Annual Johnny Appleseed Bash this Saturday

Ride a pony for charity?  

It’s possible this Saturday at the Johnny Appleseed Bash. The old-fashioned festival that forgoes bouncy blow-up gyms and electronics for time-tested fun like face-painting, fishing pond games and, yes, pony rides is back.

This year, attendees can also expect live music from (in order of appearance) Dixie Kats, Willy Walker and the Blues All-Stars, Abdel Ouchagour and Three on a Tree by Spirit Garage.

Admission is free; tickets for food and games will be on sale.

Proceeds from ticket sales will benefit nonprofits including Meals on Wheels, The Michelle Project, VEAP and Holy Cross Anglican School in San Pedro, Belize. Julia Gutz Moller, PR chair for the Johnny Appleseed Bash, said the charitable aspect of the event offers a chance for kids to learn about the importance of helping those in need throughout the year. 

“This is a great opportunity to teach your kids about giving outside of just at Christmas,” Gutz Moller said. 

Now in its 24th year, the annual event was originated by parishioners as a way to bring back the beloved fall carnival of the nearby Wooddale School, which was retired in 1980 and torn down in 1985. 

“While it is a fundraiser, it’s also intended to be a gift to the community and the people who support our parish in the Edina community,” Gutz Moller said.

Kid-friendly events at the Johnny Appleseed Bash will include a petting zoo and shark races. (Okay, so the sharks are really minnows that swim down a raceway and have fun names; the kids get to guess which minnow will win to score a prize.)

“It’s much more fun for the little kids when they get to call them shark races,” Emily Blaisdell, chair of the Johnny Appleseed Bash, said. 

The Bash will also have pumpkin head decorating, an activity like pumpkin carving, but rather than taking away from the pumpkin to make a face, kids add to it with vegetables and herbs procured from a farmers’ market. Blaisdell and Gutz Moller said the activity is safer than pumpkin carving, as it uses no knives, only pins, and is supervised by adults. It’s a favorite among kids.

“They have a blast with it and get very creative,” she said.  

Past Johnny Appleseed Bashes have garnered crowds, with many in the Edina community making it an annual tradition to attend. 

“If it’s a beautiful fall day, we can get upwards of 1,000 people,” Blaisdell said. 

Blaisdell and Gutz Moller expect big numbers again, as Saturday is in fact projected to be a beautiful fall day. The event is on rain or shine, though. If it sprinkles, the events will go on as planned. In the unlikely event of a downpour, the Johnny Appleseed Bash will be held indoors at St. Stephen’s Episcopal Church (albeit without the petting zoo and pony rides). 

Blaisdell emphasized that it’s truly the more, the merrier at this annual event.

“The more people that come to the event, the more people we’re able to help in turn,” she said. 

This year, the Johnny Appleseed Bash will also have collection bins for the Grant Nursery School and Loved Twice. Bring new or very gently used toys and books for ages five and under to donate at the event.

If You Go:

What: Johnny Appleseed Bash 

When: 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Saturday, Oct. 1

Where: , Edina 

Cost: Free