wrap-around mirrored sunglasses, as he wiped down his prized Cadillac.
Schlosser’s two cars were included in a group of 210 entrants in the car show, which was held in conjunction with the final day of the 40th Annual Elyria Apple Festival. But that was far from the only thing going on.
Winners in an Apple Festival art contest were announced and their work displayed as part of the final day’s activities.
A 5K race kicked off the last day of the festival and there was a bike parade during the afternoon.
Of course, there was a wide variety of fair food to try, including everything from funnel cakes and shaved ices, to caramel apples, and fresh apple cider, the last two which could be found at the stand ran by Grobe Fruit Farms, an Elyria-based business located on SR 113.
Attendance for all three days of the festival, which ran Sept. 17 through Sept. 19 in Ely Square Park and on its surrounding streets, was strong, according to Linda Brown, a long-time board member.
“The turnout has been one of our best,” Brown said. “Everyone has been very happy. They are glad to be out, seeing their neighbors.”
Visitors flocked back to the event, which was canceled in 2020 due to Covid-19. Great weather all three days certainly didn’t hamper attendance.
“It’s a nice setting. Good people. It’s bigger than I thought it was going to be,” said Donnie Novosielski, who has lived in Elyria for more than 50 years and regularly has attended the festival.
Brown said festival organizers focused on making the event family-oriented in 2021. A designated area with kid-friendly activities was established as part of that.
As the three days unfolded, Covid-19 and its Delta variant were never far from one’s mind. With cases of Covid-19 on the rise in Ohio, Brown said she believed festival-goers were leery to attend maskless but became more comfortable as it went on.
“Right now I don’t see a lot of masks. But if you sit around here for a while you’ll see people with masks on, which is good,” she said.
Vendors reported sales were very strong, Brown said.
“They are selling out of stuff and that never happens,” she said.
One of those vendors, Steve Matus, said he’s had a booth for all 40 years of the festival. He started with sausage and has expanded his line of products to include fresh-squeezed lemonade, and shaved ice along with kettle corn.
“It’s been very good,” Matus said of his sales for the weekend.
Also on the minds of many in attendance was the fate of the Cleveland Browns, who happened to play their home opener on Sept. 19.
Browns jerseys could be spotted on more than a few festival visitors.
Brown, for one, didn’t think the game would keep attendance numbers down on the final day of the festival.
“I like football. And I like the Browns. I’m just taping the game,” she said.
“The turnout has been one of our best. Everyone has been very happy. They are glad to be out, seeing their neighbors.”
— Linda Brown