CELEBRATING SWISS HERITAGE!
The Berne Chamber of Commerce is pleased to announce that it will be hosting the 2012 Swiss Days Festival, an annual celebration of Berne’s Swiss heritage, on July 27-28. The Swiss Days Opening Ceremony will take place on the downtown stage at 6:00 p.m. on Thursday, July 26, 2012. This year’s festival promises to provide new vendors, new stage entertainment, and exciting events such as the “Hansel and Gretel” musical and the “Sounds of Switzerland” concert with Kerry Christensen, master yodeler.
Downtown
You may want to start your day in downtown Berne, where you’ll find merchants selling their products at the old-fashioned “sidewalk sale.” The wide selection and variety that comes with our vendors guarantees everything from crafts and antiques to clothing apparel for the whole family. You can relax near the downtown stage to the sounds of local talent while munching on mouth-watering food, such as bratwurst, tenderloins, rib eye, wings, apple dumplings, and fried cheese sticks.
South Adams Schools
Continue your day at South Adams Schools, located on the southwest edge of Berne. This location will be the site for the annual quilt show & quilt merchant mall and tennis tournament.
Take time to admire a great variety of quilts at the Quilt Show and Quilt Merchant Mall. The Quilt Show contains many exciting elements and will take place in the South Adams School Cafeteria on Thursday, Friday, and Saturday! This year’s Quilt Show features a kid’s category along with a gently used quilt, craft, and cooking magazine sale. There will also be a quilt challenge involving a “go green” theme. Individuals will be required to make a quilt or wall hanging using plaid, cotton shirts. Individuals, who want to help with the quilt show or have additional questions, should contact Gail Kuhn at 260-589-2845 or Kathy Diveley at 260-525-0303.
The annual Tennis Tourney will be held on the tennis courts at South Adams High School and Adams Central High School. Come out and watch as local competitors demonstrate their skills and vie for 1st and 2nd place trophies in each division. Divisions are as follows: Boy’s singles (17 and under), Men’s singles (18 and over), Girl’s singles (17 and under), Woman’s Singles (18 and older), Men’s singles (35 and over), Men’s doubles, Mixed doubles, and Women’s Doubles.
Furniture Frenzy
Win up to $2,500 in free furniture! Sign up at each store for your chance to win $500 in furniture. The stores of Bernhaus, Clauser, and Habegger are all located along US 27, whereas Yager Furniture and Karen’s Treasures are located in downtown.
What’s it worth?
Bring your antique and collectible items to the 3nd Annual Appraisal Fundraiser at the Berne Antique Mall on Saturday, July 28 from 10 am-2 pm. Certified appraiser Brian McCall of Midwest Estate Buyers and Wells County glassware and china authority, Anita Byerly, will be present at the event. Suggested donation is $5 per item or have three items appraised for $12. All proceeds go to benefit the Art and Music Programs at South Adams Schools. For more information, please contact Amy Orr at (260)-849-2187 or email amy.orr@wabashvallyliving.com
“Hansel and Gretel” to be Performed
All Performances will take place at the SAHS Burkhalter Auditorium on Thursday and Friday, July 26 & 27 at 7 pm, and a matinee performance on Sunday, July 29 at 3 pm. Cost is $8 per ticket for adult and $5 for high school students or younger. There will be open seating for all three events. Come watch and enjoy these special performances of “Hansel and Gretel” at Swiss Days 2012.
History
History will come to life as the story of our Swiss beginnings unfolds at Swiss Heritage Village on the north edge of Berne. The village has grown to become the largest indoor/outdoor historical museum in northern Indiana, consisting of 15 historical buildings built between the years of 1860 and 1900. The indoor historical museum is filled with local history and visitors can browse through the gift shop. Take time to enjoy a village tour, car show, antique tractor & engine show, and view cheese making & sawmill demonstrations.
Competitions
Competitions are always a fun part of the Swiss Days Festival! One of the most popular and definitely the most “Swiss” is the traditional Steintoss competition, which has competitors throwing a heavy stone similar to that of a shot put. This year’s Steintoss will feature levels of competition for men, women, and for teens ages 12-17.
Other competitions include 3-on-3 basketball, Bowling, Tennis, and Sand Sculpting, as well as the Kid’s Pedal Pull, the Agape Exceptional Sports League, and the Big Wheels Race. The popular First Bank of Berne Swiss Days Race will celebrate its 39th anniversary this year, which involves a 5,000-meter race for ages 12-up and a 1-mile race for ages 11 and under. Our newest event is the First Annual Bixler Insurance Bike Tour and Family Ride. Choose between the 26-mile tour or the 6-mile family ride.
Entertainment
Coming to our festival this year will be Beers and Jessops Amusement Rides who will offer many exciting carnival rides throughout Thursday, Friday, and Saturday.
An “Entertainment Showcase” will feature various, local performers on the downtown stage all day from 11 am-6:00 pm on Friday and 10 am-5:30 pm on Saturday. As always, this year’s festival will feature a wide array of nightly musical talent. The Jay Fox Band will be performing Friday afternoon and evening and the Hank Haller Ensemble, celebrating their 55th anniversary, will perform on Saturday night. Also Carson Diersing will be performing on Thursday evening from 8-9pm. This 14-year-old music phenomenon that is a must see, don’t miss out!
To end the festival, the traditional downtown parade will be featured on Saturday evening at 6 pm. Also, a Fireworks Show will take place at sundown on Saturday, July 28 at the South Adams High School Football Field at 10:15 pm.
As you can see, there is much to experience in our Swiss community during the 2012 Swiss Days Festival! Berne is located just 35 miles southeast of Fort Wayne and 130 miles northeast of Indianapolis. Come join the celebration! Write for your free Swiss Days 2012 brochure c/o Berne Chamber of Commerce, 205 E Main Street, Berne, IN 46711, call 260-589-8080, email us at tourism@bernein.com, check us out on our Berne website at www.bernein.com. For a complete listing of our Swiss Days festival information, check out our site at www.bernein.com/swissdays.
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