Plenty of activities planned at Parke County Covered Bridge Festival

This 10-day countywide event always starts on the second Friday in October and this year's dates are Oct 10-19. The festival offers you activities and events countywide and the shining stars are Parke County's 31 historic Covered Bridges.

Headquartered on the courthouse lawn in Rockville since 1957, you will find food served by many of the not for profit organizations of the county that use funds from the Festival to promote their organizations throughout the year.

A large tent and streets around the courthouse filled with crafters and vendors for your shopping delight are open daily from 9 am to 6pm. Some have been here since the festival began. Free entertainment will be scheduled on the south side of the courthouse throughout each day.

Bus tours leave the square daily from the tour booth located on the northwest corner of the square. Guided tours take you through the county to make stops at communities in the county and of course to see Covered Bridges along the way. Tickets are $10.00 for adults, under 12 is $7.00 and lap sitters are free.

For reserved tickets please call 765-569-5226 or email pci@ticz.com. Choose from one of three routes, Red, Yellow or Brown.

Each is unique and different. The Red tours the southern part of the county with stops in Bridgeton and Rosedale. Yellow travels north through Country Farm Communities, Turkey Run State Park with a stop at Tangier where they serve the famous "Buried Beef" and a stop at Bloomingdale, a Quaker Community.

The Brown Route travels west where you learn the history of the Wabash & Erie Canal with a stop in Montezuma and historic Mecca with a one-room schoolhouse and a tent filled with all handmade products. See 4-5 bridges on each route.

Antique stores and shops around the brick lined streets of Rockville invite you stop by for a visit.

You never know where you might find that one of a kind item you have been looking for or something no one else has. The Covered Bridge Art Gallery on the north side of the square is open daily for your viewing of local artist's works on display.

The Historic Ritz Theater is home to the Parke Players. Located a block west of the square, they provide entertainment or the traditional melodrama for the entire family during the festival.

Tickets are $6.00 for all seats and the doors open 1 hour prior to curtain time. The presentation this year is "Lily, The Felon's Daughter" and will be presented each evening of the festival except Tuesday.

Billie Creek Village is a turn of the century village located 2 miles east of Rockville on US 36. 30 historical buildings and home of 3 Covered Bridges is open daily with attractions and special events. Admission is $5.00.

You might like to take the tractor shuttle from the Old Jail (tourist information center at 127 S Jefferson) to Billie Creek and leave your car parked. Tractor Shuttle runs continuously through the day and is included in your admission to Billie Creek Village.

Bridgeton offers a wide array of crafters and vendors, a gristmill, 1878 House and Case Log Cabin, Crafters Row and of course the Bridgeton Bridge rebuilt in 2006.

The Historic Mansfield Roller Mill, Mansfield Bridge and hundreds of vendors and crafters are open daily in Mansfield. A Shopper' Delight, make sure you plan a stop.

The Old Jail at 127 S Jefferson is Parke County's Tourist Information Center or the Old Railroad Depot at 401 East Ohio (ample bus parking and restroom facilities) for all of your Parke County information.

Please contact Parke County Incorporated at P.O. Box 165, Rockville, In 47872 or email pci@ticz for a map of the county with marked covered bridge routes, lodging listings and events schedule so that you may plan your visit during the Festival or throughout the year or visit www.coveredbridges.com for more information about the festval.

Oct. 10

Friday

9:00

Apple Butter Making/Bloomingdale

2:00-3:00

Brittany Ledford/Rockville

6:00 PM

Montezuma Idol Registration

10-Oct

7:00 AM

Montezuma Idol

8:00

Parke Players Melodrama at Ritz Theater

Oct. 11

Saturday

8:00-3:00

Montezuma Community Yard Sale

9:00

Apple Butter Making/Bloomingdale

All Day

Antique Tractor & Engine Show/ Montezuma

9:00-4:00

Used Book Sale at Presbyterian Church/Rockville

11:00

Welcoming Ceremony

1:00

Antique Tractor & Engine Show Parade & Games/Montezuma

1:00

Lighty Music Studio/Rockville

2:00-4:00

Gospel Sing/Montezuma

3:00

4-H Cloggers in Montezuma

3:00-4:00

Brittany Ledford/Rockville

4:00-8:00

Rosedale Fish Fry

Rosedale Fire House

8:00

Parke Players Melodrama at Ritz Theater

Oct. 12

Sunday

All Day

Antique Tractor & Engine Show/ Montezuma

9:00

Apple Butter Making/Bloomingdale

10:00

Colleen Coble author of Anathema book signing/Big Tent Rockville

Authors, relatives of Cubs pitcher "Mordecai Brown" will sign books at Parke County Historical Society

1:00

Koon Holler Kids/Montezuma

3:00-4:00

Brittany Ledford/Rockville

4:00

Koon Holler Kids/Rockville

4:30

Fonda & Band/Rockville

7:00

Parke Players Melodrama at Ritz Theater

Oct. 13

MONDAY

6:00

1812 Overture/Billie Creek Village

7:00

Parke Players Melodrama at Ritz Theater

Oct. 15

Wednesday

11:00

Military Ceremony/Dane Bailey/Rockville

5:00-6:00

WTWO Live at Five Broadcast/Rockville

7:00

Parke Players Melodrama at Ritz Theater

Oct. 16

Thursday

9:00

Apple Butter Making/Bloomingdale

7:00

Parke Players Melodrama at Ritz Theater

Oct. 17

Friday

9:00

Apple Butter Making/Bloomingdale

2:00-3:00

Brittany Ledford/Rockville

8:00

Parke Players Melodrama at Ritz Theater

Oct. 18

Saturday

8:00-3:00

Montezuma Community Yard Sale

9:00

Apple Butter Making/Bloomingdale

9:00-4:00

Used Book Sale at Presbyterian Church/Rockville

11:00

Style Show/Rockville

1:00

Judy Green Band/Montezuma

2:00-5:00

Car Show/Montezuma

12:30 -1:30

Brittany Ledford/Rockville

2:00

Auction to Benefit Covered Bridges/Rockville

4:00

Judy Green Band/Rockville

8:00

Parke Players Melodrama at Ritz Theater

Oct. 19

Sunday

1:00-2:00

Brittany Ledford/Rockville

2:30

Parke County 4-H Cloggers

Entertainment is still being scheduled and all is subject to change of date and time.

More entertainment is still currently being scheduled.

Daily Activities:

Billie Creek Village opens daily 9:00 to 5:00. Admission Charged

Admission $5.00

Bloomingdale offers a Farmers Market of sewing, canned goods and art work. Serving Meals Daily

Bridgeton opens daily with lots of shopping, a bridge and mill, crafters row and much more.

Mansfield opens daily with lots of vendors, sky ride and a bridge and mill.

Mecca at the bridge offers a tent full of homemade foods and crafts.

Montezuma the canal town offers daily a hog roast, bean dinner and canal tours.

Rosedale at the Civic Center is a great place to stop for shopping and good food.

Tangier is home of the "Buried Beef" served daily and a stop at Sugar Creek Market on US 41 provides plenty of shopping.

Rockville is headquarters for the festival with free entertainment daily on the courthouse lawn.