One of the main attractions: The Neet covered bridge, constructed in 1904 by J.J. Daniels, is 126 feet long and crosses the Little Raccoon Creek. -- Photo by Bob Poynter

Mary Jo Johnson's annual pilgrimage to the Parke County Covered Bridge Festival entails more than sampling country victuals and purchasing an item or two from the crafters and vendors.

Johnson, 63, of near St. Louis, owns and operates a specialty shop where she sells antiques, collectibles and unique gifts. Each fall, she fills her van from floor to ceiling with items she buys during the festival to sell in her shop. She visits Crawfordsville, Rockville, Bridgeton, Terre Haute, Brazil and businesses in and around the Sullivan area, she said.

"It's a mixture of business and pleasure," Johnson said. "We'll hit all the shops in Crawfordsville and then come back on [Indiana 231] and stop at every interesting yard sale on [Indiana 36] to Rockville. This has been a major buying trip for me for the past 24 years."

Johnson isn't unique. A lot of store owners come to the bridge festival to fill their shelves with handmade craft items and antiques and collectibles, said Anne Lynk, executive secretary of Parke County Inc., the organization that coordinates the festival.

"They can buy things here much cheaper than in the big cities," Lynk said.

Johnson begins by visiting festival headquarters on the courthouse lawn and shops that interest her in Rockville. After a night's rest, she's off again taking in the yard sales along U.S. 41 between Lyford and Terre Haute.

"I've found some really good pieces of Hall and Hull china for reasonable prices at these places, and I've also picked up some Weller and Johnson Brothers flow blue," Johnson said. "You'll go along and not find anything and then just when you're ready to push on, a hard-to-find piece of Fosteria Americana surfaces. You are ready to start all over again after that."

Parke County's 10-day annual fall event brings attracts more than 2 million people, according to Lynk's figures.

Lynn Fuller, Indiana Tourism Division marketing manager, said tourism is one of the state's top five industries.

"It's growing," she said. "Parke County's annual figure is $29.5 million. "That's a nice number for a community with little industry. Visitor spending is growing in Parke, too."

Lynk says about 85 percent of the county's tourism dollars are spent during the Covered Bridge Festival.

"The bridge festival carries a tremendous financial wallop in Parke County and throughout the [Wabash Valley]," she said.

Parke County Inc. records indicate lodging overflow goes to Terre Haute and as far east as Indianapolis and as far west as Urbana, Ill.

Most visitors don't mind driving an hour or more to reach the festival, Lynk said.

"People from Chicago and other large cities drive 45 minutes to an hour just to get to work," she said. "Driving an hour to an hour and a half for fun isn't a problem for them."

The economic impact of this event is felt by just about every community within a 250-mile radius, said David Patterson, executive director of the Terre Haute Convention and Visitors Bureau. He said the bridge festival is a tremendous boon to west central Indiana. The 1,654 motel and hotel rooms in Vigo County are full on festival weekends, and 80 to 85 percent full during weekdays, he said.

"Overnight guests average spending $77 apiece," he said. "In addition, they buy meals at restaurants, go shopping, fill their vehicles with gasoline and other incidentals. Then there is the factor of the pass-throughs. People who drive through town and don't stop for the night buy the same things."

Patterson has watched the people of Clay County strut their stuff over the past few years. He said every community is becoming more conscious of tourism.

"The people of Brazil over the past five years realized what the pass-through traffic does for the economy," he said. "Yard sales are everywhere all the way to Putnam County. The Covered Bridge Festival draws people from Chicago, Cincinnati, St. Louis, Louisville, Indianapolis and the communities from the northern rim around Chicago. The money people spend multiplies itself seven times through the community -- goods, employees salaries, the money they spend, etc."

Bargain hunters also flock to Crawfordsville and other Montgomery County communities.

Sharon Kenny, executive director of the Montgomery County Visitors and Tourists Bureau, said when the 450 rooms in the county are filled with overnight guests, visitors are sent to Lebanon, Danville, Ill., Lafayette and as far as the west side of Indianapolis.

"The Covered Bridge Festival has far-reaching effects," she said. "I wouldn't like to try and make it through October without it. In the month of October, the innkeeper's tax alone, which is 2 percent of the lodging fee, brings in $10,000 to $13,000."

By doing simple math, it's obvious visitors spend $500,000 to $650,000 to bed down in Montgomery County in October where they have the opportunity to visit any of the four museums, and check out antique shops and look for bargains at numerous yard sales.

"People feel they get a real bargain for what they buy in this community because they don't pay Chicago prices," Kenny said. "Numerous people make reservations for the next year when they check out. It's not uncommon for parties of four to eight to stay here. If one of the group backs out, they don't seem to have any problem filling that spot."

It's the friendly homespun atmosphere that brings visitors back to the Covered Bridge Festival year after year, along with a unique product offered by Parke County -- 32 covered bridges.

"While the focus is mostly on handmade arts and crafts, we also offer antiques and collectibles, hog roasts, buried beef, melodrama, an art gallery, square dancing and home-cooked, country-style food," Lynk said. "It's a place people know they are safe and can have a good time when the bottom line is good clean family fun.

"Tourism is growing. People are coming before and after the festival. Car clubs tour the county, bicycle clubs come here, motorcycle groups schedule events and grandparents love to bring their grandchildren here where everyone, including exchange students, gets a good picture of the heartland of America."

Sunshine Magazine, known throughout the country as the vendor's bible, named the Parke County Covered Bridge Festival one of the top 200 festivals nationwide.

"Quality crafters check this magazine before they reserve booth space to display their goods," Lynk said. "Recommendations such as this are why we have quality crafts and vendors."