There is no place on earth quite like Sugarcreek, Ohio.
It was settled in the early 1800s by German and Swiss immigrants and is proud of being known as the Little Switzerland of Ohio. During the Swiss Festival, one can listen to booming harmonies of giant alphorns or see inhabitants in authentic Swiss costumes dance enthusiastic polkas in a downtown that resembles an Alpine village.
The area is also home to a thriving Amish community. Buggies trot alongside cars on every road. The Budget, a Sugarcreek newspaper established in 1890, publishes a national edition that includes dozens of detailed letters written by Amish and Mennonite correspondents, or “scribes,” from all over the world.
A feeling of simplicity and abundance permeates the surrounding countryside blanketed with acres of soybeans and cornfields. Neatly kept dairy farms dot the rolling landscape, providing milk for local, world-class, family-run cheese factories. Thriving home businesses advertise with homemade signs. The largest family-owned brick-making factory in the United States is also situated there. Beachy’s Country Chalet serves sumptuous food with generous portions—but not on Sunday! The Lord’s Day is reserved for worship and family, two things dear to the hearts of the inhabitants of Sugarcreek, Ohio.
-Serena