Backyard Adventures

across the nation, including the nearby Daviess County Barn Quilt Trail in Owensboro, Ky. The local project aims to engage the community by providing yet another reason to explore Gibson County. Many of the quilt blocks are installed on local barns or at different points of interests around the county such as public buildings and shops. By Andrea Preston gibson co. When the idea of creating a quilt trail in Gibson County surfaced, officials were hopeful that maybe there would be as many as 50 quilt blocks scattered around the county. Each quilt block has a unique design painted or printed on metal or wood. In many cases, it also serves as a point of interest on the trail, meant to highlight the county's different offerings. There are already more than 130 quilt blocks scattered across the county. The number keeps growing. During Gibson County's kick-off 200th birthday celebration and ribbon cutting ceremony for the new tourist activity on Friday, April 26, Eric Heidenreich, executive director of the Gibson County Visitors and Tourism Bureau, said the support and interest has been extraordinary. The Gibson County Quilt Trails project is an agricultural and tourism project designed to promote and celebrate community pride. A new "Barn Quilt Trail and Visitor Guide"— which was unveiled during the celebration— says visitors can "discover a patchwork of beauty, history and tech- Fort Branch Community Fest June 6-8 Organizers with the upcoming Fort Branch festival say things are coming together for one of the largest town festivals in recent years. The Fort Branch Community Pride, a non-profit volunteer organization, is sponsoring the Fort Branch Community Fest on Thursday, June 6, through Saturday, June 8, at the Fort Branch Community Park. One of the biggest additions to this year's festival—other than the move to June—is the return of carnival rides. Highlights of the festival include: the Little Miss and Junior Miss contest on Thursday night; talent show and Queen contest on Friday night; parade Saturday morning; and the "Fort Branch Idol" singing contest on Saturday night. The theme of the parade, slated for 11 a.m., Saturday, June 8, is "Community Pride Celebrating Hometown Heroes." The grand marshal will be members of the 2012-2013 Gibson Southern Titan Football team, which led the school to its first Sectional and Regional championships, and Semi-State appearance in the school's history. Entry forms for the pageants (which are open to Union Township residents) have been distributed to students at Fort Branch, Holy Cross and Gibson Southern. Parade entry forms, food booth/vendor booth forms, and forms for the Fort Branch idol contest can be requested by sending an email to: fortbranchcommunitypride@gmail.com. 8 Pike Publishing backyard adventures 2013 nology in southwestern Indiana." The guide can be picked up at the tourism office at the Train Depot in Princeton and other points of interest in the county. Heidenreich said many more quilt blocks have went up since the brochure was created, and that it's not too late to be involved. Organizers say similar trails have become tourist attractions in as many as 30 states The vibrant quilt  patterns will be painted or printed ranging from 2 feet to 8 feet in size. Individuals can make their own 'block' or have it made. Patterns can be repeated if the color choices are different. If you are interested in learning more about or participating in the Barn Quilt Trail in Gibson County, call the tourism office at 812-385-0999 or 888-390-5825. Applications can be downloaded at www.gibsoncountyin.org/documents  and returned to the tourism bureau. The full listing of the quilt trail, including the new additions, can be found online at: www.gibsoncountyin.org. 4th of july celebr ation July 4-6 Area residents looking for some fun this Fourth of July weekend should check out the good times happening in Otwell from Thursday, July 4 through Saturday, July 6. The Otwell/Jefferson Township Ruritan Fourth of July Celebration will have some new events and their largest fireworks display ever. "We have more rockets and the biggest finale ever," said Gary Pride, of the Ruritan Club. It will start with the Firecracker Parade at 10 a.m. on July 4. The midway and concessions will open following the parade, with their traditional BBQ chicken and rib dinners, and homemade ice cream. Fireworks will be set off at dark on the Fourth. A sanctioned tractor pull is set for Thursday night. Then on Friday night, there will be a local truck and tractor pull. A cornhole tournament is set for Saturday afternoon, while a demolition derby is on Saturday night. A new event is go-kart races. The fast paced wheel-to-wheel racing is set for noon on July 4. Another change this year is with the Firecracker pageants, which will be on Saturday, June 29. The Little Miss Firecracker is a contest for girls ages five to seven. The Junior Miss contest will follow and is for girls ages 10 to 12. A Miss Firecracker will also be crowned during the festivities. Other highlights include a children's pedal tractor pull, Precious Rewards baby contest and water ball contest. There are also carnival rides, plenty of food and live entertainment. For more information, call 812-354-1278.

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