50th Anniversary Festival Dates:
September 20 & 21, 2025
Our 50th Anniversary Festival has Arrived!
Saturday Sept. 20th & Sunday Sept. 21st, 2025
FAMILY FESTIVAL HOURS: SATURDAY 10AM – 6PM SUNDAY 10AM – 5PM
We hope you’ll come out and enjoy a wonderful family festival event. Step back in time to Johnny’s day around 1842 and smell see and enjoy all the sights and sounds that could have been around during Johnny’s lifetime. There is no entrance fee to get into this festival. There is no alcohol sold at this family friendly festival and we ask that you leave your family pet at home – for their safety.
Vendors come from all around and for hundreds of miles just be participate and share what they have to offer. Most of our food vendors are Not-For-Profit organizations all using our festival as their own biggest fundraiser for themselves. Help support our local schools, churches and organizations!
Our Mission Statement
Celebrating the Life and Times of John Chapman aka Johnny Appleseed
To educate and stimulate historical interest among the general public in order to promote a better understanding of Johnny Appleseed, his life and times. To provide a historically authentic recreation of the time of Johnny Appleseed and the period in which he lived and the plan, operate and administer the annual Johnny Appleseed Festival in Fort Wayne, Indiana.
We are an approved 501(c)(3) organization.
Our 2-Day family festival event offers a wide variety of family friendly shopping, music, food and more:
- Handmade Crafts
- 1800 Period Demonstrations
- Children's Games, Mazes & Animals
- Antiques & Collectibles
- Trappers & Traders Living On-Site
- Farmers Market
- Food, Food & More Food!
OUR SPONSORS
THESE BUSINESS HAVE PLEDGED SUPPORT TO OUR FESTIVAL
Festival Areas
The Johnny Appleseed Festival has so much to offer. We truly are a family friendly festival. From good ol’ fashioned musical entertainment to demonstrations by blacksmiths. You truly do take a little step back in time when you visit. Click on any of our festival areas below to learn more.
OUR FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
Here are our most frequently asked questions from both festival visitors and those interested in being a vendor.
The Johnny Appleseed Festival is a 2-day family festival event held on a Saturday and Sunday. It will always be the THIRD FULL weekend in September. The dates always change, but the weekend will not. The event is held rain or shine.
Our event is by invitation only - but any business, not for profit or individual can apply so long as you can comply with our 1800 period rules. There is no modern booths, power or conveniences. Read our vendor guidelines to learn more. WE DO NOT SOLICIT VENDOR APPLICATIONS VIA FACEBOOK POSTS.
Your personal pets are not permitted at our festival. We ask you to leave your dog, cat, ferret, snake, parrot, ostrich, gorilla, spider or any other pet you have at home where it is safe for them. Yes, this event is at a public park, but the restriction is in place during the festival and patrolling Fort Wayne Police can issue you a ticket if you do not comply.
There are several parking options available. You can park for FREE and ride our free shuttle service from the Purdue Fort Wayne parking area or Concordia High School Athletic Facility. Buses run 1 hour before and after the festival hours each day. You can also use the Memorial Coliseum and pay $8 for parking (JAF receives no financial funds from Coliseum parking)
This is an outdoor family festival event and the grounds are a variety of grass, stone, asphalt and wood chips. You may bring your own mobility scooter or wheelchair - both have worked well that we have seen. We do not rent scooters or wheelchairs. We do have handicap parking options close to the festival grounds.
