Parke County Covered Bridge Festival
October 17, 2022
October 14-23, 2022
Festival Headquarters on the Rockville Square: The foundation of the festival, the Rockville Square is where the Covered Bridge Festival began in 1957. Rockville hosts vendors of homemade/handmade items, primities, and antiques. Local non profits serve a variety of foods each day in their food shacks around the South side of the courthouse lawn. Two information booths on the square offer free covered bridge maps, directions and helpful information to plan your visit in Parke County. Find additional shopping around Rockville at antique stores, boutiques, and the local art gallery. The Historic Ritz theater offers several theatrical presentations during the festival.
Bellmore: Pumpkins, mums, and family yard sales dot the intersection of Hwy 36 and 59. This eastern corridor to the county offers a little bit of everything including the Big Berry, a great stop for a burger and ice cream. Also the Bellmore Country Store, an amish ran business that offers a variety of baked goods.
Bloomingdale: Located at the historic Quaker church, festival goers can see homemade apple butter being made by local ladies that carry on this wonderful and tasty tradition. Be sure to grab a jar to take home! Homemade goodies, local hand crafted items, and meals are also served at the church. The Bloomingdale Vol. Fire Department serves up a Pancake breakfast on both Saturdays and Sundays of the festival at the firehouse nearby the church.
Bridgeton: Bridgeton is a popular destination during the festival. The rebuilt covered bridge sits alongside the Bridgeton Mill in the southern portion of the county. Complete with a man-made waterfall, this view is perfect to catch some great photographs! Unique crafts, fine art, food courts, and shopping galore surround landscape in this historic mill town.
Mansfield: Mansfield is nearby Bridgeton along the Black Route (Black route ends at Mansfield Bridge during the covered bridge festival). From inside, looking upstream, the Mansfield covered bridge provides a pretty view of the Mansfield Roller Mill and babbling creek. The town bustles with visitors shopping for flea market finds, collectables, unique crafts, and browsing an array of foods.
Mecca: Mecca is home to a one-room schoolhouse and quaint covered bridge. Local crafts and homemade goodies can be found right next to the schoolhouse along your drive of the brown route and red route. The Mecca Tavern, just down the road, is the county’s oldest tavern. Serving up amazing tenderloin!
Montezuma: This western corridor of the county can be found on the Brown route. Site of the Wabash and Erie canal, tours of the canal are offered and lead by locals. A great addition to your visit to the Covered Bridge Festival. Famous for their roast hog, crullers, iron pot ham and beans, antiques, crafts and demonstrations, Montezuma is a great stop!
Rosedale: Rosedale can be found along the Red route. Handmade and homemade crafts, quilts, and food are found daily in the Civic Center downtown. Thorpe Ford and Roseville covered bridges are nearby to make a great stop along your travels in the southern portion of the county.
Tangier: Tangier is a hidden gem during the Covered Bridge Festival. Serving up World Famous buried beef, this delicacy is only served during the Covered Bridge Festival. Slow cooked and sealed underground, this juicy sandwich is served daily in the community building. Homemade pies and fixin’s are also available to make it a meal. Local crafts and demonstrations are also onsite. Nearby in the town of Howard is the Sandlady Gourd Farm, also several covered bridges are sprinkled through the beautiful landscape in this northern Parke County community.