Ohio County Tourism Announces 812 Day Activities

Activities will be held at the Visitors Center in Rising Sun on Friday, August 12.

Rock on Rising Sun’s “Rock Star” Bonnie Carrigan, left, and volunteer Jane Litton work on painted works for 812 Day in Rising Sun. Photo provided.

(Rising Sun, Ind.) - Ohio County Tourism, Inc. will be celebrating 812 Day at the Visitors Center in Rising Sun on Friday, Aug. 12, 2022, from 11am-5pm. The Center is located at 217 N. High Street.  

“We saw a posting for 812 Day on social media and wanted Rising Sun to be a part of it. How fun to celebrate local communities within the 812-area code through its own special day,” said Kendal Miller, executive director of Ohio County Tourism, Inc.   

Miller began inviting locals to join the 812 Day social media page and things started snowballing.  

With Auntie Anne’s Pretzels of Elizabethtown, KY, scheduled to visit the Visitors Center on Aug. 12, Tourism had its usual call for vendors for their “Promotion under the Pavilion” event held simultaneously during food truck visits.  

Promotion under the Pavilion is offered at no charge to any Rising Sun Main Street or Ohio County business—or businesses/organizations that serve Ohio Countians—to set up and promote themselves or sell products during food truck visits.  

“The Tourism Board wants the Visitors Center to be utilized as a community space. It’s wonderful seeing that coming to be. We can’t thank our local/state entities enough—the Ohio County Community Foundation, the Rising Sun Regional Foundation, and the Indiana Arts Commission—for supporting our vision through grant support,” said Miller.  

With the 812 Day event and Auntie Anne’s scheduled from 11am-5pm, ten vendors are scheduled to set up under the Pavilion beginning at 11am. Rising Sun’s own Sweet Shave, LLC will also be joining the celebration from 3-5pm, serving shaved ice and lemon shake-ups.   

Businesses/organizations scheduled to appear include Cheryl Abplanalp, Indiana Farm Bureau Insurance; Julie Ballard, Antioch Bakery; Stacy Bruce, Necco; Car Country (Aurora); the Navy Bean Fall Festival organizers; Joe Nix, Humana; Rock on Rising Sun Rock Search; Tracy Russell, EXNGULAR; Carol Similia, Str8lin Laser Designs; and Amy Walston, Fehrman Realty. All vendors may not stay throughout the entire event.  

Another fun feature of the event came when Rising Sun’s own “Rock Star” Bonnie Carrigan began following posts about 812 Day. While many communities painted rock hide and seek activities have begun to wane, Rising Sun’s continues to prosper.  

“We didn’t anticipate that Bonnie was going to commit to painting 812 rocks to celebrate 812 Day. How great is that?” said Miller.  

Bonnie began the town’s Rock on Rising Sun several years ago and has been adamant about seeing it continue. Not only does she seek out sponsors for “winning” rock searches but those for supplies, fellow volunteer painters and hiders.    

Utilizing her senior housing activities room, Bonnie and her team of “Rolling Stones” paint rocks that are hidden within the Rising Sun City limits. She requests that all rocks found be added to the Rock on Rising Sun Facebook page with photos—especially with the finder. 

Through the years these miniature gems of Rising Sun-produced artworks have been relocated and found in other states and several countries.  If the thrill of the search isn’t enough, the fact that special rock hunts often come with prizes or helps causes makes them even more special. 

Currently, winning rocks sponsored by area businesses will yield their finders a $5 bill by return the rock to its supporter. Once returned, the company/organization will also make a donation to the Bulletproof Classroom Door Project for Rising Sun-Ohio County Community Schools, a cause that Bonnie is passionate about to keep local youths safe.   

For 812 Day, Auntie Anne’s Pretzels of Elizabethtown is sponsoring five winning rocks that will yield finders a free pretzel if the winning rocks are returned to the Visitors Center.  

Bonnie and the Rolling Stones will be at the Visitors Center on 812 Day beginning at 11am with 812 rocks for the taking. Guests are encouraged to hide them within the Rising Sun City limits or return them to their own communities to be hidden, and eventually showing up on the Rock on Rising Sun Facebook page.  

Representatives from Rising Sun’s Navy Bean Fall Festival will on hand to sell festival amusement ride wristbands and last year’s t-shirts (cash only) for their upcoming Sept. 16-17 event. Visitors may also spot the Navy Bean Festival mascot on and off throughout the day.    

For more information on 812 Day in Rising Sun, Rising Sun/Ohio County lodging, eateries, attractions, and/or events, follow the Rising Sun/Ohio County Facebook page, log on to the enjoyrisingsun.com website, or contact Kendal Miller at kendal@enjoyrisingsun.com.