Every second Tuesday, second Friday, and third Monday, Big Blend Radio connects with members of the International Food Wine Travel Writers Association (IFWTWA) to share travel insights from around the globe. On this episode, we head to northern Indiana with Sonya Nash, CEO of the Shipshewana/LaGrange County Convention & Visitors Bureau, for Christmas in Amish Country.

Shipshewana, about two hours east of Chicago and two and a half hours north of Indianapolis, is home to the third-largest Amish settlement in the U.S. At the holidays, it glows. Sonya shares what to see, taste, and do.

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Shipshewana's Lights of Joy is a drive-thru display of millions of LED lights, open nightly through December 31. Downtown, more than a mile of hoop lights decorates the sidewalks and stays up into January, and horse-drawn buggy rides are a holiday favorite for couples and families.

Baskets, pottery, mugs, Amish furniture, and leather goods fill the shops, and some studios let you make your own, from basket weaving to a hand-made Christmas votive. Shipshewana is also the RV capital of the world, with free factory tours.

Weekends after Thanksgiving bring Breakfast with Santa at the Blue Gate Restaurant. The Blue Gate Performing Arts Center hosts hundreds of concerts a year, and the My My American Pie Trail sends pie lovers to eight stops around town.

Choose from the Blue Gate Garden Inn (hot-tub suites, arcade, pool, and an ice cream parlor), the Farmstead Inn, and the Van Buren Hotel.

Menno-Hof, the Amish Mennonite Interpretive Center, is open Monday through Saturday and explains the faith behind the lifestyle. Shop Yoder's Meat & Cheese, browse the quilt shops, and follow the free driving tour of barn quilts. Quilt Gardens bloom with a dahlia pattern next summer.

E&S Bulk Food Store, Sonya's "Amish Costco," shows a free gingerbread village through December 18. Come back in January for the Spicy and Icy Festival, with a Friday wing competition, ice carving, and a Saturday chili cook-off, and in February for Pajama Days.

Warm up at Das Kaffee Haus, where owner Elizabeth Miller serves fair-trade coffee and hot chocolate, and a portion of every cup helps feed children in other countries. Ben's Soft Pretzels, which started in Shipshewana, is part of the same giving story.

The Amish are neighbors, not a zoo exhibit. Call ahead for an Amish home meal (groups only), expect Sundays to be closed, check hours before you go, and give buggies room, since they travel 8 to 10 miles per hour. The visitor center offers a chat and a travel guide to help you plan.

👉 Plan your Shipshewana getaway: https://visitshipshewana.org/

🌎 Learn more about IFWTWA: https://www.ifwtwa.org

🎧 Food, Wine & Travel with IFWTWA on Big Blend Media House: https://www.bigblendmediahouse.com/food-wine-travel-ifwtwa

📰 Check out the Big Blend Radio Travel, Food & Wine Digital Podcast Magazine: https://www.bigblendmediahouse.com/p/travel-food-wine-magazine

Browse IFWTWA Member Articles & Podcast Episodes in the Big Blend Media House: https://www.bigblendmediahouse.com/t/ifwtwa