Shipshewana: Music, Cuisine, and Amish Country Charm

Whenever I think of Shipshewana, I feel at home, surrounded by the Amish, cheese, pies, and buggies. I grew up in Northern Indiana, where Shipshewana is located. Just on the border of my hometown in Elkhart County, Shipshewana lies within LaGrange County.

Shipshewana is a top Indiana destination. People flock from all over to visit for shopping, food, and an interest in Amish culture. It has the largest Amish population in the state, making it Indiana’s Amish country. It’s important to understand the etiquette of visiting the Amish community. Due to their simple way of life and beliefs, the Amish follow specific rules, one of which prohibits the use of photographs to maintain their privacy. Unless you’ve read about it or been informed, most people are unaware of it. So, I have a blog post with tips and etiquette for visiting the Shipshewana area.

In this blog post, I highlight the top three reasons people visit Shipshewana: the food, shopping, and activities.

A special thanks to Visit Shipshewana/LaGrange County for hosting my activities.

Food in Shipshewana

Home-cooked comfort foods and baked goods abound in LaGrange County. You’ll see shops filled with jams, apple butter, cheeses, breads, baked goods, and the famous Amish peanut butter. What makes it so famous? It’s a peanut butter made with marshmallow cream – a sugar overload and delicious on a slice of homemade bread. You’ll find all of these items in shops throughout Shipshewana. Additionally, you’ll find them served in many of the restaurants and cafes in town.

Blue Gate Restaurant and Music Hall

The Blue Gate Restaurant and Music Hall is a popular spot for its buffet. Many choose to take advantage of the buffet and ticket package, which includes dining with the buffet and a ticket to one of the Blue Gate musicals. The buffet is filled with fried chicken, roast beef, mashed potatoes, noodles, veggies, and more. Patrons are greeted with homemade bread and Amish peanut butter, and an abundance of homemade pies is available for dessert. As an alternative to the buffet, there is also a restaurant that serves menu-style lunch and dinner. If you have gluten or dairy allergies, the Blue Gate menu features items that are allergy-friendly.

Wana-Cup Restaurant

The Wana-Cup Restaurant is also an allergy-friendly dining option, offering a variety of gluten-free menu items. This restaurant is a popular spot located next to the Shipshewana Trading Place, flea market, and auction. Other cafes, such as the Corn Crib and Davis Mercantile, are great options for lunch, offering a variety of sandwiches, wraps, salads, and more.

Ben’s Pretzels and JoJo’s Pretzels

Shipshewana is known for its homemade soft pretzels. It’s the original home of Ben’s Pretzels and JoJo’s Pretzels, located in the Davis Mercantile. Both offer soft pretzels as big as your face, along with a variety of dip options. Jojos is known for its mustard bar, specializing in sweet and hot mustards. They also have a gluten-free pretzel.

Rise ‘n Roll Bakery

And then there’s the Amish crack. I’m serious, that is what they call it. By Amish Crack, I refer to the Amish donuts at Rise ‘n Roll Bakery. Their signature donuts are glazed in a caramel sauce and then coated in a cinnamon-sugar mixture. This heavenly donut is delicious, messy, and addictive, leaving everyone with a trail of white powder down their shirts and on their faces. Hence the nickname, Amish crack.

LaGrange Restaurants

Just down the road, in LaGrange, there are plenty of dining options that are open late and on Sundays. There aren’t many businesses open after 5:00 or on Sundays in Shipshewana, but LaGrange is a great option for dinner and dining, just within their downtown area. They offer a variety of options, including a Mexican restaurant, burgers, barbecue, and pizzas.

Shipshewana Shopping

I can’t go to Shipshewana without doing a little bit of shopping. I always suggest the Davis Mercantile because it has shops within one building. Three levels of the building feature food and shops, including a popular fabric store, a music store, a toy store, and more. On the top level is a historic carousel that anyone can ride. It is one of the top 100 Things to do in Indiana Before You Die. On the lower level, check out the photos of the building from its early days and see how they incorporated the fascinating tree trunk that is built into the middle of the Mercantile; it was brought here specifically for the Davis Mercantile.

Within Shipshewana’s downtown area, numerous shops offer a variety of boutiques, home goods, crafts, antiques, and lawn furniture, much of which is made by Amish or local artisans. Riverwood Pottery, Scherger’s Kettle Jams and Jellies, Yoder’s Department Store, Yoder’s Meat and Cheese, E&S, Yoder’s Popcorn, Glow Bookstore, and Paige’s Bookstore are some of the shops I’ve visited and recommend.

Things to do in Shipshewana

Shipshewana Flea Market and Auction

The number one seasonal activity in Shipshewana is the flea market. It’s a busy place when the flea market is open. In addition to the flea market, an auction is held every Wednesday, year-round. Everyone is welcome to attend; the auction is open to the public and begins at 9:00 a.m. There will be six to nine live auctions happening simultaneously in the building, so it takes a bit of adjusting to familiarize yourself and not feel too overwhelmed. However, it’s worth it if you’re looking for items that are especially hard to find. While browsing, I came across many items that I don’t usually find elsewhere.

Blue Gate Music Hall and Performing Arts Center

In addition to the Blue Gate Music Hall, the Blue Gate also features a newer Performing Arts Center, where concerts are hosted year-round. I attended a Bee Gees tribute band concert there, and the facilities are phenomenal. The seats are extremely comfortable, which is very important to me. And the acoustics are great. I loved that day. They have all of the walls decorated with memorabilia from musicians and various autographed mementos.

Stutzman’s Dairy Farm

Take a tour of Stutzman’s Dairy Farm. If you want to see an Amish farm and a working dairy operation, Stutzman’s offers tours twice a day. These tours, led by the Amish owners, aim to educate visitors about the farm, the process of milk production, and even offer the opportunity to milk a cow. You’ll find Stutzman’s dairy milk products available throughout Shipshewana.

Other Things to Do in Shipshewana

The Menno-Hof Museum is a museum that invites visitors to learn about Mennonite and Amish culture and beliefs. It was a stop on my itinerary, but time didn’t allow me to visit. So, it’s on my list of places to see when I return.

Would you like to take a ride in an Amish buggy? Eat at an Amish home? Make baskets? Learn how to make soft pretzels? You can do all of these things in Shipshewana. Visit the Shipshewana Visitor Center for information on these outings and check out my blog post on Shipshewana tips for even more things to do in LaGrange County!

Take a tour of Shipshewana

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