NAPPANEE — Amish Acres will close on Jan. 1, after 50 years in business.Richard "Dick" Pletcher, owner and founder of the family business, confirmed the closing to The Goshen News Friday afternoon, calling it a "retirement."“It’s been 50 years, so it’s a retirement,” Pletcher told the newspaper. “It will be closing after the fireworks on Dec. 31 and will be auctioned in the spring.”The farm, which includes the Round Barn Theatre, has been a major tourist attra...
NAPPANEE — Amish Acres will close on Jan. 1, after 50 years in business.
Richard "Dick" Pletcher, owner and founder of the family business, confirmed the closing to The Goshen News Friday afternoon, calling it a "retirement."
“It’s been 50 years, so it’s a retirement,” Pletcher told the newspaper. “It will be closing after the fireworks on Dec. 31 and will be auctioned in the spring.”
The farm, which includes the Round Barn Theatre, has been a major tourist attraction for Nappanee and Elkhart County.
Jeff Kitson, executive director of the Nappanee Chamber of Commerce, said Amish Acres has hosted more than 5 million people over its 50 years, citing a letter he had from Pletcher. In that time, it has also employed more than 11,000 people.
The Amish Acres campus sits just north of U.S. 6, on the west side of the city. It includes a bakery, meat and cheese shop, arts and crafts boutiques, an inn with 62 guest rooms and Threshers Diner, which features traditional Amish cooking. Amish Acres also hosts wine tastings and is a popular venue for weddings, receptions and conferences.
The Round Barn Theatre is home to a professional acting company that has produced more than 100 Broadway musicals over the past two decades. Its final scheduled performance will be "Beauty and the Beast" on New Year's Eve.
Kitson said the family would like to find a buyer for some of the property.
"This is going to leave a big hole in the city of Nappanee," Kitson said. "But we are thankful for all the Pletcher family has done."
While the fate of some of the farm is unknown, the original farmstead was bought by Nappanee Power from the Past, a community organization that preserves historic pieces. The farmstead is the only Amish farm listed in the National Register of Historic Places, according to the Amish Acres website.
"It was a shock, but we'll pick up the pieces and move forward," Kitson said.
Pletcher told The Goshen News he would issue a news release about the closing soon.
“I think 50 years is a good run," Pletcher said. "We’ve had fun."