Twice a year the board members of the Boone County Convention & Visitors Bureau meet to award grant monies to County-based, not-for-profit organizations who sponsor tourism events or maintain/enhance tourism attractions and have put forward grant applications that meet the requirements of the process.

Grant applications were received from fourteen different groups, with twelve receiving funding during the first grant cycle from the BooneCCVB. The twice annual grant program is designed to offer financial assistance to non-profit organizations holding events or developing and improving venues in Boone County with the purpose of attracting out-of-county visitors. 

I always enjoy these meetings as we get to meet the men and women who volunteer countless hours to put on the festivals, events, attractions and shows that make Boone County the tourism destination it is today.

From the Brick Street Gallery Walk in Zionsville to the Lebanon Symphony at Sunset, our local not-for-profit organizations are the lifeblood of Boone County tourism. Without their tireless efforts, 95% of the tourism based events in Boone County would cease to exist.

So you might better understand why it’s like Christmas for the board members of the BooneCCVB to see these organization be rewarded and awarded the monies they need to help keep their events going and growing. A BooneCCVB grant is also a recognition by your fellow citizens that your organization is important and relevant to our tourism efforts.

You also learn a lot about all of Boone County when the applicants are explaining their particular event. Did you know that the Howard County Schoolhouse project has received national landmark recognition? Or that the Lebanon Community Arts Council is sponsoring a calendar of local events that include everything from poetry readings to truly unique art events all year long? And the popular band, The Marlins, is playing For Free at the Zionsville July 4th celebration?

A BooneCCVB grant award meeting also lets you know Boone County tourism is growing; with increased attendance, new features and big plans unveiled by many of the organizations that night. Boone County’s always been an easy place to access with our major highways, and today more travelers are staying closer to home, going for a weekend getaway or a day of fun for the whole family. Which makes us a great choice as their tourist destination.

The mission of the BooneCCVB is to attract visitors through various media marketing campaigns and help to develop tourist attractions that bring more visitors to the county which in turn enhances the quality of life for all residents and greatly contributes to the overall economic growth of Boone County. 

That being said, during our grant funding meetings we are reminded that partnering with our outstanding Boone County organizations in their various festivals and events is the most important first step to take every year as we promote tourism – right here, in the Heart of It All!

By the way, we’ve updated the BooneCCVB website – www.boonecvb.com – with all the latest 2010 Things to Do on our calendars. Take a look and plan your own Boone County discovery trip. And thanks for visiting our blog!

I had the pleasure of meeting with the newly re-formed Jamestown Merchants Association last week.

Jamestown is an interesting town that sits on the far southwest corner of Boone County – so far southwest that many mistake it being in Hendricks County. But no, Jamestown is definitely a part of our county and played an important part in the formation of Boone County.

As a matter of fact, Jamestown is Boone County’s oldest town - first laid out back in 1832 and the site of the first County Seat of Boone County. Jamestown was our most populus town at the time and was an important trading point serving both Hendricks and Montgomery counties.

Jamestown’s weekly newspaper, the Jamestown Press, was established in 1873 and published for 120 years with the last edition in 1993.  The Jamestown Press museum is filled with the presses and other equipment that published the paper over this time.

The railroad arrived in Jamestown in 1897 while the Interurban trolley system (named the Ben Hur line) - connecting Crawfordsville with Indianapolis – was built through Jamestown in 1902.

Today, Jamestown is a pleasant community with residents who take great pride in their town’s history and work for its future. The Jamestown Merchants Association has been reformed after 10 years with local shop owners, service providers and restaurants intent on putting their town back on the map for tourism.

The Jamestown Merchants Association first project will be the creation of a website for their organization. Then they’ll be working on putting together a bigger and better Homecoming Event this Summer.

Welcome back Jamestown Merchants, we look forward to your progress.

Welcome to winter in Boone County. A time when snow falls, temperatures plummet and many folks choose to stay home rather than risk the freezing outdoors.

We get calls at the Boone County Convention & Visitors Bureau asking, “What’s there to do in Boone County this time of year?” And we answer with a long list of things you can see and do – inside where it’s warm.

Here are some suggestions on easy day trips to take in Boone County.

Boone County Art:
Have you ever visited the Sugar Creek Art Center? If not and you like original art, you owe it to yourself to head over to Thorntown and spend some time viewing both the artists and the art they produce at this impressive building devoted to the support of local artists.

The Sugar Creek Art Center will be sponsoring a Winter Arts Festival on Feb. 12, 2010 and Feb. 13, 2010. Friday it’s Culture at the Creek  – Seeing Red” and Great American Date Night. There will be live music, catered goodies and a special area set up for you to purchase tins of home made sweet treat and fresh flowers will be available for your special someone.  On the first floor Art Vendors will be set up to offer you the nicest merchandise available for that special Valentine gift. 

Saturday Feb. 13, it’s “Bluegrass Music and Chili Supper”  at the Sugar Creek Art Center, with the Bluegrass Jammers in concert entertaining the public with their acoustic music.   While you are enjoying the music, why not round out the evening with a Chili Supper.  For only $5.00 you can get a big bowl of chili, peanut butter sandwich and drink.  For more information, please visit Sugar Creek Art Center

To discover how to create your own special Boone County Art Experience - CLICK HERE on our website.

Tour a Museum:
The SullivanMunce Cultural Center  in Zionsville features a wide range of exhibits, events and programs designed for anyone interested in celebrating the culture of a historic town where the past is preserved and the future is embraced. Admission is always free. For more information, please visit Sullivan/Munce Cultural Center

Visit the Lebanon Courthouse:
The Lebanon Courthouse is truly one of the architectural gems of Boone County. The Courthouse is well worth a visit for: 

•The large columns on the north and south entrances are believed to be the largest monolithic limestone columns in the world.
•The magnificent courthouse dome is the second largest stained glass dome in Indiana.
•Eight rare Hahl pneumatically calibrated clocks that still keep time inside the courthouse.

There are also magnificent quilts on display in the rotunda and, if you’d like to experience the American justice system in action, you can sit in on a variety of trials, hearings and other legal meetings that go on every week day in the Boone County Courthouse.  To read more – CLICK HERE

Take a Road Trip to a Boone County locally owned restaurant:
One thing you can count on when you visit any city or town in Boone County is you’re going to find a great down-home, locally owned restaurant or two when you get there.

Stookey’s in Thorntown features what’s said is the best catfish in Boone County while Chuck’s County Famous Breaded Tenderloins are now being served at the Pizza King in Jamestown. If you love BBQ, you’re sure to love Parkey’s Smoke House in Lebanon or if your tastes run to finer French cuisine, Bijou on the Courthouse Square in Lebanon has earned a national reputation for gourmet excellence.

 The LA Cafe in Whitestown is open again for dining amongst the motorcycles and Sigler’s in Mechanicsburg serves up down home cooking you’re sure to enjoy. The Friendly Tavern in Zionsville offers classic pub food, with great steaks and daily specials, while the Rice Cooker (also in Zionsville across from Boone Village) will cook up any Chinese meal you can imagine as well as having an extensive menu of favorite Chinese entrees.

As you can probably tell, I’m a real foodie who enjoys traveling across our great County and sampling the many delicious meals to be found just about anywhere you stop.

Of course, no column having to do with great eats in Boone County would be complete without mentioning Donaldson’s Chocolates in Lebanon. Whether you’re just stopping in for a box of mixed chocolates or have called ahead for a special tour, the hand-made chocolates at Donaldson’s are a definite must to try again and again.

You can find information about all of these restaurants RIGHT HERE on our website.

Take in some culture, experience new art and artists and enjoy a locally owned Boone County restaurant – three great things to do when it’s winter time in Indiana. I’ll hope to see you there.

If you’re like me, you’re welcoming a new year after the challenges of 2009. As with many businesses last year, the Boone County Convention & Visitors Bureau went through a series of changes and new appointments that has us poised to maximize tourism opportunities in Boone County.

Here’s just some of what we’re hoping to accomplish in the coming year.

MORE TOURISM VENUES – The Boone CCVB has reached out to our Boone County communities with the intent to establish additional tourism events in the coming year. We’re looking to include communities like Whitestown and Jamestown on our events calendar and will be working with their local organizations to create events that fit their location and will provide a boost to their economies.

EVEN BETTER ESTABLISHED EVENTS – Whether it’s the Zionsville Fall Festival or the Festival of the Turning Leaves, MORE is better when it comes to increased activities, shows and entertainment for the whole family to enjoy during our annual festivals.

MORE TOURISM MARKETING IN 2010 – The BooneCCVB will be extending our marketing reach to greater audiences with new advertising programs we’ll be working on with the Indiana State Department of Tourism. You’ll find more online about Boone County events, attractions and festivals – both at our www.boonecvb.com website and information posted on Indiana State tourism websites.

A TOURISM BUREAU YOU CAN FIND – With our new office on the Courthouse Square in Lebanon, IN, the Boone County Convention & Visitors Bureau now has a physical presence in the county where tourism organizations can come and discuss their events and how better to market them to the greater public.

WIDE OPEN THINKING – When it comes to building tourism in Boone County, nothing’s out of bounds. We’re already looking into a variety of events that could possibly be introduced as new opportunities for tourism. We also welcome any Boone County organization to come talk with us about their ideas to build tourism in this area.

A RENEWED COMMITMENT – The current board of the Boone County Convention & Visitors Bureau is made up of members from across the county who are committed to seeing tourism grow and succeed. Our board works very well together, with a combination of fiscal responsibility and new thinking that’s already resulted in attendance increases across the board in last year’s many festivals.

In closing, please remember this is YOUR Boone County Convention & Visitors Bureau. We welcome the input, thoughts and comments of anyone interested in making tourism better for our county.

We hope your New Year unfolds with peace, happiness and good health all year long. Remember you’re always welcome to contact the Boone County Convention & Visitors Bureau for information about all there is to see and do in this great county of ours – all year long.

And thanks to all who have supported our efforts and helped make 2009 one of the most successful tourism seasons on record. We look forward to surpassing these achievements in 2010.

Christmas in the Village: This past weekend, Zionsville celebrated their annual Christmas in the Village event with 2 days of holiday fun. The festivities got underway with a parade down Main Street to welcome Santa and Mrs. Claus. The parade included the Zionsville HS marching band, two dozen Great Pyrenes dogs (big white dogs!), an elk, reindeers and Dave’s toy train leading The Claus Family to Nancy Noel’s Sanctuary.

There were carolers (somewhat freezing due to the harsh wind) strolling and Santa Claus greeting kids throughout the weekend plus the Kettle Korn booth that shows up all over Boone County at events through the year.

Why Shop & Dine Local: Over the past few months I’ve traveled to every corner of Boone County. I’ve visited our festivals, stopped into most every gallery, studio and tourism attraction, toured our towns and villages and discovered something new each time. I’ve also enjoyed great meals for lunch and dinner at many of the locally owned restaurants our great county features.

What I’ve learned through these travels is, like most every location in the United States, the economy has hit our local stores and restaurants very hard. Which is why I urge you to consider shopping and dining locally this holiday season. Instead of a trip to a downtown mall or outlet center, buy some of your holiday gifts in Boone County instead.

You can stop in one of our great galleries and discover a perfect Christmas gift that’s truly hand-made. From the Wright Gallery in Thorntown to Faucet & Flame in Lebanon, every Boone County community has a collection of stores that contain all manner of great gift ideas. Instead of spending money on gas driving to a far away shopping center to save a dollar or two, keep your money in our local economy and save the travel time and cost.

Then there are our many locally owned Boone County restaurants. I’ve gotten to know many of these restaurants’ owners thanks to their participation in the Taste of Boone County event we host every year and am always impressed at how much our restaurants care for their communities. Plus, we have some truly great places to eat here in Boone County. Whether it’s one of Chuck’s breaded tenderloins at the Pizza King in Thorntown or a New York strip steak at Cobblestone Grill in Zionsville, our locally owned restaurants deserve your business.

Looking for an Ultimate Christmas Tree Experience? Dulls Tree Farm is one of my favorite places to visit during the Christmas season. For not only can you pick out, cut down and bring home the absolute perfect tree for your home, Tom and Kerry Dull’s farm includes a wreath barn, gift cabin and the Stone Cabin Inn – all wonderfully restored log structures that harken back to how the holiday season was for our earliest settlers in Boone County.

For directions and more information about Dull’s Tree Farm – www.dullstreefarm.com

If you’d rather not go to the field to cut, Dull’s Tree Farm has a pre-cut lot with premium Fraser fir and West Coast Noble Fir.  You’ll also find some of their own Scotch Pine, White Pine and Canaan Fir trees. And we’re talking award winning trees here as Tom Dull has won many State Fair blue ribbons for the trees he grows on his property.

Currently the big barn that the Dulls use to process trees  is in a national contest to be restored and painted.  Please go to the following website to learn more about the contest and to vote for their barn.  You can vote once per day per computer.  The contest is sponsored by the National FFA and Campbell Soup.  http://www.helpgrowyoursoup.com/barn_dull.aspx

As you make your holiday plans, be sure and include our own Boone County merchants and restaurants for a shopping or dining stop. They’ll very much appreciate your business and you’ll probably bump into someone you know when you do. You can find a list of various locally owned businesses on the Boone County Convention & Visitors Bureau web site – www.boonecvb.com

We’ll be back before Christmas with more news and opinion. Until then, enjoy this most wonderful time of the year.

All of us at the Boone County Convention & Visitors Bureau hope you had a great Thanksgiving holiday spent with family and friends.

I would like to share with you this year’s Thanksgiving story that will live on in our family lore for generations to come. Every year we host our family Thanksgiving meal, with anywhere from 15 to 20 coming for the feast. This year we would be baking a 25lb turkey, a 12lb turkey breast and deep-frying another 12 pound bird. Each of these turkeys came from a turkey farm in the Thorntown area.

Early Thursday morning, while in the midst of prepping the turkey breast and 25 pounder for baking, we received a call that 4 guests wouldn’t be coming due to travel problems. My wife and I decided with this reduced dinner list, we’d only bake the big turkey and freeze the turkey breast. We turned off one oven, popped in the big turkey and went about readying our home for guests.

Dinner also included beautiful pumpkin and Dutch apple pies from My Sugar Pie bakers in Zionsville, our green beans and corn for the casseroles had been flash frozen from a late summer country market in Lebanon. Even our rolls came from Sunshine Bakery, right here in Boone County.

At 2pm (4 hours before guests were to arrive), our daughter mentioned she wasn’t smelling the turkey as much as in past years. My wife and I froze in a stare and rushed to the kitchen. You guessed it…the big turkey oven wasn’t on. The lower oven (for the now frozen breast) was on.

We ran and got the slightly frozen turkey breast, defrosted it, seasoned it and popped it into the well-heated oven, hoping it would bake completely in 3 1/2 hours. The big turkey we turned on, knowing it’d be 7 hours before done.

The turkey breast came out perfectly and right on time. Our family & friends (12 showed up) had plenty of great food and we enjoyed the evening…all the way up to when we realized we would have a 25lb fully cooked turkey on our hands around 9:30pm. And who wants to carve a huge turkey like that after already eating so much Thanksgiving dinner?

That’s when my wife suggested I call the Zionsville Fire Department to see if the late shift had enough Thanksgiving food for their evening. After holding back the laughs upon hearing our story, the dispatch officer kindly suggested we take the turkey to the new Union Township ZFD station on US 421.

We packed up the complete turkey, dressing, mashed potatoes, corn casserole, green beans, a delicious pumpkin pie and dinner rolls and delivered the feast to the very thankful and proud members of ZFD Union Township station.

What a great Boone County Thanksgiving it was. We had a great gathering who enjoyed the bounty of food our Boone County provides and then were able to share the joy of the holiday with those who serve us all year long – our brave firefighters.

Just yesterday my wife looked at me and said, “You know we now have a new tradition for Thanksgiving. From now on we’ll always be baking an extra turkey for the Union Township fire station’s late shift.” And so we will.

I hope your Thanksgiving was a good one as well.

This past Saturday, the Zionsville  American Legion Post 79 hosted Brigadier General J. Stewart Goodwin, Commander of the Indiana Air National Guard and the Air Component Commander of the Indiana National Guard Joint Forces, for a flag ceremony commemorating Veteran’s Day.

After being escorted to the Post by the Zionsville police and fire departments along with 40 gleaming motorcyles ridden proudly by the American Legion Riders, we gathered to hear General Goodwin’s address on a sunny late Fall morning. Standing beside the General, members of the Zionsville Fire Department unfurled and hung a huge American flag from the top of two fire ladder trucks. The Zionsville Police Department introduced their impressive Honor Guard who stood at attention in front of the massive Stars and Stripes.

General Goodwin spoke about Indiana’s proud history of Hoosier service men and women who have volunteered to protect our freedom, dating back to the Civil War when Indiana had the 2nd largest percentage of population members. 3 out of every 4 able bodied man fought for the Union in the Civil War.

Did you know Indianapolis has the 2nd largest number of monuments and total land devoted to commemorating those brave service men and women who’ve paid the ultimate price for freedom? Second only to Washington, DC.

Even today more Hoosiers enlist in the armed services per capita than any other state. And Indiana, the 14th largest state, has the 4th largest National Guard in the US.  When duty calls and freedom is challenged, no state steps up more often than Indiana.

General Goodwin spoke about how much our current service men and women appreciate being thanked for serving our country. He also encouraged military veterans to chronicle their experiences while in the service, to be shared with their loved ones today and generations to come.

You could tell the General’s talk had an uplifting impact on the gathered veterans, who stood at attention during the WWI airplane fly-over and military gun salute – each one no doubt deep in their own memories.

I came away imbued with a even greater appreciation and respect for our service men and women on this day, especially after hearing General Goodwin’s last words. “Do you know what we Generals pray for every day?”, he asked the crowd, “We pray for peace.”

November 11th is Veteran’s Day. I’m taking the General’s advice and will be thanking every service man and woman I come in contact with at airports, hotels, etc. from this day on. You might consider doing the same.

I hope this blog post finds you all in a ghostly mood as one of my favorite holidays will be celebrated this weekend.

This Saturday, October 31st, is Halloween night, when costumed kids will be knocking on Boone County doors in hopes of treats. If you’re going to participate, know that both Lebanon and Zionsville have posted 6:30pm – 8pm as official Trick or Treat hours.

The good folks at the Lebanon law firm of Parr, Richey, Obremskey, Frandsen & Patterson have published a most excellent web page on tips to make this Halloween a fun and safe event. To read this web page, please CLICK HERE.

A tip of the tourism hat to the Sullivan/Munce Museum for hosting another successful Ghost Walk weekend. Hundreds attended this event that featured eerie dark night tours of Zionsville’s purported haunted houses, walks and legends. Reports were also spookily good from those attending K&E Farm’s Haunted Hayride and Barn event.

Next year, I hope we’ll see other Boone County towns and organizations get into the Halloween spirit with more haunted houses, fright night events and costume themed parties for our little ghosts and goblins to enjoy. If you’d like some promotional and/or marketing input from the Boone County Convention & Visitors Bureau, give us a call at 765-484-8572 or email info@boonecvb.com

Did you know the Boone County Historical Society is headquartered at the historic Cragun House in Lebanon? This fine organization is on their way to becoming a heritage tourism destination of note as they work to pull together historical groups and organizations in towns across Boone County into one central location to better tell the story behind the interesting and sometimes downright amazing history of our county.

In our next blog we’ll be announcing details of a free Tourism Workshop the BooneCCVB will be hosting for all festivals, events, attractions and other tourism related organizations, stores or committees in Boone County.

And look for me at your door this Saturday. I’ll be the really tall kid in the Headless Horseman costume with a pillow case for my candy sack who really loves Reeces Peanut Butter cups and Snickers candy bars.

As the poet William Herschell wrote, “Ain’t God good to Indiana?” This is the way I feel this time of year when the crops are ready for harvest, pumpkins are on porches and the leaves have turned their golden hues.

It’s the perfect time of year to take a weekend drive across Boone County. Maybe venture to Thorntown and visit the Sugar Creek Art Center. Or head to Jamestown and tour the Press Museum. No matter where you go, you’ll head down country roads alive with Fall colors that make your drive all the more special.

One great overnight getaway is available at the Stone Creek Inn located on Dull’s Tree Farm right outside of Thorntown. Tom Dull has built a fantastic cabin using two different log buildings from the late 1800s and turned it into a great Bed & Breakfast. You can rent the Stone Creek Inn for a night or hold a family get together there. For more information, CLICK HERE

If you’re looking for spooky fun, the Haunted Hayride and Barn experience happens every October weekend at KD Farm. For more information, CLICK HERE 

No matter where you travel this weekend in Boone County, you’re sure to love the trip. As for me, I’ll probably drive the back roads up to Lebanon where I’ll visit Donaldson’s Chocolates and buy my wife some of her favorites (with some chocolates for me as well).

Thanks for reading and please let us know what you think about this blog, suggestions for new articles or just your comments on what’s to see and do here in Boone County.

After 6 straight weeks of attending festivals across our county, it was only fitting that the weather on the last weekend of Fall events in Boone County would be this nice.

A brilliant sunny sky and cool temps greeted the early morning artists setting up their booths at the 1st annual Autumn Artscape in Zionsville. Across the way the smells of chili cooking came from the Friendly Tavern parking lot as contenders in the 15th annual Brick Street Chili Cook-Off prepared their special chili recipes in hopes of winning a prize.

The Chili Cook Off tasting began at noon with hundreds of chili lovers tasting the fare and voting for their favorite. 2 hours later the winning entry, Chili Jac, was awarded “Chili of the Year” by the judges. The big perk to this award is having your winning chili on the Friendly Tavern menu throughout the coming year.

Congrats to Scott Barnes and his Friendly Tavern crew for, once again, putting on an event that’s become the last hurrah for Fall in Zionsville.

The new Autumn Artscape event, sponsored by the Zionsville Chamber, featured a wide variety of artists – from metal sculptures to fantastic glassware creations. Situated on 3 side streets, the Artscape set-up made it easy for folks to stroll the booths on this beautiful Fall Saturday. The different live music – classical, folk and jazz – added a nice aural touch to the event.

With outdoor festivals over for the Fall, it’s time to get spooky with Halloween themed happenings in October.

If you’re looking for the scariest hayride in Boone County, get thee to KD Stables for their Haunted Barn and Haunted Hayride events every weekend evening in October. Located just east of Jamestown in southwestern Boone County, over 20 actors try their spooky best to scare you either on the hayride or as you make your way through the haunted barn. For more information on this great family fun event – CLICK HERE 

Zionsville’s annual Ghost Walk consists of a scary tour of houses and other structures in the Village where you meet some of the spirits from Zionsville’s spooky past. Sponsored by the Sullivan/Munce Cultural Center, the Ghost Walk is held on October 16 & 17. For more info on this spine tingling tour – CLICK HERE

2009 Fall Tourism Event Recognition

After 8 festivals and events in 6 weeks, there are some festival features and special events I want to be sure and recognize.

Best Overall Festival – while the Festival of the Turning Leaves has grown by leaps and bounds, thanks to their industrious event committee, and the Back to the Fifties festival always holds the best classic car event in Boone County, the Zionsville Lions Club Fall Festival continues to up the ante with more events, more booths, more food and more fun. Whether it was the free concert by the Marlins or the flying disc dog show in the Pet Pavilion, the Fall Festival truly has something for everyone to enjoy, with more every year.

Best Signature Dinner – I enjoyed the Lions Club Pork BBQ in Thorntown, the pork tenderloins at Back to the Fifties and the Friendly burgers at Zionsville, but nothing was as well prepared, fresh and tasty as my trip to Hog Heaven at the Advance Labor Day Festival. The Hog Heaven crew put out a generous helping of pulled pork that was cooking right there on a massive grill. Truly delicious.

Best Live Music – The Beatles cover band was surprisingly good in Lebanon and you can’t beat the Marlins at the Fall Festival for a great show, but there was something about the Honky Tonk Attitude that fit the Advance Labor Day Festival perfectly. The boys in the band were all fine musicians with a crowd pleasing personality and lots of country favorites played all afternoon long.

Best Festival Set-up – There’s something neat about driving into Thorntown and seeing Main Street filled with booths and festival fun. This year’s Festival of the Turning Leaves was well organized and offered one of the biggest food court areas of any Boone County Festival. Their parade also featured classic tractors, free bags of Fritos tossed by the tiger mascot and lots of unique parade entries.

Best Featured Event – I’m a lover of classic cars and the annual Back to the Fifties Festival in Lebanon featured a beautiful array of rolling metal from the ’20s to the ’60s. A lovingly restored 1952 Ford Pickup was my personal favorite with its wood bed and black cherry red paint job. The cars were displayed on side street parking lots, which allowed for plenty of up close ogling and chats with the proud car owners. A really nice way to spend a Saturday afternoon.

Best Festival Food you won’t eat again until next year – I admit that  one thing I look forward to Fall festival season for is elephant ears. Those deep-fried, crispy sweet, covered in powdered sugar, diet busters that drip with guilt in every bite. The nice lady at the elephant ear booth at the Festival of the Turning Leaves told me, “These are the best elephant ears in Indiana”. And she didn’t lie. My ear was perfectly crisp with just the right amount of sugar.

Best Special Festival Event – The VIP Event at the Zionsville Fall Festival invites special needs kids and their parents to a pre-festival party on Friday afternoon with free rides, free dinners and free carnival games. This year over 400 attended with lots of volunteers escorting the kids through the many fun events put together for their enjoyment. A big tip of the hat goes to the Zionsville Lions Club for organizing this now annual event.

Best Overall Food Served – This was a no-brainer as well as a shameless plug for the annual Taste of Boone County at Anson that featured great menu items from our locally owned restaurants, caterers and bakeries. Cheese stuffed tortellinis, BBQ mini sandwiches, chocolate martini mousse and plenty of Donaldson chocolates make the TOBC the yearly gourmet dining event that’s not to be missed.

Best Place to Be in Fall – Our Boone County towns and cities really put on a great Fall festival season. With new attractions, hard working organizers and fairly good weather for each weekend, Boone County offered all kinds of free family fun in 2009 with even better events planned for next year. I congratulate all the festivals for their excellent events.