There was no wrong way to go on the Dig the Dunes Maker's Trail.

Story by: Karaline Cartagena Edwards

Karaline and her mom followed the trail and visited several places for the first time, including the Lubeznik Center for the Arts where they made these bags.

This weekend Dig the Dunes celebrated their second annual Maker’s Trail event with five different locations, stretching from Michigan City to Portage. The Maker’s Trail was designed to offer those in the Northwest Indiana region the opportunity to explore various local businesses that they may otherwise not have known about by offering attendees the opportunity to tap into their creative side and create a unique craft at each location.

Young and old enjoyed creating crystal keychains at Pieces of Jayde.

This year the locations & crafts featured included:

The Lubeznik Center for the Arts (Michigan City)- Personalized Tote Bag; great for taking on grocery trips Over Yonder Dunes Gift Shop (Beverly Shores)- Wine Cork Birdhouse Décor; a perfect addition for Spring floral arrangements Chesterton Art Center (Chesterton)- Print Making with options for the background images that paid tribute to nature and the Dunes; a great opportunity to frame and add to home/office décor Pieces of Jayde (Chesterton)- Crystal Keychains; a wonderful way to add a little piece of extra protection and pizzaz to keychains or purses Dig the Dunes Trail Stop (Portage)- Resin-Beach Themed Coasters- the perfect homage to this area we call home—the Indiana Dunes.

The event ran from 11am to 5pm, and attendees were allowed to visit the different locations in any order of their choosing. When it was time for a break, the Goblin & the Grocer, of Beverly Shores, as well as Joe & Freddy’s, of the Pines, each had specials for those participating in the Maker’s Trail—all that was needed was the Maker’s Trail ticket as proof of participation.

Over Yonder Dunes Gift Shop offered wine cork ornamental bird houses

70 tickets were sold this year, and attendees ranged from individuals enjoying the mild Saturday to themselves, while others came with a friend, family member(s), and even grandchildren. As participants traveled from location to location, they had their Maker’s Trail “passports” stamped from each business, and once at their final destination, they were able to turn in their cards for a raffle of some dunes’ goodies.

Print making was the project at Chesterton Art Center

As someone who has recently re-located back to Northwest Indiana after living out of state for over seven years, I really appreciated this event— it got me back out into the community, allowed me to spend time with a loved one, meet new people, and explore places that I had never been to before. Everyone was so nice and welcoming, which I greatly appreciated. It was beautiful to see people of all ages and backgrounds participating in the event, connecting with each other, and creating art.

Trail Stop offered resin beach themed coasters...and wine flights for those who needed a break!

Have a location in mind that would be a great candidate for next year’s Trail Stop? Don’t hesitate to share with us at info@digthedunes.com!