In Northern Indiana, planners will be pleased to find meeting itineraries during the warmer months include everything from waterborne pursuits, baseball games and energized college campus tours and festivities, to golf tournaments and one popular nationally recognized outlet sale.
There are also outdoor off-site venues that provide backdrops for memorable receptions and other group gatherings.
SOUTH BEND/MISHAWAKA
There isn’t a more beautiful season than spring on the campus of the University of Notre Dame, where complimentary student-guided campus tours are available daily, according to Carolyne Wallace, director of sales at Visit South Bend Mishawaka.
“Plan on getting a sneak peek of the Fighting Irish during the annual Blue/Gold Football Festival, held every April,” she adds.
Spring and summertime also bring ballpark fun at Four Winds Field at Coveleski Stadium, where groups can enjoy a minor-league Silver Hawks baseball game; white-water rafting in the manmade East Race Waterway in downtown South Bend; go-kart racing at Michiana Raceway Park; and miles of riverside running, walking and biking paths that call groups outdoors for a fitness break.
“Visit South Bend Mishawaka offers a well-mapped guide to some of the best routes,” Wallace says. “In addition, we provide information on points of interest along the way, and where to get your hands on a rental bike.”
At county parks such as Ferrettie-Baugo Creek and Bendix Woods, planners will find picnic spaces for casual group events. PageBreak
UPPER NORTHWEST
Near the Chicago area, the cities of Lake Michigan’s south shore include Gary, Hammond, Merrillville and Michigan City.
Here, according to Nicki Mackowski-Gladstone, spokeswoman for the South Shore Convention and Visitors Authority, popular springtime options include outings to Taltree Arboretum and Gardens, where attendees can view various gardens and enjoy a group hike; and the Shrine of Christ’s Passion, where they’ll find an interactive half-mile winding pathway featuring 40 life-size bronze statues.
Summertime options include visiting the nearly 30 miles of beaches at Indiana Dunes National Lakeshore, where groups can relax on sandy shores or launch a boat or personal watercraft, and rooting for the Gary SouthShore RailCats baseball team from a private suite or party deck.
The Marquette Park Pavilion is one off-site option for events, which, according to Mackowski-Gladstone, features crystal chandeliers, sprawling patios and views overlooking the lakeshore.
Or, groups can “splurge on an evening at Horseshoe Casino aboard a cruise ship and float along the southern shore of Lake Michigan” while mingling with peers and enjoying food, drinks and scenery.
Via the parks in LaPorte and Michigan City, groups can choose from over 15 different walking trails offering secluded nature, sandy beaches and refreshing winds flowing off Lake Michigan, according to Rick Wright, convention and leisure sales manager at Visit Michigan City LaPorte CVB.
Michigan City LaPorte also features two boat racing events during the spring and summer months. In May 2014, the second annual Maple City Grand Prix will take place on Stone Lake in LaPorte, and in August 2014, the sixth annual Great Lakes Grand Prix takes to the shores of Lake Michigan in Michigan City.
“Both races are three-day events where guests can enjoy beaches, warm sunshine, the smell of food vendors in the air and lots of boat racing,” Wright says. PageBreak
FORT WAYNE/ALLEN COUNTY
“The biggest spring event and experience in Fort Wayne by far is the Vera Bradley Outlet Sale held at the Allen County War Memorial Coliseum,” says John Felts, spokesman for Visit Fort Wayne, adding 2013 welcomed over 70,000 people over six days. “Convention attendees in town make their way to the outlet sale because of its prestigious nature and huge sales.”
Fort Wayne golf courses, including Cherry Hill Golf Club and Autumn Ridge Golf Club, are also a big hit during the warmer months. Felts says convention groups often plan outings in the early spring because of the outstanding course conditions and affordable rates.
“Catching a Fort Wayne TinCaps ballgame at Parkview Field is the perfect summer experience in Fort Wayne,” Felts adds, explaining the ballpark is across the street from the Grand Wayne Convention Center and two attached hotels, “making it a short walk for conference and convention attendees looking to unwind and enjoy America’s pastime.”
And the Fort Wayne Trails offer over 65 miles of biking, hiking, and kayaking.
“Meeting attendees can get an early morning run in on the Rivergreenway,” Felts says. “Fort Wayne Outfitters rents kayaks and canoes to visitors to float along three downtown rivers, and they can pull off shore for lunch or dinner. It’s a great and new after-conference activity.”
KOSCIUSKO COUNTY
Lakes are wonderful settings for group experiences during the spring, according to Mary Kittrell, executive director at Kosciusko County CVB, She says holding an event on The Dixie, Indiana’s oldest sternwheel paddleboat, or having an elegant meal aboard the SS Lillypad during a two-hour cruise on Indiana’s largest natural lake, Lake Wawasee, are terrific options.
Lakes also provide opportunities for waterborne pursuits.
“The Lake House in the Village at Winona offers lessons and rentals of equipment for waterskiing and paddle boarding as well as other great fun lake activities,” Kittrell says, adding: “Our camps offer great opportunities to get back into nature with hikes, water activities and team-building exercises.”
Among the area’s other off-site opportunities are event spaces with lake views at Oakwood Resort, which is located on Lake Wawasee; Central Park, where green spaces and fountains provide lovely backdrops for outdoor events, and the Village at Winona in Winona Lake, where groups will find an amphitheater and artisan shops to browse. PageBreak
WEST LAFAYETTE/LAFAYETTE
Springtime is a good time to experience college life at Purdue University, where according to Ashley Gregory, group tours and meeting manager at Visit Lafayette-West Lafayette, groups are encouraged to visit Spring Fest, a weekend of fun activities for all ages.
“Don’t forget Bug Bowl while there,” she says. “Participate in the cricket-spitting contest, watch a cockroach race, and eat cookies and other food products made with mealworms and more.”
Spring and summer months also bring great golf opportunities, including outings to Kampen or Coyote Crossing golf courses; and warm weather that’s well-suited for downtown window shopping and a dinearound event.
Summer opportunities include touring the Wabash River in a voyageur canoe.
“Learn about past life on the Wabash River as well as current wildlife,” Gregory says. “If you prefer, create teams for a competition, or visit in July during Riverfest and have a team participate in the competition.”
Area off-site venues for outdoor events include Wea Creek Orchard, the Farm at Prophetstown, a sustainable horse farm, and Exploration Acres, where a large corn maze and hayrides are perfect for an end-of-summer event.
MUNCIE
During the spring, Ball State University offers a variety of sporting events at an affordable price, and Oakhurst Gardens, which can be rented for group gatherings, is in full bloom during May and June, according to Shonda L. Kane, marketing and sales manager at Muncie Visitors Bureau.
She adds Canoe Country provides canoe, kayak and tube rentals for excursions down the White River during the warmer months, and the Academy of Model Aeronautics hosts the national and international championship events throughout the summer.
“This includes everything from remote control helicopters to fireworks,” she says.
Carolyn Blackburn is a frequent contributor to Meetings MidAmerica.
