Rehearsals Begin at Lincoln Amphitheatre!

With less than a month until opening night, the cast and crew of LINCOLN - Forging Greatness began rehearsals this week at Lincoln Amphitheatre.

Above they are practicing a fight scene! How exciting! The new show, which opens June 12, will feature an Amish-Style meal, artisan demonstrations, a historical exhibit and a Broadway-quality production.

Call 800-264-4ABE for tickets!

Progress Continues on Lincoln Bicentennial Plaza

Construction workers put finishing touches on the Lincoln Bicentennial Plaza in Lincoln State Park. The plaza, a tribute to President Abraham Lincoln's 200th birthday, is scheduled for unveiling on June 12 at 10 a.m.

Rockport Lincoln Pioneer Village Hosts Rendezvous

Rockport Lincoln Pioneer Village hosted hundreds this weekend during it's first Rendezvous event! The park was packed with demonstrations on everything from muzzle loading to blacksmithing and weaving to sheep sheering.

A Civil War Encampment was set up along the outside of the village gates while inside each of the replica cabins from the Lincoln era featured different pioneer themes.

The South Spencer Rebel Singers along with village volunteers performed excerpts from Billy Ed Wheeler's Young Abe Lincoln.

Below is a slideshow of photos from the event. Enjoy!

Over 3,000 Attend Indiana Penny Unveiling at Lincoln Amphitheatre

Despite the rain a huge crowd of coin collectors and Lincolnfiles turned out today at the release of the U.S. Mint's new Indiana Penny. The one cent coin is the second in a series of four new pennies to be issued this year.

The event included more than 200 school children, the director of the U.S. Mint Edmond Moy, and The Celebration Singers.

More than 20,000 rolls of pennies were exchanged during the event in just a few hours time.

Taking the Plunge!

Last week, just before Holiday World opened for the season, I got a chance to take a ride on the world's new tallest water ride: Pilgrims Plunge. I am second from the back on the left side in the photo above. The one screaming her head off!

This ride is a great combination of a roller coaster, a water slide and a monsoon! I definitely suggest riding it in a swimsuit! You can actually access Pilgrims Plunge from Holiday World's "dry park" or the Splashin' Safari Water Park.

A few fun facts about Pilgrims Plunge:

TOWER HEIGHT:165 feet
ELEVATOR LIFT HEIGHT:135 feet
DROP:131 feet, 45-degree angle
BOATS:Five 10-passenger boats
TOP SPEED:50+ mph
RIDE TIME:2 minutes, 40 seconds
DUAL ENTRY:Board from Holiday World or Splashin' Safari
HEIGHT RESTRICTIONS:Riders must be at least 48" tall with shoes on or 47" when measured barefoot
WORLD RECORD:World's Tallest Water Ride

Pictured in the front row are Holiday World & Splashin' Safari owner Will Koch and Santa Claus himself who traded his sleigh for a boat on this day. It may take him until Christmas to get his boots to dry out! He was dumping a lot of water out of them after the ride!

You can find more photos from the Plunge's debut on my Facebook page!