Jeff Tryon is a former news editor of The Brown County Democrat, and a former region reporter for The Republic. Born and raised in Brown County, he currently lives with his wife, Sue, in a log cabin on the edge of Brown County State Park. He is a Baptist minister.
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Mark Blackwell no longer makes his home in Brown County where “the roadway is rough and the slopes are seamed with ravines” He now resides within sight of the sixth green of an undisclosed golf course. He was born in the middle of the last century and still spends considerable time there.
Julia Pearson wrote for a Franciscan magazine for ten years and served as its human interest editor. She now resides in Lake Woebegone Country for life’s continuing adventures. Julia enjoys traveling and visiting museums of all types and sizes, with her children and grandchildren.
Chrissy Alspaugh is a freelance writer and owner of Christina Alspaugh Photography. View her work at <ChristinaAlspaughPhotography. com>.She lives in Bartholomew County with her husband, Matt and three boys.
Jim Eagleman is a 40-year veteran naturalist with the IN DNR. In retirement, he is now a consultant. His program “Nature Ramblings” can be heard on WFHB radio, the Brown County Hour. He serves on the Sycamore Land Trust board. He enjoys reading, hiking, music, and birding. Jim and his wife Kay have lived here for more than 40 years.
Evan Markley was raised in Brown County. He has been a zipline guide at eXplore Brown County and a lifeguard at area pools. He graduated from Indiana University in 2019. He ushers for Pacers Sports and Marketing at Gainbridge Fieldhouse. He enjoys hiking and following NBA basketball. He plans to start his own podcast.
Cindy Steele is the publisher and editor of this magazine. She sells and designs ads, sometimes writes, takes photos, and creates the layout. For fun, she likes to play the guitar or banjo and sing.
Paige Langenderfer is a freelance writer and consultant. She earned her Bachelor’s degree in journalism from Indiana University and her Master’s degree in public relations management from IUPUI. Paige lives in Columbus with her husband and daughters.
Ryan Stacy and his wife recently moved to Pennsylvania and continues to stay connected with our Brown County. He appreciates good movies, good food, and enjoys cultural events. His other interests include reading, photography, and playing music.
Bob Gustin worked as a reporter, photographer, managing editor, and editor for daily newspapers in Colorado, Nebraska, and Indiana before retiring in 2011. He and his wife, Chris, operate Homestead Weaving Studio. She does the weaving while he gives studio tours, builds small looms, and expands his book and record collections.
*Jeff Danielson spent most of his childhood in Wales, Britain, and Scotland after his family moved there from Philadelphia. He attended IU in Bloomington then owned and operated the Runcible Spoon Café for 25 years until he sold it in 2001. He has since become immersed in nature photography. He and his wife D’Arcy live on the Brown County/Monroe County line.
Some of her pottery is thrown on a wheel, some hand built.
“It’s very soothing, very meditative to be on the wheel,” she said, and she feels compelled to build. She also enjoys different glazes, design patterns, colors, and textures. “It’s a fulfilling part of it for me.”
Much of her work is done after research and testing, and she uses brushes to further the unique designs. The Salos bought a potter’s wheel while they lived in Columbus, and she used it in their garage. Now it sits in a central location, in a bright studio with lots of natural light. Three large kilns are contained in a nearby room. A separate gallery displays pottery.
Holly and her husband Damon, who have three adult children, moved to Brown County in 2017, and quickly constructed a large building to
HollySalo’s handmade pottery is an integral part of her involvement in the Brown County community. And that involvement continues to grow.
This year, in addition to being a part of the weekly Nashville Farmer’s Market, she was a guest artist on the annual Brown County Studio Tour, and will set up at the Christkindl Market in December. Samples of her work are for sale at the Brown County Historical Society’s gift shop and at the Brown County Visitors Center.
She will soon be opening a shop at 59 E. Main Street, Suite G (Old School Way alley) in Nashville, called Holly Pots Stoneware.
accommodate storage, a woodworking shop, Holly’s gallery and studio, and an accessory dwelling for Damon’s parents. Holly’s father lives in the basement of her home.
“We’re a family of caretakers,” Damon said.
Holly grew up in Amherst, Massachusetts Art was always a passion for her, whether it was scrapbooking, painting, arranging flowers, or other arts and crafts activities. But she was particularly drawn to clay. Pottery was an important artistic outlet for her, depending on resources, time available and other activities. She met Damon, an Ohio native, when he was studying at an engineering school in Worchester, Mass. She was a friend of a friend of a roommate, he said. The couple married and moved to Hamilton, Ohio, to be closer to his family.
Then jobs at Cummins Inc. took them to Columbus, where he was an engineer and she worked in the human relations department. A reduction in force led Holly to devote more energy to pottery. Damon still works at Cummins.
Holly grew up in an area surrounded by mountains, and when they moved to the area, a trip to Nashville sold her on Brown County.
“I said, ‘This is the first thing I’ve seen in the Midwest that actually reminds me of home. We need to move here.’”
“Suddenly during COVID, I had time,” she said.
The store might mean cutting back on some shows and some custom orders. The Salos believe it will mean more efficient use of time, since heavy and fragile pottery requires lots of setup time at shows.
“Last month she did two shows and lost six productive days,” Damon said. Holly’s mother-in-law, Sue Salo, will help out at the downtown shop.
Holly said she will continue to do the Nashville Farmer’s Market, which helped her understand the Brown County community.
“It’s so low key and so well coordinated,” she said. “It’s the best I’ve been to.”
She will also participate in the Christkindl Market the first weekend of December, as she did last year. But be warned, she said, last year her specially designed ornaments sold out in the first 90 minutes. She has some special mugs prepared for this year’s market. Last year the weather was beautiful in early December, and the event featured craft booths, live music, Santa and Mrs. Claus, wine tasting, and other activities.
“Community is important because everyone needs to feel supported and a part of things. It’s an extension of how I feel about family,” she said. “Family is extremely important to me.”
Holly was chosen to produce the event’s official handmade wine cup this year.
Contact Holly at: <hollypots47448@gmail.com>.
to The Wild Olive is like a trip around the world for your taste buds.
Located at 37 West Main Street, The Wild Olive provides a wide variety of the world’s freshest, most premium Extra Virgin Olive Oil and Balsamic Vinegars.
Store owner Michelle Damrell is celebrating the store being a mainstay in Nashville for 10 years.
“There was no store like it around here and it seemed like a great fit for the area,” Michelle said. “Growing up, my parents introduced me to a variety of foods and flavors. I guess you could say I have always been somewhat of a “foodie.’”
Michelle describes her mom, Carol, as “Betty Crocker.”
“My mom is an exceptional cook. She can cook
anything and her food is always delicious,” Michelle said. “She is the one I call if I have a question about cooking; she calls it ‘cooking by phone.’ I definitely got my love of cooking from my mom.”
Carol volunteers frequently at the store and is the official store decorator.
“My mom is my best friend and biggest supporter,” Michelle said.
Michelle’s dad, Ed, was her inspiration for offering adventurous flavors.
“Dad loved cajun and creole. He was famous for his New Year’s Day dinners,” she said. “He liked taking us to hole-in-the-wall restaurants. When we would go on vacation, he would go to the library to research places for us to try. I get my love of seeking out unique foods and flavors from my dad.”
Her father died in 2011, just one year before the store opened.
“He would have loved the store,” Michelle said. “I hate that he missed it.”
Before opening, Michelle put in countless hours of research, trying to find small batches of olive oil and balsamic vinegar.
Today, the store imports seasonal extra virgin olive oils from all over the world, from farms in Spain, Greece, Italy, Australia, and California.
“Olives are harvested at different seasons in different places,” Michelle said. “We buy the freshest oils in small batches. We like to say that all of our oils and balsamics are born in the Mediterranean and bottled in Brown County.”
Along with traditional extra virgin olive oil and balsamic vinegar, The Wild Olive also sells oils and balsamics in more than 30 different infused flavor varieties.
Michelle said oils and balsamics can be used to make marinades and vinaigrettes, make a reduction or “balsamic glaze,” and used when sautéing, frying, roasting, and grilling foods.
The most popular oils offered at The Wild Olive are the Tuscan Herb and Fresh Garlic Extra Virgin Olive oils and the 25-Star Aged Balsamic Vinegar. Michelle’s “go-tos” are the 25-Star Balsamic and the Fresh Garlic, Garlic Chili, Black Pepper, and Meyer Lemon oils.
“I am constantly looking for new flavors,” she said. “We have flavors that we keep year-round and flavors that we rotate seasonally.”
One way Michelle adds flavors to the store is by customer recommendations.
“We always keep a request sheet at the register so people can write what they would like us to carry,” Michelle said. “If we get enough requests of
the same flavor, we will start offering it in the store.”
Customers are encouraged to taste any of the flavors and to ask questions.
“The staff is very good at talking with everyone. They are very good at helping people learn how to best use our products,” Michelle said. “Our products are for everyone, foodies, novices and chefs. I always try to tell people that a visit to our store is a culinary experience.”
Michelle recommends the four or six bottle sampler gift packs for newbies.
“It’s a great way to try several flavors and learn what you really like,” she said. “The bottles are smaller, but it helps you decide what flavors you like before committing to a larger bottle.”
In addition to her products, Michelle also stocks the store with a collection of complementary culinary products.
“I think it’s important to support people locally, and it’s fun to work with the businesses around you,” Michelle said.
The store carries a full line of dipping blends from Salt Sisters out of Goshen, maple syrup made just up the road from the store, and a variety of products from Indiana company Smoking Goose and Michigan-based American Spoon. A friend from Rockville makes the balsamic jams and preserves, an employee’s mother
”We buy the freshest oils in small batches. We like to say that all of our oils and balsamics are born in the Mediterranean and bottled in Brown County.”
—owner Michelle Damrell
Hobnob and the Bird’s Nest Café use our 25-
Balsamic,” Michelle said. “It is nice when I am able to collaborate with another local, small business.”
said one of her favorite partnerships is with the Jennings County High School culinary arts class. For the past four years, the high school students have developed the chocolate The Wild Olive hands out at the annual Brown County Humane Society
Walk. In 2019, the students’ creation of
fudge cake pops using blood orange olive oil, tied for Best Chocolate.
come up with the recipes, they make it, they package it, label it, and deliver it to the store,” Michelle said. “It is just such a great partnership. I love hearing about their enthusiasm for the project.”
Wild Olive is open from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sunday through Thursday and from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays.
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~by Julia Pearson
Four years ago, Hoosiers read with dismay in the Indianapolis Star, that a much-loved restaurant and Brown County landmark would close its doors. For over nine decades, patrons filled up on the country-fried chicken, ham, mashed potatoes, pies, fried biscuits and apple butter at the Nashville House. This announcement came three months after the passing of owner Andy Rogers. After his estate was settled, Andy’s daughter and son-in-law, Andrea (Andi) Rogers Bartels and Lance Bartels, re-opened this mainstay of hospitality. Many are happy to see
recent photos by Cindy Steele
that the local history timeline of the Nashville House is continuing.
A sign attached to the Nashville House, located on the intersection of East Main Street and South Van Buren Street (State Route 135), states: “Ever since the year 1867, a public hostelry of one form or another has occupied this corner.” In 1859, the original Nashville House was built from local timbers and was a two and a half story structure. It served the tired public— loggers, travelers, and artists—seeking a place to rest their heads and a table with nourishing food. Civil
War re-enactors today use the same recipe for fried biscuits that fed hungry patrons from the Nashville House from that era.
The property was purchased and remodeled by co-founders Jack Rogers and Fred Johnson in 1927. In 1943, a tragic fire consumed the business. But Jack Rogers, with his devotion to Brown County and the community of Nashville, rebuilt on the same location, this time without guest lodging, focusing on home-style cooking and adding a general store.
Andy Rogers took over the business from his father in 1959, making updates to the restaurant but keeping a menu of mouth-watering, hearty homecooked meals in a comfortable, casual dining atmosphere. Dillon Bustin, folklorist and author of If You Don’t Outdie Me, recalled family drives to Nashville from Indianapolis for Sunday dinner at the Nashville House. A boy of eight or nine years old, he was allowed to stand on the counter so he could
scrutinize the photos by Frank Hohenberger that were in the lobby. It was almost like a museum. The general store had local handicrafts like walking sticks, baskets, and wooden toys; as well as apple butter, local honey, jams and jellies, candies, and baked goods.
Andy and his wife, Fran, were on-site continuously, making it a true family-owned and run restaurant. Andi and her sister, Gina, grew up in the business. From the time Andi was seven years old, dressed in smaller versions of the wait staff’s dresses, she bused tables, helped the hostess by seating guests, and made change from the cash drawer—no cash register! She recalls that commercial soft drinks were added to the menu after she left home for college. Until then, all beverages were homemade in-house: coffee, tea, iced tea, lemonade, and chocolate milk.
As a loving tribute to parents Andy and Fran Rogers, and grandfather Jack Rogers, Andi, along with Lance and children Nolan and Ella, devoted the time afforded by the isolation in the early COVID pandemic to restore and update the Nashville House. A Brown County and family tradition lives on.
Kitchen facilities were updated and a patio added for outdoor seating and entertainment. During cold weather, the musicians perform inside at the loft. A full bar was added on top of the original candy counter. The restaurant and general store have the same big stone wood-burning fireplaces, but the upper loft was renovated for private dining. The loft can seat 25 guests and is an ideal choice for business meetings or family events like wedding rehearsal dinners or birthday suppers.
John Peters has been the general manager since February of 2020. Andi and Lance oversee the restaurant and are there every day. Very much part of the community like her parents, Andi has taught art for 18 years, with the last four years at Brown County High School. Lance has a fixed base operation in Seymour. This involves the maintenance and restoration of aircraft, flight instruction, and banner towing, as well as being a pilot for UPS.
The menu of scratch-made foods that the Nashville House is known for has been greatly expanded to include sandwiches, salads, entrees, and appetizers. The full bar, offering hand-crafted cocktails, wine, and craft beers, is named for the Indiana photographer Frank Hohenberger, .
The Nashville House will have a New Year’s Eve dinner, and special dinners for Valentine’s Day, Mother’s and Father’s Days.
that apple butter can be ordered by calling 812-988-4554.
Tradition is just peer pressure from dead people.
—Unknown
coming into that time of the year where we surrender a fair amount of “free will” to “tradition.” Thanksgiving is coming up and we hardly get the last piece of pumpkin pie finished before the Christmas shopping days countdown begins. Undergirding the whole season of festivities is “tradition.”
But what is tradition?
Pretty much it is “the way we’ve always done it.”
Family is where we receive our first lessons in tradition. Most of us are taught the correct way that the silverware goes in the drawer; knives first, then forks, then soup spoons (or the reverse). There is an order that was handed down from one of your grandmas, and probably great or even great-great grandmas—unless you grew up in an anarchist household where you just threw everything in with total abandon.
The big, widely shared traditions generally start taking over our lives around Thanksgiving and Christmas. Thanksgiving is primarily a food and family holiday, whereas Christmas comes with a whole trainload of baggage.
Our American Thanksgiving is a secular holiday that can be traced back to 1621 when a group of English refugees were saved by the indigenous folks that discovered them. According to what many of us learned in school, certain natives
of Massachusetts taught the Pilgrims how to plant and grow corn, squash, and beans. When harvest time came around the Pilgrims decided to have a celebration to thank the Lord for their good fortune.
They invited members of the local native tribe to a feast that lasted three days. We assume that they had corn, beans, and squash along with fish and wild game. In modern times we commemorate this feast by cooking up some corn, boiling down beans, making pumpkin pie (it is in the squash family), plus roasting a turkey, mashing potatoes, and whipping up some tangy cranberry sauce.
It can be a three-day event, but most folks only get one or maybe two days off from work to celebrate. It takes one day to prepare and cook the feast, one day to gorge on the food, and one day to recover from gluttony.
Christmas on has its roots in religion, but has been co-opted into a full-blown secular holiday in this country.
Christmas (Christ Mass) was instituted to celebrate the birth of Jesus, the founder of Christianity, but now it is a worldwide secular and religious holiday.
In the good old USA, Saint Nicholas, a 3td Century Greek, Christian bishop, known for his generosity, has morphed into the Santa Claus we know today. Manger scenes compete with Frosty the Snowman and Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer. Christmas carols get eclipsed by “Jingle Bells” and “Walking in a Winter Wonderland.” Occasionally, the sacred and the secular combine in minor spectacles like the annual TV presentation of “A Charlie Brown Christmas” ( a holiday viewing tradition in my family).
The Christmas holiday has been successful in absorbing an array of pagan traditions.
Practically every home displays an evergreen Christmas tree. But long before the birth of Jesus, various pagan tribes of Europe would decorate their homes with evergreen boughs at mid-winter. The Romans adorned their temples with evergreen branches during their winter solstice celebration of Saturnalia. The evergreens were likely reminders of
life and fertility in the dark days of winter.
By the 16th Century Germans were bringing whole fir trees into the house and decorating them with cookies, apples, and nuts. The practice spread with emigrating Germans and didn’t become popular until the Victorian era.
Queen Victoria and Prince Albert of England both had German ancestry and introduced decorated Christmas trees to Windsor castle in the mid-19th Century. The practice soon caught on with the populace. America was quick to pick up the idea and improve on it.
In 1843, Charles Dickens published his story “A Christmas Carol” which fleshed out the trappings of a Victorian Christmas with its description of Ebenezer Scrooge’s nephew Fred’s Christmas Eve party and the Cratchit family’s Christmas feast.
Now, back to Saint Nicholas. In this country the legend comes to us from the Dutch who settled New Amsterdam in the 1600s, now known as New York. They brought with them Sinterklaas, their version of Saint Nicholas. It wasn’t long before the name became
photos by Jeff Danielson
Nov. 27 Jingle Bell Rockin’ Tribute 2:30
A Christmas Carol
Dec. 2,3, 9-10, 16,17 at 7:30, and 2:30 matinees on Sundays Dec. 4 and 11 Dec. 18 Carol Sing-a-long 2:30 70 S. Van Buren Street 812-988-6555 www.browncountyplayhouse.org
Nov. 3 Lindsey Buckingham
Nov. 5 YES
Nov. 10 Dark Star Orchestra
Nov. 11 Night Ranger
Nov. 26 Phil Vassar & Deana Carter
Dec. 3 The Gatlin Brothers
Dec. 7 Big Bad Voodoo Daddy
Dec. 11 Sara Evans Dec. 16 The Wallflowers Dec. 17 Starship feat. Mickey Thomas Dec. 31 Thunderstruck AC/DC Tribute
Jan. 27 Rick Springfield Jan. 31 Jason Isbell and the 400 Unit Feb. 3 “Weird Al” Yankovic Feb. 18 Dailey & Vincent Mar. 26 Lewis Black 812-988-5323 www.browncountymusiccenter.com
Open Mic Nights Wed. 6:00-9:00
Hill Folk Series Thurs. 7:00-9:00
Fri. & Sat. Live Music 8:00-11:00
Acoustic Brunch (AB) Sat. Noon-3:00
Nov. 3 Monique Rust, Marvin Parish, Tay Bronson
Nov. 4 Phantoms of Radio
Nov. 5 (AB) Allie Jean & Friends Banister Family Band
Nov. 10 Breanna Faith
Nov. 11 Otto & the Moaners
Nov. 12 (AB) Ruben Guthrie
The Hammer & The Hatchet
Nov. 17 Achilles Tenderloin
Nov. 18 Steve Smith
Nov. 19 (AB) Austin James LowLanders
Nov. 25 Gene Deer Band
Nov. 26 (AB) Dave Sisson
The schedule can change. Please check before making a trip.
Nick Dittmeier & The Sawdusters
Dec. 1 Krista Hoose, Kara Cole, Nathan Dillon
Dec. 2 Joe’s Truck Stop Dec. 3 (AB) Gary Applegate & Joe Rock Whiskey Shambles Duo Dec. 8 Paul Bertsch Duo Dec. 9 Matt Lundquist Duo Dec. 10 (AB) Marvin Parish Nathan Dillon Duo Dec. 15 LoveSeat Dec. 16 Krista Hoose Duo Dec. 17 TBA 51 State Road 46 East 812-988-2291 www.browncountyinn.com
Country Heritage Winery Music Fri. & Sat. 6:00-9:00
Nov. 4 Hubie Ashcraft & Missy Bugress Nov. 5 Clearwater Band Nov. 11 Ryan Paul Wilson Nov. 12 Bakersfield Bound Nov. 18 Homemade Jam Nov. 19 Coner Berry Band Nov. 25 Kenan Rainwater Nov. 26 Travers Marks Dec. 2 Steve Fulton Dec. 3 Paul Bertsch Dec. 9 Ruben Guthrie Dec. 10 Gary Applegate & Joe Rock Dec. 16 Kenan Rainwater Dec. 17 Coner Berry Band Dec. 23 Forest Turner Dec. 30 TBA Dec. 31 Clearwater Band 225 S. Van Buren Street 812-988-8500 www.countryheritagewinery.com
Nashville House Music Fri. & Sat. 6:00-9:00, Sun. 1:00-4:00 15 S. Van Buren Street 812-988-4554 www.nashvillehousebc.com
Big Woods Pizza Music Tue. & Fri. 5:00-8:00
Nov. 1 Rich Hardesty Nov. 8 Mak and Pat Nov. 15 Justyn Underwood Nov. 22 Steve Fulton
Nov. 29 Ruben Guthrie Dec. 6 Rich Hardesty Dec. 13 Franny Hall Dec. 20 Justyn Underwood 44 N. Van Buren Street www.bigwoodsrestaurants.com
Hard Truth Hills
Most 6:00-9:00 unless otherwise noted Nov. 4 Bad Monkeys
Nov. 5 1-4-5s
Nov. 11 Derek Howard
Nov. 12 Homemade Jam Nov. 18 Dakota Curtis & the Dark Nov. 19 Gina and Joel Duo
Nov. 25 Zion Crossroads Nov. 26 Scott and Malissa
Dec. 2 Wreath workshop at Tours Center 21+ 6:00
Dec. 3 Wreath workshop at Tours Center 21+ 11:00, 2:00, 6:00
Dec. Fridays and Saturdays Live Music TBA Dec. 17 Ugly Sweater Party w/ Dynamics 6:00-10:00
Dec. 31 New Year’s Eve Party 6:00-10:00 418 Old State Road 46 812-720-4840 www.hardtruthhills.com
19th Hole Sports Bar
Music Fri. 7:00-10:00 | Music Sat. 8:0011:00 | Karaoke 8:00-12:00
Nov. 4 Austin James Nov. 5 Karaoke
Nov. 11 John Ryan
Nov. 12 Ruben Guthrie Nov. 18 TBA
Nov. 19 Forest Gras
Nov. 25 Dave Campbell
Nov. 26 Mitch Ellis
Dec. 2 Austin James Dec. 3 Karaoke
Dec. 9 John Ryan Dec. 10 Two for the Show Dec. 16 Austin James Dec. 17 South of 44 Dec. 23 TBA
Dec. 31 New Year’s Karaoke Party 8-1 2359 East State Road 46 812-988-4323 www.saltcreekgolf.com
Fri. & Sat. 5:00-9:00; Sun. 8:00am–10:30am Brown County State ParkLittle Gem Restaurant 1810 SR 46 East, Nashville 812-988-4418
Nov. 4, Story Inn 6:30-9:00
Three Brown Co. based songwriters: Jan Bell | Jayme Hood | Caitlin Spangler share songs and stories in-the-round (upstairs in barn) 6404 SR 135, Nashville 812-988-2273
Nov. 4, 5 St. Agnes Catholic Church Fri. 9:00-5:00; Sat. 9:00-4:30 1008 McLary Road, Nashville Christmas ornaments/decor, gifts, figurines, collectibles, artisan goods, sewn products, puzzles, wreaths.
Nov. 5, Main St. in Helmsburg 9:00-3:00 Handmade art, crafts, and baked goods.
Nov. 12, Downtown Nashville 10:00-5:00
Sample yummy chocolate treats while strolling through the village of Nashville. Proceeds go to Brown Co. Humane Society. 812-988-7362 bchumane.org
Nov. 12 Brown Co. History Ctr 10:00-3:00 90 E Gould St, Nashville Vendors with variety of arts and crafts. 812-988-2899
Nov. 19, 9:00 am-2:00 pm Brought to you by Brown Co. YMCA Brown County State Park Tree Lighting Ceremony
Nov. 25, Starting at 5:30 Brown Co. History Ctr - Santa 5:30-7:00
90 E Gould St, Nashville
Nov. 25 & 26, Seasons Conference Center
Fri. 10:00-5:00, Sat. 10:00-4:00
Juried show featuring arts and crafts made by area artisans.
Nov. 26, Downtown Nashville 11:00-5:00
Children receive a stocking, collect treats from Nashville merchants.
ChristKindl Market
Downtown Nashville Coachlight Square Dec. 2-4 Holiday Market
One-of-a-kind gifts, family-friendly entertainment, and Christmas spirit.
Benefit Auction
Dec. 2, Brown County Inn, 6:00 Proceeds for Brown Co. children in need.
Santa Train
Dec. 2, around 8:30 p.m. in Helmsburg Santa arrives by train on the Indiana Railroad. Board the train and visit with Santa. Christmas and cartoon characters. NO COVID RESTRICTIONS THIS YEAR
Dec. 2, 3 and 9, 10 | 6:00-8:00 Jackson Twp Fire Dept. Bright lights, Christmas music, and characters. 4831 Helmsburg Road in Helmsburg
Dec. 3, 11:00-1:00 8K run or a 5K run/walk Brown Co State Park Nature Center
Christmas in Antique Alley
Dec. 3, Nashville, 12:00-4:00
Shops located on 75 S. Jefferson St. Christmas music by Indy Crossbones. Santa Claus and miniature donkeys.
DATE TBA 6:00 Floats with lights travel through the Village of Nashville. www.thebrowncountychamber.org
Dec. 3, 12:00-5:00 Brown Co. Art Gallery Holiday winery experience featuring Indiana Upland wineries. Taste wine and food.
Dec. 4, Noon-4:00
T.C. Steele State Historic Site
4220 T.C. Steele Rd, Nashville Open house in the Large Studio and House of the Singing Winds-Christmas program. 812-988-2785
December 10, 11:00 am-3:00 pm
Artists Monique Cagle, Rosey Bolte, Dixie Ferrer, Amy Greely and Michele Pollock join together to host an array of unique, handcrafted fine arts.
4687 Yellowwood Road, Nashville
Brown
What: Based on European holiday traditions, the threeday event features artist booths with one-of-a-kind gifts, family-friendly entertainment, live music, and Christmas spirit with participation from local businesses, restaurants, artists, and others.
When: Friday Dec. 2, Saturday Dec. 3, and Sunday Dec. 4.
Where: Coachlight Square, 211 S. Van Buren St. Nashville.
Hours: Friday, noon to 8 p.m.; Saturday, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.; Sunday, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Admission: Free. <browncountychristkindlmarket.com>
The Brown County Christkindl Market is back for its second year.
There will be an all-star entertainment lineup with Polka Motion kicking off the weekend on Friday night with a lively concert from 6-8 p.m. Polka lessons will be offered and dancing will be encouraged.
The market is growing to 29 vendors this year and will be expanding onto Washington Street. One-of-a-kind gifts will be available for purchase; and many delicious German influenced foods and libations will be offered.
Heaters will be available if attendees need to warm up.
Santa and Mrs. Claus will be on hand to meet and greet the children of all ages. and Crumbl Cookie, sponsor and the official cookie of the North Pole, will offer cookie decorating for kids: Dec. 2, 5-7; Dec. 3, 12-2; and Dec. 4, 12-2.
Lisa Hall, a coordinator of the event, said last year’s inaugural Christkindl market had an estimated 2,500 to 3,000 visitors. She noted that it gives local merchants another event to build business around. “Shop owners said it was like an October weekend.”
The Annual Brown County Children’s Fund LIVE Auction will take place Friday, December 2, 6:00 p.m. at the Brown County Inn. There will also be an online auction for some special items through the Facebook page.
45 years ago, a group calling themselves the “NoName Committee,” decided to gather goods from local merchants for an auction fundraiser to provide clothing for Brown County kids in need. The auction has been held on the first Friday in December every year since. The auction features donated art, crafts, antiques, items from local merchants, gift certificates for local restaurants/hotels, and many experiences including tickets for Holiday World and Cincinnati Reds games.
Auction items can be dropped off in Nashville at Out of the Ordinary, and PNC Bank is collecting cash donations.
Americanized as Santa Claus. This Santa Claus was first described in the 1823 poem by Clement Moore, “Twas the Night before Christmas” but it wasn’t until the 1860s that cartoonist Thomas Nast produced the first portrait of the Santa Claus recognized today.
With pagan evergreens, Moore’s poem about a visit from St. Nick, Dickens’ story of Ebenezer Scrooge and the Cratchit family, and finally Nast’s depiction of Santa, we have the basic elements for a traditional Christmas.
Brown County is a place with its own set of traditions, and celebrating Christmas is top of the list. We’re coming up on the season when our little village goes all out with lights and trees and decorations and shops full of Christmas gifts to welcome visitors. And for those who may be looking for a “silent night,” nothing is better than a walk in the woods when nature decorates it with a new fallen snow.
Any way you look at it, Brown County is a wonderful place to practice your own traditions, or maybe make some new ones.
Likemany of us, Brown County’s got one foot in the present day and the other planted firmly in a bygone era. Which makes Brown County Music Center the ideal spot for Big Bad Voodoo Daddy to bring their “Wild & Swingin’ Holiday Party” on December 7. Drawing upon the sounds of the big bands and jump blues acts of the 1930s, 40s, and 50s, the California outfit would have been just as at home at a Nashville watering hole back in the day as they have been recording for Disney productions and performing at the Super Bowl.
One of the two original Daddies, drummer Kurt Sodergren, inherited his connection to music made before his time. His grandfather was a saxophonist in a touring swing band, he explains, and his dad had an arsenal of the greats on vinyl for Kurt to discover as a kid. “I think it was Benny Goodman live at Carnegie Hall,” he recalls, “and I heard [legendary drummer] Gene Krupa and I was like ‘Whoa, what is this?’” But like most music fans of his generation, Kurt gravitated mostly to rock, and didn’t revisit
swing and jump blues until his friend Scotty Morris told him in the late eighties that he was heading in that direction. “I was actually kind of surprised that he wanted to [play swing], but it was a really good idea,” he says.
For two guys who had cut their musical teeth on the sounds of classic California punk rock, the transition to swing was eye-opening. “It’s a pretty demanding musical style, so I started taking lessons right away,” says Kurt. And though the earliest incarnation of Big Bad Voodoo Daddy was less polished—Scotty sported a Fender Stratocaster he liked to crank up onstage—their new project was booking more lucrative gigs than their old ones. Soon their sound evolved into what it is today: a polished, knockout blend of originals and old favorites that gets the blood pumping and the feet moving.
Around the holidays one year, the band threw a couple of Christmas songs into their live set just for fun. The response from the audience was
enthusiastically positive, so in 2004 BBVD
to record an album of original and
the holiday tours were born. The result: a night of Christmas music, along with other songs from the Daddies’ catalog, for the whole family to enjoy.
This year’s show will be no different, and the energy level will be high. That’s partly because of the music itself. According to Kurt, when you give swing the respect it deserves, “Even if people have never heard it before, when they see the horns, the piano, the stand-up bass, they feel the power. It’s undeniable, and it just feels good. It transcends so many of the musical boundaries we put up.”
For the band’s part, he goes on, they’re doing what they love, which comes through in their stage presence.
“We can’t phone it in. We always put on the same show, no matter how many people we’re playing for.” The bond between the musicians on the tour is another key to the band’s longevity. In Kurt’s mind,
“It’s hard to travel and be away from home. The only way I could survive is if these guys are like my brothers, and awesome human beings.”
That dedication and sincerity has earned BBVD generations of fans. Kurt mentions a woman, a fan from way back, who became a mother and now brings her 17-year-old daughter to the shows. Even Mitch Cooper, the band’s newest trumpeter, was a fan as a child. When he got old enough to try out for the Daddies, “He knocked our socks off. He’s just a monster.”
Kurt says he’s excited for the show at BCMC. “I love playing the small towns. I guarantee we’re gonna have a blast,” he promises. With money being tight for so many these days, he adds, he appreciates that fans are choosing to spend it to go see Big Bad Voodoo Daddy—and the band intends to make the show worth every penny.
For more information contact the Brown County Music Center’s box office at 812-988-5323 or visit <browncountymusiccenter.com>.
Local music legend Kara Barnard is the 2022 National Mountain Dulcimer Champion, earning the title at the Walnut Valley Festival National Flat-Picking Championships in Winfield, Kansas.
It’s about a decade past the peak of her vocal and instrumental career— recording albums, backing other recording artists, and touring. To celebrate turning 60 this year, Barnard decided it was time to recommit herself to the music, harmonizing, and timing that makes her feel connected to the world.
Having competed with various instruments at the championship festival throughout her life, Barnard knew exactly what it would take to win. For months, she spent four hours every weekday and six hours per day on the weekends dissecting songs and practicing a mere three or four lines at a time, to the pace of her metronome, until they were perfect.
That level of focused dedication, Barnard said, is meditative and comforting.
“I believe we all can do what we really want to do once we get rid of all the blocks we’ve put in place,” she said. “It’s all about letting go of the walls we’ve created that stand in our way.”
courtesy photo
Barnard tore down wall after wall in arranging her four competition songs to suit a dulcimer, whose four strings limit the number of notes that can be played. She won the contest with original interpretations of “The Arkansas Traveler,” “Return to Pooh Corner,” “And So It Goes,” and “Jerusalem Ridge.”
On one of her many YouTube instructional videos, Barnard laughed that her dulcimer rode all the way to Kansas
in her vehicle’s passenger seat. “Whenever I’d get nervous, I’d hold onto the head stock and just repeat, ‘We can do it, we can do it!’”
This win felt nothing like it would’ve decades ago, Barnard said.
“I think when I used to compete, I needed to be at the top. There was a lot of ego involved, and you lose focus of why you’re really doing it. It had become more about what kind of gigs I was getting, how many CDs were selling, and ultimately, I backed out of it all because that just wasn’t me anymore,” she said. “But at this point in my life, I really went out there just to do my very best. I wanted to win, but I wanted to win because I was playing from a place of love and respect.”
That mindset contributes to Barnard being a highly sought-after instructor. She teaches the dulcimer, guitar, mandolin, and banjo to about 50 students—beginners through recording artists— three days a week.
Barnard spends the rest of the week on her newest teaching passion, a dulcimer lesson program called Silver Strings that she designed for residents in assisted living facilities. Individuals can successfully play music through her adapted curriculum even if they have a wheelchair, sight or hearing loss, loss of mobility from a stroke, or other limitations. Barnard custom-designs dulcimers for the program that sit atop wheelchair arms and boast special strings and large numbers and dots
along the fretboard to make it easy for participants to follow along.
“When residents first walk into the class, they look physically exhausted. They’re looking at the floor, there’s such little life in their eyes sometimes,” Barnard said. “When they strum that dulcimer the first time and see they can play music really well because of how the program is designed, their lights just turn on. They become children again.”
Silver Strings currently operates in 10 assisted living facilities in Indiana, Michigan, Ohio, and Kentucky. Barnard plans to expand it throughout the Midwest and eventually nationwide.
What she truly is hoping to pass on is a small piece of the joy that music has brought to her own life.
“When you reach a point in your life when you no longer feel like you have a connection or purpose, and then all-of-a-sudden strum an instrument, you once again have connection. It’s a really big deal,” she said. “People often come to me who think, ‘It would be nice to learn the guitar,’ but what they’re really going to learn is a connection inside and outside of themselves all at once.”
Barnard said winning the dulcimer competition has made her a happier and more fulfilled teacher, which in turn fuels her students’ work and joy.
“It’s just an awesome cycle.”
To learn more about Barnard and her work, visit <www.karabarnard.com>.
~by Jim Eagleman
Ihavealways been a lover of trees. I’m
naturally drawn to them and enjoy their presence. I like to confirm the type, noting silhouette, form, and size. If I can’t identify it right off, the challenge remains with me until I can.
Some, like old friends with familiar faces, are recognized immediately. Habitat and range can help while you rely on tactile characteristics like leaves, bark, and buds.
A newcomer to the scene piqued my curiosity. As a botany professor once claimed when identifying any new item, it’s “nature to books, then books back to nature.” She meant for us to first use reference books, keys, and guides to help our inquiry, and then confirm it with a closer look.
This was my recent approach to help identify a large, and unknown to me, tree in our community.
I guess I had parked under this tree and walked by it dozens of times, and drove by it hundreds (probably thousands) of times. It’s located at the entrance to the Brown County Inn parking lot in Nashville. I must have gazed, too, at this tall, natural landmark for years, particularly each fall with its yellow color and massive size, without questioning its kind.
So, as I was leaving the inn one evening, I took a closer look with an app on my cell phone called Seek. I learned this mystery tree, and a neighboring one just like it, is a willow oak.
With more references at home, I read the willow oak has a range along coastal plains from southern New York to Florida, west to Texas, and north to Illinois in the Mississippi Valley. It is described as “a handsome tree used widely for street planting in the south,” as the American elm is in the north. The long and slender leaves are “willow-like” but to me, broader, and not as long and skinny as willow leaves. The willow oak leaves are glossy, have an entire margin with no curves or indentations and, true to its membership in the red oak group, possess a “bristle tip,” a tiny extension of the midrib vein past the terminal end. The willow oak has no relation to the willows, but they may have a preference to soak up water in a similar fashion, since they thrive near streams and floodplains.
Other references term the oak a “large, long-lived and fast-growing deciduous tree,” and it develops a fairly short trunk when grown in the open. Quercus phellos, its scientific name, and the species name phellos loosely translates to “water plant.” These facts and others helped me further, and with a quick look at Deam’s Flora of Indiana, a big, thick book termed, “the naturalist’s bible.”
The author and first state forester, Charles C. Deam, recorded the willow oak close to the year1919: “there have been six reports for this species from Indiana.”
When things become rare, identified as threatened or of special concern; when they pop up like birds blown off course, or trees out of range, they grab attention. For example, when a roseate spoonbill was sighted at nearby Monroe Reservoir, birders from many counties arrived for a glimpse at this unusual shorebird.
The willow oak was equally intriguing to me, and I was eager to learn more. How did it get here? Was it planted, or were its acorns distributed along nearby Salt Creek years ago? I assumed a willow oak could be found here, like on southern flood plains, but it would be a long shot. Was its rare but natural occurrence here due to a mature willow oak with a fall crop of acorns further upstream? Who might know more?
The search was on but with no help from my tree-loving friends, or DNR colleagues. I thought of local residents, our Brown County History Center and Brown County Inn managers. Early construction photos could help me learn more about the tree, which I estimated its age to be close to the century mark. Could IU’s Lilly Library that houses early Brown County photographer Frank Hohenberger’s negatives and photos possibly help?
I soon exhausted all my options, even talking with the city arborist in Bloomington. He knew of a few naturally occurring willow oaks in Monroe County, less than six he thought, most likely planted, “probably a chance occurrence when trees are bundled together and sold as mixed deciduous trees for landscaping.” He estimated the Monroe County willow oaks to be far younger than our Brown County willow oak.
My curiosity continued when I visited the archives at the Brown County Historical Society. I scanned the files but with no luck. If I learn more, I will be sure to include it in upcoming publications. In the meantime, anyone with information on the willow oak at the entrance to Brown County Inn, be sure and contact me through Our Brown County.
You can be sure I’ll be tracking down more unusual and uncommon nature items here in our town and county. It’s what makes this place unique.
There’s an economic anomaly occurring up at Hard Truth Hills that should make everyone in a tourist town sit up and take notice.
The distillery/brewery/restaurant, a wooded retreat into the world of Indiana-made craft beer and spirits, has been regularly packing their huge dining room with droves of visitors from afar.
The Sampler is intrigued. What sort of magic are they working up there on what used to be known around these parts as “Firecracker Hill”?
Accordingly, I gathered up my beautiful and talented wife, along with another couple who are old friends, for a mid-week foray up to learn the “Hard Truth” about this restaurant.
The beautiful 325-acre campus is rustic yet modern. The huge dining room is flanked by a wall of glass on one side offering gorgeous views of the surrounding trees and a long industrialstrength bar along the opposite side.
Although we came to sample the menu, it seemed wrong to pass on the primary institutional offerings of locally brewed beer and hard spirits.
Mrs. Sampler ordered her usual gin martini on the rocks (two olives) and my old high school friend had his usual, vodka and cranberry juice. His wife wanted a “lemontini” with Limoncello which involved some negotiation between her, the waitress, and the barkeep, as they typically concoct all cocktails from their own booze. However, the bartender relented and produced what she called, “The best lemontini I’ve ever had, and I’ve had them all over the country.”
Both the gin and the vodka were said to be “smooth”.
For my part, I stuck with two trusted favorites: a glass of “Busted Knuckle” porter with a shot of Henry Sipes’ Straight Bourbon Whiskey to the side.
I went up to Hard Truth Restaurant expecting your basic pub grub—what one reviewer described as an American gastropub menu—but we discovered plenty of tasty and satisfying items on offer, enough that it will require several more visits to fully explore.
We started with a simple order of onion rings, which everyone enjoyed immensely. I love fried appetizers, and we devoured them greedily as we sipped our cocktails and visited. And there was a “September special” of crab cakes, which were delicious with a little side splash of hot sauce.
I had in mind ordering the fish and chips, but when my friend chose them, I felt I should go for something else. One of my Sampler rules on these little outings is that everyone should order something different, so we get a variety of tastes.
My friend’s wife ordered the candied bacon whiskey burger, with candied bacon, white cheddar cheese, caramelized onion, whiskey glaze, garlic aioli, and lettuce on a brioche bun. She judged it “delicious.”
Mrs. Sampler ordered the massive pulled pork nachos platter with black beans, tomatoes, onion, jalapeños, sweet corn, cheddar cheese, tri-colored tortilla chips, barbecue sauce, and house-made peppercorn ranch. Also, delicious. Although officially listed as an appetizer, this behemoth could easily feed two people, and probably more; perfect for a table of friends to gnaw on while sharing drinks.
I considered a portobello melt sandwich and a black bean cassoulet.
But, in the end, I ordered the Hard Truth meatloaf served with smashed red potatoes, green beans, and a brown gravy which purports to include bourbon.
The meatloaf was dense and satisfying. The sides were good, and it seemed somehow more like a real meal than the fried fare I typically enjoy so much.
Still, glancing across the table between brilliant bon mots and clever repartee, I couldn’t help notice that the fish and chips looked darned good—which my old friend confirmed. I always want what the other guy ordered. It is one of my character flaws.
There were desserts of course, including a very tempting raspberry white chocolate cheesecake and a chocolate chip “skillet cookie” served with vanilla ice cream. They also offer, for tradition’s sake, a “Nashville fried biscuit” with apple butter.
But I was beyond it. Once again, my lust for appetizers had overpowered my ability to save some room for the dessert course.
Still, we had such an enjoyable evening out and were so stuffed with all kinds of tasty treats that I found myself profoundly satisfied.
The Brown County Playhouse has been captivating audiences since 1949.
With its intimate 425 seat house, the Playhouse has been offering a variety of acts including plays, musicals, movies, concerts, comedy shows, live streams, and radio shows.
With the return of live shows post COVID, the Playhouse is producing its largest play since being independently owned and operated by Brown County Playhouse Management, Inc: A Christmas Carol. Originally written by Charles Dickens in 1843, A Christmas Carol tells the story of Ebenezer Scrooge as he seeks redemption after being visited by three ghosts that show him the faults in his selfish, callous demeanor.
A Christmas Carol is playing for three weekends (eight shows) December 2-4, 9-11, 16-17 (Sunday matinees).
While this may be a well-known story, lead director Dania Leova Hunter has put
a fresh take on the classic tale. After a few years with the Playhouse, Dania has now transitioned from actor to director. She is also the Playhouse’s lighting designer. The script for A Christmas Carol was written by Dania as well. Her vison for the show is to keep the dialogue, costumes, and score accurate to period. The play will hit all the familiar beats, but the underlying messages highlight the journey of the human soul.
Dania graduated from Northwestern State University in Louisiana with a degree in performance and directing. She moved here searching for an opportunity to work in community theater. After landing some roles in Playhouse radio shows and working as the lighting designer, Dania is stepping up to the director’s chair.
The Playhouse is also putting on its first musical in 10 years: Godspell. It was first scheduled for November 2022 but has since been postponed to sometime in 2023. Originally composed in 1971 by three-time Grammy award winner, Stephen Schwartz, Godspell tells the story of Jesus Christ’s life based upon the Gospel of Mathew. A troupe of friends sing songs and act out the stories as they travel through the inner city.
In 1973, Godspell became a hit movie and songs like “Day by Day” and “Save the People” became popular. The costumes of this musical mimic those in the movie. The cast has had the opportunity to design their own
costumes resembling hippie, inner-city urchins with bright colors and creative patterns.
Director John Elmore explains that Godspell is sort of a combination of the musical, Hair and the rock opera, Jesus Christ Superstar. He has directed Godspell in the past.
John graduated from Indiana University with a degree in directing and is now an adjunct teacher there. He has more than 29 years of experience directing commercials, music videos, films, TV shows, and theatrical productions. John is also a member of the Directors Guild of America. After retiring in 2019, John moved back to Brown County and has been directing shows at the Playhouse for two years. He is co-directing A Christmas Carol with Dania as well.
What makes these shows so special are the cast and crew. They have been actively practicing since August. A Christmas Carol has a massive cast of 18 with ages ranging from around 10 to those in their 70’s. Godspell currently has a cast of 10 people that are learning 18 songs to entertain the audience. Ages range from 23 to 68 years old. Both casts are entirely local. They have become a close-knit family after months of practice. You may recognize a few performers as several have been in multiple Brown County Playhouse productions.
While each show has religious themes, you do not need to be of any specific faith to enjoy the stories of the good in humanity and the challenge of the human experience.
Stay tuned for updates on Godspell’s release in 2023. You can buy tickets for A Christmas Carol now at <browncountyplayhouse.org>.
