Festivals!

I've always loved outdoor summer festivals.    Craft shows, music festivals, farmers markets .... you name it;  if it's outdoors and there are people around, I love to take Scarlett and Zak and mingle.     I'm naturally introverted, and the greatest gift my dogs have given me is the opportunity to meet people who want to pet them, are curious about the breed or have questions specifically about Scarlett and Zak.     "What are their names?",  "How old are they?" and "Do they shed a lot?" (Yes!!!!!) are the most common ones.   I love to talk about corgis and especially love to share the antics of mine.

Holland Tulip Time Festival

In Minnesota, I looked forward to several festivals every summer.   The Fargo Street Fair, the Island Park Fair and the Phelps Mill Festival were the main ones.    There was a little "Taste of Dorset" that we went to a few times as well.    But Indiana!?!?!?   My goodness ..... there is a festival going on somewhere in the area every single weekend, and I'm not kidding!  Of course, since it's our first summer here, we've had to check them all out. 

Tulip Time Parade May 12, 2018



I was born in Holland, but we moved from there when I was just a baby and I haven't had a chance to take in many of the Tulip Time festivals there over the years.     I have been to the Iowa ones (Pella and Orange City) which are smaller, but the one in Holland is one of the largest festivals in the country.   I heard that it is second only to the Mardi Gras but I have a hard time believing that.  It's big though!   It's nice when your brother lives 1/2 mile from the parade route so that you can park in his driveway and not have to come 4 hours early - like everyone else - to find a place to park!   I loved the bands, the costumes, the floats .... all of it.    I really enjoy parades.






The little town of Wakarusa hosts the Maple Sugar Festival in May and the  Wakarusa Bluegrass Festival in June.    We enjoyed them both!    The charming little village of Winona Lake, about 30 miles to the south, is a picturesque setting nestled between three lakes with a canal that runs through the tourist area.    Great eateries, ice cream shops, and upscale gift shops remind me of some of the Minnesota resort towns that I have enjoyed for years.    We've been to Winona Lake three weekends already .... the Fat & Skinny Bike Festival and two craft shows.    It's a fun town.

Wakarusa Bluegrass Festival

We've had a couple of very hot weekends and found several dog beaches along Lake Michigan near St. Joseph.      This past weekend we took in the  Elkhart Jazz Festival which was a lot of fun.   Scarlett and Zak, as usual, were big hits with kids and adults alike.

Summer is just getting started.   There's a lot more to come ..... the Elkhart County Fair, the Blueberry Festival in Plymouth, the Johnny Appleseed Festival in Fort Wayne.    Other than a week at the cabin with my brothers in August, I'm not getting a vacation this summer, so these weekend festivals are little 'mini vacations' every weekend.   Lots of fun and something to keep me going when life continues to be pretty unsettled.

Splash Pad at Silver Beach - St Joe, MI



Silver Beach on a 96 degree afternoon!

Sweet family - and they loved Scarlett and Zak

Such a little princess

Zak gives a kiss to a new friend - Elkhart Jazz Festival