FACTS
The annual Amish Acres Arts & Crafts Festival will celebrate its
46th anniversary one week earlier this year Thursday through
Sunday, July 31 through August 3, 2008. The
show's hours are 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. Thursday
through Saturday and 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sunday. It
is held on the grounds of 80 acres Amish Acres Historic Farm & Heritage
Resort and reflects the heritage and folk art of the plain people who
homesteaded the land.
CHAIRMAN and FOUNDER: Richard Pletcher
MARKETPLACE COORDINATOR: Jennifer Pletcher Wysong
ADDRESS: 1600 West Market St, Nappanee, IN 46550, Located on U.S. Highway 6
PHONE: Toll Free 1-800-800-4942; (574) 773-4188 ext. 215
WEBSITE: www.AmishAcres.com
ADMISSION: Adults $7.00, Seniors 60+ and Students (12-17) $6.00, Under 12 Free, Four day PASS $20.00, Two day passes $12.00. Pre-show tickets may be purchased online for $6 at www.Amishacres.com
PETS: No Pets Allowed
PARKING: Free with eight different entrances into several different parking areas. Each gate has handicap parking areas set aside. Free parking lot shuttles.
ARTS & CRAFTS: 320 juried artists and crafters display and sell their work in a marketplace atmosphere around the farm’s bucolic pond.
AWARDS: Named as the only Arts and Crafts Festival in the American Bus Association’s Top 100 events in North America for 2004, 2006, and 2008 Amish Acres keeps the flags flying over the exhibitors from 290 cities in 29 states. The event continues to garner praise and special recognition from additional sources throughout the country including Newsweek’s Tip Sheet. It is rated as one of the top 200 shows by Sunshine Artist Magazine; further ranked as high as the 7th Best Traditional Arts & Crafts Festival in the country, the highest ranking in the Midwest.
ENTERTAINMENT: Country, bluegrass and southern gospel bands, tap, line and square dancers, cloggers, marionettes (Alladin and Rumplestilsken), medicine show, magician, clowns and story tellers. Barbershop quartets and choruses, folk singers, and strolling musicians. Five performances of Rodgers & Hammerstein’s Carousel and one Saturday matinee of Plain and Fancy in The Round Barn Theatre. Box Office 800-800-4942 extension 2.
CONTESTS: Entrants compete for nearly $10,000 in cash prizes, including two $1,500 Best of Show awards in two and three dimensional categories. Awards are given by judges in twelve categories. Awards are also given for total booth presentation and by visitors’ popular vote.
FOOD: Country foods including pork barbeque, sweet corn on the cob, whole hog sausage, Fresh Pressed Apple Cider, Lemon Shake-ups, black cows, malts, fried vegetables, fudge, fresh fruit, strawberry shortcake, onion rings, fresh baked hearth bread and apple butter, lemonade, iced sassafras tea, family style restaurant, meat & cheese shop, antique soda fountain, fudgery, lunch grill and bakery.
PARTICIPATION: Hay wagon rides, Swan paddleboat rides, guided tours and documentary films about the Amish. Daily prize drawings for $50 VISA gas cards and a grand prize drawing for an Italian-style scooter, retail value, $1295.
SPECTATOR EVENTS: Demonstrations including Amish hand cider pressing, quilting, weaving, broom making, spinning and woodworking, as well as silversmiths, rug hookers, sculptors, potters and portrait artists.
LODGING: The Inn at Amish Acres (574) 773-2011 and The Nappanee Inn (574) 773-5999
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