Johnny Appleseed Days began in 1880 and was called the Harvest Home Festival with 301 people in attendance. The annual fall festival celebrated the 18 or more fruit orchards in the Paradise area. 

By 1907, six railroad coaches transported over 600 people from all over Butte County to the festival. The name was changed to the Paradise Fair & Apple Show in 1937. 

During World War II in 1941 the fall festival was discontinued but resumed in 1951 under the name of the Paradise Arts & Crafts Show. In 1968 the festival was designated Johnny Appleseed Day and it was a 1-day festival. Johnny Appleseed Days was expanded to a 2-day festival in 1997. 

In 2009 Paradise will celebrate the 129th year anniversary of the fall festival and the 40th year under the name of Johnny Appleseed Days. 

Some highlights from past festivals were an apple pie 9 foot in diameter, serving 800 people in 1972. In 1973 the festival featured an 850 lb. Apple sauce cake, however this was topped in 1974 with a 1,000 lb. apple sauce cake which was 6 feet high with a 4’ x 8’ base. Beginning in the year 2000 approximately 75 Paradise and Magalia area residents volunteered and continue to volunteer to help bake & sell 1200 apple pies that are made with local apples from Nobles Orchard in Paradise.