Apple fritters, kettle corn, quilts and more

Apple fritters, kettle corn, quilts and more

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By Sophie Troyer

The enticing smell of apple fritters, fried foods and unidentifiable spices invades the nose as you walk into a tent. Crowds of people surround you and long lines weave about. Outside, in the rest of the fairgrounds, people walk around toting giant bags of kettle corn, and kids carry balloons. This is the annual Michiana Mennonite Relief Sale at the Elkhart County Fairgrounds.

photo provided by amishcountry.org

Quilt being auctioned off at annual quilt auction.
Photo provided by amishcountry.org

The Mennonite Relief Sale sells hand crafted and donated items from churches, businesses, and individuals. Proceeds from the sale support MCC missions, and the entire sale is run by volunteers. This event is so popular that folks travel from other states to attend.

The Mennonite Relief Sale raises money for Mennonite Central Committee (MCC). MCC provides “relief, development, and peace in the name of Christ” according to their website. The money goes towards projects such as feeding the hungry, providing materials for schools to help educate children and helping out after a natural disaster.

Highlights of the Relief Sale are the quilt auction, silent auction, haystack dinner, coffee house music, apple fritters, kettle corn, the Run for Relief event, pancake breakfast and the sale of other various food and homemade items. Ten Thousand Villages, a local shop that sells items from around the world, even has a section of a building devoted to their items. Homemade ice cream, Amish cheeses, and apple butter are also sold as traditional Mennonite specialties.

provided by reliefsales.mcc.org

A man flips pancakes at the pancake breakfast.
Photo provided by reliefsales.mcc.org

New booths have been introduced to the Relief Sale in past years and a few old ones have disappeared. Half Moon Pies, a favorite, were unavailable for purchase the past few years. The new and used item auction is not happening this year. However, many new food venues have been added over the years, and a tent has been set up solely for that purpose.

“It’s awesome,”says GHS teacher Dana Mehl, referring to the food and the work people are doing at the Relief Sale, “It’s a fun day. Go check it out if you want to see what’s happening. It’s for a good cause.”

The 46th annual Michiana Mennonite Relief Sale is Friday September 27 from 5-9 p.m. and Saturday September 28 from 7 a.m. to early afternoon. Come for the food, the crafts, or just to support a great cause.

Author

Megan Peel

Digital Media and Marketing Specialist

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