Cleveland Apple Festival welcomes around 10,000 people

CLEVELAND, Tenn. (WDEF) — With an event that started in someone’s yard 21 years ago, the Cleveland Apple Festival has now grown to be one of the most popular fall festivals in East Tennessee.

Co-Founder, Jill Brown said, “We’ve grown every year, we’re about 10,000 people over the course of two days. So we’re one of the largest festivals here in Southeast Tennessee.”

Jill Brown and Larry Cochrane have watched their apple festival grow so much over the last two decades, that the original venue couldn’t quite hold the 10,000 people they have today.

“It started with a small festival in someones yard. and we had a vision to give it to the city, give it to the area. to make it a blessing to everybody, a great family oriented event in the fall,” Co-Founder Larry Cochrane said.

While the money is flowing in for this festival, the founders give the proceeds back to nonprofits and the ones who need it the most.

“All the ticket proceeds that come through the gate go back out to other nonprofits here in the city of Cleveland,” Brown said.

“…And some of our vendors really give a lot back to the community too. Bishops gives 50% of what they get to helping rescue people from addiction,” Cochrane added.

From starting it in a yard all those years ago, to 21 years later, the festival stretches for blocks along Downtown Cleveland.