It happens to me time and time again. Somebody will mention a town or region in Indiana and I will give them the blank face. Doesn’t matter that I’ve spent 24 years of my life as Hoosier … there are still so many parts of Indiana that I either haven’t visited or don’t know well. What baffles me the most is when that place is in my backyard.
Fortville is one such town. From my front door to Fortville’s charming Main Street is 11 miles. I’ve driven farther for fried chicken! Thankfully Fortville Mama knew what a treasure her town is, and invited several Indianapolis area bloggers to see for themselves via a progressive tour of the town.
We started off at Java Junction & Indy Block Party (222 S. Main Street). Part coffee shop, part entertainment center for kids, 100% a wonderful idea. The coffee shop serves all kinds of delicious beverages and sweet treats. Elena and I were partial to the German Chocolate Latte and pumpkin muffins. Accessible through the coffee shop is Indy Block Party. There are inflatables available for bouncing while you enjoy some coffee. The inflatables are also available for rental. On the other side of the coffee shop is a fun area for older kids and adults filled with all kinds of retro video games and pinball machines.
As hard as it was to pull the kids away, we moved on down the street to Indulge ( 10 S. Main Street). This adorable restaurant and sweets shop was once home to a general store. Now it’s fabulously decorated and ready to host you for some amazing treats. While there are a variety of soups, sandwiches and desserts to choose from, you must try their signature treat, the Pink Elephant, at least once. We were served mini versions, made of strawberry ice cream, strawberry sauce, soda, whipped cream and rock candy. The one on the menu is HUGE and made for an entire family to enjoy … for only $6! What a sweet way to spend some family time together.
We also visited the Ten West Center for the Arts (10 W. Church Street), which hosts arts programs for adults and youth year-round, including art, music and dance lessons, as well as community theater. There is also a small art gallery inside, giving you an opportunity to appreciate local artists as well as purchase unique pieces for an affordable price.
We then drove a few miles down the road to Piney Acres Farm (1115 E. 1000N). We’d been here before as a family a few years ago to pick pumpkins. I didn’t realize that Piney Acres is also a Christmas tree farm. The property is beautiful, with a wide variety of trees. I love that you can choose your tree while picking your pumpkins! They’ll mark it for you so that when the holidays arrive, all you have to do is show up and enjoy the scenery and hot chocolate. They’ll cut your tree, wrap it, and get it to your car for you.
There are lots of fun activities in store for families this fall at Piney Acres, though. There’s the pumpkin patch, of course, but there’s also gem mining, a corn maze, hayrides, a play area, and the Haunted Loft (if you dare!).
We will definitely include Fortville in our places to visit when we need a fun diversion. And we’ll certainly return on December 7th for their annual Winter Festival, complete with a parade, ice sculputures, zipline and a flyover by none other than Santa! Many thanks to Fortville Mama for hosting us!
