little Indiana

Indiana is…

Well, Indiana has stuff. Lots and lots of neat stuff that you probably didn’t even realize! I know that when little Indiana was just a seed (this site was a year in the making by the way. I’m thorough like that), I wasn’t sure what I would find. I was hopeful, yet hesitant.

Attending the 2011 Indiana Tourism Media Marketplace just reinforced the idea that Indiana is a pretty cool state to live in. Why is that? Well, not only did I get a bunch of great swag (Chocolate! Indiana Wine! Water bottles! Mugs! Books! A Vera Bradley bag!) but I learned a lot about places I have yet to go! Did I mention the foot-tall stack of brochures and catalogs? How cool is that!

Indiana Town Fans

I talked to a number of people at the 2011 Indiana Tourism Media Marketplace, who were representing small towns and have the same passion for local as I do. It was a whole lot of fun! I thought maybe I would be intimidated by representing small Indiana towns because it’s not exactly common. If anything, I’m further grounded in my conviction that, well, Indiana, and especially little Indiana, just plain rocks! From our little Indiana Facebook Page debates over Peeps, to clowns versus spiders, and making it to Round 2 for the $2,000 grant from MomCentral, you guys keep me going — even when the pile of photos to be processed threatens to overwhelm!

Busy As A Bee

It looks like this year is turning out to be a very busy one for which I am eternally grateful. From a motorbike festival, to museums, food, and all of that sort of goodness that you know I just love, there’s pride, community, and a whole lot of great and fascinating Hoosiers out there! If you have a festival you would like for me to add to the Indiana Town Festivals and Events Calendar, please let me know. It’s what it’s all about!

little Indiana: Where to Stay, Play, and Eat in Small Towns in Indiana. Discovering Indiana’s best small towns!
Now get little Indiana on your Kindle.

New! Offering affordable online advertising for your small Indiana business! little Indiana Businesses is the online presence that you’ve been looking for.

Related posts:

1. Batesville, Indiana: RomWeber Marketplace Shines
2. RomWeber Marketplace Images from Batesville, Indiana
3. little Indiana’s Good Deed Challenge

One of the many framed circus prints that dotted the street.

Why do I live in a small Indiana town? I think the knock on my door the other night can help explain this one. To start with, most people don’t knock on our door, they walk right in!

For another – it was a neighbor a street and a half over inviting us to a circus put on by her visiting grandkids…who also happen to be in a circus club (and to bring a side dish to share)!

We had no idea what to expect. I threw together a red potato and green bean vinegar and oil salad with my farmers’ market purchases from that morning and, well, you can imagine our surprise when we turned the corner and–the street was hopping!

Fifty people minimum, no problem. They actually had the street closed off at each end. Only in a small town, right?

There were chairs set up across the street from the house (as well as chairs that people brought from home), a water and punch table, various large framed circus prints to make it festive, and a makeshift spotlight ready to shine over it all.

I can’t forget one of the best parts: The very long table laden with yummy stuff: pasta salads and dessert pizza, layer cakes and veggie trays. Oh my!

We didn’t know everyone but it didn’t matter. The kids all played together and giggled while the performers got ready; the grown-ups mingled, chatted, and ate. After the sound check –the circus was on!

The Table at Our Neighborhood Circus!

What a circus this was! These kids juggled: They juggled while one girl walked slowly between two jugglers, they juggled on unicycles, with balls and clubs — and did figure-8’s (then reversed it!).

A girl stood on a very large ball and managed to navigate it between colorful cones. They performed classic skits and walked on stilts. It. Was. Fun!

After the show? We could try out everything! Yes, I rode the clown bike which is a lot harder than you’d think! Hubs learned how to juggle and he could even balance on the ball. The circus definitely brought out his inner Carnie!

It’s nights like that that remind us why we chose to live in a small town.

Yes, you could sit in a lawn chair in the middle of the street on a Sunday in town and not have to get out of the way very often, and yup, you will always see someone you know no matter where you go (two people if you leave the house without make-up).And, no, there aren’t 30 kinds of orange juice to decide between at the store.

But–there’s nothing like a sense of community. This is what drew us to small town life in the first place. This is what it’s all about.

See this and other pictures in Indiana on my Flickr photostream.

little Indiana: Where to Stay, Play, and Eat in Small Towns in Indiana. Discovering Indiana’s best small towns! Now get little Indiana on your Kindle.

New! Offering affordable online advertising for your small Indiana business! little Indiana Businesses is the online presence that you’ve been looking for.

Related posts:

1. The Neighborhood Circus and Block Party Images
2. Neighborhood Block Party and Circus: An Annual Event
3. Only in a Small Town

Architecture in Wolcott, Indiana

Wolcott, Indiana is very small.  According to the Wiki, Wolcott had a town population of under 1000 at the 2000 census.  So, when I say it is very small, you know I am in no way exaggerating.

Wolcott, Indiana

As you can see from my photos, Wolcott has (or once had) a really amazing downtown.  I mean, look at all that detail and unusual touches! The downtown still possesses a few rather sharp buildings that I’d love to poke around in!

You already saw my post about Why I Do What I Do based on a sign I found taped to the window of a Wolcott, Indiana restaurant. Even so: Wolcott still has a few fun things to offer and shouldn’t be overlooked!

There was a “coming soon” sign at a building that foretold of pizza and soft drinks. That’s always a happy sight to see! There’s always room for pizza, right?

The business owner of Timeless Treasures was in process of relocating to a larger building across the street. It was such a cold, cold day so the move? Probably not so fun but wow does her shop look amazing!  Stay tuned for more about that.

Wolcott House in Wolcott, Indiana

There was also the Wolcott Theater Cafe. I sure wish I had been able to get inside there! It’s on the list for next time! Looks like it must be THE local hangout.

The Wolcott House

As you can see, there was also this amazing Wolcott House on the way in to town. Yes, it really was that phenomenal. I would love to learn the history on this one!

Of course, I have way more photos of Wolcott than I can fit here so be sure to check out my Flickr page for more Wolcott images and other pictures in Indiana.

Wolcott, Indiana in White County

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little Indiana: Where to Stay, Play, and Eat in Small Towns in Indiana. Discovering Indiana’s best small towns! Now get little Indiana on your Kindle.

New! Offering affordable online advertising for your small Indiana business! little Indiana Businesses is the online presence that you’ve been looking for.

Related posts:

1. Wolcott, Indiana Architecture: Victorian Extravaganza!
2. Wolcott Theater Cafe in Wolcott, Indiana: Images
3. Wolcott Summer Fest and Sesquicentennial