PARKE COUNTY, Ind. (WTWO/WAWV) — The smell of food filling the air is one of the many things at this weekend’s Covered Bridge Festival that left festival guests smiling and laughing.
Jim Meece, president of the Parke County Board of Commissioners, said ensuring the return of the festival was critical for the community.
“For some of these organizations, this opportunity at the Covered Bridge Festival is their only access to extra funds and this funds all their good work throughout the year,” Meece explained. “I’m excited that all these organizations are going to be able to get back to doing things they’ve always done so well.”
To help generate extra revenue, some businesses implemented new strategies. St. Joseph Church did so with a pre-ordering service.
“This is very important to us. We do depend on it,” Lawrence Williams of St. Joseph Church said. “Before the festival even opened yesterday morning, we actually sold over 2,800 crullers before it opened. So it is a big thing financially for us.”
Last year officials decided to cancel the festival due to a rise in COVID-19 cases.
“The toughest part about cancelling last year is we knew a lot of people were going to lost a lot of income,” Meece said. “We understand that but it’s hard to balance that against human life or sickness.”
For Williams, he said he looks forward to spending time with his church members.
“We have people that volunteer and just come into help because it is just a good time and you’d think so different ages, so different back grounds of people why it would be such a pleasant place but it is,” Williams said. “It’s a wonderful place to come in and help.”
The Covered Bridge Festival lasts through Oct. 17.
