Fall in Shipshewana

It’s one of my favorite times of year…FALL, and it has officially arrived in Shipshewana! The leaves are beginning to change colors, the air is brisk, and the scarecrows are out! Yes, that's right, scarecrows are scattered along store fronts all throughout Shipshewana for our annual Scarecrow Showcase! The Trading Place is participating this year with 4 scarecrow displays – Wash Day in the Country at the Antique Gallery; Wilma the Waitress at the Auction Restaurant; Old Lambright’s Farm at the Farmstead Inn; and Jabbering Jack the Auctioneer in front of the Livestock Auction Barn; plus there are 25 other scarecrows out and about Shipshewana. Join us the weekend of Fall Crafters Fair (October 8, 9 & 10) and vote on your favorite scarecrow with pocket change. Proceeds will go to the LaGrange County Clothes & Food Basket.
Visit http://www.fallcraftersfair.com/ for more information on the Fall Crafters Fair.

Quilt Garden Update

Our quilt garden received a "make-over" on Friday with 6 yards of fresh mulch! Check out the photos here...the darker mulch seems to really make the rose colored flowers "pop".

As you can see in the photos, the white vinca have taken off and have left the rose colored ones behind. We hope the hot weather this week will help boost them along.

Come out and see it for yourself, along with all the other gardens along the official Quilt Gardens Tour.

BEFORE

AFTER

Shoofly Quilt Garden

The Shoofly Quilt Garden in front of the Farmstead Inn has been planted! We spent most of the day Wednesday digging in the dirt, creating a Shoofly Quilt out of vinca. We had a total of 24 volunteers helping over the course of 7 hours.

The official Quilt Gardens Tour opens Memorial Day through October 1. There are 32 sites along the tour (16 gardens and 16 murals). Don't miss this FUN, FREE and FANTASTIC experience! www.QuiltGardensTour.com

Bring on the Dirt!

They have begun hauling in dirt to create the platform for our Shoofly Quilt Garden! We estimate it will take over 25 dump truck loads to create the 12% grade. The goal of the hill is to enhance the pattern's viewability.


Next week we will begin preparing the area for planting, and if the weather cooperates we will plant the 4,900 annuals on Wednesday. Hope you can come out and see it in full bloom this summer!

New Vendor Update

We've had several people asking what type of merchandise the 70 new vendors will have at the Flea Market this year. Here is a listing of a few of the items you can expect to see:
TVs, DVD players, Stereos, Speakers, etc…, Oil Paintings & Murals, Custom Denim Jeans, Miche Bags, Jumbo Jelly Beans/Taffy/Hard Candies (from Wakarusa Dime Store), Hydroponics (All in One Garden), Inflatable Pool Toys & Accessories, Golf Shirts & Accessories Liquidation, Jose Madrid Salsa’s (over 20 flavors), Longaberger Items, Rhinestone Flip Flops/Belts/Wallets

70 New Flea Market Vendors!

The temperature is warming up and the sun is shining today in Shipshewana. We have a few vendors set up outside today and they are excited about the upcoming flea market season. We are just two weeks away from opening day, and I was just informed by Michael, the flea market manager, that we are up to 70 new vendors for this season!

At home in Shipshewana

I went to Boston this past weekend to watch my husband run the Boston Marathon. We traveled all around the city on public transportation – it was a beautiful city with friendly people, but I can’t deny that I was thrilled to get back home to Shipshewana! Because in Shipshewana there are no overcrowded buses or trains; no crosswalks to wait for the signal to say “walk”; no excessively large crowds of people to attempt to filter through; and no traffic jams. (Now I realize those of you that have been here on a Tuesday or Wednesday during peak tourist season, are thinking – I’ve seen traffic jams and large crowds in Shipshewana - but believe me, it doesn’t compare!) I’ll take a slow moving line of vehicles at the four-way stop, or getting behind a buggy any day over a traffic jam and confusing streets in a large city. Plus the pleasant sounds of buggies clip clopping past and the peaceful and relaxing atmosphere of the country definitely beats honking horns and busyness of the city streets.
It’s fun to experience new places, but when it’s all said and done, there is nothing like coming home to Shipshewana! Familiar faces around every corner and a small-town feel you just can’t beat.