Downtown Elyria is bracing for its biggest weekend of the fall as the Apple Festival returns to Ely Square from Friday, September 18 through Sunday, September 20. The three-day event has featured live music, a car show, and a princess pageant in past editions, with full event details posted at elyriaapplefestival.com.
The festival traces its roots back to 1980, when local business owners and civic leaders met to launch what would become one of Lorain County's signature autumn traditions, according to the Chronicle Telegram. That makes this year's edition the 46th, with the event having taken place every year except 2020. Per LorainCounty.com, the festival has historically drawn more than 100,000 attendees to downtown Elyria and featured over 100 vendor and craft booths spread across Broad Street, Middle Avenue, and the blocks surrounding Ely Square.
A Weekend Packed With Music and Local Traditions
Music runs through all three days on the Main Stage, according to the City of Elyria's Facebook post announcing this year's schedule. Friday's lineup opens with the EHS Marching Band at 12:30 p.m., followed by Red Delicious from 3 to 5 p.m., The Hive Dancers from 5 to 6 p.m., and 80s cover band TARP closing out the night from 6 to 8 p.m. Saturday features the Princess Pageant at 12:30 p.m., performer Will Cherry from 3 to 4 p.m., and Fleetwood Mac tribute act Rumours taking the stage from 6 to 8 p.m. Sunday wraps things up with Elyria City Schools' Apple Art at 12:30 p.m., the Patriots Symphonic Band from 2 to 3 p.m., and a Yellow Delicious set from 4 to 6 p.m.
Beyond the Main Stage, the festival's programming stretches across the city. A pickleball tournament takes place at West Park, a Sunday morning 5K run and walk takes place, and a car show showcasing classic vehicles runs from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Sunday, according to the Chronicle Telegram. Kids Zone activities run behind City Hall from 1 to 7 p.m. Saturday, and apple baking entries are due by 10:30 a.m. that same day ahead of an 11 a.m. contest. Sunday afternoon also brings the festival's pie-eating contest, running from 1:30 to 2 p.m.
Cram the Cruiser Puts Officers and the Mayor in the Splash Zone
One of the festival's most anticipated attractions returns Friday from 4 to 9 p.m. at Court and Second streets: Cram the Cruiser, a charity dunk tank where attendees can donate money or school supplies for the chance to dunk local police officers or Mayor Kevin Brubaker. The same Chronicle Telegram report notes that proceeds from the dunk tank support local school supply drives, giving the lighthearted attraction a direct civic payoff.
Food traditions run just as deep as the music lineup. Elyria City Schools staff sell the district's signature Pink Cookie as a community fundraiser, a tradition the Petey Podcast describes as a decades-old community staple. Fried ice cream is another food associated with the festival. The festival also leans on Lorain County's agricultural roots, with apples, cider, fritters, and dumplings among the foods associated with the event.
Festival Profits Fund Ely Square's Public Spaces
The festival isn't just entertainment — it's also a funding engine for downtown Elyria. Profits are reinvested into future festivals and park improvements, including the gazebo and picnic tables, according to the City of Elyria. Local businesses and residents help sustain that cycle through annual sponsorships and Century Club membership dues.
Ely Square itself carries its own layer of local history: the land was donated in 1817 by city founder Heman Ely. The festival's return follows a recent civic gathering at the same site, when Elyria planted an oak tree for America's 250th before Cleveland Pops performed in the square earlier this month.
For visitors weighing a longer stay, the festival offers music, food stalls, and dunk tank splashes at Court and Second. Between the music, the food stalls, and the dunk tank splashes at Court and Second, the Apple Festival remains a longstanding fall tradition in downtown Elyria.
