THE TM 911 Franklin Street Weekly Newspaper Michigan City, IN 46360 Volume 25, Number 36 Thursday, September 17, 2009 Lions and Tigers and Apples – Oh My! Fall means festival time in the Midwest by Rick A. Richards Children may be back in school and thoughts may be turning to the fall chores, but that doesn’t mean outdoor fun is over. The change of season means it’s fall festival time, and for area residents, there are lots of them from which to choose. Some are major events are put on by corporate and business sponsors and others are small, family af- fairs. But they all have one thing common – good family fun. One of those is the 16th annual Barn Fest, a This year, the festival will have nearly 50 arts, family event held at 1026 N. Forrester Road south crafts and antique dealers. There also will be food. of Michigan City. “The upper fl oor of the barn will be fi lled with Helen Pliskey and her daughter, Lisa Steinhiser, vendors,” said Pliskey. “We never expected it to be organized the fi rst Barn Fest as a way of celebrating like this.” the family’s purchase of a big, red barn. That fi rst Barn Fest will run from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Satur- event had 10 vendors and Pliskey said the family day, Sept. 19. Admission and parking is free. thought that was a pretty big deal. “We’ve had people attend who plan their vacation The family had so much fun, they decided to host around this,” said Pliskey, who added that it takes it each year. Each year, Lisa’s husband, Brian, fi xes between 20 and 30 family members and friends to up the barn a bit to make the event easier to host. put on the festival. Over the years, he put on a new roof, new fl ooring, “Sometimes, by the time it’s over, we’ve run out of railings, a staircase, new windows, upgraded elec- friends,” said Pliskey. tricity to the barn and improved the kitchen. The All of the festivals involve a lot of detailed plan- next project is to add a loft to the upper fl oor. ning, much of it done months in advance. But the “I always say the ladies enter the barn are look- one thing planning can’t control is the weather. ing for bargains,” said Helen. “The men usually But even with rain at some of last year’s events, look fi rst at the structure and massive height of the people turned out, and planners say they don’t wor- barn. Without Brian, we certainly wouldn’t be able ry about the weather because they can’t control it. to hold Barnfest.” Fall Festivals Continued on Page 2 Barn Fest by the Pliskey Saturday family with September 19 daughter Lisa 8 a.m.-4 p.m. Steinhiser and friends. THE Page 2 September 17, 2009 THE 911 Franklin Street • Michigan City, IN 46360 219/879-0088 • FAX 219/879-8070 In Case Of Emergency, Dial e-mail: News/Articles - [email protected] email: Classifieds - [email protected] http://www.thebeacher.com/ PRINTED WITH Published and Printed by TM Trademark of American Soybean Association THE BEACHER BUSINESS PRINTERS Delivered weekly, free of charge to Birch Tree Farms, Duneland Beach, Grand Beach, Hidden 911 Shores, Long Beach, Michiana Shores, Michiana MI and Shoreland Hills. The Beacher is also delivered to public places in Michigan City, New Buffalo, LaPorte and Sheridan Beach. Fall Festivals Continued from Page 1 “There is nothing new this year, but we are going Janet Ambrose, chief of interpretation at Indiana through a comprehensive interpretative plan to see Dunes National Lakeshore, says she hopes for good what might happen in the future,” she said. weather for this year’s 33rd annual Duneland Even though farm animals are no longer a daily Harvest Festival, but regardless the show will go part of the experience at Chellberg Farm, Ambrose on. said there will be farm animals at the festival. “If the weather cooperates, I think there will be “They are on loan to us for the festival,” she said, a large crowd,” said Ambrose, who is expecting up- noting there will be sheep shearing and sheep herd- wards of 8,000 people. ing events, and that horses will be used to demon- strate some of the traditional farm chores. Duneland Harvest Festival will be from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday and Sunday, Sept. 19 and Sept. 20 at Chellberg Farm on Mineral Springs Road near Porter, Ind. At the same time, the 28th annual Wizard of Oz Festival returns to Chesterton after an absence of two years. Machelle Blount, a member of The Duneland Business Initiative Group, said the coalition of Chesterton business owners is organizing the festival. “When I fi rst got involved, people kept asking ‘What happened to our festival?’” Blount said that in March when the group learned that the Oz Festival wouldn’t take place in Valparaiso this year, they decided to bring it back to Chesterton. “We knew we wouldn’t have a lot of vendors because they plan a year in advance, but we think we have a pretty good line up,” she said. Or- ganizers have worked to create more attractions for children in an area that will be called the Munchkins Kids Zone. The Wizard of Oz Festival will be Friday through Sunday, Sept. 18 to 20. THE September 17, 2009 Page 3 For the La Porte County Parks Department, the festival will have candle dipping and other demon- big fall event is Pioneer Days at Creek Ridge strations and its popular ham and bean dinner. County Park on County Road 400 North. Chief “There will be a lot of good hands-on activities,” Naturalist Niki Schmutte said this year’s 18th an- said Schmutte. nual festival celebrates the county’s pioneer heri- The festival runs from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Sat- tage. Last year, 2,400 people attended. urday and Sunday, Sept. 26 and 27. Admission is $2 “We’re going to have Dutch oven baking demon- for adults and $1 for children. strations this year,” said Schmutte. In addition, the For families looking for a chance to experience Anyone excited about Halloween can visit the life at an orchard, Apple Fest at Garwood Or- Niles Haunted House in Michigan, just across chards is 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday and Sunday, the county line. It’s a festival extending over sev- Sept. 19 and 20. en weekends. There are six haunted sites to visit, “We have events each weekend through the end along with a Halloween-themed magic show, said of October, but Apple Fest is our big one,” said Carey Scream Park Manager Pete Karlowicz. Garwood, adding that this is the 26thyear for Apple “Anything people don’t like, we will have it,” he Fest. said, adding that the multi-weekend event includes Garwood said events are planned at several loca- a midway and Halloween-themed concessions. “It’s tions throughout the orchard. “It’s impossible to get a frightful night full,” said Karlowicz. Proceeds are an accurate count of attendance, but last year, both divided among some 80 non-profi t groups and orga- of our parking lots were full and people were park- nizations around Niles. ing along the road.” Last year, 40,000 people attended. “Even if it For a more urban experience, families can visit rains, we expect big crowds,” said Karlowicz, who the 11th annual LaPorte Sunfl ower Fair on Sat- pointed out the entire festival area is carpeted. “You urday, Sept. 19. Organizer Phyllis Jones said one might get wet, but you won’t get muddy,” he said. of the unique attractions is the cooking contest in The Niles Haunted House begins Sept. 18 and which all of the dishes must include sunfl owers as 19 from 8 to 11 p.m. and continues for the next six an ingredient. weekends. The Niles Haunted House Scream Park “We’ve added an antique auto show and an art is on Mayfl ower Road, south of Niles-Buchanan gallery show,” said Jones. “The festival has grown Road just off Exit 5 of the U.S. 31 Bypass. For infor- each year. The object is for non-profi ts and other or- mation visit www.haunted.org. ganizations to make some money.” Two events coming up in October right here in In October, the 19th annual Westville Pump- Michigan City will take in everyone from the young- kin Festival will be at Prairie Meadow Park. Arts est to the oldest: On Sat. & Sun., Oct 10 & 11, the and crafts coordinator Deb Daugherty said it takes Michigan City Senior Center in Washington Park nearly a year of planning by volunteers to organize will host an authentic Oktoberfest, complete with the festival. German food and lots of entertainment. Sat. 11 “It is a community wide effort,” she said. “It’s an a.m.-11 p.m. and Sun. 11 a.m.-6 p.m. 873-1504. opportunity to spend an enjoyable day outside.” The Oct. 24 will be Boo at the Zoo in Washington festival runs from 4 to 7 p.m. Friday, Oct. 2; from 8 Park, 5-8 p.m. Bring your child in costume to trick- a.m. to 7 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 3; and from 7 a.m. to 4 or-treat and visit the animals one last time before p.m. Sunday, Oct.