The Following Story is by Bill Pickett:
Indiana’s largest festival – the Parke County Covered Bridge Festival – is underway. Bill Pickett has more.
Between now and when the festival ends on Sunday, October 20th, hundreds of thousands of people are expected to visit the county where there are 31 covered bridges.
The Festival headquarters is on the square in Rockville where Jenn Kersey runs a candle shop. She notes there are activities all over the county….
{AUDIO: “Get to as many places as you can. It’s county-wide and there are nine different locations that really have their own specialty thing – whether its food or an item. But they’re all really working very hard to make sure we can accommodate all our guests here. So if you can make it to all nine – great – do that. Really enjoy our county, but definitely come to Rockville.”
The Parke County Covered Bridge Festival began in 1957. It gives visitors a chance to enjoy the fall colors along with with a variety of festival food, antiques and entertainment.
T.J. Terrell owns a store on the square in Rockville, and is also the president of the town’s business organization. Terrell described what shoppers can find in his store….
{AUDIO: “Oh man. They can find anything, everything you didn’t know you wanted, and all the stuff you didn’t know you needed. We have old stuff – new stuff – home décor, candles. You name it, we’ve got it.”}
Terrell says there is one message he likes to tell visitors who come to Rockville during the festival…
{AUDIO: “My big takeaway for everybody that comes is that Rockville is a really vital little town, and we’re here outside the 10 day festival. I think we have 18 retail establishments around the square and they’re open year round. So we’re not just here for those ten days. We have a really great community outside the festival as well.”}
In addition to Rockville, there are special activites during the festival at Bloomingdale, Bridgeton, Mansfield, Mecca, Montezuma, Rosedale, Tangier, and Billie Creek Village.
Citizens can drive specially marked routes themselves to see the covered bridges or take a guided bus tour. The bus rides are available leaving from the Rockville square during the festival.
For more information visit https://www.coveredbridges.com.
