Farmstead Inn launches new signature experiences with Homestead & Harvest Weekend in Shipshewana

As interest continues to grow in learning practical skills, working with our hands and finding ways to slow down in an increasingly fast-paced world, a new Shipshewana event will invite guests to do just that. The Farmstead Inn will host its first Homestead & Harvest experience Oct. 17–18, 2026, bringing together local instructors, hands-on learning, traditional skills, food, music and opportunities to reconnect with a simpler pace of life.

The weekend is one of the first major events in the Farmstead Inn’s new Farmstead Signature Experiences, a developing series of thoughtfully created getaways, workshops, retreats and gatherings designed to turn an overnight stay into an opportunity to create, learn, connect and recharge.

“People come to Shipshewana because there is something here that feels different,” said Laura Minshull, Front Desk Manager. “There is still a strong connection to making things by hand, learning from one another, gathering around the table and taking time for the people and things that matter. We wanted to create experiences that give our guests a chance to participate in that, rather than simply visit.”

Traditional Skills Meet Modern-Day Interest

Homestead & Harvest reflects a renewed curiosity about skills once commonly passed from generation to generation.

Saturday workshops will introduce guests to topics ranging from home canning, sourdough baking and gardening to raising chickens, growing cut flowers, off-grid solar, traditional herbal preparations and handmade crafts. Several sessions will be led by instructors from the surrounding community, allowing visitors to learn from people with firsthand experience practicing these skills.

The day will conclude with dinner and a keynote presentation from local author, educator and counselor Brenda Yoder, who will explore lessons from earlier generations and the local Amish community that can be applied to finding greater balance in everyday life.

Sunday intentionally takes on a slower pace, with opportunities for worship, nature, painting and time outdoors before an afternoon of food trucks and live music. The weekend concludes with a 6 p.m. concert by WallerCo. at the Farmstead Inn Event Pavilion.

A New Kind of Stay at the Farmstead Inn

Homestead & Harvest also provides an early look at a larger direction for the Farmstead Inn.

Under the theme “More than a stay, it’s an invitation to experience the Farmstead Way,” Farmstead Signature Experiences will center around four ideas: Create Freely. Learn Together. Connect Deeply. Rest Fully.

Additional experiences are being developed around creativity, learning, relationships and rest. Upcoming offerings include Midnight Memories, a family-focused New Year’s Eve experience, along with maker retreats designed to give quilters, scrapbookers, knitters, painters and other creatives dedicated time to work on projects while enjoying a getaway in Shipshewana.

Rather than functioning as traditional hotel packages alone, the Signature Experiences are being designed around the idea that travel can offer something guests take home with them beyond souvenirs—perhaps a new skill, a renewed relationship, creative inspiration or simply the feeling of having had time to slow down.

Homestead & Harvest takes place Oct. 17–18, 2026, at the Farmstead Inn in Shipshewana, Indiana. Guests may attend one, several or all five workshop sessions, and a two-night lodging package is also available. For complete workshop descriptions, instructors, lodging information and registration, visit the Homestead & Harvest page at FarmsteadInn.com FarmsteadInn.comor follow their social media: