Tell me what is more quintessential Indiana than walking through a corn maze and drinking beer?…read more This event is a great way to try brews from all over the county (and the world -- there was a latvian brewer this year!) Be prepared to get a little dusty, and wear your sunscreen if it is sunny outside. You will see many sun burnt people as this event is several hours long in the sun. With over 80+ breweries and eight different sections of the maze, this event feels much more open/enjoyable than other beer fests where the vendors are squished together. There is also a ton of parking (you are in the middle of no-where) and they give people an option to camp overnight if you think you may over-indulge.

This was the 4th Annual Corn Maze Beer Fest held on the Simmon's family farm in rural Columbus at…read more450 North Brewing Company. This 21+ event was a lot of fun on a perfect, sunny, 70 degree fall day. We came as a group of seven and the first time for all. If you've never been before the main attraction is over 80 of the nation's best breweries scattered out among 10 numbered canopy stations throughout an 11-acre corn maze. As you enter the maze your given a limited edition souvenir glass for unlimited samples of beer all day long. Each of 10 canopy stations had 8-10 different breweries providing unlimited samples to all. Inside the maze, Station 1 had 450 North Brewing samples plus live music playing on an additional stage kicking off the party atmosphere. It was nice having this large crowd broken into smaller, controlled groups than one large overwhelming area. People had the option of starting at different stations so the crowd dispersed quickly. Some of the lines were long but moved quickly and groups moved freely from one station to the next. A map was provided listing which breweries were at each station number so you wouldn't miss the breweries you wanted to visit. Much appreciated were tubs of free water and sodas throughout the maze and on the main grounds. Thank you for providing free water all day. Outside of the corn maze was the main stage, a beer garden and a huge tent with tables and chairs for dining, shade and rest. Along Food Alley were food trucks offering sliders, 3 different bbq trucks and a pretzel vendor. The Simmons Winery (next door to the 450 North restaurant and brewery) was also pouring wine and cider at the 450 North tent. The corn maze closed at 5:00 p.m. but an after party with live music (Sundance Head) played from 5:00 - 8:30 p.m. keeping the party going. All ages were welcomed from 5:00 - 9:00 p.m. Check out tickets next year at 450 North Brewing Company's website. VIP tickets, general admission and designated driver tickets were available. VIP tickets get you entry 1 1/2 hours before general admission guests. They sell out quickly!! What a fun day and a great way to sample breweries from across the nation all in one location.

Best beer festival in southern Indiana . . . hands down…read more 48 brewery guests + 3 food vendors + live local music + good parking + a map of the booths + a steel sampling cup + plenty of shade and places to sit all in the cozy setting of Mill Race Park. They always do a great job of getting folks checked in and have plenty of staff / security buzzing around taking care of the nitty gritty. See you next year.

I absolutely love that Columbus has an event like this. The Ethnic Expo happens yearly and there…read moreare tents set up representing different countries. At each tent they sell ethnic food from the respective country. This year the featured country was India. I especially love this event because you get to try a bit of different foods from different countries. This year I tried out the Greece booth and had a lamb gyro. It was excellent. There is also a Biergarten serving beers/wines from the different countries. In the back of the expo there were tents set up with merchandise for purchase. I hope in the years to come they continue expanding and more countries are represented. You can definitely get a taste of a few ethnicities. It's usually located behind the Columbus city hall so you will have to find a spot in the free parking downtown and walk.

I've lived in Columbus, IN, for 6 years and have attended 6 annual "Ethnic Expo" festivals. It's a…read moreterrific event held since 1984 on the 2nd weekend of October on the streets surrounding City Hall. About 35 food vendors are on site from all sorts of different countries, ethnicity, etc. serving anywhere from 3 - 4 items to a dozen items of amazingly terrific food. There's something for everyone (including a tent dedicated to nothing but desserts. It's something to behold). Each year a different country / ethnicity will host the event. In 2019 India will host and will have featured entertainers (as well as the 1st booth you come to as you head south from downtown Columbus). Speaking of entertainment, it's non-stop on 3 different stages including one inside the biergarten. Many of the booths are sponsored by non-profits who summon volunteers to help with the effort. Always great to see money going to good causes. Additionally, there's southern Indiana's coolest parade at 11 am on Sat. as well as about a dozen non-food vendors. They top it off with fireworks Saturday evening. Just loads of fun. Bring your appetite and some cash. https://www.ethnicexpo.org/ https://www.facebook.com/groups/EthnicExpo/photos/ (see a list of the menus here on an Excel spreadsheet) https://www.columbus.in.gov/community-development/ethnic-expo/

https://www.facebook.com/SeymourOktoberfest/…read more https://www.seymouroktoberfest.com/ Seymour, Indiana, just celebrated its 45th annual downtown Oktoberfest (2017) complete with tons of food and craft vendors, fair rides, a Biergarten, music on several stages and much more. As a local, I have attended about 35 years of Seymour Oktoberfest, and truly, it just keeps getting better each year. Parking is not a problem since the event is so large (most of downtown) and there's a shuttle that takes people back / forth from the Seymour High School parking lot to the library (next to the Biergarten). The shuttle is tractor drawn, so that's fun to do anyway. On the 5 separate stages of the event are all sorts of music including a German-style 7-member band (made up mostly of local area teachers), cloggers, bluegrass, local rock bands, etc. I really like how soloists (or duets) will just be randomly placed throughout the event playing music (ie. accordion players, banjo/string bass duets, etc.). The parade starts at 1:30 every year and is huge! 5 area high school marching bands perform along the route, tons of church and non-profit floats, way too many people walking with politicians and candy is given out by many. Grab a seat somewhere away from the corner of Walnut and 2nd St. (by the library / Biergarten) since that can be a little crowded. Regarding what food to eat, ugh, that's tough to say. There's so much good from which to choose. The Sati-babi is always a crowd favorite (hunks of flame-grilled pork on a stick) along with the apple dumpling (which usually sells out). If you go away hungry, you weren't trying hard enough. Finally, the Biergarten. The logistics are pretty good with coming in and leaving, but they could have a little more room at the line to get your beer. I could have just gone at a time when they were doing contests (ie. stein holding, etc.) and that caused a bit of a bottleneck. The choices are pretty good with plenty of the mass-produced watered-down stuff (Bud Light, etc.) but they have a nice selection of German-style and local beers (ie. Spaten, Salt Creek Brewery (Bedford, IN), etc.). Hats off to the organizers and all the volunteers. So much of the event proceeds go to local non-profits. What a fun way to support good causes.

Beautiful farm setting for events. Went to the Lavender…read moreFestival where we cut our own bouquets for $10 each. All things lavender for sale plus tons of vendors in the barn and on the grounds. Plenty of parking. Admission $5. They also have concerts, picnics, Christmas events and you can rent the barn for weddings, receptions, etc.

The taste of Columbus was in the Commons building upstairs. It was 3 hours of sampling Columbus…read morewith 27 venders. Ashlynn Leigh Cakes- her Halloween and Christmas cookies were beautiful and the macaroons very good lots of varieties. YoMaMa's Frozen Yogurt ice cream was Turtle- S'more and Cookie Monster. Also biscuits and gravy but by far my favorite was her beer cheese.They do ice cream cakes also. The Fresh Fork had the best Sweet potato bruschetta but the bread was a little hard and a Caramel apple cheesecake shooter so good. Cranberry BBQ meatballs and a gourmet fruit and cheese tray. Chick fli-A Kale salad two different wraps. But the Mac and Cheese was so good that will be on my plate instead of the waffle fries from now on. Jeanette Molina Catering had the best stuffed dates and bacon wrapped dates and coffee. Lucabe Coffee Chicken Ricotta sandwich very good and coffee. Fresh Take Kitchen Pasta and Veggie. The Garage Pub and Grill had the best spinach artichoke dip served with chips. Freddy's chocolate or vanilla frozen custard ice ice and thanks for the coupon for a free cone or dish. And I'm glad the A1 burger is coming back soon. Culinary Art had a delicious meringue and a soft center with cranberry sauce on the outside it was so good it was a sweet and tart dessert. Upland brewery had IPA -Pilsner and Ale beer to sample. McAllister's I didn't try it because I eat there all the time. Had samples of sandwiches and some sides. Delivery.com had delivery bags and backpacks and samples of two of their vendors one was a pizza place. Hilton meats and cheeses pickles and peppers and the best pimento cheese spread. And a meatball with marinara piece of mozzarella cheese and a basil leaf. Canteen Service Large wrapped cookies. John Conti Gourmet Specially Coffee Ice tea and Ice coffee. The Savory Swine 4 different samples of their dishes you take home and thaw and serve to your family. Thai Connection Noodle and a Rice dish and soup. Horizon Bank. Caramel corn Radio Station WKKG 101.5 country And others I can't remember. And a cash bar. Just a note for next year. Don't put tables down the center of the Isles it caused back up and people were pushing to get through. Overall experience was extremely satisfying and very filling and would do it again.

The 2019 Taste of Columbus in Columbus, IN, was a blast. The Commons (indoors) downtown is a…read moreperfect venue for the event. Around 20 vendors participated from local restaurants, caterers, food delivery services, etc. They had a cash bar (so you could wash down all the goodies) and door prizes. If you buy your tickets early (and bought 5 tickets minimum), the price was $16 / ticket. I suggest doing this and just selling the tickets you don't need to friends. Otherwise, tickets are $25 at the door. Definitely worth a $16 ticket. The live entertainment was terrific. Apologies for not getting his name, but he played recognizable tunes on the classical guitar, and he was fabulous. Not too loud / soft, just right. It's casual dress and lasts around 3 hours, but after 1 hour there you'll run out of room in your stomach and will have seen all the booths at least once. Cool event that is put on by the local Chamber of Commerce. https://business.columbusareachamber.com/events/details/a-taste-of-columbus-2019-1831

1.) We hit the weather jackpot for this year's Indiana Wine Fair…read more 2.) Story, Indiana is ridiculously charming. The Inn itself *is* the town. Half the charm of this event is the drive down from Indianapolis. 3.) We parked in a field and moseyed our way through the Inn's garden which is filled with produce they use in the on-site restaurant. 4.) 30+ Hoosier wineries offering samples (spirits this year too! -Huber Winery (Starlight) and Cardinal Spirits from Bloomington (one of my personal favorites) 5.) the setting is super laid back in a field with live music and a BYOC vibe (bring-your-own-chair) 6.) Maybe next year I'll snag a room at Story Inn and make a weekend of it? ;)

If you love wine, this is the event for you! I went with a group of girls and we had a great girls…read moreday. Bring your dog, bring your friends, bring everybody! There were even a lot of men winos too. The event can get pretty busy, so the places to sit fill up very quickly. It's a long event, so I would recommend bringing chairs, blankets, or somewhere to sit at. Standing on your feet the entire event and drinking, especially if the weather isn't ideal (90 degrees when I went, woof!) is exhausting, so having a comfy spot is ideal. Come with the attitude that you're there for a great time and will have plenty to drink! The lines can sometimes be a little long, and there were rude comments from people about others getting more than one sample per booth. We're all there for a good time, and they won't run out, so hold the negativity! The food and drink vendors are amazing! Everyone was nice, helpful, and offered recommendations. There's something for everyone -- including beer and liquor vendors. It is primarily wine but there is plenty of variety! The only thing I would recommend improvements on is the bathroom situation. There are maybe 10 portapotties with long lines and they were NOT kept up with well. Dirty, no toilet paper, and the hand washing stations weren't working. The only negative in an otherwise fabulous event. Make it a whole weekend. Brown county is beautiful. My group rented a cabin and then enjoyed the wine fair. It was perfect!

We had an amazing experience at Hunter's Honey Farm the weekend before Christmas! We got to…read morehand-pour beeswax candles and fill a honey bear with fresh, raw, unfiltered honey--such a fun, hands-on activity that even my teenager and her friend loved. Kelley was fantastic, sharing her knowledge of sustainable beekeeping and the care that goes into producing pure, organic honey straight from the hive. The farm gift shop was stocked with incredible raw, unprocessed honey, honeycomb, and beeswax products--we left with plenty! We're so excited to come back this summer for the Honey House Tour, Beehive Tour, Forestry Tour, and Queen Special Tour! Getting to work a live beehive with a beekeeper and see the honey extraction process will be unforgettable. If you're looking for the best raw, organic honey in Indiana and a truly unique farm experience, Hunter's Honey Farm is a must-visit!

One of our new favorite traditions is cutting down our tree at Hunter's Honey Farm! This year we…read moreactually went out and tagged it when it was warm and then went back on Wednesday to cut it down. So many cool things about that experience... 1) I used a chainsaw for the first time and now I want to cut down all the trees! 2) We put something that wouldn't fit in our car in our relatively new truck bed... it was sooooo big! 3) While I was there, I bought several jars of their honey (again)! They have completely embraced the "hot honey" trend and are making some amazing honeys that are perfect for a nice "drizzle" on pizza, a Christmas ham or even as a sweetener in your green beans or spaghetti sauce! Their service is fantastic and you're even able to taste a few before buying! Go see them for gift baskets or to join their "honey (not jelly) of the month club" #iykyk