Nappanee's 50th annual Apple Festival continues through rain showers

NAPPANEE, Ind. -- The Nappanee Apple Festival marked its 50th anniversary with vendor tents, contests and even periods of rain.

Paige Lantz, the 2026 Apple Blossom Queen said, "We started long time ago, actually. Fun fact, as an onion festival before we changed to an apple festival, which is really funny because I think apples are a lot better than onions in my opinion."

There were three pie-eating contests that were held at the event, a kids, teens, and adults' division.

Phillip Harter, the First-Place Winner of the adult's division, says he always wanted to be part of an eating competition. "I just saw the chance when I saw it on the on the poster over there, and I was walking over to get an apple fritter, and I said, well, I could just get a whole pie here, it definitely hurt the stomach a little bit. I wasn't expecting that big of a slice."

As vendors lined the festival grounds with clothing, baked goods and other items Harter says this means a lot to Nappanee.

"This is a festival, even though it's raining. It's meaningful for small towns like this, and it kind of keeps the pulse of America alive by keeping small towns like this doing things like this."