Indiana Insider Blog

Category: Holidays

Pokagon State Park: How Fast Will Your Toboggan Run?

By Carrie Steinweg on Feb. 18, 2020

If it’s going to be cold and snowy, you might as well have some fun with it. I have many fond memories of hitting toboggan slides in the Chicago suburbs as a teen and with my own kids, nieces and nephews when they were young. They closed in 2004 so when I learned about the toboggan run at Pokagon…

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Holiday Lights Bring the Joy of the Season to the State Fairgrounds

By Amy Lynch on Nov. 18, 2019

It’s beginning to look a lot like Christmas at the Indiana State Fairgrounds. A fun place to visit year round, the fairgrounds is home to a beautiful holiday lights display beginning in the 2019 holiday season. “Christmas Nights of Lights” debuted Nov. 8 and runs nightly rain, shine or snow…

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Make the Season Magical Aboard This Holiday Train Ride

By Dagny Zupin on Nov. 18, 2019

Nothing says the holidays like a train ride, warm cup of cocoa and tasty sugar cookie. Indulge in all three this holiday season by climbing aboard Nickel Plate Express' holiday train ride, the Reindeer Ride in Noblesville. A family holiday experience, the Reindeer Ride is an hour-fifteen minute…

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Enjoy Down Time After the Holidays at this Northern Indiana Ice Festival

By Carrie Steinweg on Nov. 18, 2019

I always love the time between Christmas and New Year’s Eve. All the hustle and bustle of Christmas has died down. And this northern Indiana ice festival is our family's new late December tradition. We’re not a family that jets off to the tropics for the holidays. We’ve always stayed close to home…

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Oakley Brothers' Distillery: Where Magic is Made in the Form of Delicious Spirits

By Chris Flook on Feb. 14, 2019

While Indiana’s craft beer and wineries get well deserved attention, a growing number of entrepreneurs are quietly developing the Hoosier State’s craft spirits. One of the top new distilleries in Indiana is Oakley Brothers' Distillery in Anderson. After operating for years in Edgewood, Jason and…

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No Place Does Christmas Quite Like Santa Claus, Indiana!

By Visit Indiana on Nov. 20, 2018

Christmas traditions and special events take over the town of Santa Claus during the first three weekends of December. This town provides a very merry getaway during the most wonderful time of the year. From one-time-only holiday events, festive shopping experiences, and "Christmassy lodging", Santa…

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Something Old and Something New at This German Christmas Celebration

By Amy Lynch on Nov. 16, 2018

Last year’s inaugural Carmel Christkindlmarkt introduced central Indiana to German Christmas traditions, and the party’s back again for another round of festive fun in 2018. A seasonal mainstay in many cities throughout Germany, Christkindlmarkts celebrate the impending arrival of the Christkind…

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5 Magical Holiday Experiences You Won't Want to Miss in Fort Wayne

By Erin Okeson on Nov. 05, 2018

'Tis the season for family fun! Take time to enjoy the holidays together in Fort Wayne, Indiana! Fort Wayne kicks off the holiday seasons with Night of Lights on November 21. The Night of Lights is a Fort Wayne tradition featuring the first glimpses of the Fort Wayne holiday spirit. Enjoy the…

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Four Things to Know About Central Indiana's Newest Railway Experience

By Katie Utken on Aug. 21, 2018

There’s a new railway experience for Hoosiers to climb aboard this fall! New in September 2018, Nickel Plate Express operates train excursions from Atlanta to Noblesville year-round. Here are four things to know about the new train before riding the rails this fall and winter. 1. It’s not just for…

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Who Needs Cupid? Celebrate Galentine's Day in the South Shore!

By Visit Indiana on Jan. 30, 2018

A 2010 episode of Parks and Recreation is responsible for the term, Galentine’s Day. Leslie Knope created a special day for “ladies to celebrate ladies.” Since 2010 Galentine’s Day has been dubbed an unofficial day to celebrate female friendships. Traditionally, Leslie Knope would celebrate the day…

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