The Hometown Treasure November 2011 | Page 48

Meadowview Elementary Mrs. Litwiller’s class went to the Fashion Farm in Ligonier and brought back a pumpkin for the class. They carved the pumpkin together in class and estimated how may seeds there were in the pumpkin ... turns out that the pumpkin had 517 seeds in it! Left and below: The students get the opportunity to play with pumpkin innards. Photos Submitted Topeka Elementary Fourth Graders Visit Sauder Village The fourth grade of Topeka Elementary School took a study trip to Sauder’s Pioneer Village to learn about how the pioneers and Indians lived long ago. They learned many interesting facts and new ideas. The information they learned will be incorporated into the curriculum through out the year. Left: Students enjoy a spot to sit. Photo Submitted pg 46 · The Hometown Treasure · Nov. ‘11 Shipshewana Ushers In Christmas Season With 3rd Annual Light Parade Shipshewana is mostly known for its summer Quilt Festival, the Midwest’s largest flea market, Fall Crafters Fair, and the many Amish families who surround the countryside. This small, simple town can be experienced in an entirely different light when the merchants and residents usher in the holiday season with a Light Parade on Saturday evening, November 12, at 6:00. Now in its fifth year, the parade has quickly grown into a favorite local event, hosting more than 4,000 guests in a town with a population of only 500. Merchants and residents alike decorate floats, cars, and bikes with lights of the Christmas season, and then stroll through the streets along the backdrop of music, decorated storefronts, and the arrival of Santa Claus. The parade ends in the front of Blue Gate Restaurant, with the lighting of the Christmas tree and the crowd joining together in the singing of Christmas carols. Festivities take place throughout the four-block town square with refreshments, music, demonstrations, store specials, and much more. The season continues to shine with other sights, sounds, and flavors, with events offered throughout the month of November and December: • November 19: Chocolate Day • November 29: ‘Wana Night Out • Nov. 21-Jan. 2: Gingerbread Houses on display at Yoder’s Shopping Center • December 5-30: Christmas Tree Walk at the Shipshewana Town Center • December 9-10: Kid’s Day at Davis Mercantile • December 10: Santa Comes to the Town Center, 11 am-2 pm • December 28-30: Shipshewana Ice Festival featuring Ice Carving Competition.