NAPPANEE -- A devastating tornado swept through the town of Nappanee nearly a year ago. Some feared the local festivals would be wiped out for good as well. But the town is bouncing back by holding the 33rd annual Apple Festival.

Deborah Mitchel has been a life long Nappanee resident.

Mitchel is just one of the many vivacious vendors who say after last year's tornado she worried the town would take years to recover.

"A lot of our neighbors lost a lot of stuff and their homes," Mitchel said.

Pam Shaw of Nappanee also remembers that dark day. "It was complete darkness and the next day when we drove around it was amazing to see the devastation that the tornado can really do," she recalled.

But with good weather and good apples people couldn't stay away from this year's Apple Festival.

"If you look around town you see how the town has been rebuilt and you see the support and a lot of people coming out," said festival director Sam Beach.

This weekend was all apple all the time. The festival sold apple butter, apple fritters, apple turnovers, apple dumplings, and apple strudel, just to name a few.

Many lifers like Mitchel say a terrible tornado like the one that hit could never keep down the town for good.

"It's amazing how Nappanee all sticks together and helps one another," Mitchel said.