Putnam County celebrates covered bridge heritage

Tuesday, October 13, 2015
The 2015 Covered Bridge Festival of Bainbridge kicked off Friday, Oct. 9 and is still going strong. (Banner Graphic/NICK WILSON)

BAINBRIDGE -- There truly is a lot more than corn in Indiana, and proving such a notion is easy in Putnam County.

Crafts, artwork, antiques, family activities and a plethora of home-cooked food are gracing the grounds of "Designs by Donna and Friends" in Bainbridge this week for its annual Covered Bridge Festival. Residents and local organizations alike are jumping on the opportunity to both sell merchandise and raise funds for their respective communities.

With a "for the good of the community" atmosphere, folks like Jeff Shuh, Donna Tippin and Kelly Peabody have set up shop for the week, each selling a wide variety of products on behalf of organizations such as the Roachdale Revitalization Cooperative Alliance (RRCA) and scholarship programs in the North Putnam school corporation.

From gourds to kettle corn, glass flowers to candles -- each temporary vendor told The Banner Graphic Monday that they simply want what's best for the community.

"This is how the Covered Bridge Festival got started all those years ago -- setting up tables and selling stuff," Shuh said, referring to his booth. "I have a lot of different things here but one thing I look forward to every year is giving away these mini-pumpkins and gourds."

Shuh went on to say that his eye-catching miniature pumpkins and gourds are readily available for kids, giving them away in exchange for only a promise to come back next year.

"The parents get tears in their eyes, I get tears in my eyes ... it's a really special thing to me and the kids," Shuh said.

Jeff Shuh, a twenty-year veteran of the Bainbridge Covered Bridge Festival, set up shop over the weekend on the property of Designs by Donna and Friends. Shuh hands out miniature pumpkins and gourds to families in exchange for a promise to return next year. (Banner Graphic/NICK WILSON)

Shuh added that he has already met visitors from all over the country at this year's festival, including Owensboro, Ky. resident Sherrie Stroud, sister-in-law to Bainbridge resident Patricia Baldwin.

"I plan to be here all week," Stroud said. "We're checking out (Bainbridge) today, then we're going to head to Bridgeton and Mansfield later this week."

One proud organization to serve at the bridge festival is the Delta Theta Tau philanthropic sorority, which went from the Ribs and Blues Fest in Roachdale last week to Bainbridge's bridge festival, this time serving pulled-pork sandwiches and homemade chili as early as opening day.

"We've been here all weekend and (Monday), but we won't be back until Saturday and Sunday," Cloncs said. "This is a major fundraiser we do for other activities through the year and for things like the (Bainbridge) park renovation, the RRCA and the library."

Co-organizers Carolyn Gough and Barbara Phelps were also on hand Monday, saying they really enjoy giving back to the community. The trio served up pulled-pork sandwiches, homemade chili and a myriad of delectables.

Delta Theta Tau sorority members (from left) Annie Cloncs, Carolyn Gough and Barbara Phelps served homemade pulled-pork sandwiches and homemade chili throughout the day Monday at Bainbridge's Covered Bridge Festival. (Banner Graphic/NICK WILSON)

And if that isn't enough to lure visitors, a cast-iron kettle with popcorn may do the trick as three-year veterans Larry and Jody Campfield serve up the old-fashioned snack from an authentic 19th-century kettle. Though Mrs. Campfield described the oak stirring paddle and its advantages, she said the secret is in the stir.

The Covered Bridge Festival in Bainbridge will run through Sunday, Oct. 18 and is a portion of the regional covered bridge festivities taking place in neighboring communities such as Mansfield, Bridgeton and Rockville.

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