Fruits and Flowers Trail, Southern Indiana

Collect recipe cards at each stop of the trail

Experience fall’s harvest throughout Southern Indiana! The Fruits & Flowers Trail is a special collection of attractions, markets, restaurants and wineries located throughout the region’s scenic rolling hills. At each venue of the trail, you can enjoy the homegrown produce and foliage that are special to the counties of Southern Indiana. During your visit, you can collect the unique recipe card or gardening tip of each county so you can take the tastes and sights of Indiana back home with you, too! The Fruits & Flowers Trail website displays a map of all the venues of the trail.

The numerous venues of the Fruits & Flowers Trail are sprinkled across the Southern Indiana region. This region is best known for the Ohio River, Hoosier National Forest, Patoka Lake and the scenic rolling hills that are vibrant with fall color. In addition, locally grown produce and plants are the region’s joy. There are almost 30 different establishments to visit on the Fruit & Flowers Trail.  Each one provides a special taste of fall in Southern Indiana.

Some highlights of the trail include Applacres, a local farm market located in Bedford in Lawrence County. Here you’ll find cheeses, jams, jellies, pumpkins, apple cider, and an orchard. Nearby, in Spring Mill State Park in Mitchell, stop for a bite at the Millhouse Dining Room in Spring Mill Inn to try the local specialty for dessert. Persimmon Pudding is a gingerbread-like dessert made from locally-grown persimmons. This unique fruit is harvested in the fall and a popular festival is celebrated each year with entertainment, a parade, a carnival and much more. At the Mitchell Persimmon Festival (Sept. 22-29) there’s a persimmon pudding contest and you can try persimmon ice cream or persimmon wine, too! When you visit these venues on the Fruits & Flowers Trail, pick up the favorite Mitchell Persimmon Pudding recipe to take home.

Knox County produces the most watermelons and cantaloupes in the entire state, which harvest from July through September. In fact, most farms are located within a 50-mile corridor along US Highway 41. Driving along this route, you’ll find many special orchard and establishments featuring a variety of locally-grown produce. The Big Peach has been in business in Bruceville for over 50 years, offering fresh produce, canned fruits and vegetables, jellies, preserves, candies, handmade gifts and much more. At Prairie Acres Restaurant and Farm Market enjoy a meal and shop for local fruits, veggies and garden plants. And, don’t forget to pick up your recipe for Knox County Watermelon Salsa!

Check out the Fruits & Flowers Trail website to see the many more venues of the trail. In addition, fall festivals are held each weekend all season long in Southern Indiana. Apples, pumpkins, mums, wineries and many more sights and tastes of the fall season await you!