Planning a visit to Matthews, Indiana? Make sure it overlaps with the 49th annual Cumberland Covered Bridge Festival!
The town of Matthews will be hosting its annual festival this weekend, Sept. 6–8th. The festival will be a hotspot for local vendors to show off their various goods. Some of the need-to-see merchants include a broom-maker, a guitar-maker, a wooden pencil vendor, a windchime seller and many more.
The fun doesn’t stop with the sellers of goods however. There will also be a variety of food trucks and classic fair food stalls in attendance. In the mood for fried food? This is the place to be. Craving some barbeque pork? Stop in for a yummy sandwich. Got a hankering for a taco? Pick one up this weekend!
There are also some different activities throughout the weekend, including live music, a cornhole tournament as well as pony rides and inflatable bouncy houses for children.
Jenna King, freshman and local Upland resident has attended the Cumberland Covered Bridge Festival several times.
“It’s fun to just walk around and look at the different things with friends,” King said. “It’s a good place to go to find something that’s cute, but also just to enjoy the culture."
The festival is hosted by the Matthews chapter of Lions Club International, a service organization that strives to empower and assist volunteers in bringing communities together. The Lions Club has been putting on the Cumberland Covered Bridge Festival for 49 years to raise money for local charities and community members. It is also a great opportunity to highlight local vendors and artists.
The attendance of the festival is greatly influenced by the weather, according to Roger Richards, a member of the Lions Club and Festival Chairman.
“If the weather is really good, like it was in 2017, we can have as many as 12,000 people. If the weather is bad, it can be 6,000 people.” said Richards.
Cost of admission for the festival is $2.00. The festival is located northeast of Matthew, right next to the Cumberland Covered Bridge, 11160 S. – 990 E., Upland, Indiana. The festival runs today from, 11 a.m.– 9 p.m., tomorrow from 9 a.m.–9 p.m. and finishes Sunday, 9 a.m.– 4 p.m.
