Times Observer file photo Organizers have announced that the Johnny Appleseed Festival in Sheffield will not return in 2024. One of the highlights of the event was the lumberjack and lumberjill competitions.

Sheffield’s Johnny Appleseed Festival will not be returning in 2024.

The festival committee made the announcement in a Facebook post on Wednesday.

“After careful consideration, it’s been concluded we simply lack the resources needed to continue providing a festival of the quality we have come to expect,” organizers say, and will “wind down” activities as a result.

The capstone of the event was professional lumberjack and lumberjill competitions.

Organizers say that the “dedication and recurring support (for the event) drew athletes from across the globe, entertained millions of viewers online and brought thousands of tourists from all over the north east to Sheffield.”

“Despite this sad ending,” organizers explain, “the fact remains that for these past 17 years we have brought family fun and entertainment to our community and beyond. We take pride and satisfaction in what we’ve accomplished and thank all the generous sponsors, volunteers, vendors and competitors that helped make this idea become a reality.”

The event was a three-day festival in Sheffield which, in addition to the competition, included food, family entertainment, a corn hole tournament, a horse and tractor pull, pie baking contest and a wine trail in addition to live music.