Rural Routes to Main Street Turns Two Counties Into Cultural Destination

Imagine a weekend in which you can spend a day exploring the back roads of Hendricks County at your leisure — touring art galleries and historic buildings; finding flowers, fibers and handmade gifts; and partaking in some of the finest food, confections and spirits around.

Whether you want to spend a few hours, a day or an entire weekend, the Rural Routes to Main Street Cultural Trail can fit any itinerary, and much of the legwork has been done for you including the best places to stay if you’re visiting from out of town.

The self-guided, self-directed driving tour has been an arts and culture staple for three years now showcasing the sites, culture and cuisine that makes Hendricks County so special. It features some phenomenal talent, wondrous historical elements and some personalities that will amaze you.

Places like Confection Delights in Danville, Nomad Yarns in Plainfield, Perillo’s Pizzeria & Italian Kitchen in North Salem and Finer Things in Brownsburg are just a few of the locations I recommend to get a good flavor for the trail, but those locations only scratch the surface of what you can see and do. With an expansion that I will detail shortly, 32 stops and two cultural loops make up the 2013 Rural Routes to Main Street Cultural Trail.

Having witnessed the talent, products and personalities that are on display year-round, I can honestly say it is worth the trip, and the best part is it keeps getting bigger and better every year.

New in 2013 is the biggest thing to happen to the trail since its inception — an expansion into Morgan County adding 13 new locations. Additions such as the Art Sanctuary, a former church turned art studio/gallery, Mooresville Open Market Antiques, JK’s Cheesecake Cafe and Hunter’s Honey Farm add a new element that truly makes the Cultural Trail a destination worthy of an overnight stay.

The 24 regular participants in the two counties are open year-round Thursdays-Saturdays. A Second Saturdays component adds eight more sites — that typically aren’t available to the public but that open their doors on the second Saturday of every month.

If you are undecided of when exactly to come, I would highly recommend a visit during a second Saturday or one of the larger events during the year — ArtsGo! on April 27 or the Holiday Open House, Dec 5-7. Many of the locations add special activities during those events such as demonstrations and workshops that enhance an already amazing experience.

I wish I could go into more detail about every aspect of this new Cultural Trail, but it is just too vast to do in one post. The good news is you can get more information about all 32 locations, insider tips and more by visiting our All Access Hendricks County blog, where we provide an insider’s take on things to do in Hendricks County.

In the days, weeks and months to come, we will continue to profile all the new locations along the trail as well as detailing some of our favorite recommendations.  You can even subscribe on our site to receive e-mail notifications whenever a new story is posted.

For a look back at previous blog posts that highlighted the Cultural Trail, click here.

To view a PDF of the trail’s new guidebook, you can click here, or simply visit any of the locations on the trail.

We hope to see you soon.