1234.

Get my shoes in.

Out the door.

Five.

I'm lost.

Six.

Seven.

Eight.

Feels great.

I'm gonna shine.

After I do what I'm gonna do.

I do it again.

Yeah.

Look at the sky with the beautiful color.

But never just for me.

You gotta share it with another.

I got to show, to give.

Let I want singing show.

Take a look and say a beautiful morning that turns into a beautiful evening.

And together make beautiful art.

And if you wanna see that, come along with me.

That's right.

Welcome to Experience Michiana.

We're so glad that you're with us as we get out and explore the Michiana area.

We have a great show for you today.

Courtney is going to find out all about the Niles Renaissance Faire, which is happening this weekend.

We're also going to find out about the Elkhart Family Resource Fair, which is for foster, adoptive, and kinship families, happening real soon.

But first, we're headed to find out about an artisan fair at a historic location with a new purpose.

I'm here with Keith Sarber, who's the executive director of Church Community Services now.

Keith, this is now going to be part of Church Community Services.

But of course, your main location is in downtown Elkhart.

But where we are right now, I've driven by this every day almost for the last five years.

So tell me about the building that we're in right now, just off the bypass.

Yeah.

So this is the site of the old Jim Town Historical Museum.

It sits on about 20 acres.

Only about four of it is recognizable or known to people who have driven past time and time again.

This is an old farmhouse in 1800s.

Farmhouse that was moved to this property when the bypass was put in.

So some 20 plus years ago, this this main floor here was a museum still keeps many of those characteristics intact.

So you can still see a fair amount of Jim town history.

The lower level is a community center.

And then the the sweeping rolling property is going to be event space as well as the museum itself.

The the main farmhouse will be an events marketing space for public awareness and fundraising for church community services.

I mean, it's a great way to bring value in this and a property and an opportunity to the community while raising awareness for church community services, right?

Because so much of fundraising is done by just goodwill and asking people for money, but to be actually able to offer them something and then be able to raise funds and awareness, that must be pretty exciting too.

Yeah, it's very extraordinarily exciting.

So in about a week and a half, we have what we're calling the annual artisan fair.

So these rooms will be filled with crafters, the downstairs left crafters, they'll be food trucks.

So family friendly fun event.

Few weeks after that, in June, there will be music in the Meadows, and we'll look outside here in a bit and we'll have three different bands playing independently.

Not at the same time, but three different bands shifting through the afternoon.

Food trucks, family friendly.

Bring a blanket, bring a camp cheer.

Yeah, fun events.

And you know, if you're like me and you're like watching the traffic, then of course you can watch the traffic as well go by, which is.

Yeah.

Or.

Yes.

Absolutely.

The semi, the semi trucks and how much the value add is to the community.

No, but I really do love it and I think this is great.

But for anyone watching that may not know about church community Services is that 58 years you've been around now?

Yeah, that's a very good memory, almost 60 years.

Church Community Services has been serving the community.

One of the primary distinctions on this property, on our south central property is we won't be running any programing here.

So the food pantry, the Women's Empowerment program, Super Success Financial Services and our garden program will all still be maintained office and run through South central Elkhart.

We will hold we will farm some of this land or garden some of this land, but there won't be programmatic offerings here other than the quality events, which again, is so great.

And I do want to go outside and look because as you mentioned, four and a half acres from the road, you can see, but it goes right back to Go Creek, right?

All the way back on this.

So, so again, this house is you know, they don't make them like this anymore.

That's right, I like it.

It feels solid, you know, and but yeah it's a beautiful house.

Let's go outside and have a look at the acres of Jamestown.

That's what you're calling it.

The acres at Jamestown.

So this is this is like my dream.

Like when I thought about living in the United States.

I think about a porch like this.

Some rocking chairs just looking out over the beautiful meadow, a windmill, a windmill, some horseshoe, some horseshoe pits.

I mean, this is American flag.

You gotta love that.

Hey, I'm an American citizen now, so this is right up my street.

So tell me about everything here.

You talk about gardening.

Some of this area, like where are you planning on gardening?

Yeah.

So imagine wherever you see the cardboard, beautiful towering sunflowers or multicolored wild flower beds up front on the on the side as you're driving in.

And these on these in these flower mounds in those mounds out there.

Imagine.

A white wedding procession down the pergola to to the end to the pastor.

So really we joked about the number of opportunities, but the sky is really the limit for families and their loved ones.

From a wedding to a bar mitzvah to a container, to a family reunion, to a high school reunion, any any of that could happen right here.

Oh yeah, and imagine the bride, sorry.

Or the groom walking out that front door down the pergola.

And yeah, again, getting married in a a wonderful space.

Well, and again, it's just, you know, it's great to know that when you do that then the money is going towards church community services.

Not that there's anything wrong with making a profit, but knowing that your money's going back into helping the food pantry or helping the women's empowerment program, Soup of Success, all those things, I just think it's like it's just got a real feel good factor.

Yeah.

Some people would say, Keith, are you crazy?

You know what?

What are you doing?

What are you doing here?

But when you think about all.

Not big on sayings, but all boats rise as we're able to develop a beautiful property and rent it out or hold events.

Yeah, our impact increases.

Absolutely.

And then you get a chance, as you said, to show off the space.

But when you do have an event coming up and you have music, maybe you have a moment to talk to people about what Church Community Services is.

So you have a built in audience then as well to, and maybe there's someone there that might need it in the future or might be able to help it.

So tell me again about some of the events that are actually coming up.

So there are some hard dates of things that you're actually going to be doing.

So this weekend on the 16th.

Yeah, the Saturday we're having an annual artisan fair.

So inside the museum, outside the museum will be crafters will be food trucks, family can families can come and explore art and have a great lunch and buy some wonderful products from local vendors all around Elkhart County.

June 14th Sunday afternoon after church music and the Meadows.

Nice again.

Imagine a band underneath the pergola families and on blankets and camp chairs out here having a nice picnic or buying a lunch off the food trucks.

I also put a shameless plug in for our huge premiere fundraiser, which is June 27th at the Goshen Theater, the historic Goshen Theater in downtown Goshen.

Stand up for a seriously funny fundraiser with a headliner out of New York that you is incredible.

Okay, so again, lots of opportunities coming up for people to get involved with church community services.

And I think this is great.

I mean, it's also great that you've got such great road frontage here that you can show everyone what you're doing as well with the big sign, you know?

So, yeah.

So again, just a just a wonderful addition.

I think it's a really innovative way to try and fundraise and grow your mission.

I mean, why wouldn't you do it?

How did you come about having this property.

Oh it's so it's a great it's a great question.

And you know me, I don't have necessarily short answers, but two board members heard me saying from Church Community Services in south central Elkhart, pointing south of town, if there were a farm out there somewhere that wanted to be donated to church community services, we would sure take it and make use of it.

And they said, hey, I think I know of a farm or a beautiful old farmhouse that might be willing to do that.

And so they knew folks on the board and the board got together.

And, you know, if I were to give it odds, I wouldn't have gave it very good.

Yeah.

But hey, but over the course of a year, we got together and, you know, had conversations.

And so the whole property, the 20 ish acres, beautiful farmhouse, was donated to Church Community Services.

And just finally, for people that did want to, you know, love the Jim Town Historic Museum and the honor of that, what are the things you're putting in place to make sure that you do still respect the, you know, the history of the building?

We are going to maintain that main level of the museum.

We have no designs on changing that.

And so families will still have access to the gym Town Historical Museum as it was when we took it over at any event.

Yeah, the museum will be open and people can walk through.

All right, so this Saturday, May 16th, what time is the arts event going to be on?

9 a.m.

to 3 p.m.. Sweet on the music in the Meadows will be a noon to five.

Perfect.

And I would be remiss if I didn't say to add in.

So in October, Fall Seeds, Harvest Seeds of Hope, Harvest Party in October, and an incredible Christmas at the farmhouse that is going to be great.

I'm not going to reveal I got all of it, but no, no.

Cut out.

I'm not listening to Christmas already.

Okay, I love Christmas, but no, it's too soon for Christmas.

But imagine lighting it up.

Huzzah!

It's time for the Niles Renaissance Faire.

This is always my favorite times of the year.

I love Renaissance festivals.

I've been going to them since I was a kid, and I have with me.

Carrie here.

Carrie you are.

You are a queen.

Is that your official title?

Yes it is.

I am Queen Curiel of the Niles Renaissance Faire.

I love it, I love it.

Now, this is coming up this weekend, which I'm really excited about.

I know there's a little bit of a chance for rain, but this event happens.

Rain or shine, correct?

Yes it does.

All right.

Now, I know you guys have continued to grow over the years.

How many years have you guys been doing it there in Niles?

So this is our eighth annual year.

We did have to take a year off for Covid, so it would be nine years if Covid didn't happen.

Okay, okay.

You know, there's always that asterisk in there, right?

Yeah.

Absolutely.

No.

To get into the festival or to the fair, there are tickets, there's an admission price, but a lot is included with that.

Let's talk about everything that you can do once you get through the gates.

So we have over 50 regular vendors.

So they do everything from, clothing to jewelry and all that stuff.

I know you guys are busy setting up still right now, right?

Yeah.

I'm turning off my my my walkie talkie.

So, anyway, we have a bunch of vendors, like I said, clothing, jewelry, hand, hand on pottery, chain mail, dice, you name it.

That kind of goes along with it.

And we're we're we're we're pretty much have it.

We have five food vendors this year.

We have, I think, 14 different acts, including like encampments and stuff like that.

So yeah, perfect.

I know I have one of my one of my favorites here.

I don't know if you if you've been to a Renaissance Faire, you know what this is.

This helps cool you off, keep you cool.

Right?

You just kind of shove it in.

And this is how they used to do it.

And they all do taste right.

Now.

Why do we celebrate the Renaissance Faire?

Why?

You know, the medieval times is such a turning point.

You know, why do we do these Renaissance fairs here in our community?

I think a lot of it has to do with nostalgia.

And, you know, everybody loves the story of King Arthur and the Round Table and the idea of sword fighting and riding horses and jousting and all that stuff.

And I think a lot of it has to do with, like, it's magical, you know, and it gives you it gives adults a reason to be silly and have fun and not be adults.

And it gives the kids a little bit more of that wonder, you know, when they're running our fair, doing our scavenger hunt, looking for dragon eggs.

You, the kids run in and they are so excited when they when they finish that scavenger hunt to come get there.

There is.

Tell me more about the scavenger hunt.

What is that?

So I have five dragon eggs.

There are about 15in tall.

They get hidden throughout the fair and various vendor spots, and the kids are tasked with running around and finding them.

And then when they're done, they get a little gift bag with, like, a pretty rock and a coin that has the Niles Renaissance Faire on it in the year, and a tattoo and a like a little toy also.

And is that free to do for the scavenger hunt?

That is absolutely free to do.

So cool.

How cool.

I love that too.

And of course, you know, you have so many tremendous vendors, all the things that you can find that you can wear, that you can play with.

I love some of those toys, you know, similar to what they used to play with.

We have one of the.

Oh, I should have brought it downstairs.

One of the juggler things, you know, where you can flip it and turn it.

But you guys also have performances.

Let's talk about that because that's going to be happening both days Saturday and Sunday.

Correct?

Yes.

So we have a comedy act.

His name is the idiot Rick Rock a draw for for all over the state.

Pretty much.

If you have been to a Renaissance Faire in Michigan, you have heard of Rick Rock.

Perfect.

He's been doing it for years.

We have a sword fighting group called the Swords Valor.

They do they do live steel combat.

We have the Azure Musketeers this year.

They're new.

They do a pike drill with the participants in the fair.

They teach them how to use the pike and stuff like that, as if they were going to stop a charge.

We have a couple of encampments.

We have a pirate encampment, and we have an encampment called Corvus Corvus cohort.

And they kind of show life in the times and stuff.

Yeah, we have several musicians, a singing pirate, a group of women that sings and oh, I'm I'm missing one.

I don't know, you guys have a list of your events somewhere?

Yes.

Okay.

Yep.

They actually they actually just went up on our website this morning.

All right.

Perfect.

So you can get that on the website.

What is your guys website so people can check out the details Niles Renaissance Faire com and is spelled with an e. So it's a I r e perfect.

And now for those who don't know when is it happening and where it is at Plym Park and Niles.

So that's over by the golf course.

Okay.

It is Saturday and Sunday both days.

We open at ten.

Saturday we close at six and Sunday we close at four.

Perfect.

So lots of time to get it.

And the tickets are each per day correct or do you have a weekend pass?

We do not have a weekend pass.

Tickets are per day adults, so that's kids 13 and up.

Our $10 5 to 12 seniors and veterans with a military ID or $5 and kids four and under our free.

That's such a reasonable price to be able to have an adventure, if you will.

Yes, I love it.

Now you guys have food there too.

That's important because everybody needs to eat.

They need to drink while they're out and about.

Especially because we are expecting some more more temperatures this weekend to.

So let's talk about what kind of food you guys have.

So this year we have Woodstock and Grow, which does barbecue.

He's the guy that does our turkey legs, which I mean, you got to have a turkey leg at a Renaissance Faire, right?

Yep.

I will warn you, he he runs out fast.

Oh, okay.

Yep.

He also does pulled pork.

He does this macaroni and cheese with pulled pork on it that everybody apparently loves.

Yes, I've heard of them.

I do not eat pork, so I don't eat that.

Yup.

He also does some really awesome brussel sprouts.

Okay.

We have cottage in who everybody knows.

They do pizza.

We have, a place called Inspired Eats that's from a little bit north of here.

And they do Asian inspired food there new this year.

So we're going to see how that goes okay.

And then we have a kettle corn vendor who literally makes the kettle corn on site.

And we have apothecary's which anybody in Niles knows.

Apothecary's.

Yes.

And we also have a company called Wandering Espresso that does coffee.

Okay, perfect.

Now, I'm sure people come from far and wide to, to visit the, the fair because there's a draw for these kinds of events.

How maybe where's the furthest person that you've seen come and visit.

Last year I had a lady told me she had come from Arizona.

Wow.

That's awesome.

I love that and all of your vendors and your performers, are they mainly local or are they coming in as well to.

So I would say 95% of our vendors are from either Michigan or the South Bend area, Michigan, that kind of thing.

We do have a couple that come from a little bit farther, but not many, and the ones that do come a little bit farther tend to be a little bit more, you know, like of a niche type of thing.

Well, I hope everyone comes out and experiences.

The Niles Renaissance Faire is going to be a great weekend for you guys, and a great way to celebrate medieval times and just live in it.

Yep.

All right.

Thank you.

I am here in Elkhart at the Elkhart Health and Aquatics, which is right behind me, which is the location on Memorial Day weekend for an event that's coming up.

And I'm here with Michelle and Ashlyn and Michelle.

First of all, tell me a little bit about the organization that you're the founder of the Elkhart Family Alliance, which is a group, a collective group of non-profits, faith community members and just community members that come together.

And what we are doing is we were getting to know each other, getting to know what services and resources are available in Elkhart County for foster kinship and adoptive families.

And now we are at the point where we are formalizing some things that we want to accomplish.

And one of those things is the resource center that we're having on Memorial Day weekend.

And so the resource fair that you're having is going to be here in the aquatic center, not in the swimming pool, but, you know, in the general area.

And so why is it so important to bring all these resources together?

Like, what are the challenges that are being faced by families who do want to foster or adopt?

Well, there are nuanced things that they do deal with.

And so we want them to know what resources are available.

I mean, if you think about it, when you have a child that comes into your home, they are someone that you don't know.

And now everything that you have going on the rest of the day and tomorrow and next week, that child is going to be coming with you.

So there's so much learning and there's so much growth, but you also encounter things that you could not ever plan for.

And then you need help.

You need assistance.

Where do you reach out?

Where do you find that assistance?

There is so much.

Elkhart is a rich community that has so many things that are available for parents, and definitely for foster parents, kinship, adoptive parents.

But you don't necessarily know about these things until you need them.

So we're getting everybody together.

And I think it's awesome because if you're doing this work and you can meet with a resource and ask specific questions, find out what they do and if it really serves the needs that you have.

This is a great time to come and talk to the actual providers.

We have so many things that are going to be going on.

There's going to be games for kids.

It's going to be a therapy dog.

There's going to be food.

It's going to be a really wonderful day, along with very informational for people that are doing this really important work.

Nice.

And Ashley, tell me a little bit about the Michiana Family Center.

What is that and what do you do?

I know your executive director of that.

Yeah.

So we put supports around foster, adoptive and kinship families.

So we serve the Michigan area and Indiana.

So we come alongside Michelle and her group.

The once a month we all meet, we talk about all the different services we provide.

We do support groups.

We have monthly meetups.

We were just at Sky zone last week with all of our families having a great time.

So we do that and then we have mentors that we put around our kids.

So in people's first year being a foster parent, 50% of the families quit and they say it's because of lack of support.

So that's why we come together as a community to say this community has great support for you.

So come along, see what's available.

If you're a family who is thinking about being a foster parent, come to this resource fair to see what's available for you.

There's summer camps like we have the Boys and Girls Club in this area.

We have lifeline in this area.

There's lots of good things to be a part of.

So if you're thinking about being a foster parent, come and get the knowledge.

Yeah.

And because you talk about that 50% number I know that's a national number.

That's not just here in Elkhart.

It's everywhere.

But Michelle, it's so hard to get people to actually open up their homes.

And I get it.

It's like so so when you do get people, it's kind of disappointing to know that because of a lack of resources or maybe accessibility to resources, not the actual resources, maybe they're there.

It's kind of disappointing to know so many drop offs, right?

It is very disappointing because one, when you have a foster parent that is doing it, the value of someone who has done it and continues to do it, and then they understand the resources and they understand what's available to them.

They just bring so much of a richness to what they do.

I honestly think the people doing this work, I mean, they're social champions and we should be able to come around them and support what they are doing.

Maybe not everyone.

Like you said, it is difficult to be a foster parent, so maybe not everybody should do that.

But I do believe that everyone can play a part in helping and being a part of what is going on.

These, these kiddos, they need a lot.

They have a lot of needs, but there is so much support and resources in school and many of the organizations that you mentioned, and there's many others, there's clothing closets.

Ashland team helps with food insecurity and helping out.

So there's just so many resources, and we just want to make that available so that if it's about a community that wraps around that, a foster parent knows I've got community backing.

So this might be hard work, but it doesn't have to be lonely.

Yes.

Families that find our groups find Michiana Family Center, families that find out what Elkhart is doing.

Those families are not quitting because they're not alone.

Once they find us, they're like, they're just so happy to have found those resources.

Find the support groups, find the food distribution, find the summer camps that are available.

Once they find us, they're not quitting.

The number goes way down.

Yeah.

There are also so many behavioral health resources in this area.

It's very, very rich.

So it's not you know, there's therapy and there's school.

So psychologists that can help.

There's so many resources.

And again you know we talked about this a little bit with you.

I talked about this.

But you know when you have a young family or you have a family, it's really hard to like welcome in what can often be a child that's been through a lot of trauma.

I mean, even if they haven't come from an extremely traumatic background, it's still traumatic that they have to go into a house where they don't know anyone.

I mean, that alone is traumatic, right?

Even if their background hasn't been maybe as bad as other kids might have been.

But still, that in itself, and I know a lot of people struggle to like, welcome that kind of, you know, chaos for a while into your house.

But actually, what are some of the things that you're seeing in terms of like, what are the foster parents getting out of this?

Because obviously, you know, they're helping children, but like, what are the outcomes?

Like, are they happy they've done it?

Like what's the true reward for doing this.

Yeah.

Well, I think once families come like be a part of the support group, come be part of the resource fair, like we'll all be together and you're in it with other people.

You want to do this because you care about kids.

Care about kids who the child didn't ask to be a part of a hard situation.

But they are.

So there are grown ups that they want to be part to that a lot of times, because they may have been a part of hard times when they were young, so they know what grown ups did for them and they want to be that grown up now for this next group.

And they're so glad to not be doing it alone, because no one should parent alone, especially our families.

So we all get to do it together so that families get in camaraderie and everyone feels like they belong and have support.

Awesome.

Michelle.

It is Memorial Day weekend and Saturday, May 23rd.

Yes.

And so what are the times that it's going to be on here?

We're going to meet from 11 to 1.

So it's going to be a come and go as you can will be open from 11 to 1.

There will be food, lots of games and activities, tons of fun.

Yeah.

I mean, you can't have kids around.

I know it's going to be food trucks.

And I know you want to say thank you to the Community Foundation of Elkhart County for supporting this as well.

Their offices are right here in front of us.

And a lot of the community partners that have come on board to to try and help with this.

So is there any information online in advance or just show up on Saturday, May 23rd?

We do have registration.

I can Ashley can tell you about how to register, go to Michiana Family Center and the information is there on on the website.

All right.

Well you can just show up to.

Yeah, just show up and show up.

Free food for all foster, adoptive and kinship families.

Nice.

That's great.

Thank you.

All right, so hopefully you come along May 23rd.

Get involved.

Maybe you can come that day.

You can still go to their website and find out more.

Well, that's it for today show.

Thank you so much for being with us.

Make sure you get out and experience Michiana for yourself, and we'll see you right here next week.

Want more from Courtney, Dave and Kelly?

Follow us on social media and visit our website for exclusive behind the scenes content, extended interviews, and full length features.

Stay connected and experience it all today.

This WNIT local production has been made possible in part by viewers like you.

Thank you.