First Saturday in October – Old Fashioned Fun, Good Food and Friendly Folks!
For nearly a half century, thousands of people have been gathering in Paintsville on the first Saturday in October to celebrate the Kentucky Apple Festival in Johnson County. It began one weekend in 1962, and has grown into a week-long festival and homecoming for families, friends, and visitors from nearly every state in the U.S. as well as a few foreign countries.
The Festival includes 45 exciting events and attractions, from baby contests to amusement rides. Good street food is everywhere prepared by 32 non-profit fund-raising organizations who offer everything from traditional apple pies, candied apples, candy corn, and barbecued chicken to old fashioned apple butter cooked in a cast iron kettle.
Enjoy on-street musical entertainment throughout the festival as well as a tented arts and crafts sale featuring local photographic and water color prints by noted artists Dean Hill and Tom Whitaker.
The Apple Festival is a collector’s paradise with 180 street vendors and a flea market. One of the highlights of the Apple Festival is the collector car show. The day wraps up with a large parade of floats, beauty queens, and a big country music show to close out the night.