Amish Country Blog

This is the time of year for Christmas Celebrations throughout Amish County.  Two of my favorite things about this time of the year are Santa and Music.  Santa doesn’t show up often, but its obvious breakfast is his favorite meal.  And the music in this area is beautiful, and helps to put me in the Holiday Spirit.

Breakfast with Santa:

December 5 at Central Fire Station from 8am to Noon.
December 13 at Amish Acres from 9am to 11pm.
December 19 at American Countryside Farmers Market beginning at 9am.

Music in Amish Country:

At the American Countryside Farmers Market there will be Christmas music every weekend until December 19 on the concert stage.  And while you’re listening to the great music, make sure you shop for unique gifts for everyone on your list.

Festival of Carols, presented by the Goshen College Choirs, will be performed on December 4.  This is a beautiful event, and one that will keep you coming back year after year.

Northridge High School is putting on a Christmas Show on December 12 called Christmas Traditions from 4pm-7pm that will feature both old and new holiday favorites.

The Elkhart Symphony Christmas Ensemble will play at Ruthmere on December 17.  Ruthmere is also dressed for Christmas.  So it will really help put you in the Christmas spirit.

No matter how you want to celebrate the Holidays in Amish Country, you’ll have a great time in Amish Country.  For more details about the above events, or to learn about other Amish Country Holiday events, please visit Amishcountry.org/events.

-Mindy, Amish Country Northern Indiana Contributor and Visitor Center Specialist

It was a drizzling, wet day on Saturday, and I almost didn’t want to go out, but Arts in Bloom and Taste of the Garden was happening at Wellfield Botanical Gardens, and so I went.  I figured since it was raining, I would quickly look at art, and then go home. I love art shows.

The event started at 11am, and at 11am, parking was already getting full.  Some of the artist were getting out their rain gear, but they were happy to see everyone still showing up despite the rain.  I looked at most of the booths.  Dismas House of South Bend had bracelets and key chains that residents made, and I now have a new keychain.

Then after the art booths, I took walk around the pond at Wellfield.  It is a lovely place, with the creek running on the backside. A lot of work has gone on the east side of the pond to make it a beautiful resting place. With waterfalls, walk paths, and a flower garden, it is an ideal spot to spend time outside.

I did not eat, but by noon, most of the table seating under the tent for the Taste of the Garden was full.  I know the food was great, but I was a more soaked than I wanted, so I decided to go home.  It was a great event, and I can’t wait for it to happen again next year.

Start Planning Your Trip Today
by Finding a Great Place to Stay!

Gather the whole family for a summer break that’s loaded with fun and easy on the wallet. The $87 Package – Pizza, Pool, Pop, at the Ramada Inn, Elkhart, gives the kids plenty of time to splash and play and gives you the chance to relax and not worry about what’s for dinner.

Even the food is family-friendly in Amish Country. Das Dutchman Essenhaus is famous for its pass- the-plate meals and 29 varieties of pie. At Amish Acres their popular family-style Threshers Meal is served in a huge renovated barn. Don’t be surprised when turkeys and geese waddle by the restaurant windows of this historic farmstead. Every season is jellybean season at the Wakarusa Dime Store– really big ones!

Other Family-Friendly Finds: Grab a blanket and take-in the free, outdoor Friday Night Flicks – a series of six G-Rated movies. Kids “slip n‘slide” to their hearts content at Ideal Beach Family Water Park. Green River® flows in phosphates and sodas at Goshen’s South Side Soda Shop. And the Elkhart County 4-H Fair promises nine-days of family fun. Better than Fruit Loops®– take home freshly picked blueberries, peaches, and melons from American Countryside Farmers Market and Kerchers Sunrise Orchard.

-Jessica, Amish Country Northern Indiana Contributor

There are definite signs people are traveling shorter distances, so Amish Acres has adjusted its services and offerings to appeal to a more local audience. For example, it’s expanded its restaurant menu beyond the Threshers Dinner introducing fresh ideas such as the new Sunday Buffet, German Sausage Wednesdays, and Half-Price Thursdays with a ½ price rib dinner, ½ price theatre tickets (non-reserved seating) and ½ price hotel suites – encouraging people to start their weekend getaway early. And it seems to be working.

Amish Acres has also taken a totally different marketing approach and forged cooperative partnerships with CVS in over 400 of its Midwest stores and all Kroger, Owens, and Scotts stores in most of Indiana.

Richard Pletcher, Founder and CEO, Amish Acres Historic Farm & Heritage Resort, Nappanee, IN

How far do you plan to travel for your summer vacation? Let us know.

Beautifully crafted products are a tradition in Amish Country, and the best way to find hand-crafted artistry is by traveling the Heritage Trail.  This self-guiding audio driving tour is designed to let you explore at your own pace, get behind-the-scenes glimpses of Amish life and direct you to all the major attractions so you don’t miss a thing.

And we’ve made it easy to find some of the area’s most talented artisans along the way. Just watch for businesses that post the Heritage Trail Artisans sign. From fine arts to fine crafts, these signs will lead you to delightful discoveries, one-of-a-kind works and give you the chance to meet friendly, talented artisans eager to share their unique stories.

Nothing says sweet like pure maple syrup and we pour it on – about 70 gallons over stacks of pancakes during the Wakarusa Maple Syrup Festival .  Plus we go through 20 bales of pancake flour!  Not to mention going “whole hog” with 2,100 lbs. of sausage. That’s what it takes to feed 3,500 hungry people at the Lions Club Pancake & Sausage Meal.  I’ve been in charge of the Lions Club meal for the last 15 years.

It’s a family tradition. My parents were in charge of it for years too.  And my kids are involved, even coming home from college to help.  I’m totally committed, and I’m not even a Lions Club member!  All those pancakes raise lots of dollars that go back into the community for scholarships, kids’ eye exams and so many other great programs.  Come join us at the Wakarusa Maple Syrup Festival, April 17 & 18, and eat lots of pancakes!

What is your favorite thing to do at the Wakarusa Maple Syrup Festival? Leave a comment.
- Annette Brown, Pancake Lady Extraordinaire

I’m starting to see people coming back to Amish Country.  The pace is picking up in the Visitor Center and the  Heritage Trail driving tour CD and map are popular.  It’s fun to watch! I have a few things that I need to tell you about Amish Country before you come to help make your trip a little easier.

First is that you need to begin early and stop early.  Amish Country is a farming community at heart, and we get up with the sun, and close down as the sun is starting to set.  If you want to visit shops, or visit businesses, or go to a museum, plan your day for a 9am to 6pm.  You can always start earlier, but just keep that 6pm close time in your mind.  Restaurants do stay open later.

If you want to learn about the Amish, the best place to go is Menno-Hof in Shipshewana.  They are dedicated to telling the Amish and Mennonite story.

Great food is abundant in Amish Country.  Pack a cooler so you can keep all your food purchases fresh. Driving the Heritage Trail is the best way to take in Amish Country, and it takes 3 and a half hours if you follow the audio tour and don’t stop.  It will take most of your day if you want to make stops…and well worth it!  You should plan on making at least a few stops on your way.  And don’t forget to bring your camera.  There are lots of great photo opportunities in Amish Country.

So have fun when you’re out and about in Amish Country, and I hope you enjoy your stay.

Have you driven the Heritage Trail audio tour? Let us know. Leave your comment

Mindy, Amish Country Northern Indiana Contributor

The Chief in Goshen has great ice cream, and is named best ice cream in Elkhart County by foodie Marshall King of The Elkhart Truth.  Chocolate is my favorite flavor, and in the past I have eaten buckets of it from The Chief. 

I remember being young, waiting for the 4-H Parade to start, drinking a root beer float from The Chief, feeling like I was getting pretty big to have a whole root beer float for myself. (I can’t believe that mom would let me have a whole root beer float for myself, but it’s my memory) I think mom and dad located us on the Lincoln bridge sidewalk just for the close proximity to The Chief.  We lived on Clinton street, close to Indiana Ave, so we were always nearby.  We made plenty of stops for ice cream in the summer while riding our bikes to Rogers Park.

I have taken a few depressed friends to The Chief when I was in high school and college.  The first bite was usually followed by “that’s really good ice cream”, and the first few minutes was spent smiling while enjoying their ice cream.

It’s nice to know that the place hasn’t changed since my childhood.  It’s still in the same location– On Lincoln St, just east of Linway Plaza.  It hasn’t gotten bigger, although the area around it has changed a bit.  It is what it’s always been, a spot to get great ice cream.

-Mindy, Amish Country Northern Indiana Contributor

Just pack the kids and go! That’s my motto! Okay not really, but I strive for that LOL. Actually I was very excited to pack up the family and drive the brand new Heritage Trail audio driving tour this year. My daughter just turned 5 and my son is almost 1 year. I knew, if nothing else, they would love the food stops and they did!

Armed with a handheld computer game for my daughter and lots of cheerios and wet wipes for my little guy, my husband and I started our journey on a Saturday morning.The first food stop we came to was Deutsch Kase Haus. I knew my husband would love this place since cheese is one of his favorite foods. We pulled up and it’s just the cutest little shop. They have a water fountain outside as you walk up the stairs. Once inside, it’s like a cheese wonderland…very exciting for the cheese lover! They have tons of things for sale, Amish noodles, cooking items, old fashioned candies (which my daughter went straight for), Amish Country souvenirs and of course tons of cheese for sale and best of all…lots and lots of cheese samples! We saw a window where you can see the cheese being made, but production wasn’t going that day. By the time we left we were searching for cooler space to put our yummy purchases.
Tip #1 – Bring an extra cooler for all the cheese you will buy!

Our next food stop came when we got to Shipshewana. I knew my daughter would love JoJo’s Pretzels just based on what I had heard about it, but I had never been there. It was lunch time, perfect! JoJo’s was busy but not too crowded. It’s a really neat place, casual with a window where you can watch them roll out their handrolled pretzels. You can also buy hot dogs, really good looking sandwich wraps and more! We all loved the pretzels! They really were the best soft pretzels I had ever tasted. So good, in fact, my daughter tried to eat mine after she finished hers!

Tip #2 – Take your kids to ride on the carousel and see the puppet show at the Davis Mercantile!

Next, we followed the Heritage Trail along to Yoder Popcorn in Shipshewana. We pulled up and there weren’t any cars there, which was good because it was almost naptime. If you have kids you understand what that means. We walked in and, oh my, the smell was wonderful. They had all sorts of corn poppers, oils, salts, tons of popcorn in all kinds of flavors including the carmel corn and even microwavable popcorn, of which we purchased both. And samples! Yes, more samples, cute little bags of freshly popped corn. Yum!

Tip #3 – If your kids love popcorn, make this a must-stop. This popcorn is delicious!

Finally, my daughter’s much anticipated finale came when we had dinner at Das Dutchman Essenhaus that night because her #1 wish for the trip was to have a piece of banana cream pie! My little guy fell asleep on the buggy ride we took right before dinner, perfect timing. My husband and I ordered fried chicken, mashed potatoes and gravy and a side salad. Let me tell you…that chicken was so good. It really reminded me of my Grandma’s fried chicken a lot. They have a great kid’s menu too. Madison ordered chicken fingers, mashed potatoes a fruit cup and of course her banana cream pie. Can you tell how much she enjoyed it?

There are so many other places we wanted to go…so many Amish bakeries, the Wakarusa Dimes Store, The American Countryside Farmers Market… But those will have to wait until next time! When you have small kids you just do a little bit at a time. There is another trip to Amish Country with my family in the near future and I’ll be back with more must-see stops for you and your family!

Do you have a favorite food place in Amish Country or a tip for vacationing in the area with your family? Post your comment here.

-Jessica Barnhart
Technology Marketing Manager, Elkhart County CVB
Family Travels in Amish Country