By Mandy McFarland Editor
NAPPANEE — Featured among the many returning favorite attractions at the annual Amish Acres Arts and Crafts Festival were several new sights never before seen during the nationally-known four-day event.
Agreeable weather conditions and comfortable temperatures brought crowds out for the annual festival.
Chris Camp

On one side of the festival grounds was Chris Camp was onhand to whip up some unique stunts. Camp’s whip tricks have earned him appearances on “The Tonight Show With Jay Leno” and in “Ripley’s Believe It or Not” and “The Guiness Book of World Records.” Camp’s performance features a variety of tricks, from the seemingly simple to the almost impossible. Audience participation makes Camp’s show more personal, while plenty of humor keeps everyone chuckling.
Wild Kingdom Adventure
Across the farm’s pond was the Mutual of Omaha’s Wild Kingdom Adventure Tour, featuring lifelike animatronic animals from a variety of climates, like dense jungles and the icy tundra. The tour attracted visitors both young and young-at-heart.
Entertainment
Throughout the festival the Entertainment Tent buzzed with activity, from La Monet’s Grey Horse Band to the Knock Knock Hoosier String Band, and even a musical worship service with Bethel College quintet The Jerusalem Project.
Dancin’ tent,
kids’ shows
Over at the Dancin’ Tent, Inclognito Cloggers, the Heartland Country Cloggers and others kept the mood lively with their toe-tapping rhythms and graceful movements.
Kids had the chance to catch a marionette version of “The Wizard of Oz” at the Children’s Tent, and magician Ken Ernsberger and his father were onhand to twist balloon creations. Ernsberger also gave several magic shows each day.
Shortest parade
A unique aspect of the festival was The World’s Shortest Parade, featuring just one fire truck from the Nappanee Smoky Stovers volunteer fire department, members of the NorthWood High School Red Regiment and this year’s arts and crafts competition winners.
Vendors
No arts and crafts festival would be complete without a vareity of vendors, and the 2009 Arts and Crafts Festival every year features hundreds from throughout the country.
Each year, these vendors fill the grounds at Amish Acres with sights, sounds and smells, from guitars and dulcimers to donkey ears and sasafras tea to colorful handmade craft items.
Shoppers browsed this year's selections, which seemed to feature something for just about everybody.