Shipshewana is a special place that is unlike other "Amish Country" destinations that I've visited in the past, such as Lancaster, PA. Here this is more than a place to watch a unique community of Americans who have chosen to live in a more simple style of life. Rather, this is a town that has built itself into one of the state's most enjoyable tourism destinations ... one that sits at a perfect point for easy day trips from some of America's largest metro areas. With the holidays here, this place turns into a magical fantasy land of holiday traditions, music, lights, and great food. There's something magical about exploring holiday traditions with your special someone, especially in a charming destination like Shipshewana, Indiana. This delightful town, conveniently located between Toledo and South Bend just off the Turnpike, transforms into a winter wonderland during the Christmas season, offering couples an enchanting blend of food, lights, and festive experiences. It just might have become a new Christmas tradition for Heather and I after how much fun we had on our very brief visit last week.
While we could only escape for an afternoon of fun together, you could certainly spend a weekend exploring this town. There's plenty of places we simply didn't have time to visit and we had to skip the carriage ride around town as well as the concert at Blue Gate Theater that we were invited to attend as well. Plus, both the Shipshewana TradingPlace and Michiana Events Center run events year round.
On this trip though it was all about good eats and sweet treats before capping the day off with a ride through one of the Midwest's best light displays!
Shipshewana Popcorn Company
Our food tour began at Shipshewana Popcorn Company, where we were able to sample dozens of unique popcorn flavors. From innovative combinations like pineapple tajin to festive peppermint Christmas blends, each taste test became a shared discovery as Heather, and I would pick something unique and gauge the other's reactions. We didn't always agree on the verdict but that's the fun of a place like this ... there's plenty of options to explore and you're almost guaranteed to find something new that you both enjoy!
Victorian Candy Company
At Victorian Candy Company, we watched while an Amish lady was making some fresh fudge and then she offered us samples - so many great options with classics like maple, chocolate, and peanut butter but also unique flavors such as Amish Peanut Butter.
For those of you not in the know .. Amish Peanut Butter Spread is a special creation that blends peanut butter, marshmallow cream, corn syrup, water, and occasionally other flavorings such as maple syrup or vanilla to give it a big of a kick. You can find the spread at various places around town including E&S Supply as well as at the Blue Gate Bakery (and at every table at Blue Gate Restaurant too!).
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Yoder's Pretzels
Yoder's Pretzels is also located in the Red Barn Shoppes right across from Victorian Candy Company, and wow, they surprised us with their signature oversized pretzel – a testament to standing out in a town known for its pretzels. The Amish man running the stand here told us that he decided to go in this direction because there were already so many other great pretzel companies in town (Shipshewana is the home of Ben's Pretzels btw!) so he wanted to do something different. Instead of being thin classic style ones, it's a big huge pretzel bun that is light, flaky, buttery, and sinfully good.
We were on a holiday treats craw through town but if you are looking for lunch ... they make incredible sandwiches from these pretzels as well. Imagine a huge pulled pork sandwich with these buns. It's worth coming just for these, we were told by a couple who were enjoying a meal there.
Nothing is every small when it comes to portions of food in this town!
Yoder's Meat and Cheese
Speaking of lunch, one idea that Heather and I love for visiting this town is to put together a romantic picnic. If that's something you would enjoy too, make sure to stop at Yoder's Meat and Cheese for a great deli selection as well as meat sticks, jerky, pickles, olives, crackers and anything else you can imagine for a great meal.
For us though, it was time to sample some unique cheeses - like Amish Butter Cheese (very light flavor, almost like a munster but without the rind). We grabbed some of that along with meat sticks and some salted caramels for a snack to enjoy in the car on the drive home later.
Shawna Rae's Bakery
The modern twist at Shawna Rae's Bakery offers couples a delightful contrast to traditional Amish treats. Their mini cheesecakes are perfectly sized for sharing, making each bite a moment of shared delight. On the other hand, their cupcakes offer an opportunity to each try something different and give your partner a taste ... if you feel generous :)
Blue Gate Bakery
Meanwhile, right across the street, Blue Gate Bakery presents an overwhelming array of holiday treats – from their famous Old-Fashioned Sugar Cream Pie to sticky buns and chocolates. They also have a great selection of local Amish popcorn to take home and pop on your own. Heather and I had a blast here just exploring different types of popcorn that we'd never even heard of before. Northern Indiana in itself is a destination for popcorn lovers and here, along side flavored varieties like we had at Shipshewana Popcorn Company, you'll find it for sale as "Pop on the Cob", as well as varieties to take home such as Midnight Blue, Medium Yellow, Rainbow, Ladyfinger, Mushroom, Baby White, and Purple,
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Dinner At Blue Gate Restaurant
Dinner at Blue Gate Restaurant became more than just a meal; it was an experience in intentional dining. While this is far from a destination to visit for couples that are trying to lose weight, Heather and I are both trying to practice conscientious eating, picking, and choosing where we want to indulge instead of just grazing on everything that comes in front of us. While Blue Gate's fried chicken is legendary and in my younger days I know I could have been happy with the buffet for hours, we decided to opt for the plated dinner style instead. We assumed this would be a good way to avoid over-eating, but wow, these plates were just as big as anything we would have grabbed for ourselves on the buffet or by doing family-style dining!
Whether you choose the buffet, family-style, or plated options, the key is to slow down and savor not just the food, but the company and conversation.
The most important thing here is to not eat so much that you can't have pie for dessert!
The Sun Goes Down And The Lights Come On!
When we entered the Blue Gate Restaurant it was starting to get dark but when we stepped out the sun had gone down completely and downtown Shipshewana had turned into a fantasy wonderland of Christmas lights. You can walk around on your own or take a romantic carriage ride around town. They have a few different carriages available including an amazing Cindarella-style carriage that I can only imagine is typically used by brides on their wedding day. For us though, we declined the horse-drawn carriage ride since it was lightly raining and decided to head over to Lights Of Joy instead.
NOTE: As larger people, we were concerned that the carriage would not be easy to get into, might be too flimsy to ride in comfortably, or worse ... that the horses might not be ok carrying us. That fear proved to be not an issue as some of their carriages that we looked at were low enough that they were easy to get into for folks that might not be able to climb up on a step-stool and had plenty of space for more than two people. We look forward to returning and doing this tour at some point in the future!
Shipshewana Lights Of Joy
The crown jewel of our evening was the Lights of Joy display – a spectacular showcase of two million lights spanning a mile and a half. Heather and I both enjoyed this display as we slowly rolled through it in the car. There was a great variety of sizes, shapes, and themes to the light displays here. These ranged from the 120' long, 35' wide mountain town display evoking a Smoky Mountain Holiday escape, to fun dancing reindeer, and ending with a series of dioramas telling the story of The Night Before Christmas.
This magical drive provides the perfect setting for deeper connection and conversation as you slowly wind your way through nearly two miles of lighted pathways at the Shipshewana TradingPlace.
While there's a tenancy to try and record everything you see here to share it on social media with friends back home, resist that urge and focus on your partner instead. Sure, it's ok to take a few photos and video of the highlights but it's so overwhelming that there's no way that you will ever be able to share everything you see. Instead, put the phones away and focus on what's really important in life ... your family! Here are some ways couples can maximize these precious moments together ...
Create A Holiday Playlist
Creating your own personalized holiday playlist adds an intimate soundtrack to your light-viewing experience, with carefully chosen songs that can last the full hour of the display and mean something special to you both. The Lights Of Joy features a radio channel with Christmas music that you can listen to during the approximately one-hour drive, but I think doing your own personalized Christmas music playlist would make things that much more romantic and enjoyable.
Take Turns Pointing Out Favorite Light Displays
Sharing what catches your eye helps you see the displays through each other's perspectives and creates a more interactive experience as you discover which elements most delight your partner.
Enjoy Some Of Your Holiday Treats
Bringing along special holiday snacks and warm drinks transforms your car into a cozy mobile living room, making the light viewing feel like a festive date night. Since you're crawling through this display at a snails pace to enjoy every moment, it's the perfect opportunity to crack open a cupcake or share a bag of popcorn that you bought earlier that day.
Play I Spy With The Light Displays
This classic game takes on a magical twist among the holiday lights, creating playful moments of discovery as you challenge each other to spot specific decorations in the twinkling landscape.
Share Memories Inspired By The Displays
Taking time to share personal stories and feelings about particular displays deepens your connection, as each twinkling scene can spark cherished memories or emotional responses worth sharing with your loved one. For instance, when you see the military-themed display, maybe you can talk about a relative who served and shared a story of how they spent the holidays away from home and how happy you are to be together right now.
Planning Your Holiday Visit To Shipshewana
The best part about Shipshewana is how each couple can create their own unique experience. Whether you're foodie adventurers seeking unique flavors and culinary experiences, traditional couples simply enjoying classic holiday treats, or romantic souls looking for magical light displays and chances to create joyous memories, this charming town in Northern Indiana offers something to help create your very own love story.
Visit Timing: The Lights of Joy display opens at 6pm daily throughout the holiday season, making it the perfect finale to a day of treat tasting. We recommend starting your food tour in the early afternoon to enjoy all the shops before they close.
Remember, the joy isn't just in the destinations themselves, but in the shared experiences and memories you create along the way. Each taste, each light display, and each moment becomes part of your unique love story.
In Shipshewana, we discovered that holiday magic isn't just about the treats we tasted or the lights we saw – it's about the person we shared them with. So this holiday season, we encourage you to take your own romantic journey to this charming Indiana town. After all, the sweetest traditions are the ones we create together.
For more information about visiting Shipshewana please visit https://visitshipshewana.org/
