Bluffton is a town of roughly 10,000 inhabitants that straddles the Wabash River in north-eastern Indiana. If you are looking for a wild, exciting place to party, go somewhere else. This is not really meant to reflect poorly on Bluffton, though. It is simply a small town.

What to do in Bluffton

To put it bluntly, there isn't much to do in Bluffton. There are certainly enough shops and businesses to support the population, but entertainment is rather lacking. For the most part, the noteworthy businesses are located along Main and Market Streets (the intersection of which makes up the downtown area). Main Street runs straight through the heart of Bluffton and turns into Indiana Highway 1 outside of town. If you want to stand any chance of being slightly entertained, head north along Highway 1 for about thirty miles until you come to Fort Wayne, a city of around 200,000 people that actually has a few movie theatres in it.

However, if you do decide to stay in Bluffton, you should at least know what facilities exist.

Food

Bluffton has many fast food restaurants but there are very few 'sit down' restaurants. Taco Bell, McDonalds, and the like are scattered along the main stretch of Highway 1. On the north side is the Branding Iron, a steakhouse-type restaurant/bar of questionable quality. South along Main Street lies Richards. In the middle is the Rittenhouse, a fancy Victorian-house-turned-restaurant that serves decent food at exorbitant prices. On the south side is the Corner Depot, a restaurant which just opened and consequently has a rather limited menu. What they do have is pretty good, though.

Lodging

As with restaurants, all of the hotels are located along Main Street. Your best bet is the Holiday Inn Express just to the north of town. Cheaper (and shabbier) accommodation can be found in town, though.

Entertainment

If you're into nature, Ouabache State Park¹ lies a few miles to the east of town. There are some good trails as well as a lake and swimming pool in the park. One of the major pastimes of Blufftonites is cruising, which involves repeatedly driving up and down Main Street. Cruisers often end up congregating at Dawsons repair shop, which is in the middle of town. There is also a decent coffee shop across from the courthouse, but it has obscure hours. Other than that, you pretty much have to make your own fun in Bluffton.

Bluffton does have one claim to fame: the Bluffton Street Fair. This annual festival during the third week of September has risen to an almost religious status among Blufftonites. The Street Fair is a week long event that brings just a wee bit of excitement to an otherwise sleepy town (and in the process gums up all the roads and takes up all the parking spaces). For the most part, the activities are standard festival fare with rides, games, food, and information booths. Possibly the most exciting thing to do is to watch the carnies² and take bets as to how long it will be before the rides fall apart.

How to Get Along with the Locals

Always keep in mind that Bluffton is a conservative town. One of the most influential groups of people in the area is the Apostolic Church, which is - to put it succinctly - very conservative. Blufftonites are generally very friendly and welcoming, but unless you were born and bred in the county, you will always be seen as something of an outsider, even if you decide to live there long-term.

One way to curry instant favour with a die-hard Blufftonite is to mention what a shame it was that the Dutch Mill burned down. The Dutch Mill was a restaurant that was located on the banks of the Wabash in the middle of town for decades. Over the years, it evolved into a sort of an area legend. Sometime around the end of 1998, the Mill burned to the ground, and a cultural icon was forever lost. It doesn't matter if you have never even heard of the Dutch Mill just pretend that you have and that you really miss their pies, and you will get along fine with most Blufftonites.Do not under any circumstances ever insinuate around some people that the Mill might have been anything less than the best eatery on the planet, or you may be run out of town.