Month: May 2023

Happy Sweet 16 to the Downtown Wabash Farmers Market

Posted on by Adrianna Town

The 16th season of the Downtown Wabash Farmers Market is officially here and I couldn’t be more excited to return as the Market’s coordinator! In my second season of running the market, I can’t help but look back on how much fun the 2022 season was. Let’s take a trip down memory lane, shall we? 

2022

The Downtown Wabash Farmers Market came in hot for its 15th season. The Market had new logos following the rebrand of Downtown Wabash, Inc., the nonprofit Nationally Accredited Main Street Organization that oversees the market, and me, a new market coordinator! We embraced all things new & exciting and the outcomes were nothing short of success.

We had a record-breaking number of 47 vendors join our Market. Together, those vendors brought in more than $150,000 in revenue, making a significant financial impact. According to American Express, 67¢ of every dollar spent at local farms and small businesses stays within the local economy. Along with more vendors came more people shopping at the Market. We saw record-breaking attendance with nearly 1,000 people (and their dogs) shopping on the hottest days in July!

It was our first time hosting kids activities. Eleven kids activities were hosted throughout the season by community partners and the Downtown Wabash Farmers Market vendors, staff and volunteers. We partnered with Babe of Wabash County to offer Babe coupons to children aged 0-5 who participated in the activities. (My favorite activities were the taste-testing stamping map during National Farmers Market Week and when Floyd from Hill N’ Dale farms brought his farm animals.)

We also moved the Downtown Wabash Farmers Market to Paradise Spring Park on August 20 in conjunction with the Kunkel Cruise-in. It was a fun experience for vendors and shoppers!

I learned a lot in my first year of running the Downtown Wabash Farmers Market but I think my favorite part was understanding what makes this market so special.

Through this new venture I was taking on, I got to see my community through a whole new lens. The Farmers Market isn’t just a place to buy fresh produce or a handmade necklace on Saturday mornings. In Downtown Wabash, Indiana, it’s so much more.

For vendors, it’s an opportunity to share their passions with the community and form mutually beneficial relationships with customers and other vendors. They’ll lend a hand wherever they can. There were multiple mornings where I struggled to get the tent set up for the Information booth on my own and my neighboring vendor, Jim McAdams from My Dad’s Sweet Corn, would always be willing to help (Jim, if you’re reading this, I got a brand new tent this year!).

Many times, I would see vendors helping other vendors by trading or purchasing their goods from each other or sharing tips and tricks about one another’s area of expertise. They share their expertise with customers too, giving them the best advice on how to start a garden, how to crochet, or how to get their cookies to be more chewy rather than crunchy.

They know their customers by name and always remember to ask how their plans went from the weekend they saw them last. The same went for me, too. During the season last year, I won First-Runner Up in the Wabash County Festivals Scholarship Pageant. At the Market the following day, many of the vendors and their kids excitedly congratulated me, and exclaimed, “We were rooting for you!” 

In short: the vendors care. While these entrepreneurs come to make a livelihood, it’s not necessarily their first priority. Connecting with one another and the community is.

For Farmers Market goers & shoppers, it’s part of their summer routine to experience the Downtown Wabash Farmers Market on Saturday mornings. Families are making memories and learning experiences for their children in the town they’re growing up in. For the Olson Family, this especially reigns true. Grandmas are doing their last-minute shopping before family comes into town for the annual summer picnic.

On girls’ day, nothing is more perfect than strolling the market with your bestest friends, in summer dresses, with a Sweet Brews coffee in hand before hitting up the rest of the shops in Downtown Wabash, Indiana. While there are many specific reasons why people come to the Downtown Wabash Farmers Market, no Saturday is alike.

You never know when you’ll run into an old friend, if RiverRidge Farms finally has tomatoes in for the season, or if there are actual, real farm animals present.

The bottom line: in this community, one of the best parts of summer is the opening of the Downtown Wabash Farmers Market.

In 2023, let’s focus on the highlights:

  • We are excited to welcome more than 32 unique vendors to the market this season with handmade, homemade and homegrown products! 
  • Be sure to follow along on Facebook & Instagram as we announce what vendors will be with us this season.
  • Emmett’s Paddywagon will be returning to offer hot & fresh breakfast each week.
  • Local musicians will play live music this season, with Tony Hopkins playing from 10 a.m.- 12 p.m. on opening day.
  • Kids Activities will be returning to the Market and will happen every other Saturday.
  • We are proud to continue our partnership with BABE of Wabash County this year and will offer BABE coupons to children aged 0-5 that participate in the kids activities. 
  • SNAP (Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program) benefits have been able to be redeemed at the Downtown Wabash Farmers Market for many years, but the incentive just DOUBLED in size! Our Market received a $5,000 grant from Double Up Indiana to offer free Double Up Incentives. Double Up Indiana is a program that provides Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) customers free fruits and vegetables when they use their SNAP/EBT card. For each $1 spent in SNAP at the market, customers earn $1 in Double Up incentives to buy fruits and vegetables at the same market. Each customer is limited to earning $20 per day in Double Up incentives.

Grow Wabash County will feature young entrepreneurs in their booth space weekly, to highlight the talent of the next generation of entrepreneurs. We thank Grow Wabash County for providing this opportunity through their generous Top Level Sponsorship. 

The Downtown Wabash Farmers Market could not be made possible without our generous 2023 sponsors. In addition to Grow Wabash County, we’d like to thank WEOC, Parkview Wabash, Terrell Realty Group and Halderman Farm Management. 

I can’t wait to see what this sweet 16th season has in store for the Downtown Wabash Farmers Market and all who make it what it is: our vendors, sponsors, volunteers and most importantly-our community. 

Interested in becoming a vendor? Registration is still open!

Become a Vendor

PRESS RELEASE: Downtown Wabash, Inc., Nationally Accredited Main Street Organization, approved 8-year strategic plan

Posted on by Adrianna Town

WABASH, Ind. (May 15, 2023)—An eight-year strategic plan focused on arts and culture in Downtown Wabash, Ind. was approved for Downtown Wabash, Inc. by its board of directors on Tuesday, April 11, 2023.

Downtown Wabash, Inc., with guidance from Transform Consulting Group, wrote, planned and approved its strategic plan, Downtown 2030, in line with Main Street America’s community-based revitalization initiative, The Main Street Approach. Downtown 2030 will integrate the Downtown Wabash, Inc. transformation strategy of arts and culture with the 2021 state-designated Wabash Cultural District at the forefront.

“Celebrating our strategic plan is just the beginning of the bigger things to come in our downtown district spanning the next eight years,” Downtown Wabash, Inc. Board President, CEO of Transform Consulting Group Amanda Lopez said. “Downtown Wabash, Inc. is very fortunate to have deep-rooted partnerships with multiple community leaders who spoke into the plan itself and will continue to champion this strategic plan alongside us.”

Utilizing the four Main Street Approach pillars of design, economic vitality, promotion and organization, Downtown Wabash, Inc. will embark on a volunteer committee charge with support from community partners including The City of Wabash, Grow Wabash County, Visit Wabash County, Honeywell Arts & Entertainment and the independently owned businesses and organizations located in Downtown Wabash.

The four overarching goals of Downtown 2030, utilizing the Main Street Approach Pillars include:

  1. Design: Develop space and place by enhancing the physical assets in the district and highlighting the Wabash Cultural District.
  2. Economic Vitality: Cultivate a strong, collaborative and diverse economic base, especially with business and property owners.
  3. Organization: Focus on partnerships and resources to create a cohesive vision, collective mindset and a thriving nonprofit organization.
  4. Promotion: Showcase our unique downtown experience with storytelling and events encouraging each market segment to shop, dine, have fun, work, live and invest.

“Our strategic plan, with guidance from Transform Consulting Group, couldn’t have come at a better time in the trajectory of our nonprofit organization,” Downtown Wabash, Inc. Executive Director Andrea Zwiebel said. “In 2022, we celebrated an organizational rebrand and the addition of new staff following the 2021 celebration of 40 years as a nonprofit, Nationally Accredited Main Street Organization. This plan is inspiring us to continue telling the story of Downtown Wabash, Indiana and all of the great things it brings to Wabash County.”

Downtown Wabash, Inc. holds a vision of a downtown district that is vibrant every day and night. Setting the strategic plan into motion with the nonprofit vision in mind will add to the quality of life in the community, build upon the Wabash Cultural District, support economic development and business growth, and work to bring additional housing to the district.

“Downtown 2030 is important because downtowns provide quality of place for population growth. People want distinct, active places and Wabash County needs people to grow its population. Downtowns across the country are experiencing new investment fueled by demographic changes, remote work capability and desire for walkable, mixed-use places. Wabash is no different with developers, residents and tourists rediscovering Downtown over the past two decades,” Zwiebel said. “Since the year 2000, more than $73 million dollars have been invested in downtown projects. That’s $3 million per year. Continued growth and development is necessary in Downtown because of the role it continues to play in shaping the city’s culture, identity and quality of place.”

Click here to download the informational one-sheet of Downtown 2030.

For more information about Downtown Wabash, Inc., visit DowntownWabash.org. Follow Downtown Wabash, Inc. on Facebook, Instagram and LinkedIn.

For more information about the Wabash Cultural District, designated in 2021 by the Indiana Arts Commission, visit DowntownWabash.org/cultural-district.

Media Contact:

Morgan Ellis  |  morgan@downtownwabash.org  |  260.610.6247

About Downtown Wabash, Inc.

Downtown Wabash, Inc. is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization in Downtown Wabash, Ind. Established in 1981, Downtown Wabash is a State and Nationally Accredited Main Street Organization with a mission to be a catalyst for community and economic revitalization, as a nonprofit organization utilizing the Main Street Approach™ in Downtown Wabash. The Downtown Wabash, Inc. vision is a vibrant downtown district every day and night in Downtown Wabash, Indiana. Partnerships with members, the city and different local and state entities allow Downtown Wabash to continue this mission. For more information about Downtown Wabash, Inc. visit DowntownWabash.org.

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Look Up, and Discover Authentic Downtown Wabash!

Posted on by Adrianna Town

Aren’t milestones great for reflecting and reminiscing? I moved to Wabash this time 20 years ago, so when the team at Downtown Wabash, Inc. asked me to write a guest blog for May – which is National Historic Preservation Month – it seemed like the perfect way to celebrate spring, Preservation Month, and especially Wabash. 

I came here a year out of graduate school with my master’s in Historic Preservation. Yes, you can get a degree in that (it’s a question I still get)! Richard Ford funded a new office here in Wabash for the statewide nonprofit organization, Indiana Landmarks, where I worked for 10 years. Landmarks works with people and communities to revitalize places that matter.

I loved Wabash the first time I drove downtown. I loved the Wabash Street hill leading down to Market Street, and how the layout of the downtown is different from the typical “Courthouse Square.” I loved the Eagles Theatre, and Red Apple Inn (now it’s the Charley Creek Inn), and that Modoc’s came downtown not long after me. 

Brené Brown has become mainstream in her research and books on the importance of authentic human connections, but did you know we need authenticity in our places too? It’s true. Authentic places add to the quality of life for residents, and are places that others want to visit. Our historic downtowns are about as authentic as we can get! They reflect the cultures of the people who built them, the building materials that were available locally, and the styles that were in vogue at the time. 

When communities, like Wabash, work to maintain their historic buildings and revitalize their downtowns with new businesses and eating and entertainment options, they are preserving an authentic place. These places become part of our identity as a community. Think about it. Every town has a strip of fast food and shopping centers that all look the same, but no other place has a Wabash Street hill, Eagles Theatre, Charley Creek Inn, or Modoc’s!  

Where’s your favorite place in authentic Downtown Wabash?

Now it’s been 10 years since I left Landmarks to stay home with my son, and it warms my heart to witness all the improvements in downtown over the years. I’m so proud of the City of Wabash, Downtown Wabash, Inc., Grow Wabash County, the Honeywell Foundation, Indiana Landmarks, Visit Wabash County, and countless building and business owners who have invested their time and treasures in revitalizing our downtown.

Did you know that community leaders in other cities are constantly asking, “how does Wabash do it?” Well, part of that answer is preserving our authentic Downtown.

May is National Historic Preservation Month and I have a challenge for you: Look up!

Some time when you’re walking downtown, look up to find names, dates, and little details that, I promise, you have never noticed before. It’s a great way to experience authentic Downtown Wabash.

This PDF will help guide your discovery if you need it, or make a fun family activity. 

Download Guide

Happy National Historic Preservation Month, and enjoy authentic Downtown Wabash!

Meet the Boutiques!

Posted on by Adrianna Town

First Fridays in Downtown Wabash, Indiana kick off each month with local pride and high energy for our district within our micropolitan city of 10,000. Which is why we love providing uniquely curated and themed monthly street festivals to our die-hard First Friday fans, new visitors and everyone in between.

As part of Downtown Wabash, Inc.’s nonprofit mission for a downtown district that is vibrant every day and night, we tend to focus our attention on our local businesses and community partners, keeping the livelihood of our district at the forefront.

Among nearly 150 independently owned businesses and organizations within the 2.5-mile district of Downtown Wabash, Indiana, there are 11 clothing boutiques. A boutique is defined as a small store selling fashionable clothes or accessories. For May’s First Friday in Downtown Wabash, Indiana, we’re shining the light on some of the most popular shopping spots in the district! Take a look:

Bellazo // 35 W. Market St.

Meet Darcy Vail, owner of Bellazo in Downtown Wabash, Indiana!

Bellazo, a uniquely curated vintage and second-hand clothing boutique, resides on Market Street in Downtown Wabash with an array of a product line for anyone at any age. Beyond the clothing racks throughout, staple products at Bellazo include Zum, Paddywax Candles, Wabash apparel, Ambre, Blue Q apparel & home goods, Rock Daddy stones, and lots of hidden gems and tchotchkes.

This Downtown Wabash staple has been here for 8 years and we’re lucky to have them among the other 50+ businesses in the district!

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Ellen’s Bridal // 45 W. Market St.

Meet Ellen’s Bridal in Downtown Wabash, Indiana!

Founded in 2012, this elegant, mother-daughter-owned (Lisa Downs & Ciara Short) bridal boutique continues to rise to the occasion for brides-to-be around the region! Upon entry, find walls lined with exquisite wedding gowns and an elegant, front-window, mirrored riser for brides to fall in love with their perfect dress. Ellen’s Bridal is also home of the Elizabeth K. Collection: a bridal gown collection named after Wabash County’s first registered bride!

This Downtown Wabash boutique gives the Ellen’s Experience, which translates into pre-appointment, day-of and post-appointment tasks and bridal rituals sure to leave lasting memories beyond your special day!

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Wooden Ivy Boutique & Floral // 12 W. Market St.

Meet Christina Faine, owner of Wooden Ivy Boutique & Floral in Downtown Wabash, Indiana!

This established boutique and floral shop blends both delightful boutique shopping with hand-prepared floral arrangements and refurbished home goods and furniture. Experience something new around every clothing rack and homewares display with affordability in mind. When you shop at Wooden Ivy Boutique & Floral, you’re getting a marketplace-like adventure with three combined businesses in one. Wooden Ivy carries American-made brands like Adora, Emerald Collection and Vereret!

This Downtown Wabash boutique is meant to inspire with a touch of DIY throughout the boutique’s displays.

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Bluebird Boutique // 26 W. Market St.

Meet Bluebird Boutique in Downtown Wabash, Indiana!

Bluebird Boutique offers a variety of respected, American-made and designed clothing brands including Liverpool, Fifteen Twenty, Brighton and Emily Kai and Hyde + Alchemy from Fort Wayne, Indiana. In addition, local artisan goods and wares are available throughout the posh boutique with special curation by owner Kim herself! Only residing in #DowntownWabash since March 2020, Bluebird has a following for its guaranteed-excellent customer service and distinctly elevated clothing lines.

This Downtown Wabash boutique will welcome you with open arms and a shopping bag for your next big spree!

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Vault 85 Menswear // 98 W. Canal St.

Meet Wade Shemwell, owner of Vault 85 Menswear in Downtown Wabash, Indiana!

Brand new to the Downtown Wabash district, Wade saw a need for men’s clothing in Wabash, Indiana and provided a solution! Supporting American-made brands like Dearborn Denim and Nine Line and local artisans like Madora Design Co., Wade’s collections are one-of-a-kind for men looking to spruce up their wardrobe. At Vault 85 Menswear, find anything from high-quality denim and custom-tailored suits to skincare and home goods.

This Downtown Wabash boutique fits right in with its neighbors and continues to deliver high-quality products for new and returning customers.

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The Francis Shoppe // 65 W. Market St.

Meet Terri Francis-Alhfeld, owner of The Francis Shoppe in Downtown Wabash, Indiana!

The Francis Shoppe is the quintessential definition of outstanding boutique in Downtown Wabash. Established 1961, this 62-year-old boutique carries an endless variety of polished, refined and classy elegance in the form of Mother of the Bride, Mother of the Groom, Grandmother long and short dresses, rehearsal dinner and professional business attire, sportswear, casual wear and unique formal wear. Never been to The Francis Shoppe? Expect the following: three boutiques in one. Find upscale sportswear up front upon entry; navy, beige & black basics in the middle; wedding & special occasion attire under the canopy toward the back.

This Downtown Wabash boutique’s established excellence continues, even after 62 years of business.

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Lily’s-N-Things // 189 S. Miami St., Suite 3

Meet Andrea Haynes, owner of Lily’s-N-Things in Downtown Wabash, Indiana!

Lily’s-N-Things is a one-of-a-kind boutique in Downtown Wabash with up-cycled flare to please shoppers of all interests! Find styles like graphic tees, upscale casual wear, trendy tops and dresses, classic cut jeans and lots more! Popular brands carried in Andrea’s shop include Free People, Madewell, Calvin Klein, Urban Outfitters and countless others. Helping to minimize fashion waste in US Fashion Districts, Andrea resells designer clothing at a fraction of the cost while upholding their excellent quality. Andrea’s glowing credentials on Poshmark, the leading marketplace for secondhand fashion and wares, allowed her to open a storefront in the heart of Downtown Wabash.

This Downtown Wabash boutique can be found both online and in-store!

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Lighthouse Mission // 123 W. Canal St.

Meet Jenny Ritzema, executive director of Lighthouse Mission of Wabash County in Downtown Wabash, Indiana!

Lighthouse Mission, an established nonprofit serving the less fortunate all across Wabash County comes with many rooms of goodness, including its trendy, up-cycled, second-hand Lighthouse Boutique clothing. Lighthouse Mission’s nonprofit mission for Wabash County: To serve, support and minister to the Wabash community. Have your own collection of secondhand boutique clothing ready to donate? Make a trip to Lighthouse Mission any time between 9 a.m. – 4 p.m. every Monday-Saturday in Downtown Wabash.

This Downtown Wabash boutique helps you give back to your community!

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From the Mighty Wabash River to the railroad tracks at Hill Street, you’ll be amazed by the variety in Downtown Wabash, Indiana! When you’re caught in the district spending money with these businesses, remember that for every $1 spent at independent retailers, 67¢ stays in the local economy. Talk about keepin’ it local!

Check out the full list of boutiques and other businesses in Downtown Wabash, Indiana.

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Wabash First Fridays are events made possible by Downtown Wabash, Inc., a 501(c)(3) nonprofit dedicated to a downtown district that is vibrant every day and night.

2023 Downtown Wabash First Fridays are presented by MetalX. Additional 2023 First Friday support comes from Top Level Sponsors: Pettit Printing and Crossroads Bank; and Mid Level Sponsor: 95.9 KISS FM. May’s First Friday is generously sponsored by Renewal By Andersen.

Farmers Market Season in Wabash, Indiana as told by a local family

Posted on by Adrianna Town

You can feel the excitement in our home on a Saturday morning. Not for sleeping in or cartoons, but because it is finally Farmers Market day! 

Ollie (5) and Millie (2 ½) make sure their shopping carts are loaded into the back of the van and are already strategizing what they want for breakfast. Their fingers are crossed for Emmett’s Paddy Wagon tater tots and lots of veggies from RiverRidge Farm. Any morning is a good morning to be in Downtown Wabash, Indiana, so we always park by the Caboose at the Wabash County Museum to make sure we get to see everyone and everything!

The kids’ tiny empty shopping carts rattle down Market Street, and Louie (11 months) is just happy to be along for the ride. My husband, Tyler, enjoys stopping by Modoc’s for a coffee while the kids climb all over the elephants outside. 

Once we get to the Downtown Wabash Farmers Market, we can already hear the beautiful Daisy Sparks singing and see friends all around. Millie knows our first stop will be to Sweet Brews to grab a drink from Hally and Tyler takes the boys to Emmett’s to order a breakfast burrito and tater tots.

Ollie has spotted one of his favorites, My Dad’s Sweet Corn, and asks for money to go get a bag to put in his cart. Millie sees a dog and that Carly from Downtown Wabash, Inc. has chalk, so she’s definitely headed there to play. Tyler is off talking to Joey at Morning Glories about how Joey’s girls are playing golf while he picks out a bag of guacamole mix. Louie and I head to see Erica from Cordes Berry Farm and figure out what day to come pick blackberries the next week. 

Ollie and Millie run down to the other end to get in line at RiverRidge. There’s a reason they always have the longest line; their colorful veggies are delicious! Last summer, Ollie’s favorites from RiverRidge were rainbow carrots, rainbow mini peppers and rainbow cherry tomatoes…he loves all the colors! He was excited to try the beets after Nathan taught us how to cook them, which was new for all of us! While in line, the kids are fascinated by Small Onion Studio making pottery and are scoping out the Hill n Dale Farms’ tractor pulling the barrel cars that they plan to ride next. On our walk back through all of the vendors, we do one last check at Yenna’s Woodcrafts to see if he has any new wooden tractors or trailers to add to our toy barn.

The former teacher in me sees all of the skills my children are learning from a simple Saturday morning in Downtown Wabash, Indiana. Beyond identifying colors, types of produce and practicing money skills, they’re gaining social skills, using kind manners and showing respect to others. They’re learning where their food comes from, talking about the process of creating and showing love to others. What a morning of great learning experiences!

With full carts and full bellies, we walk back up Market Street to go play at the Museum. After looking at the fossils and traps downstairs, we head upstairs to ride the mopeds for a virtual tour of Wabash County, Indiana and play in The Den. Louie happily crawls up the smaller playset to go down the slide while Ollie and Millie are quick to explore. We may come to the Museum weekly, but my kids always find something new to enjoy! 

I’m not sure I can say enough about how grateful we are to call Wabash, Indiana our home. More than anything, we want our kids to learn the value of showing kindness and supporting those who work hard. I want them to see that being part of a community doesn’t just happen; you have to be willing to believe in people. I hope they witness that, even in our small town, you can do big things.

We love our town and we hope you’ll come visit and feel at home too!

The 16th season of the Downtown Wabash Farmers Market in Downtown Wabash, Indiana starts on Saturday, May 13 from 8 a.m. – noon. The 21-week market runs every Saturday from 8 a.m. – noon until Saturday, Sept. 30 at the Honeywell Center. (275 W. Market St.)

To receive berry-sweet, monthly updates about the Downtown Wabash Farmers Market in your email inbox, subscribe to the Market Lovers Club email! Get monthly updates with upcoming vendors, live entertainment schedules, in-season produce and lots more!

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The Downtown Wabash Farmers Market is a seasonal event made possible by Downtown Wabash, Inc., a 501(c)(3) nonprofit dedicated to a downtown district that is vibrant every day and night.

The Downtown Wabash Farmers Market is sponsored by our generous Top Level Sponsor: Grow Wabash County.