Santa Statues in Santa Claus, Indiana

If you've ever traveled to Santa Claus, Indiana, you know that we celebrate the holiday season 365 days a year. But have you ever noticed all of the varied Santa Claus statues scattered throughout the town?

Outside in Kringle Place, I saw a family taking photos of their family members next to, and on top of, the oversized Santa statue outside of the Santa Claus Museum and Spencer County Visitors Bureau and it got me thinking... exactly how many Santas are in the town of Santa Claus?!

There are a few statues that visitors can stand next to... some that are out of reach... a few that look down from above... and even others that are spread throughout the town. Do you know how many? Do you want to guess?!

Now, this doesn't count all of the many Santa statues inside of the Santa Claus Christmas Store but there may be some nearby...

There is a $20 gift certificate to the Santa Claus Christmas Store for the person who guesses the number of Santa statues in Santa Claus, Indiana (or get the closest) by Monday, July 26 at 10:00 am CDT. The statues must be at least 2-foot tall and found outdoors within the town limits. All answers can be posted to the Santa Claus, Indiana Facebook fan page on the post with this topic.  Each person may only guess once and if there are several correct answers, a winner will be selected at random.  In order to play along and count the Santa statues, participants cannot be a local resident and must be at least 13 years of age.

Can YOU count the Santa Claus statues in the town of Santa Claus? I've already told you where to find a few... can you find the rest?

Gary Brackett visits Holiday World

Even though the sky is cloudy today, Gary Brackett is brightening the day of children from 15 special families at Holiday World & Splashin' Safari. Indianapolis Colts Defensive Captain, Gary Brackett, brought several families from all over the state to the Park in Santa Claus, Indiana, as part of "Gary Brackett's IMPACT Foundation."

I lined up with the rest of the crowd to meet Brackett and got a personalized autographed picture – I always love meeting new people :) ! I was able to capture a short video of Brackett at Holiday World to share with everyone. While I sat down for just a short few minutes, I made sure that Brackett was going to enjoy the Park for the rest of the day (after all of the interviews, of course) - and he's looking forward to it!



For more information about "Gary Brackett's IMPACT Foundation," visit www.garybrackett.org.

Find Santa Claus on Facebook or Twitter!

LINCOLN - Indiana's American Story

I had the opportunity to see opening night at Lincoln Amhpitheatre... and it was spectacular! LINCOLN: Upon the Altar of Freedom, debuted its second season last night with new enhancements from the premiere season in 2009.

The night air was hot and humid but the enthusiasm that spread among the cast, crew, and audience made up for the summer stickiness! One of my favorite parts of the evening was before the show even began... the characters mingled with the crowd, demonstrating skills and childen's games from the Lincoln era.

John Wilkes Booth and a soldier began an argument before we took our seats and an ensemble of characters entertained us with a cappella songs that Lincoln would have listened to many years ago.

LINCOLN, the play by Ken Jones, brings the audience into the mind of Lincoln and throughout his time in Indiana. It was during Lincoln’s 14 years in this area that he developed a thirst for knowledge and reading. In addition, Lincoln lost two important women during this time: his mother, Nancy Hanks Lincoln, and his sister, Sara Lincoln. The formative years Lincoln spent in Indiana helped developed the character of our beloved 16th president.

If you love Lincoln history or theatre in general, make sure to bring your family to this beautiful outdoor venue and experience LINCOLN this summer! Learn more about Lincoln and sites dedicated to his life in Indiana at www.LegendaryPlaces.org

(I've put together a short clip of the pre-show activities for you to view :) Enjoy!)