Santa Claus Celebrates Christmas!

In case you missed this year's Christmas in Santa Claus Festival, here's a look at all the wonderful activities enjoyed by thousands of visitors. Be sure to get on our Christmas Brochure mailing list for next year by calling 1-888-444-9252 or emailing tourism@psci.net. Merry Christmas to all!

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Looking for Lights?

The Christmas Lake Village Festival of Lights is organized by homeowners who live in this unique holiday themed neighborhood located in the quaint town of Santa Claus, Indiana.

Unlike other large-scale holiday light displays which are put on by professional electricians, these amazing decorations featuring hundreds of thousands of lights are all put up by ordinary residents making extraordinary efforts.

Vehicles embark on a 15-mile journey past nearly 800 homes throughout the 12 themed neighborhoods in the gated community of Christmas Lake Village. While driving along holiday named streets like Candy Cane, Jingle Bell, Snowball and Chestnuts by the Fire, visitors take part in a magical Christmas experience. Seeing the reflection of the holiday lights on Christmas Lake will take your breath away! The festival includes inspiring light motifs such as The Polar Express and Frosty’s Evergreen Forest. Awards are given for best special effects, best theme, best Christmas message, and so on. In 2005, nearly 1,400 cars toured the Festival of Lights during the two-day event.

The Festival of Lights is held in conjunction with the Christmas in Santa Claus Festival, held the second weekend of December each year. Visitors can tour from 5 p.m. to 9 p.m. both Saturday and Sunday nights. This will be the 22nd Annual Festival of Lights in Christmas Lake Village.

Here in Santa Claus, Indiana we get a bit carried away with our holiday celebrations, but can you blame us? We’re just trying our best to honor our town's namesake! For more information, please call the Spencer County Visitors Bureau, 1-888-444-9252.

Dear Santa.......

It's time to start thinking about what you will be asking Santa Claus for this Christmas!

By sending your child's letter to us here in Santa Claus, Indiana, we'll be sure it gets to him just in time for Christmas!

Children wishing to write to Santa should address their letters to: Santa Claus, P.O. Box 1, Santa Claus, IN 47579. Parents should check that a legible return address is included because with the help of Santa's Elves, Inc., children will receive a response back from him.

Donations to help pay postage costs also may be sent to the same address.

Christmas is Coming!

Now that you've packed away your pumpkins it's time to start planning your family's holiday trip to Santa Claus in Spencer County, Indiana!

The Christmas in Santa Claus Festival is the best place in the Midwest to celebrate the holidays!

Start the day with a tasty pancake breakfast with Santa, check out the Christmas Craft Show, tour Santa's Candy Castle, travel back in time at the Santa Claus Museum and wrap up the day with a twinkling tour of the Festival of Lights in Christmas Lake Village.

The 2006 Christmas in Santa Claus Festival will be held Saturday & Sunday Dec. 9-10. Other highlights include a parade featuring the Jolly Ol' Elf himself, holiday concerts and story time with Santa.

This southern Indiana town is home to the only Post Office in the world with the Santa Claus name. Each year a special picture postmark cancellation stamp is available for holiday mail.

The Rockport Christmas Festival, located in southern Spencer County also will include a breakfast with Santa, Christmas at the Library program, parade and craft show in the vintage county courthouse.

Visitors also can experience a musical celebration of Christmas performed by hometown talents in the Spencer County Courthouse Auditorium. The festival events, sponsored by the Association for a Better Rockport, will take place Saturday Dec. 2, with an additional musical performance on Sunday, Dec. 3. Rockport is home to a beautiful lighted Christmas Star, mounted 150 feet high on a bluff overlooking the Ohio River.

For more information, these unique Christmas experiences, people may call the Spencer County Visitors Bureau, 1-888-444-9252.

Click here for our winter events schedule!

Take a Look at Our Fall Festivals

In an earlier blog entry I told you about all the fabulous fall festivals hosted in Spencer County. See all the fun you've been missing in this slideshow of fall photos. There are still a few fall events remaining! For a schedule, click here.

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Enjoy Family Fun at Fall Frolic

Fall fun for the whole family can be found at the Friends of Lincoln State Park Fall Frolic this weekend!

Take in the season's glowing fall foliage while enjoying a variety of activities including hayrides, a haunted trail, pumpkin painting, games, concessions and more.

The Fall Frolic kicks off Oct. 13-14, and will also be held Saturday, Oct. 21 and Saturday, Oct. 28.

All proceeds from the event will be used by Friends of Lincoln State Park for improvement projects and future activities. The Friends designated project for 2006 is the purchase of interpretive signs for the Noah Gordon Mill Site and Col. William Jones Home.

The $5 per vehicle park entrance fee applies to all events and there may be a small fee for craft activities.

For more information, people may visit www.lspfriends.org, or call 937-4710.

The mission of Friends of Lincoln State Park is to support appreciation, conservation, enhancement, understanding and responsible use of the natural, cultural and historic resources that are the foundation of Lincoln State Park by generating funds through memberships, grants, gifts, bequests or other means and by providing avenues of volunteer service through activities, events and special projects.

Colbert: In Case You Missed it!

If you didn't get a chance to see Spencer County's recent apperance on Comedy Central's Colbert Report, click here to see it! While we are thinkin' Lincoln around here, don't worry, we'll still pause for Clause!

Lincoln Vs. Santa

In Spencer County, we have some pretty big egos to deal with. But we try our best to promote both Abraham Lincoln and Santa Claus equally. This unique situation recently caught the attention of the telivision world. Comedy Central's Colbert Report recently interviewed Holiday World President Will Koch and local lincoln scholar Jerry Sanders. In addition, the crew came out from Spencer County to film our unique landmarks and a handful of local residents. Check back on the blog to see when the show will air.

Get Ready to Ride!

There's no doubt the Bakuli (pronounced bah-COOL-ee) is going to be cool! The new seven-story water slide is part of a $4.5 million expansion project for Holiday World & Splashin' Safari's 2007 season.

Holiday World President Will Koch held a press conference Wednesday to outline the park's new projects.

Bakuli is the Swahili word for "bowl" and that is exactly where this ride takes you......swirling round and round in a huge, colorful bowl! Start seven stories up and climb into a four-person cloverleaf raft. You'll be launched into a very dark, very steep tunnel that's full of surprises.

You know how The Voyage has three 90-degree curves? So does Bakuli! And you know how Zinga flings you into a huge funnel? Bakuli drops you into a gigantic purple, green and yellow bowl that measures 60 feet across!

Other new projects include the Turkey Whirl and Plymouth Rock Cafe, which will be added to the park's Thanksgiving Section.

For more details on these exciting new projects, visit www.holidayworld.com.

Fall Festivals Coming Soon!

Glowing fall foliage fills Spencer County's historic parks providing a stunning backdrop for our festive autumn events.

History comes alive here, where Abraham Lincoln once lived with his pioneer family. The former Lincoln family farm is now home to Lincoln Boyhood National Memorial and Lincoln State Park. Both include hiking trails with countless scenic vistas to capture the beauty of the fall season.

Visitors also can travel back in time by joining in an authentic Native American Pow Wow at Rockport City Park or touring a Civil War Encampment at the Colonel William Jones Home.

Fabulous food, creative crafts and games for the whole family can be found at the many fall festivals hosted by Spencer County's friendly communities.

The Dale Fall Festival will kick off the fall season in Spencer County Sept. 7-9. You won't want to miss the hog wrestling, but if you'd rather chow down on a pig than wrestle one, you'll want one of the festivals famous pork chop dinners. Other festival highlights include rides, games, live entertainment and a parade Saturday, Sept. 9, at 2 p.m.

Click here for a complete listing of upcoming Fall Festivals! To request a copy of our Experience Fall in Spencer County brochure, email tourinfo@psci.net.

Welcome Lincoln Commission!

History will come to life this week for members of the Indiana Abraham Lincoln Bicentennial Commission as they tour Spencer County's Lincoln sites.

Established last year by the Indiana state legislature, the Commission's purpose is to bring attention to the role Indiana played in Lincoln's life. The 200th birthday of the nation's 16th President Abraham Lincoln will be celebrated Feb. 12, 2009. Lincoln spent 14 formative years in Spencer County, living here from age 7 to 21.

On Thursday, Aug. 31, the Commission will tour Lincoln Boyhood National Memorial, Colonel Jones Home, Lincoln State Park and Lincoln Amphitheatre. The commission will hold a meeting Friday, Sept. 1, from 8 a.m. to noon at the Lincoln Boyhood National Memorial's Visitors Center.

The Spencer County Visitors Bureau assisted in making arrangements for the group's visit.

Voyage Takes Top Honors

Holiday World's Voyage roller coaster is the Best New Ride of 2006. This top honor was announced this afternoon by Amusement Today magazine, which presented the results of its annual survey of the "best of the best" in the amusement park industry during the Golden Ticket Awards ceremony, hosted this year by Holiday World.

A second Golden Ticket Award, Best New Waterpark Ride, was presented to Holiday World & Splashin' Safari's president, Will Koch, for Splashin' Safari's new Bahari River.

The Golden Ticket Awards named Holiday World & Splashin' Safari the #1 Friendliest Park for the ninth consecutive year and #1 Cleanest Park for the seventh year in a row, outranking such parks as Disney World, Kings Island, Busch Gardens, and Cedar Point.

Holiday World will be open Labor Day Weekend, Sept. 2-4, as well as Saturdays throughout the month of September.

Lake Rudolph to Expand

Lake Rudolph Campground & RV Resort is one of Spencer County's most popular places to stay. With an expansion project now underway, the resort will be able to accomodate even more visitors next summer.

Construction crews are now clearing a path that will soon lead to additional rental King Size RVs. These King size Rental RV's sleep up to 8 people and include a king size bed in the master bedroom, two bathrooms, a refrigerator, stove, microwave and air conditioning! Now that's camping in style!

The resort also recently added more Wi-Fi Hot Spots where campers can access the internet for free on their laptops. Other campground features include a gigantic pool called Blitzen Bay, a fishing lake with paddleboats, mini golf, camp store, game room and even a laundromat. For more information, people may call 1-877-4RUDOLPH.

Find Us at the Fair!

The Staff of the Spencer County Visitors Bureau will take part in Visit Indiana Day at the Indiana State Fair Friday, Aug. 18.

We will be spreading the word about Spencer County's Legendary Places and Legendary Faces. Visitors to the state fair can register to win a Spencer County Experience, including a two-night stay at Lake Rudolph Campground & RV Resort and two tickets to Holiday World & Splashin' Safari.

More than 60 visitors bureaus and tourist attractions from around the state will have informational booths at the event, sponsored by the Indiana Office of Tourism Development.

We'll see you at the fair!

Happy Birthday Holiday World!

For 60 years now, millions have come to Holiday World & Splashin' Safari to find family fun.

The park's founder, Evansville, Indiana, industrialist Louis J. Koch must have known something about family fun, with nine children of his own to entertain!

The nation's first theme park celebrated its 60th birthday this week on Thursday, Aug. 3.

Opening in 1946 as Santa Claus Land the park was home to a toy shop, themed children's rides and of course Santa was there too.
In 1984, Santa Claus Land grew to include Halloween and 4th of July sections, and the park's name was changed to Holiday World. Larger rides were added; in all, Holiday World features 100 acres of rides, shows, games, and attractions.

This year, to celebrate its 60th anniversary, a new holiday was added. The new Thanksgiving section includes section includes a recording-breaking new wooden coaster, The Voyage; plus Gobbler Getaway, an interactive turkey-themed dark ride; the new Bahari River in Splashin' Safari, and more.

For more information about Holiday World & Splashin Safari, please visit http://www.holidayworld.com.

Welcome Broncos Fans!

A recent article in The Denver Post (circulation 801,000 copies) highlights Santa Claus, Indiana, as the hometown of new Broncos quarterback Jay Culter.

http://www.denverpost.com/sports/ci_4113574

We hope the article peaks the interest of those in the mile high city, inspiring them to come see what Santa Claus Indiana is all about. Santa Claus is afterall home to the only post office in the world with the Santa Claus name, as well as the world's first theme park, Holiday World & Splashin' Safair. Not to mention the Santa Claus Museum, Santa's Candy Castle and countless Santa statues.

Reporter Mike Klis studied up on Santa during a recent visit here and does an excellent job explaining the history of our uniuqe town.

No one knows if Jay Cutler will be the next John Elway, but we're counting on an infulx of Broncos Fans either way.

Merry Christmas in July!

Christmas came early at the Santa Claus Museum!

Charles Hirsch of Newburgh generously donated more than 250 Santa figures to the museum.

The jolly new additions were unveiled to the public during a Christmas in July event Tuesday, July 25.

The museum includes artifacts and photographs from founder Pat Koch's private collection, the Holiday World archives, plus loaned and donated treasures from collectors with personal ties to the town of Santa Claus.

The museum includes exhibits on:

The early beginnings of Santa Claus, Ind.;

The history of the famous Santa Claus Post Office;

The beginning of tourism in Santa Claus with the Candy Castle and Barrett Park;

The history of Santa Claus Land and its evolution to Holiday World; and

Letters to Santa and the local tradition of responding to the millions of children who send them.

The Santa Claus Museum is located two doors south of the Santa Claus Post Office in the Kringle Place shopping center. For more information, call 1-812-937-2687, or visit the museum's website at http://www.santaclausmuseum.org.

Room at the Inn????

There's no denying that Spencer County is a summer hot spot! But if you're looking for a place to stay while visiting here, don't worry.......we've got a room just for you!

Lodging is still available at several Spencer County hotels listed below. You'll find more choices at more affordable rates if you plan your trip to Spencer County during the week, rather than on the weekend. Discount Holiday World tickets are also available through our local hotels.

Santa's Lodge, the closest hotel to Holiday World & Splashin' Safari, Lincoln State Park and Lincoln Boyhood Memorial, has rooms available by calling 812-937-1902 or visiting www.santaslodge.com

Motel 6, located on I-64 at exit 57 in Dale, as rooms available by calling 1-812-937-2294 or visiting www.greenrivermotel.com

Baymont Inn, also located on I-64 at exit 57 in Dale, has rooms available by calling 812-937-7000 or visiting www.baymontinns.com

One Sweet Spot!

Santa's Candy Castle is Spencer County's sweetest spot!

Handmade chocolates fill glass cases in a red and white striped room that makes you feel like you're inside one of the Castle's gourmet candy canes, which are available in a wide array of flavors from buttered popcorn to juicy pear.

Peek around the corner and you'll find the Jolly Ole Elf himself, eagerly listening to wide-eyed children getting a head start on their Christmas wish list.

But don't think Santa's Candy Castle is just for kids, grownups will love looking through the castle's rotunda which houses a gallery of nostalgia chronicling the 70-year history of the recently restored building.

Santa's Candy Castle is located on Highway 245 in Santa Claus. For more information on the Castle, people may visit www.santascandycastle.com or call 812-544-3900.

A Lesson on Lincoln

The tree-lined two-lane roads of Spencer County are worlds away from the congested sidewalks of New York City.

Writer Martin Edlund, on assignment with the Wall Street Journal, made the journey to Spencer County on June 29-30. He set out to learn more about the journey Abraham Lincoln's family made to Indiana in 1816 as well as what their pioneer life was like here.

Edlund toured Lincoln Boyhood National Memorial, Lincoln State Park, the Holiday World O.V. Brown Lincoln Collection, Lincoln Pioneer Village, Rockport's Ohio River Bluff area, and Buffalo Run Farm during his trip here.

He also met with members of the Spencer County Abraham Lincoln Bicentennial Committee who passed along their excitement about plans for upcoming special events.

Edlund's story will focus on the area's efforts to promote its Lincoln heritage as the 200th birthday of our nation's 16th president approaches on February 12, 2009.

A publication date has not yet been determined for the article about Edlund's Lincoln Experiences here in Spencer County.

The Wall Street Journal, with a circulation of over 2 million copies daily, is thought of as the most widely-read publication among the nation's business and investment community.