These Towns In Indiana Come Alive In Spring
When planning your spring break vacation, you probably think of the South rather than the Midwest. Yet the Midwestern United States is more authentically springlike than perhaps anywhere else in North America. Not too hot and not too cold, with colorful flowers and festivals, this region springs to life from March to June, especially in Indiana. The Hoosier State is in a state of scenic and festive bliss, which will only increase when a certain celestial phenomenon occurs in April. Here are seven Indiana towns where you can see this and other such wonders this spring.
Vincennes
Not technically a town, but with town proportions, Vincennes might swell to the size of a standard city for a four-minute, five-second event on Monday, April 8, 2024. Starting at approximately 3:02 PM, a total solar eclipse is predicted to darken the Vincennes area for longer than in any other Indiana locale. To exploit the eclipse and accommodate eclipse-chasers, the "city" is set to host Dark Side Bash, a three-day festival near the Wabash River with food trucks, vendors, kids' activities, and live music. Scheduled bands include Think Floyd (probably covering songs from The Dark Side of the Moon) and the Accumulative Music Project, which will play Europe's "The Final Countdown" leading up to the solar spectacle. But the eclipse need not eclipse a spring trip to Vincennes. George Rogers Clark National Historical Park and the Vincennes Historic Farmers Market are just some of the elegant attractions in this France-inspired community.
Battle Ground
Named for the 1811 Battle of Tippecanoe between the United States and Native Americans, Battle Ground is now a howling ground via Wolf Park. This 75-acre facility is dedicated to wolf conservation and education. Wolf Park teaches visitors with resident wolves, foxes, bison, and even a turtle. Activities that recur throughout spring include the Fox Adventure, Bison Specialty Tour, Feeding Specialty Tour, and Save Wolves Save Wilderness Tour. If wolf-watching is not your idea of a fun spring break, Battle Ground has historic attractions like Tippecanoe Battlefield Park and histrionic attractions like TC's Restaurant & Tavern.
Nappanee
Starting in late May, Elkhart County blooms with more than a million flowers in quiltlike patterns. These are cultivated by community members along Heritage Trail, an Amish-inspired scenic route stretching 90 miles. This year's Quilt Gardens Tour covers Middlebury, Bristol, Elkhart, Goshen, Wakarusa, and Nappanee. The last of those is a 7,000ish-person "city" that is set to host the HIS Indian Sunburst Garden and Tracking Our Beginning Garden. The quilt gardens along Heritage Trail are paired with quilt murals. Nappanee's planned installations comprise the Around the Block Mural and Grandmother's Flower Garden Mural.
You can begin your Nappanee spring break on Saturday, April 27, at the 4th Annual Nappanee Spring Market. Another early spring event on the Heritage Trail is the Wakarusa Maple Syrup Festival, which is set to run from April 26 to 28 in neighboring Wakarusa.
Orleans
In the mid-1960s, residents of Orleans launched "Operation Dogwood" to spruce up the town by planting flowering dogwood trees. The operation was so successful that it made Orleans the “Dogwood Capital of Indiana” and inspired an annual festival. Going into its 54th year, the Orleans Dogwood Festival is to span an entire week from April 20 to 27 and feature arts, crafts, food, live entertainment, family activities, carnival rides, dogwood tree viewing, and a parade. Those dog days of spring can also be spent at Orange County HomeGrown Farmers Market and Spring Mill State Park. Moreover, as a southern Indiana town, Orleans will be in the path of the eclipse and have its own watch party called I Totally Blacked Out in Orleans. The eclipse should begin at 3:04 PM on April 8 and last three minutes and 10 seconds.
French Lick
Around 25 minutes southwest of Orleans is French Lick, another small town with big spring attractions. One of these is the French Lick Scenic Railway, which facilitates splendid spring tours of rural Indiana on themed charters like the Beer Tasting Train, Wine Tasting Train, and Easter Bunny Express. This railway winds through the Hoosier National Forest, a spectacular spring destination in its own right, given the abundance of wildflowers and wildlife. On April 8, permanent and temporary French Lickers can get a taste of the eclipse at Get Mooned In French Lick, which is to pair astronomical sights with astronomically enjoyable music, art, and food. Though amazing, French Lick's outdoor adventures might be no match for Big Splash Adventure, a 40,000-square-foot indoor waterpark in a town of about 1,700 people.
Angola
Angola, Indiana, is said to be named for Angola, New York, which itself comes from Angola, Africa. You can go on a spring safari in Indiana's Angola at Pokagon State Park. This 1,260-acre preserve has wild coyotes, foxes, beavers, turtles, salamanders, and snakes, but also captive creatures at its nature center. For floral fans, Pokagon blooms with wildflowers like bloodroots and trout lilies and often hosts spring flower hunts. Can you catch 'em all? In addition to natural wonders, Angola claims commercial hotspots such as Jed’s BBQ & Brew, Monument Pizza Pub, Brokaw Movie House, Chapman's Brewing Company, and Zollner Golf Course. Lastly, it is centered by a 70-foot-tall memorial for local Civil War soldiers called the Steuben County Soldiers' Monument.
Santa Claus
It might seem counterintuitive to visit a town named Santa Claus in spring - unless you want to celebrate Christmas year-round. "Where It's Christmas Every Day" is one of the slogans for this southern Indiana community, which draws visitors to Santa's Candy Castle, Santa Claus Christmas Store, Christmas Lake Golf Club, Santa's TOYS, and Holiday World & Splashin' Safari. The last of those is a theme park that opens for the season in May and spans more than 300 acres.
Although the expected duration is shorter than in other towns, Santa Claus will experience the April 8th solar eclipse. Holiday World & Splashin' Safari invites eclipse-seekers to crowd its Legend Parking Lot for food, music, and one minute and 47 seconds of a moon-covered sun. Perhaps Santa's sleigh will get in the way.
If you are looking for an authentic spring break destination, choose rural Indiana. Not only does it have flower-filled nature preserves, Amish-inspired quilt gardens, an Easter-themed railway tour, and a year-round Christmas town, it is one of the best places to (safely) view a total solar eclipse. Vincennes, Battle Ground, Nappanee, Orleans, French Lick, Angola, and Santa Claus are the stitches in the comfortable quilt that is an Indiana spring.
