Hundreds enjoyed the events of the crisp evening.

“We’ve got a good crowd here,” Committee Member Karen Rubright said. “We’re off to a good start. It’s a great event.”

“It’s another successful weekend in Sheffield,” Committee Member Kristi Kulka said. “We have over 50 craft vendors, 10 food vendors, and 52 competitors coming in from all over the United States of America.”

“We bring people in from all over and every year, there are a whole lot of new ones,” Rubright said.

Grayson Farnsworth (left), Riley Littlefield, and Audrianna Walker dig in the sawdust pile Friday in the Kids Fun Zone at the Johnny Appleseed Festival in Sheffield.

Visitors from eastern Pennsylvania and West Virginia joined many from Warren and surrounding counties.

The competition brings people from even farther.

Among them were a lumberjill from Washington and a lumberjack from Belgium.

“We get competitors from all over,” Rubright said. “We have one of the largest lumberjill competitions.”

The men and women will be plying axes and saws from 10 a.m. through evening on Saturday, and from 10 a.m. until about 3 on Sunday.

A.J. Fletcher (left) of Cobleskill, N.Y., and Andrew O’Connell of West Falls, N.Y., chop into a 24-inch piece of white pine.

There are numerous events with axes, hand saws, stock chainsaw and ‘hot’ saws. The three-board jigger sees lumberjacks climb into the sky to chop off the top of the pole they climb.

World Champion Martha King and Warren’s own Collin Shephard faced off in the underhand chop Friday evening, with King winning the heat.

The horse pull starts at 11 a.m. Saturday while the tractor pull will be held at 11 a.m. Sunday.

Rubright expects even more visitors at the event over the weekend. “I expect tomorrow those stands will be packed.”

To view more photos of this amazing event.

Martha King of Chadds Ford competes in her world champion event, the underhand chop, Friday at the Johnny Appleseed Festival in Sheffield.

See Lumberjack / A6

Times Observer photos by Brian Ferry Collin Shephard of Warren splits a log in the underhand chop elimination round Friday evening at the Johnny Appleseed Festival in Sheffield.