This Saturday and Sunday, March 29 & 30, 2025 – the Best of the Best of Indiana Artisans will descend on the Indiana State Fairgrounds to sell their wares. While there are four certified Indiana Artisans from Hancock County – two of them will be at the 13th Annual Indiana Artisan Marketplace. They are “The Best of Hoosier Craftmanship.” The Indiana Artisan website states: “Top quality, handcrafted and homegrown, the work of an Indiana Artisan rises above the rest. Experience the extraordinary as you explore Indiana’s heritage captured in painting, glass, stoneware, fiber, furniture, wood, candies, wines, sauces, and more. Where you find the INDIANA ARTISAN logo, rest assured you’ve found Indiana’s best.” J. Evelyn Confections Anyone who strolls through downtown Greenfield cannot miss the beautiful window at Greenfield Chocolates. Inside you will find chocolatier and candy maker, Jayne Hoadley. A certified Indiana Artisan, Jayne will be selling her beautiful chocolates and candies at the Indiana Artisan Market this weekend. J. Evelyn Confections is an award-winning chocolatier, crafting fine artisan truffles, caramels, toffees, and more using only the highest quality and freshest ingredients, with chocolates from around the world. Jayne’s creations have been voted as an Indiana favorite on numerous occasions and is an award-winner in the International Chocolate Salon. Well – any one who has tasted one of Jayne’s chocolates knows without a doubt that she is one of the best. Her pieces are really tiny pieces of art with many in a variety of shapes, colors and flavors. Her delectable delights are highly prized as the perfect gift for that special someone – – or if you want to just enjoy a little piece of heaven for yourself. Be sure to look up J. Evelyn Confections at the Indiana Artisan Market. For more information: https://jevelynconfections.com/ Dickinson Woodworking Located in Greenfield, Dickinson Woodworking started out in the family’s garage, but has now expanded to a full sized workshop. Aaron, Kiyomi and their two children: Audrey and Miles are the family behind these beautiful handcrafted wood items. You may have seen the Dickinson Woodworking items at festivals or events; however, their items are also carried at several stores all over the US. You can also purchase them directly through their online store at: https://dickinsonwoodworking.com/ They are noted for their beautiful multi-wood cutting boards, charcuterie boards, jar lids, and more. The Dickinson source their wood locally, sometimes milling the wood themselves from recovered storm damaged trees. They say they love their local woods – so Hancock County is definitely featured in their crafts. The Dickinsons enjoy bringing the colors, the warmth, the depth and feel of their native Hancock County woods to your kitchen for you to enjoy too! Dickinson Woodworking will also be at the Indiana Artisan Marketplace! Tuttle Orchards Ruth Ann Roney is also an Indiana Artisan, but she will not be at this year’s Indiana Artisan Marketplace. However, that does not mean that you cannot experience this Indiana Artisan’s fare. Ruth Ann is noted for her apple butter and apple sauce, which of course are made with Hancock County’s own Tuttle Orchards’ apples. We all know that Tuttle Orchards is the local apple expert. You can bet your buttons that if it is made with apples – Ruth Ann knows exactly what she is doing. She is a fourth generation apple grower so you can sort of say that apple cider runs in her veins. Even though Ruth Ann will not be at the Indiana Artisan Marketplace, you can still visit all of the apple things that Tuttle Orchard’s produces by visiting the Tuttle Farm Store. It is open Monday through Saturday 9am – 6pm. More information can be found here: https://indianapolisorchard.com/ Dimensions 3D Photos by Jon Vance Our last Indiana Artisan is a photographer who specializes in 3D images. Jon Vance of McCordsville creates his masterpieces by layering 5-8 different layers of the image to give the finished piece a unique depth perspective. Many of his images are of favorite Indiana places such as downtown Indianapolis and a variety of college campuses. However, Vance is also a world traveler. So there are also images of historic sites like Jerusalem, Mt. Rushmore, the Taj Mahal, and many more. He can also do custom work too – so if you are wanting something very unique and special, a 3D image of your home or a special location might be the right choice. Vance will not be at this year’s Indiana Artisan Marketplace, but you can learn more about Vance’s work by visiting his website: https://jongvance.wixsite.com/3dphotosbyjonvance There are expected to be about 80 different vendors at this year’s Indiana Artisan Marketplace. The event will be held at the Indiana State Fairgrounds. Saturday 10am – 6pm and Sunday 10am – 4pm. Tickets are $10. Parking is $10. Children under 14 are free. For more information go to: https://indianaartisan.org/spring-marketplace/ Brigette Cook Jones Executive Director Hancock County Tourism 

The Rainbow Bridge is a prose piece that has become a cherished sentiment to those who have lost their pets. It tells a heart-warming story of what happens to our trusted companions when they pass on. Many don’t know it, but it was written by a 19 year-old Scottish girl, Edna Clyne, who was grieving the loss of her dog, Major. The year was 1959. The piece would be shared across the British Isles, and in time it had jumped the big pond – and was shared in America. In 1994, it was published by Dear Abby and was read by her audience of millions. As a result of this publicity, “Crossing the Rainbow Bridge” has become synonymous with the loss of a pet. In Lake Lure, North Carolina a real life Rainbow Bridge was constructed by artist, Amy Wald in 2022. It was a physical representation of the prose piece, and the artist constructed it in the memory of her own pet. Soon pet owners from across North Carolina, and then across the country were visiting this bridge and were leaving their deceased pet collars as memorials to their furry friends. Literally, the railings were a rainbow of colors of dog collars, dog tags, and dog harnesses. Over 16,000 visited Lake Lure’s Rainbow Bridge last year with many coming from states all across the country. Greenfield resident, Dawn Hanson, made the trip to Lake Lure within the past year to leaver her dog, Baker’s collar, on Lake Lure’s bridge. This experience inspired her to see if Greenfield could build its own Rainbow Bridge – and become the second one in the US. Dawn approached the Greenfield Parks Department who agreed to build the bridge, but funding for the supplies and a mural would need to be raised. Earlier this year, Dawn and members of the Greenfield Parks Department approached Hancock County Tourism for grant support – and as this project was seen as a tourist attraction – Tourism gladly supported the project and fully funded the bridge construction. Greenfield’s “Baker’s Rainbow Bridge” was built near Rover’s Run, a 2 acre dog park, located inside Beckenholdt Park, 2770 N. Franklin St., Greenfield, IN. The bridge will be dedicated Saturday, October 19, 2024 at 2pm. The ceremony will celebrate a 3 month long fundraising campaign that collected monies to build the bridge and the accompanying mural. Greenfield Parks and Recreation Department provided the space and the construction labor. It was completed on September 20th, 2024. The finishing touches of a mural by artist Lisa Sears, and more have been provided by volunteers and those closest to the project. The bridge is handicap accessible. It should be noted that during this ceremony the Lake Lure Rainbow Bridge will be memorialized. Recently, Hurricane Helene devastated parts of North Carolina, and unfortunately flood waters washed away Lake Lure’s Rainbow Bridge in its entirety. For them and for their pet’s memory, a moment of silence will be observed at the dedication. In conjunction with the Rainbow Bridge dedication, Greenfield Parks Department will hold their Rovers Howl-o-Ween event from 2pm to 4pm on the same day at Beckenholdt Park. There will be a vendor area full of pet-related businesses and organizations for visitors and their pets to peruse. There will also be a pet costume contest with awards for best costumed small, medium, and large breed dogs. Consider a visit to the dedication ceremony of this great new piece in Greenfield. There is no cost to attend or to memorialize your pet by leaving his or her collar. It is hoped that like Lake Lure’s Rainbow Bridge, this will provide some comfort for pet owners across Indiana and across the country. Even if you cannot make it to the dedication, Greenfield’s Rainbow Bridge will be a lasting memorial to all our furry friends who have crossed into heaven.  Brigette Cook Jones Executive Director Hancock County Tourism

Driving down State Road 109 will take you through the small town of Wilkinson, Indiana, located in the northeast corner of Hancock County. Just on the edge of this town is a building that looks like a church, but it’s not. The first clue is the large swimming pool out back. Many times you will see dogs of all shapes and sizes running off the adjacent dock and diving into the pool. This unique facility is Youngblood’s Natural Animal Care Center & Massage, and it is a wonderful place with all sorts of amenities for pets and other animals. Actually, Youngblood’s Natural Care Center just celebrated their 11th anniversary. This is a locally owned facility that started out in a small space in the Weston Village Shopping Center in Greenfield. Now two moves later, the family-owned facility is in an old church building with a pool out back. Owners Kim and Samantha Youngblood, a dynamic mother/daughter duo, have created this wonderful space for the care of dogs, cats, chickens, cattle, horses, birds and rabbits. Kim is a graduate of Equissage in Virginia and obtained her certification in canine and feline massage therapy in 2014. Kim also graduated from Angel’s Animals Holistic Care in 2018. Samantha attended NE Indiana Equine Sports Massage & Rehab Therapy in Decatur, IN and obtained her certification in equine sports massage therapy and rehab therapy. She also obtained additional training for equine raindrop therapy, animal thermography and saddle fitting. In 2015. she traveled to Angels Animals Holistic Health to get her certification for equine and canine kinesiology taping. In 2019. she became a “Certified Pet Nutrition Specialist.” The Youngbloods and their wonderful staff are there to help owners care for their animals with a more natural and holistic approach. They are also there to provide instruction and advice on nutrition as well as training and massage therapy. The Youngblood’s retail location is fully stocked with all sorts of natural and holistic food, supplements, and treats. This includes raw food, freeze dried food, and all natural supplements. They also sell custom collars, leashes, toys, cat trees, dog beds, and cat litter. Nothing comes from China except special Chinese Herbal Supplements that have been thoroughly researched. The Youngblood facility is not just a retail store (which is why the pool is out back). They are also a training facility. They hold puppy classes, manners classes as well as competitive dock diving. You can also rent their pool for your doggos to have their own private session. However, the pool comes alive in the summer when Youngblood’s hosts International Dog Sports Dock Diving Competitions. Folks come from all over the country to compete at the Youngblood’s facility. Best of all, if you just want to come to watch…it’s FREE. Most importantly, Youngblood’s Natural Animal Care is all about healthy and happy animals. If your pet or other 4 legged friend has an issue, the Youngbloods have a variety of treatments in their arsenal that might help. This includes animal massage, ANMR, Red Light Therapy, Kinesiology Taping, Thermography, and nutrition classes. Also, if you have a new pet that has an unknown vaccine history, you can bring them to a Vaccine Titer Clinic to see if they have the antibodies…which will indicate whether they need shots or not. Sam says, “We focus on getting to the root of the issue and helping your pet from the inside out. We offer superior customer service. Focusing on each customer that walks through that door as family. We guarantee you will love your shopping experience and know that there are people out there to help, support, guide and always have your best interest at heart.” You can certainly tell that customers love the Youngblood Facility. Mariana Rozzi said, “If I lived closer, I would probably stop by Youngblood’s every day. I’ve purchased treats, chews, slow feeders, supplements, biothane collars/leashes and they never disappoint. I also buy Rio’s raw food through them. They ordered it in for us, and it was so convenient. We are 4 weeks into our first dock diving class at Youngbloods, and I’m so glad we went for it. Sam is the instructor, and she is so knowledgeable and helpful. We’re planning to sign up for the second round of classes in July and more classes in the future. Lastly, they also hold low-cost titer clinics a few times a year, which is awesome!” Customer Stephanie Yarian praises Youngbloods: My very active bull terrier was diagnosed with a torn/strained knee tendon. The vet recommended medication and rest. After a month of trying rest, she was still a limping and sore. We took her to Youngbloods for thermography…as the next option was surgery. She got her first massage, and within 2 sessions, the limping improved. We are now 4 sessions in and thanks to Kim her limping is gone! We have also incorporated red light therapy and kinesiology taping the last 2 sessions. Kim and Sam have saved me thousands in a surgery (which may not have increased the quality of life) with minimal invasive treatments. Sophie thanks you!…More money for treats and toys! Youngbloods will be hosting the next IDS Dock Diving event, September 13 – 15, 2024. Check their Facebook Page for a complete listing of competitions and times. To find out about all the wonderful things that Youngblood’s Natural Animal Care and Massage does, please visit their website at youngbloodanimalmassage.com You can also follow them on Facebook . They are located at 310 S. Main St., Wilkinson, IN. Store hours are Tuesday through Saturday 10am – 6pm. Ph # 765-785-4035. Brigette Cook Jones Executive Director Hancock County Tourism

Put September 6 – 8, 2024 on your calendar for one of Indiana’s largest and best Gem, Mineral and Fossil Shows. The 500 Earth Sciences Club is gearing up to host their 47th annual show out at the Hancock County Fairgrounds, located at 620 N. Apple St., Greenfield, IN. This show will run from 10am – 6pm on Friday and Saturday, and from 10 am – 4pm on Sunday. This show will be in three buildings at the fairgrounds AND the outside covered pavilion. There is literally something for everyone! Best of all there is free admission, free parking and great food available on site. The 500 Earth Sciences Show has been coming to the Hancock County Fairgrounds for over 45 years. They not only have beautiful specimens of minerals such as quartz and amethyst that can be displayed, but they also have a variety of fossils, and a wide selection of jewelry. Now – – if you want to find some beautiful opals that have been dug out of the ground from Australia – – and you want to buy them from the guy that did the digging – – You can do that here! You will also find beautiful pieces of larimar, jade, amethyst, topaz, sapphires, garnets and other semiprecious stones. Yes – – you can find diamonds there. But you can also find many “pretty rocks” that you might not even know about. Some are as basic as a piece of flintstone that has been polished to a beautiful gleam so you can see the varied colors and striations. You might also find a piece of Jasper, Agate, Obsidian or a Herkimer Diamond (which is quartz). They will also have a few pearls. Many of these stones may be loose cabochons that you can have mounted, or some will do wire wrapping while you are waiting. There is also already mounted jewelry in a wide variety of designs and shapes. Have you ever heard of “Fordite.” I hadn’t either – – but it is something that you will run across at this show. It is an unusual piece that is made from the layers of car paint found in car manufacturing plants. These chunks of paint are removed from the paint bays and broken into smaller pieces and then polished like a stone and set into jewelry. As each different color was used on the cars – – these created beautiful layers with a multitude of colors. While these are not technically “rocks” – you will find Fordite at this show. You will also find things like a variety of glass beads, dichroic glass, and goldstone, blue goldstone and lindy stars – – which are synthetically made. You will also find rocks that fluoresce under a black lite – fluorite, calcite, aragonite, sodalite and others. You can buy your own UV flashlight there and shine this light on those rocks to watch them glow! A variety of really cool minerals and rocks will also be available. A Barite Rose is a rock that looks like a rose flower. Tellurite or TV rock can magnify things that are placed underneath it. Then there are wonderful geodes – – many that can be cracked there on site by trained professionals. Geodes are usually hollow and contain beautiful quartz crystals inside. Are fossils your thing? Well this show has a bunch of those too. There are large fossils of cephalopods and crinoids. You also might find someone with a collection of fossilized shark teeth or maybe even some coprolite (fossilized dino poo). You will also find petrified wood, and pieces of amber – some with insects trapped inside. Ongoing throughout the day there will be demonstrations of silver smithing and lapidary (cutting facets into gemstones). Do you have a rock and don’t know what it is? A geologist will be on hand to help identify it. There is a silent auction, door prizes, and a kids activity area. Yes – – there is an educational component to this – and the kids can get some hands on activities with some really cool pieces. They also can get to see all of the wonderful activities that are going on inside the three buildings and the outside covered space. This show only comes to Greenfield once a year – – so be sure to take the time to visit. Hancock County Tourism is a proud grant supporter of this annual show. This event brings vendors literally from around the country – and the world to Hancock County as well as hundreds of out-of-county visitors. The 500 Earth Sciences Club is a proud Hancock County Tourism Partner. You can find out more about the 500 Earth Sciences Gem, Mineral and Fossil Show by going to their website: www.500earthsciences.org or you can follow them on their Facebook Page .

Every first full weekend in October, Greenfield Indiana celebrates the birthday of “The Hoosier Poet,” James Whitcomb Riley. This year, the celebration is scheduled to be held October 3 – 6, 2024. This is the largest four-day craft festival in the state of Indiana, And it features over 450 booths, food trucks, live entertainment, two parades, and a variety of competitions. This year’s theme is “A Barefoot Boy.” The poem celebrates the look of a young boy who has been at play…with dusty trousers and grimy feet from walking barefoot outside. This theme will be featured in a variety of ways throughout the festival, including the theme for parade floats, and various categories in competitions. And speaking of competitions…the Riley Festival is looking for folks who might be interested in entering one of their many contest: Photography; Fine Art, Pumpkin Decorating; Baker’s Best; Home Arts and Quilts; Queen Pageant; Little Miss and Mr. Pageant; and Poetry. Entry forms and guidelines can be found here: Riley Festival Forms and Applications. However, the Riley Festival isn’t just about the contests, the craft booths and the food. There is a variety of live entertainment to be enjoyed at the festival. This year the featured acts are; The Woomblies Rock Orchestra ; The Roundups ; No Fences (Garth Brooks Tribute) ; and Crush (Bon Jovi Experience) . There will also be a variety of other local entertainment. Be sure to check out the event schedule on the Riley Festival website. The Riley Festival also features two parades. Saturday’s parade is the longest and has the most entries. There will be themed floats, bands, tractors and commercial entries. However, Friday’s parade is the most unique. This is a 60+ year tradition for the “Parade of Flowers.” Actually, the current tradition commemorates a much older event, which took place on Riley’s birthday in 1912. The people of Greenfield decided to honor Riley by giving him a silver loving cup in recognition of his great work in poetry. Riley had suffered a stroke a few years before, and had lost the use of his right arm, and was unstable in walking. So it was decided that he would sit in the back seat of his convertible, and he would be driven through Greenfield’s downtown. A presentation of a silver loving cup was to be done in front of the Hancock County Courthouse (site of the original Riley Statue today). All the County’s school children, and those from neighboring counties were brought to Greenfield and lined the streets. As Riley’s car slowly passed by…the children threw flowers into his car so he was literally covered with flowers. The presentation of the silver loving cup was done, and speeches by dignitaries and friends were heard. Riley ended the day with a birthday dinner at the Columbia Hotel on Main Street in Greenfield. A similar flower celebration would take place for Riley the next year in Anderson, where he got his start in the newspaper business…many years before. By 1914, Indianapolis, Riley’s current homeplace, decided to host a birthday party for him as well. This involved the presentation of flower bouquets by children and a grand dinner with several influential guests. By 1915, Riley’s birthday was declared a National holiday, and his poetry was required reading for all school children across the US who celebrated “Riley Day” on the poet’s birthday of October 7th. By the time of the Greenfield event in 1912, Riley was an international sensation. He had published over 1,000 poems and over 90 editions. He was the most famous poet alive in the US at the time, and the wealthiest. The fact that many of his most well- loved and oft requested poems were about his boyhood in Greenfield was not lost on his hometown folks. His characters such as “Little Orphant Annie;” “The Raggedy Man;” and “ “Out to Old Aunt Mary’s,” were based on real people…many from Greenfield. Places that are mentioned in Riley’s poems…such as “The Old Swimmin’ Hole” and “The Little Red Apple Tree,” and “When the Frost is on the Punkin” ,” are all about real places in and around Greenfield. In fact, the “Barefoot Boy” is really Riley talking about himself and his friends…who were the original Barefoot Boys. Greenfield was the first to host a flower parade, which would eventually morph into what we know today…the school children of Hancock County bringing bouquets of flowers to the Riley statue to celebrate Riley’s birthday and his poetic accomplishments. As a child who grew up in Greenfield and who loved history and my hometown, it was always an honor to remember Riley on his birthday. He literally shared Greenfield with the world, and immortalized it forever in his rhymes and verse. I brought my first bouquet to the Riley Statue in the 1973 Flower Parade, when I was a first grader at Weston Elementary. Later when I was older…4th, 5th and 6th grade, my friends and I were dressed in all our pioneer-era glory. My Mom made my long dress, hat, and apron and my friends had similar outfits. We proudly walked behind the latchhook rug that was made by our principal, Lloyd Penrod. It was in navy blue and gold…Greenfield’s colors with the name “Weston” on the front. That rug still leads the Weston entourage to the Riley Statue to this day in the annual Flower Parade. So if you are interested in visiting Greenfield during the Riley Festival, you have 4 days to choose for your visit. The festival itself is FREE and so are the live entertainment venues. However, there will be a wide selection of delectable foods to eat, and many wonderful things to buy from baked goods to crafts to clothing and art pieces. Please remember that both US 40 (Main St) and State Road 9 (State St) will be closed for the duration of the festival. This allows folks to walk freely throughout the festival without traffic concerns. While you are at the Riley Festival, be sure to check out our local restaurants and shops. They will be open extended hours to accommodate the festival goers. Parking can be found on a variety of side streets downtown. Or, you can park at the Hancock County Fairgrounds and take the Tourism sponsored shuttle bus to and from the festival area. This provides the largest parking area for festival attendees. All of the info…applications for contests and the event schedule can be found on the Riley Festival website at RileyFestival.com You can also find additional info at the Riley Festival Facebook page. Hope to see you there! Brigette Cook Jones Executive Director Hancock County Tourism

Many folks have recently asked in the varied social media groups – – what is going on with the orange barrels on Main St (US 40) in downtown Greenfield? Well the answer is – – It is the development of the Riley Arts Trail. This project was the #1 most desired piece that was identified in the Greenfield Downtown Revitalization Plan and the Capital Improvement plan. The Riley Arts Trail was one of the projects that led to the “Health and Heritage” Stellar Designation for the city of Greenfield and the Towns of Fortville and Shirley by the Office of Community and Rural Affairs. This designation helped to fund many projects in those communities including the creation of Depot Street Park. The Riley Arts Trail is the last project in a series of Stellar projects which began in 2018. The funding for this project is utilizing Steller funds, local funds (including $100,000 from Hancock County Tourism) and a matching grant from the Metropolitan Planning Organization. The Riley Arts Trail depicts the poetry and history of James Whitcomb Riley and celebrates all of the artists, poets, songwriters, authors, and creative souls in our community, past, present, and most importantly – the future. The Riley Trail route is being constructed along Riley Avenue, North Street, and East Street/American Legion Place (Please see the map above). This project will create a 0.7-mile concrete multiuse trail loop through the heart of downtown Greenfield. The trail is meant to connect the Pennsy Trail to our heritage sites, shops, and restaurants. It is hoped that local users of the trail and tourists will get a unique impression of the heritage and culture of Greenfield, Indiana. The multiuse trail will be 10-feet-wide, replacing the existing 5-foot-wide sidewalks. Poetry of James Whitcomb Riley will be etched into the concrete of the trail to be read as the user walks along in either direction. There will be seven interpretive panels placed along the trail, which depicts Greenfield’s cultural story. In addition, there will be ten hand-sculpted limestone benches made by renowned Sculptress Cheryl Anne Lorance of Indianapolis. These will be installed along the trail and depict excerpts from Riley’s poetry and Cheryl Anne’s carved illustrations of each particular poem. As a result of connecting the downtown with this trail, the existing bronze sculptures, murals, the Rotary Arts Park, and varied historic markers will be linked together by this path. In addition, new historical markers are being planned to help tell our significant architectural history. In addition, forty-two (42) new trees will also be planted along the proposed trail route, making this a lovely shaded walk. The City is also planning to install pedestrian-scale lighting posts along the length of the trail separately from this project sometime in the near future. Pedestrian safety is tantamount with the construction of this trail through the busy downtown area. There will be several pedestrian safety improvements installed along the trail route. This includes the following intersections: -US 40/Main Street and Riley Avenue will get bump-outs, and pedestrian crossing flashing beacons. -Painted boulevards will merge traffic down to one lane on each side. -US 40/Main Street and Living Alley will get bump-outs. -North Street and Pennsylvania Street will get bump-outs. -North Street and SR 9/State Street will get bump-outs, and a hawk signal as well as a refuge island in the center of SR9. -North Street and East Street will get bump-outs. -US 40/Main Street and East Street/American Legion Place will get bump-outs, and a hawk signal. -American Legion Place and South Street will get bump-outs. Although it is believed that the addition of bump-outs along the project area, and the narrowing of the existing roadway width will improve pedestrian safety, it will also create some parking loss. Though there is minimal parking space loss throughout the project area, there are also large public parking lots nearby to the project path. Also, some new parking options are being planned and investigated in other future projects within the downtown.  If you should have any questions, please contact the City Planning & Engineering Department for additional or specific information at 317-477-4320. Thank you!

Leo’s Market and Eatery, located at 2212 W. Main St., Greenfield, celebrated their 5 year anniversary on July 24, 2024. In case you missed it, there were lots of opportunities to try some of the great food and products that are sold at their store. Leo’s is known for highlighting locally owned businesses, and their celebration did not disappoint. On site and sharing samples throughout the anniversary party were Wild Flower Ridge Honey from Anderson; Indiana Soap Company from Greenfield; and Simply Jill’s fudge and cinnamon sugared roasted pecans from Lebanon. This was just a small sampling of the wonderful array of Indiana grown and Indiana made goods available at Leo’s all year long. In fact, Leo’s also supports local farmers by offering locally grown produce. Sweet corn on the cob is now available in their market! However, if you have not made a visit to one of the Leo’s locations (there are 4) – you should stop by to check out their dining options. They have a wonderful array of delectable dishes that are sure to satisfy the hungriest of appetites. Furthermore, this is not your typical “gas station food” of hot dogs, taquitos or pizza. This is really upscale and freshly made fare – including kolaches, wonderful soups, made to order salads, chicken or beef alfredo, wraps, smoothies, breakfast bowls, wings and sandwiches. Are you in need of a meal to go? Maybe you need something for lunch the next day or a family meal? Leo’s can accommodate you with special “grab and go” items that can just be heated in the microwave – the single serving meals include pasta, wings, pot roast and pulled pork. Family meals are already pre-packaged and will serve 4-6 people – these include a meatloaf meal that has the meatloaf, loaded mashed potatoes and sauce, or a pulled-pork meal that includes the pulled pork, buns, BBQ sauce and cole slaw. Leo’s also features a convenience store with a variety of grocery items – including fresh produce, canned goods, snacks, condiments, and dairy products. Their coolers are filled with a variety of unique drinks from energy drinks to Jones Sodas, to Boba Teas, to Liquid Death drinks and more. Maybe you need to surprise that special someone with some cut flowers – – Leo’s has those too. They also have a variety of baked goods. They have a variety of cookies (my favorite are the Red Velvet White Chocolate Chip), cupcakes and other sweets. Be sure to check out all that Leo’s has to offer. You won’t be disappointed.  Leo’s Market and Eatery opened its first location in Greenfield on July 24, 2019. They now have three additional locations: McCordsville, Noblesville, and Indianapolis. Leo’s Market and Eatery are owned by Hancock County’s own White Family. The “Leo” name comes from the former patriarch of the the family – Richard Leo White. His children, Stephanie and Keith, are the originators of the Leo’s concept and the current owners. The White Family has a long history of being in Hancock County and the gas station business. The family used to own Gas America, which was started by their Great-Grandfather, Herbert B. White as White Petroleum in 1930.

Mark your calendars for Saturday, July 27, 2024 from 9am – 5pm for one of the best small Art Fairs and Music Festivals in the state of Indiana. The Pennsy Trail Art Fair and Music Festival is celebrating its 27th year, and is held on the plaza behind the Hancock County Courthouse and along the corresponding side streets in Greenfield. This festival features over 50 different art vendors, several musical acts, food trucks, and the ducky derby raffle. All proceeds go to support the programs for Mental Health Partners of Hancock County. Best of all – admission is FREE to this event. When you stroll up and down the booths at the festival, you can find all sorts of art…from beautiful stained glass pieces, to handmade wood items, to unique jewelry, fine art, pottery, specially designed playing cards, and so much more. There is literally something for everyone. The Ducky Derby is a highlight of the event where donated items are won by purchasing a lucky duck! Raffle tickets for the derby can be purchased in advanced through the Mental Health Partners of Hancock County office, or at the festival itself. There are several great prizes up for grabs that have been donated by many local businesses and some of the vendors. The ducks are pulled from the “pond” in front of the Greenfield Chamber Office at the very end of the festival. You do not need to be present to win. Lastly, the music line up will be ongoing throughout the day. The stage is under the gazebo near picnic tables, but if you would want to bring your own lawn chair to sit and enjoy the free music – you can do that too. The music acts will vary throughout the day with the headlining act, Cavalear, starting at 3pm.  Cavalear is a group of Eastern Hancock grads who used to play together in a band in high school. They reunited last year at the Pennsy Festival after a hiatus of almost 35 years. The band has developed quite a local following – known as “featherheads.” They will be entertaining the crowd with some classic rock. You can find out more about the band on their Facebook page.