BERNE SWISS DAYS FESTIVAL CELEBRATING OUR SWISS HERITAGE!
The Berne Chamber of Commerce is pleased to announce that it will be hosting the 2014 Swiss Days Festival, an annual celebration of Berne’s Swiss heritage, on July 25-26. The Swiss Days Opening Ceremony will take place on the downtown stage at 6:00 p.m. on Thursday, July 24, 2014. This year’s festival promises to provide new vendors, new stage entertainment, and exciting events such as Berne’s Got Talent, The Tower Jam-Fest, and the Old-Fashioned Hymn Sing & more.
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
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.
Berne’s Got Talent is the place for ten locally talented individuals or groups will be in competition for this first time Bärn Het Begabung contest. YOU along with four judges will determine the top three talents! Burkhalter Auditorium will be packed with talent supporters on July 26 at 7 PM. A $5 ticket may be purchased in advance at the Berne Chamber of Commerce at 205 E Main Street or by calling 260-589-8080. (Visa & MasterCard accepted).
What’s it worth?
Bring your antique and collectible items to the 4th Annual Appraisal Fundraiser at the Berne Antique Mall on Saturday, July 26 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.
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.
Our newest competition this year will be the Bratwurst Eating Contest sponsored by the Berne Locker, LLC. Come hungry and show us what you can eat! The contest will be held at the locker on West Franklin St. on Saturday, July 26 from 2-3.
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 41st anniversary this year, which involves a 5,000-meter race for ages 12-up and a 1-mile race for ages 11 and under. Also be sure to check out the Third Annual Bixler Insurance Bike Tour and Family Ride. Choose between the 26-mile tour and the 6-mile family ride.
Entertainment
Coming to our festival this year will be Beer’s and Jessop’s Amusement Rides who will offer many exciting carnival rides throughout Thursday, Friday, and Saturday. Pre-sale tickets can be purchased at the Chamber office or they can be purchased during the festival for a small price increase.
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 Original Alpine Express will be performing Friday morning and afternoon and the Hank Haller Ensemble, celebrating their 56th anniversary, will perform on Friday and Saturday night. Also Ken and Mary Accordions will be performing on Thursday evening from 7:30-9:30pm. Stop by and watch these musicians play; you won’t want to miss it! To end the festival, the traditional downtown parade will be featured on Saturday evening at 6 pm.
As you can see, there is much to experience in our Swiss community during the 2014 Swiss Days Festival! Berne is located just 35 miles southeast of Fort Wayne and 130 miles northeast of Indianapolis. Come join the celebration! Contact for your free Swiss Days 2014 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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