The Fifth Annual Johnny Appleseed Festival will be held Oct. 8, 9 and 10 at Memorial Field in Sheffield. A great weekend of lumberjack contests, food, music and fun is planned.
"We are reliving the history of the great logging boom era this weekend," said coordinator Kristi Kulka. "The skills of old are the competitive events of today, and the same competitive spirit of the lumberjacks of yesteryear is still very much alive here at the Johnny Appleseed Festival."
The two-day professional lumberjack competition will feature skilled lumberjacks and lumberjills from all over the U.S., Canada and the Netherlands.
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"We are extremely pleased to host the U.S. National Title Springboard Event on Sunday," Kulka said. A $1,000 prize will be awarded to the winner of this event sponsored by D&S Resources.
New this year will be a birling, (log rolling) event which takes place in water and is an "exciting, fast-paced competition between two competitors," Kulka said. This will be a United States Log Rolling Association tournament event.
| Schedule | |
| Friday | noon: Food & Craft Vendors open |
| 1 p.m.: Opening Ceremonies | |
| 2-5 p.m.: Art Cooney’s Rag Time Band | |
| 3-5 p.m.: Kids Events | |
| 5 p.m. Lawn Tractor Races on Center Street | |
| Saturday | 10 a.m.: Food & Craft Vendors open |
| 7-9:30 a.m. Breakfast at Concession Stand served by Sheffield Rotary | |
| 10 a.m.-2 p.m.: Antique Appraisal | |
| 11 a.m.: Heavy & Light Weight Horse Pull | |
| 12:30 p.m.: Lumberjack Competition | |
| 1-3 p.m.: Polka Band from Kane | |
| 1-6 p.m.: Groundhog Wine Trail, Fire Hall sponsored by Howes True Value Rick Rawson will perform. | |
| 3 p.m.: Apple Pie Contest Judging | |
| 5-7 p.m.: Brokenstraw will perform in pavilion | |
| 7 p.m.: Lanters to Heaven | |
| 7:30 p.m.: Fireworks show by Starfire Corporation | |
| 8-11 p.m.: Temple Grey will perform at Fire Hall | |
| Sunday | 10 a.m.: Food & Craft Vendors open |
| 7-9:30 a.m. Breakfast at Concession Stand served by Sheffield Rotary | |
| 11 a.m.: Antique Tractor Pull on Center Street sponsored by Johnson’s Tire Service | |
| noon: Lumberjack Competition | |
| 1-3 p.m.: Allegheny String Band, pavilion |
Fact Box
Competition Events:
UNDERHAND CHOP: The axeman (or woman) stands on top of a horizontally positioned block and on the signal "GO!" chops halfway through from the front side, turns and finishes chopping through from the back side. Time stops when the block is completely severed. The axes the competitors use weigh about 6 pounds, and they generally come from Australia or New Zealand. Accuracy is a real plus in this event as the competitor's axes are striking the block only fractions of an inch from their feet.
STANDING BLOCK CHOP: The competitor secures their wood to the top of an upright stanchion. On the signal "GO!" the competitor chops halfway through the front of the block, then steps around the block, and finishes chopping through from the back side. A sharp eye, speed and accuracy are the main requisites for this event.
CROSSCUT SAWING: Also known as "double bucking". Two competitors use a crosscut saw to slice their way through, in just a few seconds, a horizontally fastened block. The saws used in competition today are al individually hand crafted from high quality tool steel. Crosscut sawing is a true test of the competitor's team work and strength.
SINGLE BUCK, OR ONE MAN BUCK: This event allows only one competitor to run the crosscut saw. No weight or any device can be hung on the free end. Many hours of practice are required to learn the art of stroking a six-foot saw back and forth through the block without bucking it. Brute strength and endurance are the main requisites for this event.
AXE THROWING: The competitors throw their axes at a 4 inch bull's eye while standing 20 feet from the target. Targets usually have five scoring areas. A bull's eye scores 5 points, the next outside area 4 points, the next 3, and so on. After one practice throw to get their bearings, the athletes take 3 throws for a score , and the highest score wins. Throwing axes must weigh at least 2.5 pounds, have a 24 inch handle, and are normally double bitted.
SPRINGBOARD CHOP: Probably one of the most spectacular of all the lumberjack events! The contestant climbs a nine foot spar pole using only his axe and springboards. While balancing on his top springboard (a hardwood plank about 5 feet long, 2 inches thick and 8 inches across) the competitor chops about two thirds of the way through the front of the block, then rotates his body in the opposite direction and finishes chopping through from the back side. Agility and good balance go a long way in this event.
HOT SAW: This event starts with the saw on the ground, switched off, with the competitor's hands resting on top of the block they are about to cut. On the signal "GO!", the competitor reaches down and in one fluid motion starts and picks up the saw, then proceeds to cut three slices off the end of the block, one down, one up, and one down. Time starts on the signal "GO!" and ends when the third disk is completely severed. Do NOT blink your eyes, or you'll miss it!
BIRLING (LOGROLLING) Birling is a sport in which two competitors try to maintain balance on a floating log, each seeking to rotate the log and spill the other into the water. With origins in the Spring log drives in New England, it became popular with American Lumberjacks after the middle of the 19th century.
Another new event this year will be the Groundhog Trail Wineries tasting/sampling sponsored by Howe's True Value. It will be held at Sheffield Fire Hall from 1 to 6 p.m. Saturday. The Groundhog Trail includes 11 wineries including Sheffield's own Allegheny Cellars Winery.
The schedule of events "has something for everyone," Kulka said. The Old Fashioned Friday activities have expanded to include activities for kids, a lawn tractor race and live music. Saturday and Sunday events include breakfast sponsored by the Sheffield Rotary Club, the popular antiques appraisal, live music, an apple pie baking contest, chain saw carving, antique tractor pull sponsored by Johnson's Tire Service, light and heavy weight horse pull, fireworks, food, crafts, exhibits and "Lanterns to Heaven."
On Saturday, the Sheffield Depot Preservation Society tent will host a book signing by Kenneth C. Springirth, author of "Images of Rail Northwestern Pennsylvania Railroads." He will sign books from 10 a.m.. to 4 p.m. Also, the depot will raffle off a beautiful hand-made picnic table made by Dan Zandi and donated to the society. Tickets are one for $5 and three for $10.
Support for the festival was offered by the Sheffield VFW, Michael and Nicholas Peroski Post 8755, the Sheffield Rotary Club and the Sheffield Lions Club.
For more information, visit www.johnnyappleseedfest.net