By Keith Knepp
InkFreeNews

NAPPANEE — The 48th annual Nappanee Apple Festival will return to the Elkhart County community Sept. 19-22. It has been recognized as one of Indiana’s top festivals, taking place in a community that has been ranked in the top five great places to live in Indiana.

A highlight of this year’s festival is the display of items recovered from a recently unearthed time capsule, which was placed in the ground 50 years ago during the city’s centennial celebration. This year, Nappanee is celebrating its sesquicentennial The items will be on display from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. Friday and Saturday inside the Evelyn Lehman Culp Heritage Museum inside the Nappanee Center, 302 W. Market St.

This year’s grand marshals are Sam and Lisa Beachy, longtime residents and business owners in the city. Sam served on the Apple Festival Committee for 10 years, including five years as its director. He also was a city councilman for six years and on the board of the Kosciusko County Builders Association for 15 years, including two as its president. Lisa works from home and has been a volunteer with the Apple Festival, local schools and Nappanee Missionary Church.

This year’s Nappanee Apple Festival parade, which includes an airplane flyover, will step off at 10:30 a.m. Saturday, Sept. 21, traveling down Market Street (US 6) from Miriam Avenue west to Nappanee Street.

WeFlip Entertainment is this year’s feature show, which will offer shows throughout the day on Friday, Saturday and Sunday in the parking lot of the Nappanee Library, 157 N. Main St.

Entertainment will take place on three stages, featuring a variety of live music during each of the four festival days. Additionally, the Miss Apple Blossom Scholarship Pageant will take place beneath the Kountry Cabinets Entertainment Tent at Depot Plaza at 7 p.m. Thursday, Sept. 19.

The Napple Store, located on the corner of Market and Clark streets, will feature a variety of apple treats, including pieces of the festival’s signature seven-foot apple pie.which weighs over 300 pounds and takes 17 hours to bake!

Carnival rides will be available on South Main Street (SR 19), with wristbands available for $25-30 each day, allowing unlimited rides for the kids.

For more information and a complete schedule of events, visit nappaneeapplefestival.org. You can also visit the festival’s Facebook and Instagram pages by searching @napplefest. Printed brochures also are available at local merchants and throughout the festival grounds.