Pre-Barn Tour Events
Enjoy Pre-Event activities.
Painting Stories: A Barn Quilt Workshop
Located at: TBD based upon class size. Registered attendees will be given location instructions by September 1, 2025.
Class time: 2-4:00pm
A Barn Quilt making workshop is an engaging, hands-on experience where participants learn to design and create their own quilt themed pieces, often inspired by traditional quilt patterns. Overall, a barn quilt making workshop is a creative and social experience, combining art, history and community spirit, while allowing participants the ability to craft a unique, tangible piece of Americana.
$35 per person (additional blank MDO squares will be available for purchase on site). Registration in advance are required by contacting class instructor Karen Weiland at (260) 499-1047 or by emailing [email protected]. Cutoff date: August 13, 2025.
Brown Swiss Dairy Farm Historic Barn Open House
Listed on the National Register of Historic Places
Located at: 8690 W 250 N, Shipshewana, IN 46565
Walk Indiana’s only non-wood, concrete polygonal barn at Brown Swiss Dairy Farm. Designed by Menno S. Yoder in 1908 and owned today by Kyle Plank, the barn features multiple barn quilts, twelve concrete sides, and a metal roof, with a silo at the side. A milk house came along in the 1950’s. Yoder had postcards made saying “For a printed and illustrated description of this barn, stable plans, and merry-go-round hay carrier, send 10c in stamps to M.S. Yoder, Shipshewana, IN.”
Donations accepted onsite
Off the Beaten Path & Barn Quilt Trail
There’s no better way to experience the culture and history of rural Northern Indiana than by hitting the backroads and traveling the countryside. There, you’re likely to see some colorful wooden Barn Quilts adorning historic barns, family homesteads, and public spaces. They’re a remarkable combination of traditional art, history, and familial connection. As of 2024, there are 80+ Barn Quilts listed on the existing Off the Beaten Path Map, which can also be picked up at the Shipshewana Visitor’s Center. The map assists visitors in finding these one-of-a-kind historical art pieces, as well as a host of other fascinating stops.
Self-guided & FREE
Straw Bale Art
See giant straw bales artistically created in fun shapes and painted characters at over two dozen businesses and locations throughout LaGrange County! Fall is the perfect time of year to taste specialty foods like pumpkin lattes, warm cinnamon pretzels, or delicious, locally made apple butters and ciders, but leave some room for traditional Amish dishes like fried chicken and hand-made noodles, as well. Make sure to pick up an Autumn Adventure Shopping Pass, a fun-filled way to explore all the shops and hidden gems of the area while enjoying amazing special deals and discounts, and so much more!
Self-guided & FREE
Stutzman Dairy Farm Guided Tour
Located at: 1360 N 850 W., Shipshewana, IN 45656
Tour times: 11-12:30pm or 7-8:30pm
Come enjoy a Unique Farm Experience on a 6th generation Family-Owned Amish Farm located less than a mile from downtown Shipshewana. Watch daily milking from the comforts of our upstairs viewing room. Learn what you can make from milk and how the Modern Dairy cow lives their life. Hand and bottle feed animals, see baby animals as they take their first steps, watch baby calves play and visit and “Kiss” a pig in the pig pen.
$15 per adult, Children 4-12 $10, 3 and under are free. Reservations are required by calling (260) 768-3236.
Meet the Author
Farm Gril Adventures
Farm Girl Adventures by award-winning journalist Cindy Ladage is a collection of over 30 short stories from rural America, focusing on everyday people rather than the famous. Filled with moments of joy, sadness, hope, and heartbreak, the stories capture the cozy warmth of country life. Guests can meet the author, buy an autographed copy, and share their own farm tales with her in person.
The author is a farmer’s wife, author, presenter and award-winning journalist, and columnist for Farm World.
Cindy writes for antique tractor and collector publications and specializes in travel stories for several publications including Senior News & Times of Illinois.
She also writes a travel blog Traveling Adventures of a Farm Girl.
Location: Davis Mercantile – 225 N Harrison St
Friday, September 12, 2025 | 11:00am-2:00pm
Meet & Greet – books available to purchase
Shipshewana EGGfest
Location: Smokehouse Grills & Supply – 240 N Morton St, Shipshewana
Time: 4:00pm-8:00pm
Love cooking outdoors or you’re just hungry for some scrumptious, hot barbeque and a good time, mark your calendar for the evening of Eggfest in Shipshewana!
Tickets: 12 and under FREE, 12 and older $13 presale or $15 at the door
The Everly Brothers Experience
Location at: Blue Gate Music Hall – 175 N Van Buren St. Shipshewana
Time: 7:00pm
Since 2016, brothers Zachary and Dylan Zmed, along with drummer Burleigh Drummond, have honored the legacy of The Everly Brothers with performances across the U.S. and internationally. Rather than impersonate, they aim to celebrate the Everlys’ iconic sound and their impact on rock ‘n’ roll, while also sharing their own story. Influenced by their entertainer father, Adrian Zmed, and teacher mother, Barbara, the Zmed Brothers blend nostalgia, entertainment, and education in a show that resonates with audiences of all ages.
Advance Reservations Required by selecting seats and booking online.
