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

Ahh, Halloween is on Saturday.  I have 500 pieces of candy, and I’m still not sure that it’s going to be enough.  Saturday is the big day, and it makes me nervous that there will be twice as many kids out as usual. This year,  I have out a half bale of hay and 4 pumpkins, and that’s the most festive I’ve been for Halloween in years.

Here are a few events that are going on in Amish Country to help get you in the Halloween mood.

Thursday, October 29
The Elkhart Environmental Center annual Monster Hike.  Bring your children out to trick or treat for Halloween with nature’s monsters. They will see live creepy crawlers. Costumes are encouraged. A $3 donation is appreciated. Please call 293-5070 to register.  It starts at 11am.

Friday, October 30
Hall of Heroes, the largest Superhero Museum in the world has been taken over by Doctor Doom and his fellow nefarious colleagues.  Experience this Halloween Extravaganza as seen from the villain’s point of view.  From 7pm to 10pm, admission is $5.

Trick or Treat on Main Street in Goshen.  Starting at Noon, you can visit participating Main Street businesses and do your trick or treating, and shopping all at once.  It’s a good way to get your little ones ready for the big day.

Saturday, October 31
American Countryside Farmers Market will give treats to all kids who dress in costume.  There will be games, clown, balloons, and entertainment.  It will be a fun time for all those who want to celebrate a little earlier in the day.

For more events, check out our events page at AmishCountry.org/events

Mindy, Amish Country Northern Indiana Contributor and Visitor Center Specialist

The Bonneyville Mill Celebration was a nice event. It is touted as an old fashioned country fair. I was there on Saturday morning, and already, the parking area was filling up. If you have never been to the Bonneyville Mill, you missed a wonderful opportunity to see how it runs. Lots of people were exploring the Mill, and buying the flour. It’s amazing to see the inside of the mill and how it works. A lot of old fashioned technology went into it, and I still find myself awed when I tour the Mill.

There were a few local farmers selling produce. Apples are abundant now, and there lots of 5 pound bags of different varieties for sell. Area churches selling hot food. The parks department was selling root beer, which went fast.

They had an area for kids with old fashioned toys. I loved seeing how simple toys were, and how much more imagination kids used.

The other great thing about having the event at the park was the ability to walk the grounds after you had your fill of the events. I love walking around Bonneyville Mill County Park. It is a beautiful area.

So next year, try the Bonneyville Mill Celebration. I bet you and your family have fun.

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

The ECCVB commissioned “Aurora – Elkhart Special” quilt is now proudly displayed in the Elkhart County Visitors Center. Come in a take a look – it’s spectacular! The quilt was exquisitely pieced by Diana Bennet (see some of her other quilts in the Visitors Center) and quilted by her good friend. Jinny Beyer pulled together a palette of 55 signature fabrics in colors to complement the Aurora mural.  Feeling ambitious?  There is a special “kit” to make your own quilt available through Jinny Beyer.  For more information call the Visitor Center at 800.262.8161

First, thank you ALL for your kind comments left on our blog! We appreciate the feedback and we’re thrilled that so many of you have such great things to say about Amish Country Northern Indiana!

And the winner of the $25 American Countryside Farmers Market Gift Card is: Kathleen Renno

Congratulations Kathleen! We’ll get your $25 American Countryside Farmers Market Gift Card right out to you. Be sure to visit back soon, we have another fun giveaway planned!

-Jessica, Amish Country Northern Indiana Technology Marketing Manager

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

It was a wonderful weekend in Amish Country.  The weather was beautiful. I saw my neighbors all weekend – most I haven’t seen since Halloween. Most people were working in their yards – as we did. We saw a lot of bikers and motorcyclist on the roads. We saw lots of younger people walking outside with smiles on their faces, enjoying the first taste of freedom after a long winter inside.

It reminded me how nice it is to be in Amish Country when the sun is shining and the weather cooperates. This week would be a good time to visit Amish Country and greet spring!

-Mindy, Amish Country Northern Indiana Contributor

Fall is my favorite time of year.  The leaves start turning, and going home, I get to drive down east Jackson St., and enjoy the beautiful color. It’s that time when we need sweaters at night or early in the morning, and I get to start dressing my baby in ‘jammies’ that need footies. (They are my one of my favorite things.) 

The morning air is crisp, but doesn’t assault your mucus membranes when you inhale, like January and February air.  You can keep your windows open in at night, put on an extra blanket, snuggle up to your favorite bedtime buddy, and just enjoy the fact you’re not spending money on cooling the house down, or heating it yet.   

There is The Best of Autumn Outing driving tour on the Amish Country website.  Download it from the Special Tours tab, and go to all the places that celebrate fall. Take a walk down E. Jackson St. and sit for awhile at Martin’s Landing. The ducks are use to people feeding them, so when you go, expect to surround by a group or two. Go to Bonneyville Mill, take your last picnic of the year, and enjoy being outside before you have to stay in for the winter. 

Go to Middlebury and find Dutch County Market, Miller’s Apple Cider Mill and Pumpkin Patch Market– buy some pumpkins.  Then head to Goshen and walk the Mill Race, and then go to Kercher’s Sunrise Orchard. Or go to Amish Acers and see all the great things they do for fall and end your day by watching Kiss Me Kate at the Round Barn Theatre. Whatever you do, it will be fun.

If you live here, take all season and discover autumn in our area.  If you’re visiting, take a couple of days to explore the Best of Autumn Outing - it will be worth your time.

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

I know that Mancino’s is a franchise that has many locations around the US, but the best location is the one on Main Street Middlebury. The dining area is small, but the seating arrangements make it welcoming to everyone. My favorite part of Mancino’s is not the grinders and pizza, but the homemade Vic’s Ice Cream.

On my last trip, I had the chocolate chip cookie dough ice cream cone. The flavor of the ice cream was unlike any other ice cream I have had. It was much stronger and had more cookie dough bits in it then I have found in any other brand of ice cream. Mancino’s also has all of the familiar flavors such as vanilla and chocolate, but I urge to step out of your comfort zone and try something new! If you are only feeling slightly adventurous, they do offer free tastes.

-Tasha, Amish Country Northern Indiana contributor