Festivals, Educational Programs/Conferences, and Events

Attend festivals, educational programs/ conferences, and events featuring Indiana’s locally grown and/or raised foods.

If you know of a festival, educational program, conference, or event which features Indiana locally grown or raised food or a related topic and it’s not listed here, email me  with the name and a brief description of the event  dates, website, and telephone number. All listings are free of charge.

Indiana Wine Events

Get up to the minute information about Indiana wine events, new releases, plantings, and activities at Indiana's local wineries.

2012 Festivals, Educational Programs/Conferences, and Events

Mid January
Indiana Horticultural Congress
Educational meeting designed to meet the needs of fruit, vegetable, wine grape, organic and specialty growers and marketers in Indiana and surrounding states.


Late February
Parke County Maple Syrup Fair
Tour maple syrup camps, enjoy pancakes with lots of maple syrup, browse through arts and craft booths.

Early March
9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.|
National Maple Syrup Festival
Held at Burton's Maplewood Farm in Medora, Indiana the festiavl is America's one and only national clebration of all things maple with tours, historical accounts, wagon rides, music, petting zoo, and demonstrations. Admission charge.
 
Late March
Sugar Camp Days
Fee:  $7.00/vehicle
Visit Bendix Woods County Park in celebration as the end of winter nears! Watch sap cook into syrup, enjoy a pancake and sausage breakfast (a New Carlisle Lion’s Club fundraiser), tour the Sugar Bush, purchase home-made baked goods made with pure maple syrup, enjoy family music performed by the Deep Fried Pickle Project, watch ice carvers turn blocks of ice into works of art, check out the historical crafters including a balcksmith, woodcarver, quilters, and a chair caner. Enjoy a horse-drawn wagon ride and kids can dip a candle or make an old-time pioneer toy plus much more!Stay the day! For more information, call 574/654-3155 or visit www.sjcparks.org

Mid April
Wakarusa Maple Syrup Festival
Events, entertainment, food, arts, crafts, and maple syrup lore!

Mid-April
Sassafras Tea Festival
Free sassafras tea and cookies. Civila war reenactments, mock battles, and working blacksmith shop. No admission fee.

Late April-Early May
Mansfield Mushroom Festival
Ready...set...hunt! Hunt for mushrooms, buy or sell them at an auction, enjoy a car show and fine crafts. Prizes for the largest and most mushrooms found.

Late May
St. John's Starlight Strawberry Festival
When thousands of folks come year after year from as far as Michigan and Minnesota to enjoy the strawberry shortcakes served at this festival, you know they've got to be special.

Early June
Rosedale Strawberry Festival
Reenactment camps, national talents , gospel tent revival, rustic crafters, 2 centuries in daily free concerts, KidZone carnival, pageants, parade, and far more -- plus of course the famous loaded, fresh-baked strawberry shortcake. For GPS, use 9 S. Main St., 47874. Free parking, no admission.

Early June
Vintage Indiana Wine and Food Festival
Enjoy more than 100 Indiana wines, entertainment, food, cooking demonstrations, and wine classes.

Early June
Strawberry Daze
Look for the big Strawberry Tent in the middle of town where you can enjoy an early summer treat.  Sweet strawberry shortcake loaded with yummy strawberries and topped with whip cream or ice cream. Strawberry Pie eating contest Saturday at 3:00 p.m. $5.00 entrance fee. Egg toss, corn hole, one legged bag race, sack race, marbles and more. Music on the Wagon Stage and around town. Sponsored by the Merchants Association of Metamora.

Mid-June
Crawfordsville Strawberry Festival
National entertainment acts, car shows, tractor show, kid's activities, arts, crafts, food court and lots of strawberry desserts! No admission fee. Hours vary. Call 765-362-6637 or visit our website.

Early August
Sweet Corn Festival
Rides, parade, live entertainment and sweet corn eating contest. Call 812-677-0728 for details.

Mid August
Mansfield Village Watermelon Festival
Beat the August heat with thick juicy slices of Indiana watermelon. There'll be games, competitions, shopping, lots of great food, and a walk/run/sprint through scenic Parke County.

Mid August
Van Buren Popcorn Festival
Visit Van Buren, Indiana- Popcorn Capital of the World, for food (including plenty of popcorn), crafts, princess pageant, parade, over 100 booths, tractor show, and kids' safety festival.

Late August
Wabash Herb Festival
Herb and garden items, free seminars, herb walks, and car show.

 Late August
Kouts Pork Festival
Crafts, entertainment, hog raffle, 5K walk/run and plenty of delicious pork.

Late August 
The Taste of Montgomery County
Plenty of local food, music and fun on the shady grounds of the General Lew Wallace Study & Museum (200 Wallace Avenue, Crawfordsville).

Late August
Swiss Wine Festival
Salute the cultural heritage of Switzerland County with tradition, fun, and, of course, wine. Don't miss the grape stomp! Hours vary

Early September
Marshall County Blueberry Festival
Indiana's largest four day festival! Enjoy luscious blueberry treats, hot air balloons, parade, fireworks, classic car show, carnival, and lost of family fun.

Mid September
Tipton County Pork Festival
Art show, pageant, entertainment, parades, and a mouthwatering menu featuring (what else?) PORK!

Mid September
Valparasio Popcorn Festival
The Valparaiso Popcorn Festival has been named the "Best Festival of the Region" by The Times readers for the past 12 years! More than 300 arts and crafts booths, 50 food booths, two stages of entertainment, and kids activities. Home of the nation's original Popcorn Parade.

Mid September 
Bonneyville Mill Celebration
Hop aboard the horse drawn tram to visit a turn of the century agricultural operation. Enjoy watching historic crafters, steam powered equipment demonstrations and taste wholesome period food. Tour Bonneyville Mill, Indiana's oldest continuously operating grist mill. $3.00 per person or $7.00 per carload admission.

Mid September
Hobbit Gardens Herb Festival
Garden tours, yoga for gardeners class, seminars about growing,cooking, and preserving herbs as well as information about eating locally and seasonally. Harvesting of organic herbs, flowers and vegetables. Admission $3.00

Mid September
Brookston Apple Popcorn Day
Celebrate the local popcorn and apple harvest with races, crafts, food, apple bobbing, pancake and sausage breakfast, pizza eating contest, apple dessert contest, pedal tractor pull, and special events.

Mid September
Nappanee Apple Festival
Apple baking contest, apple peeling, pie eating contest, parade, puppet shows, senior bingo, farm tractors, singing, dancing, two stages of entertainment, and the world famous 7 foot apple pie.

Late September
Batesville Applefest
Food and fun to celebrate the apple harvest in Batesville. Call 812-934-3201 for information.

Late September
Mitchell Persimmon Festival
Persimmon pudding contest, food, crafts, parade and free entertainment.

Late September  
Cory Apple Festival
Antiques, flea market, parade, fish fry, hog roast, chicken and noodles, carnival, helicopter rides, entertainment and, of course, apples.

Early Octobber
Popcorn Festival of Clay County
The them; “Celebrate the Popcorn!” shows the festival's commitment to Mr. Orville Redenbacher, his dream, and his gourmet popcorn. The festival promiees  to bring you "the corniest time ever".   FREE entertainment, FREE popcorn, FREE events for children, FREE admissions to our bands, and FREE events for adults as well. There'll be familiar corny contests such as the world’s only Redenbacher Look-alike Contest, Popcorn Eating Contests, and Raffles; we are offering a Popcorn Recipe Cook-off.

 

Early October
Apple Dumpling Festival
Enjoy Grabow Orchard and Bakery's apple dumplings which have been featured on the Food Network's "Food Finds" program and shipped to every state in the union.

Early October
Apple Festival of Kendallville
Music, food, Civil War Re-enactment, puppets, storytelling, dancers, sheep shearing and other demonstrations, 85 craft booths, and "all things apple" will celebrate the 24th Apple Festival of Kendalville. A great family event.

Early October
Grape Harvest Festival
Celebrating grape harvest season with wine tastings, winery tours, exhibitions, live music, and prizes. Admission $5.00

Early October
Mt. Zion Apple Harvest Festival
Enjoy horse drawn carriage rides, kiddie tractor pull, antique tractors, food, live entertainment, pottery demo, and a slice of Indiana's largest apple pie at this festival held on the beautiful Honey Creek Farm.

Early October
Heartland Apple Festival
Held annually at Beasley's Orchard, this fun filled event features hayrides, pumpkin patches, a corn maze, and plenty of great food including apples and apple cider.

Early October
AppleFest 2009
HighPoint Orchard in Greensburg has an annual festival that is not to be missed! There's great food, live entertainment, an 1800s pioneer encampment, an apple pie baking contest, wagon rides, and fun for the kids. And of course, plenty of Indiana apples! Free Admission. Call 812-663-4534 for more information.

Mid October
Sorghum Festival
This annual fall event showcases the outstanding work of Indiana local artists and craftsmen. Live demonstrations, food booths, and lots of entertainment are also included. And don't forget that delicious homemade sorghum.

Late September-End of October
Fall Harvest Festival
Hosted by Waterman's Farm Market, this festival has something for everyone!
Take a farm tour hayride to the pumpkin patch, wander three corn mazes, visit with farm animals, climb straw mountain or straw hill, or try your luckat the "all you can carry challenge" where one person has to carry as many pumpkins as she/he can for 5 steps. If you don't drop any, all those pumpkins are yours for $30.00.