Nappanee will be transformed into festival grounds for four days as the 47th Nappanee Apple Festival gets underway Thursday at 5 p.m.

There will be more than 140 vendors and exhibitor booths and more than 20 food booths, carnival rides and games.

There’ll be plenty of contests to participate in, including the ever-popular apple pie eating contest, crosscut saw competition, senior bingo, adult pedal pull, apple peeling contest, cornhole tournament and on Sunday, the Great Apple Grill Off. The cash prize of $700 will be divided between four categories – beef, chicken, pork and other.

There’ll be plenty of contests to participate in, including the ever-popular apple pie eating contest, crosscut saw competition, senior bingo, adult pedal pull, apple peeling contest, cornhole tournament and on Sunday, the Great Apple Grill Off. The cash prize of $700 will be divided between four categories – beef, chicken, pork and other.

Saturday is a big day for the festival.

The Donut Dash 5k Run/Walk will start at 8:30 a.m. Saturday at Nappanee Elementary School, and the course will go through the park and end back at the school.

The flyover by Hooligans Flight Team will be at the start of the parade Saturday at 10:30 a.m.

Then the airplanes will be on display at the Wings and Wheels Show at the Nappanee Airport from noon to 4 pm.

The bus used by the Milan High School 1954 state champs and also used in the movie “Hoosiers” about their journey, will be in the Apple Festival parade accompanied by the 2023 NWHS state championship basketball team. The bus will then be on display after the parade at Lake City Bank.

New this year is the American Legion Beer Garden on American Legion property. Those consuming beer will need to stay within the confines of the beer garden.

The garden tractor pull has been moved to the Callander Sportsplex on C.R. 7 on Saturday with registration at 1 p.m. and event starting at 2 p.m.