Blueberry Festival teaches a lesson in giving back

PLYMOUTH, IN--“Oh, it’s so hot and muggy,” Penni Carpenter joked about at the 48th Annual Blueberry Festival.

The blueberry shake lines were long and proved Carpenter’s statement right. People were desperate to get something to cool them off, but that didn’t run any of them away from the Michiana tradition.

Vendor, Janet Tomlin says it’s her twentieth year at the Blueberry Fest. She’s been making custom necklaces here for two decades now.

Blueberry Festival Board Member, Larry Faulstich, said without vendors like Tomlin the festival wouldn’t be growing in numbers every year. He said there’s another group that helps makes this a successful event, “We have a lot of great volunteers.”

That’s what brought three generations of women together today. Carpenter said, “I love to volunteer, especially with my daughter and granddaughter.”

They said it’s a family tradition and they hope it teaches the youngest a lesson in giving back. She’s learned quickly, “It makes a very difference. It changes the world.”

She said she hopes to come back next year and do it again.

Faulstich said whether one is a vendor, volunteer or just enjoying the holiday weekend, it proves on thing for this community, “Marshall county is just a great place to raise a family and this is a typical example.”