As a child, one of my favorite memories is going to the Parke County Covered Bridge Festival with my Grandpa Baxter. He grew up in Parke County and I cherish every moment I spent with him exploring the covered bridges and going to the festival.

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My Earliest Memory

I must have been around five years old and I remember him taking me to a village right outside of Rockville, IN, one of the cities in Parke County that is a part of the festival. He held my hand as we walked on the wooden front porch of the Billie Creek Village General Store. I remember walking into the store and getting some candy sticks. My favorites were watermelon and root beer.

Grandpa Gave Me A Gift

As we left the store, we saw an artist with an aisle drawing portraits. He was using a piece of charcoal to draw a face and shoulders onto a light blue piece of drawing paper. Grandpa told me he wanted the artist to draw a picture of the prettiest girl at the festival. I sat perfectly still as people walked by and commented on how well-behaved and cute I was. Grandpa looked at me with a big smile on his face and I knew, in his eyes, I WAS the prettiest girl there, and it made me feel that way. I lost that drawing in a flood, along with most of the photos from my childhood. But, my memories remain. I'll never forget.

The Parke Couty Covered Bridge Festival Is Special

Leslie Morgan
Leslie Morgan
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The festival combines food, vendors, arts and crafts, antiques, 31 covered bridges, and nostalgic historical towns into Indiana’s largest festival, The Covered Bridge Festival. This 10-day festival always starts on the 2nd Friday in October.

Zacke Cox covered bridge
Getty Images/iStockphoto
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Indiana's Covered Bridges Are A Beautiful Backdrop For The Perfect Fall Festival

Parke County, Indiana is filled with historic covered bridges and a festival event that offers you everything you love about Fall.

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