What an amazing summer 2019 has been. Sure, here recently there have been days of unbelievable heat and dry crunchy grass, preceded by a smattering of tornadoes and farmers wrestling with the rain to get crops in while our couples wrestled with rain to get outdoor ceremonies in, but that’s what makes it fun, right? We have just passed our halfway mark for the 2019 events planned at Whippoorwill Hill, and it seems like an appropriate time to stop, reflect, tee up the second half of our season, and, most importantly, express our sincerest gratitude.
The farm has seen many couples say “I do.” It has seen a few mommies, daddies, and kiddos solidify their families through marriage. It has seen many loved ones nearby, partying, crying tears of joy, and celebrating; while too often it has seen vacant seats and tables and candles dedicated to loved ones lost. The farm has congratulated and celebrated graduates for their hard work in high school and college. It has mourned with patrons during a celebration of life. It has hosted a few organizations’ fundraisers to support the local community. Each and every event that has taken place holds a unique and special place in our hearts, and each passing event seems to help write the farm’s story—like each celebration is a special little sliver of Whippoorwill Hill’s already long and beautiful history. To all of our customers who have written their history on the farm, we can’t thank you enough for entrusting us with your special day.
Now, to tee up the second half of the year, there are three things that we want you, our charming readers, to take away about the next several months: the second annual Harvest Market, Sanders Store updates, and our open house dates.
Throughout the year, our customers are the creative drivers for all events held at Whippoorwill Hill. We try to support each customer’s vision and do our level best to make their dreams come true on their special day. The Harvest Market is the only event throughout the year during which we take the creative reins—and we look forward to it all year round! The Harvest Market is a gathering of farmers, artisans, and boutique vendors that we love shopping with all in one place, for two days only. Our goal is to bring these creative, local, and quality products to a single space directly before the holiday season to make the holiday hustle and bustle a bit more fun. This year’s vendor list has grown from last year’s to around 40, and the hayride, s’mores bar & fire pits, food trucks, pony rides, and mini sessions are still a go! Vendors will be coming from Indianapolis to Montgomery, from Scottsburg to the Downtown Bloomington Square. Please mark your calendars for the Harvest Market this year, Nov 22nd and 23rd!
Next, the Sanders Store. The excitement we feel for the Harvest Market is rivaled by the excitement percolating about the development of the Sanders Store. The amount of work that Mom and Dad have put in to set the store up for success is awe-inspiring. It turns out, to make parking and the septic system work around the store, Mom and Dad needed more land than what was included in the sale of the store. So, in true Fields fashion, they went ahead and negotiated a deal to purchase the house next to the store in order to secure enough land to park cars and have a septic system (note: the Sanders Store has never had a septic system or indoor toilet and no sewer is available). The purchase of the house next door and the subsequent renovation and rental on that house is complete—new septic, new flooring, complete rewiring, addition of a bathtub, and a new family all moved in. Now that the house is all squared away and there is ample room for parking and septic, Mom and Dad are turning the focus, once again, to the Sanders Store. Right now, the estimated time of completion is November 1st 2019, but we will certainly keep you posted with updates to that date!
Finally, open houses. We’ve learned a lot over the past few years in business, and one thing we have come to realize is that we were not offering enough opportunities for our customers or other patrons to come see the farm. So, we have started a monthly open house, usually on a Sunday, during which we are present at the farm for three or four hours. During this time we have had ancestors of the farm’s original owners come spend time in the house, history buffs tour the historic grounds, photographers doing mini sessions or engagement sessions, and prospective and existing customers come check out the space and spend a few hours planning their event. Whatever category you fall into, we’d love to have you at our next open house this Sunday, August 25th, from 1-4 p.m. If you’re not able to make this one, please check out the calendar tab on our webpage for more open house dates!
