Qualla: Shipshewana https://qualla.com/shipshewana en-us © 2026 Bendyline Mon, 20 Jul 2026 10:21:06 GMT Qualla serial false Qualla support@bendyline.com yes https://qualla.com/_m/d/p/7/j/shipshewana-wk/shipshewana-indiana-1402386390.jpg Qualla: Shipshewana https://qualla.com/shipshewana Shipshewana: Introduction https://qualla.com/shipshewana/ Photo credit User:Tropicana100, Public domain. Shipshewana sits at the heart of the third-largest Amish community in North America, and the contrast between the 500-person town and its surroundings is jarring. The Amish population of LaGrange and Elkhart counties numbers around 55,000 - far more than the 'English' (non-Amish) residents. The landscape is a patchwork of neat farms reached by gravel driveways, worked with horse-drawn equipment, and lit by kerosene lamps. Buggies share the roads with tourists' SUVs. The Shipshewana Auction and Flea Market draws 30,000 visitors on peak days, creating an economy based on wood furniture, quilts, and the spectacle of a community that has rejected most technology since 1850. It's voyeuristic, commercialized, and also genuine: the Amish go about their lives while tourists watch, shop, and try to understand why anyone would choose to live this way.

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Image: User:Tropicana100 | Public domain

]]> Mon, 12 Jan 2026 00:00:00 GMT https://qualla.com/_m/d/p/7/j/shipshewana-wk/dp7j-shipshewana-intro.mp3 0:06 1 full Shipshewana: The Community https://qualla.com/shipshewana/ Photo credit Chris Light, CC BY-SA 4.0. The Amish arrived in northern Indiana in the 1840s, attracted by cheap farmland. They've grown steadily ever since - the community doubles roughly every 20 years due to high birth rates and high retention of youth. Old Order Amish reject most modern technology: no electricity fro...

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Image: Chris Light | CC BY-SA 4.0

]]> Mon, 12 Jan 2026 00:00:00 GMT https://qualla.com/_m/d/p/7/j/shipshewana-wk/dp7j-shipshewana-the-community.mp3 0:06 2 full Shipshewana: The Economy https://qualla.com/shipshewana/ Photo credit Ken Lund from Reno, Nevada, USA, CC BY-SA 2.0. Amish economic life has shifted from farming to manufacturing and tourism. With farmland prices rising, fewer Amish can make a living solely from agriculture. Many now work in woodworking shops, building furniture and cabinetry renowned for craftsmanship. RV factories in nearby E...

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Image: Ken Lund from Reno, Nevada, USA | CC BY-SA 2.0

]]> Mon, 12 Jan 2026 00:00:00 GMT https://qualla.com/_m/d/p/7/j/shipshewana-wk/dp7j-shipshewana-the-economy.mp3 0:06 3 full Shipshewana: The Auction https://qualla.com/shipshewana/ Photo credit Tysto, Public domain. The Shipshewana Auction and Flea Market is the Midwest's largest outdoor flea market, operating Tuesdays and Wednesdays from May through September. Over 900 vendors fill the grounds; 30,000 visitors crowd the aisles on peak days. The livestock auction on Wednesdays brings farmers...

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Image: Tysto | Public domain

]]> Mon, 12 Jan 2026 00:00:00 GMT https://qualla.com/_m/d/p/7/j/shipshewana-wk/dp7j-shipshewana-the-auction.mp3 0:06 4 full Shipshewana: The Tourism https://qualla.com/shipshewana/ Photo credit Tysto, Public domain. Shipshewana has become a destination for heritage tourism - visitors seeking connection to a simpler past. Tour operators offer buggy rides, farm visits, and meals in Amish homes. Shops sell furniture, quilts, and baked goods. The Blue Gate Theatre stages family-friendly musicals...

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Image: Tysto | Public domain

]]> Mon, 12 Jan 2026 00:00:00 GMT https://qualla.com/_m/d/p/7/j/shipshewana-wk/dp7j-shipshewana-the-tourism.mp3 0:06 5 full Shipshewana: Visiting Shipshewana https://qualla.com/shipshewana/ Photo credit Chris Flook, CC BY-SA 4.0. Shipshewana is located in LaGrange County, northern Indiana, about 150 miles east of Chicago. The main attractions are the Auction (Tuesdays and Wednesdays, May-September), Menno-Hof visitor center (Amish and Mennonite history), and the surrounding countryside with its Amish farm...

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Image: Chris Flook | CC BY-SA 4.0

]]> Mon, 12 Jan 2026 00:00:00 GMT https://qualla.com/_m/d/p/7/j/shipshewana-wk/dp7j-shipshewana-visiting-shipshewana.mp3 0:06 6 full