story by GLENDA WINDERS
Shipshewana is a memorable place to visit, no matter what time of year. What with flea markets and auctions, Amish culture, shopping for unusual items and tasty food like you won’t get anywhere else, there’s always something for everyone to do.
When the holidays roll around, however, something magical happens here. The town lights up, Santa arrives and theatrical productions turn their attention to this most joyful time of the year. Unusual gifts that the recipients on your list will cherish appear in retail stores and cozy shops everywhere you turn.
The season opens with the Lighting of Shipshewana event on Nov. 8, when the holiday parade is accompanied by the turning on of the community’s Christmas tree. The fun continues between Nov. 21 and Dec. 31 with Lights of Joy. This 1.5-mile-long drive-through lighting extravaganza grows bigger every year and draws visitors from miles away to see scenes made up of more than 2 million LED lights. Another way to stroll through the season’s splendor is by way of the mile-long Walkway of Lights, with its 295 arches made up of 17,700 light bulbs.
Dec. 6 is the date to mark in your calendar for the Ship-Chic Holiday Craft Show. This year’s gathering at the Shipshewana Antique and Miscellaneous Auction Building will draw creators and sellers from all over the Midwest to display everything from home décor, clothing and jewelry to hand-made art pieces, baked goods and beauty products.
Continue your holiday shopping at Davis Mercantile on Harrison Street, where four floors of unusual locally owned stores are purveyors of gifts you might never even have thought of before. The seamstress or quilter on your list would welcome any gift from Lolly’s Fabrics, and puzzle aficionados will enjoy trying their hands with the selection from Puzzles Plus. Options here range from educational puzzles for children up to jigsaw puzzles with many thousands of pieces.
Nearby on the same street are 2 Chicks and a Chair, where you’ll find repurposed antiques that range from vintage and farmhouse to mid-century modern. Apple Creek Alley offers textiles, pottery, rugs, candles and more. There’s Back Home Again with home décor and gifts, as well as Cornucopia with its selection of quilts, handbags and kitchen textiles.
The weekly antique auction is a treasure-trove of gifts for collectors, and this is also a good time to take the Off the Beaten Path tour, which will take you past colorful barn quilts and lead you to Amish cottage shops. Be sure to stop at the family-owned Silver Star Leather. In addition to the high-quality belts and handbags you already expect are pieces made from exotic hides such as alligator, shark and stingray.
Riverwood Pottery offers useful but unusual mugs and dinnerware, and you can watch the artisans make it while you’re here. A stop at Yoder’s Red Barn Shoppes will lead you to The Fancy Farm Girl, where you’ll be able to customize a hat or create a special perfume. Scherger’s Kettle offers locally made jams and jellies, and there’s much more.
Between November and January the Blue Gate Theatre will present several holiday-themed and family-friendly musical performances and plays. These, along with shopping and delicious Amish-made food, make this a perfect time to bring the family for a getaway as you prepare for your own celebrations.
For more information visit: visitshipshewana.org
