LISBON — While the Johnny Appleseed Festival as we know it has officially been canceled, the Chamber of Commerce intends to hold a scaled-back version focusing on what the annual event is known for, namely apples.

Chamber president LaDawn Whitman said this week the are in the process of seeking permission from the county health department to hold Taste of the Johnny Appleseed Festival in downtown Lisbon on one day in September instead of the usual two days.

Local social organizations like the Lions Club and Ruritans, which have sold apple food s at the JAF for years, are being asked to participate. These groups would set up their food stands at different locations in the downtown and it would be a drive-through event.

Items for sale would include apple dumplings, apple fritters, apple pies, apple butter and such, and participation Whitman expects there to be about six stands. The event would be similar to the drive-through the county fair board is doing with its food vendors since the county fair has also been canceled for the year.

Whitman announced this week on the chamber’s Facebook page the JAF was being canceled because they were unable to hold the event as normal and still comply with all of the state restrictions and CDC guidelines enacted in response to the coronavirus pandemic.

“We are committed to providing the best experience we can, in an environment that puts the health and safety of our community first … We want to provide a family friendly event that we honestly feel is even more important now more than ever,” she said.

Whitman said they held off making a decision about the JAF, which was scheduled for Sept. 19-20, because Ohio was starting to lift restrictions, but the government left enough in place to make it nearly impossible for the event to go forward.

She said furloughed state amusement ride inspectors have yet to return to work, so that meant amusement rides were out. Even if the were able to have rides, the amusement company would be required to clean every seat between rides while maintaining social distancing of the riders.

“So there were a lot obstacles with just the rides,” Whitman said.

The chamber would have also been required to incur the additional expense of placing hand sanitizer stations throughout the JAF. Portable restrooms with doors that automatically open were required, and the units would have to be cleaned and sanitized frequently.

Social distancing spacing requirements would result in less food vendors, crafters and exhibits, and other restrictions would severely hinder interaction between vendors and the public.

While many restrictions were lifted for amusement parks, they were not for festivals of this sort. “The restrictions we would have had to operate under had not been lifted at all, so we just had all these obstacles,” Whitman said.

Canceling the JAF was not an easy decision given that the annual event is by far the chamber’s largest source of operating income. The economic fallout from the pandemic already resulted in longtime chamber director Marilyn McCullough being laid off.

“Sadly, you don’t want to do this, but people don’t understand we have to follow the rules,” she added.

The plan to hold the Taste of the JAF has received preliminary approval from the county health department, but some further revisions are needed to fully comply. Further details about the scaled-back event will be released once final approval is received.

In related news, McCullough announced that local resident Jerry Tyson has agreed to serve as Johnny Appleseed for the event. Tyson replaces Sonny Reynolds, who is retiring after many years in the role.

tgiambroni@mojonews.com