On Friday and Saturday, Sept. 9-10, the town of Schererville, Ind. celebrated their 150th anniversary by hosting a festival at Redar Park. The birthday celebration included balloon rides, bands, food, vendors and carnival rides. People from all walks of life traveled to experience the tastes, sounds and sights of the festival.
Many people showed up over the weekend with their friends and family ready to have a good time no matter the weather, rain or shine.
“I think it went great actually. There were a ton a people [at the event]. I think people enjoyed the music, food and craft vendors. People especially loved the knocker balls and were getting in them like crazy. I saw a lot of families enjoying the festival even though the weather didn’t start out well,” Joshua Barnes, Program Coordinator at Schererville Parks Department, said.
The bands that played were Final Say, Deutsch Meisters, Die Musikmeisters and the Ultimate Rock Experience, with internationally known artists Kofi Baker, Corky Laing and Artimus Pyle. Along with the variety of music, there were different styles of food to choose from. Food vendors included The Roaring Hog, Houlihan’s, Sweet Frog, The Coffee Cabin and numerous others. Activities for young kids included jump houses, carousel rides and a swing ride.
Before Indiana became a state, this area was known as the “Crossroads.” Many of the trails making up the landscape were crossed by Native Americans, and were later used as routes for wagons traveling west. One of the settlers in this area was Nicholas Scherer, born 1807 in Germany. He arrived in the United States in 1846 with his family. When he arrived migrated to this area in 1865, he founded the community of Schererville that bears his name. Schererville has a slogan that represents the origin of the land it is made up of: “Crossroads of the Nation.” The town was named one of the “100 Best Places to Live in the U.S.” by Money Magazine in 2007. The town of Schererville has been thriving for 150 years and is sure to have 150 more.
