June 10 at the Woods is a family affair!

With the onset of warmer weather, I’m looking for outside activities to do with family and friends. Like most people, I’m on a tight budget. That’s why I’m looking forward to the 5th annual Family Day at the Woods on June 10, at Saint Mary-of-the-Woods! It’s become one of my favorite public events of the year, sponsored by the Sisters of Providence. The event is free of charge and runs from 1 to 4 p.m.

During the first Family Day in 2008, I heard many families remark that they didn’t know that they could visit the Sisters of Providence and just walk around the beautiful grounds. Grandparents joined parents and children to take part in the crafts, listen to the choir performances, have their faces painted, ride the hayride and Alpaca Shuttle, visit the alpacas and cool off inside watching the puppet show. People even brought their pets!

Since that first year, the event has grown. Last year featured a helicopter where children and adults were allowed into the cockpit. The Sugar Creek Fire Department fire truck and the Balloon Animal-making Motorcycle-riding Clown are returning favorites.

I admit that I enjoy seeing the Woods filled with families walking from tent to tent, gathering marks on their Booth Bingo sheets and choosing from a variety of stuffed animals at the end. The hot dogs, Pepsi products and homemade cookies aren’t bad either. Did I mention that everything is free?!

Saint Mary-of-the-Woods is just a 10-minute car ride from the Vigo County Courthouse and on a regular day offers amazing attractions, including the European-style Church of the Immaculate Conception, the alpaca barns and horses, White Violet Center for Eco-Justice organic gardens and education center and Sunday Brunch. A newly added attraction is the 1840s-period log cabin that is reminiscent of the first chapel visited by Saint Mother Theodore Guerin when she arrived at the Woods from France.

I hope to see you at this year’s Family Day at the Woods. Bring the entire family and enjoy the afternoon. Enjoy the Sisters of Providence hospitality and budding acreage. I hope it will become a favorite activity of yours, as well. Feel free to call me at 812-535-2802 for more information.