Amish Country Blog

The Wakarusa Maple Syrup Festival is this weekend.  On Friday, the festival runs from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. and on Saturday the festival runs from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m.   This is a great festival, with lots of events and entertainment for the whole family.

For the first time this year, there will be a car show, along with a parade, several contests, all you can eat pancake and sausage breakfast and Wakarusa’s  PTO all you can eat  BBQ.

I hope to see you at the Wakarusa Maple Syrup Festival this year.

The Wakarusa Historical Society’s Educational Days in Wakarusa, Indiana is now open to everyone. This is usually a program for 2^nd to 4^th graders, and now, everyone has the chance to attend Educational Days. These tours are offered each year several weeks prior to our annual Maple Syrup Festival celebrations. 2010 tours will be available from Tuesday, March 16 through Friday,March 19.

The tours are designed for quality educational experiences and include the following FREE opportunities:

Tour the Wakarusa Historical Museum Buildings

Tour the Maple Sugar Camp. Sweet maple syrup will be available for purchase.

Popcorn fresh from the kettle.

Tour Historic Downtown Wakarusa.

A visit to the Wakarusa Dime Store. (shop at own discretion)

A bus will be met by a tour guide at the Wakarusa Town Cabin, located on Walnut Street next to the Town Park, then transport you to the Maple Syrup Camp and/or to the Historical Museum Buildings and back again.

For more information, please call the Chamber office at (574) 862-4344 between 8:00 A.M. and noon, Monday through Friday. The deadline for reservations is February 1, 2010.

-Deb Shively, Wakarusa Chamber of Commerce

If you’re ever interested in what is going on in Amish Country, click on our events tab.  You’ll find all kinds of events, and hopefully one of them will add to your Amish Country experience.  September is full of festivals.

The Quilt Gardens Tour is viewable for one more month.  Make sure you come and enjoy the tour.  There have been some interesting things happening to the gardens this year.  In Wakarusa, a hail storm took out part of the Quilt Garden.  In Goshen, a critter ate a little of the Quilt Garden at the 4-H fair, although the Meadow  Brook Agriquilt would have been more to his liking.

The Elkhart Civic Theatre announced their 2010-11 season.  It looks another great year for Elkhart Civic.  Premier Arts is finishing out their 2009-10 family series. Sauder Concert Hall at Goshen College has another great lineup for their 2010-11 season, I want to go see the Chieftains, and the African Children’s Choir.  The Round Barn Theatre finishes their season with Cats, which I love!  I would also check out the Blue Gate Theater in Shipshewana.
So while you plan your trip to Amish Country, check out our events page.  I bet there is something on that page you don’t want to miss.

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

This contest is over – Thank You so much for all of your comments.
The winner of our July Blog Contest is Sherry Shook. Congratulations!!! We hope you enjoy your Gift Card!

Post your comment below for your chance to win today!

Each month this summer we’re giving away a special prize to someone who posts a comment on this blog. This month’s prize is a Wakarusa Dime Store $20 Gift Card.

Candy lovers will never want to leave this sweet retreat that has served Northern Indiana since 1907. The store is famous for its many flavors of custom made jumbo jelly beans – selling more than 40 tons each year from the shop and online. You also can choose among 350 other types of nostalgic candies ranging from Necco wafers and Mary Janes, to licorice.
Monday – Friday 9am – 5:30pm, Saturday 9am – 4pm
State Road 19 & County Road 26 / Wakarusa, IN
JumboJellyBeans.com/877.715.9821

The winner will be drawn on August 3. The winner will be notified by email and their name posted here on our blog. We look forward to hearing about your favorite things to see and do in Amish Country!

I went to the Wakarusa Dime Store on Saturday. I love the Dime Store. There is nothing better than going somewhere that has candy everywhere. The west wall has all different kinds of salt water taffy. I haven’t seen that much taffy since I was in upper Michigan. I picked up a bag and started filling. I ended up with a lot of pink and blue and tropical taffy. Just beside the salt water taffy is the Jumbo Jelly Beans. If you have never had a Jumbo Jelly Bean, I suggest you to the Dime Store and try them. This year’s mix is John Deere.

As you move towards the middle of the building, there are the old fashioned candies. The Nesco wafer—that are a lot like giant Smarties, and bubblegum. I love bazooka bubble gum, and the Dime Store has them! At the candy counter, they had the chocolate candies, the rock candy, the gummy bears, the giant jaw breakers that even if you cut in half would be hard to fit into your mouth, the sour candy-which is my favorite! I wanted a pound of it all, but I finally showed some restraint and bought a pound of gummy bears.

A nice surprise was the jelly bean mural behind the counter. It is done with orange jelly beans, and shows a garden with flowers and butterflies. It is a great thing to look at.

So when you’re out and about in Amish Country, go to the Wakarusa Dime Store for your sweet tooth. I know that you’ll smile the minute you walk through the door. And for our readers who have been there before, could you recommend what you liked best at the Dime Store? I’m sure all your candy needs will be met by the Wakarusa Dime Store.

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

I’ve been told that Hoosier use the word “enjoy” more than anyone other Midwest state I thought that was a strange observation, until I realized how much I use the word enjoy when I’m talking. So here are some things that I enjoy.

I enjoy all the good homemade baked items that we can buy in this area from the rosemary garlic cabatta bread at Artisan’s Bread in the American Countryside Farmers Market, to the doughnuts and pies from the Essenhaus Bakery. I also know too many people who enjoy all of our homemade baked-goods and now enjoy a trip to the gym five times a week to keep with their habit.

I enjoy all the festivals that come up in the spring through fall. The first one of the Spring is the Wakarusa Maple Syrup Festival, April 17 and 18th. and I hope you all go and have fun.

I enjoy this area. I enjoy living by the St. Joe River and being able to walk beside it every day. I enjoy how the ducks see a human, automatically recognize the human as a source of food, and come quacking. I enjoy living in a city that has three parks within walking distance of where I live. I enjoy having county parks within minutes of where I live.
This is just some of things that I enjoy about this area. Can you let me know what you enjoy when you visit this area? I can’t wait to hear from you – and if I receive enough responses, I’ll put them in a future blog.

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

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

Mike and I were talking about what we wanted to do when the temperature warms up.  We want to be outside, and we want to know that the rest of Amish Country is out and about.  He is getting tired of the walls of our house.  I said that we needed to get winter gear for this year, but no, he didn’t think we could go outside with Mina that much, so why spend the money.  Well, I can tell you it’s been a long winter, and we should have spent the money.

So our first time out with Mina this year will be Wakarusa Maple Syrup Festival on April 17 and 18. We have to go, because Mike loves all you can eat sausage and pancake breakfast, wherever it may be served and at this year it will be Northwood Middle School.  And Mina loves sausage, but she’s not big on pancakes yet.  She will pick up a pancake and take a bite out of it. When we’re done with breakfast, we’ll go into downtown and look at the craft vendors. There are always a lot of interesting items on sale from local crafters.

We always enjoy watching people who come, and it’s fun to see all the kids who wander up and down the street with calls of “mom and dad, look…” This year Mina will be walking up and down the street, and wanting to touch and look at everything.  Of course, we finish our day by eating at Nelson’s. What would a trip to an Amish Country festival be without Nelson’s chicken?  I would suggest that if you want to eat at the restaurant, you go at off normal eating times.  So, put the date on your calendar, and enter Wakarusa into your GPS. I know you’ll have a fun.

Click here for more information on the Wakarusa Maple Syrup Festival.

- Mindy, Amish Country Northern Indiana Contributor

In Amish Country, we do a lot of celebrating the holidays.  We like decorations, and trees and lights, and anything festive that warms up the winter weather.  I think people in the south don’t appreciate Christmas decorations as much as northerners do, because they have sunshine – and we – well we have snow, dark and cold.  The darkest day of the year is coming up too.  During the winter solstice, we’ll have exactly 12 hours of sunlight and 12 hours of nighttime. 

So I’m a little embarrassed to admit this, but I haven’t decorated for Christmas yet.  Well, OK, I’ll admit that we hardly ever decorate for Christmas.  I love other peoples light, and love going over to my friends and families houses to see how great their trees are, but me, I don’t like to put in the effort.  It’s too much work for such a small amount of time.  And now that we have a toddler, it seems everyone wants me to feel bad for not decorating for her. (I don’t feel bad!)

So, it’s a great thing that there are a lot of places to see winter lights and trees in Amish Country of Northern Indiana.  The American Countryside Farmers Market has trees decorated for charity.  Das Dutchman Essenhaus, Amish Acres and the Blue Gate Restaurant and Theatre are all decorated for Christmas.  Linton’s Enchanted Gardens is very festive, and when you visit, puts you in the holiday mood.  Our downtowns are decked out in lights and ornaments.  So while you’re out Christmas shopping, enjoy the effort others have made to make this area festive for the holidays.