If you’re searching for a place to retire in Pennsylvania, the city of Indiana is a welcoming community. Around 14,000 people call the borough home and enjoy recreation outdoors, at local fairs and festivals, and at attractions throughout town, making it one of the best places to retire in Pennsylvania.
The following are some of the top reasons retirees enjoy living in Indiana, PA.
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1. Events, Fairs & Festivals
Indiana hosts many annual fairs, festivals and events each year that bring community members out to celebrate life in town. Some popular events include:
- Clymer Days Festival: This annual festival, going strong since 1995, offers free live music entertainment and special events like car shows, games and fireworks.
- Delaney Chevrolet Westsylvania Jazz & Blues Festival: Every Memorial Day weekend, downtown Indiana hosts a free jazz and blues festival featuring international and local musicians.
- Historic Canal Days Festival: This three-day festival in nearby Saltsburg’s Canal Park takes place every year the first full weekend of June. Expect food vendors, live music and entertainment, games and prizes, and shopping for local artisan goods.
- Hoodlebug Festival: This local festival in nearby Homer includes a parade, food vendors, cultural music entertainment, games and a 5K run and fun walk.
These are just a few of the enjoyable community events residents can look forward to in Indiana. There are even more big events in Pittsburgh, located around an hour’s drive away from Indiana.
2. Parks & Trails
Indiana resides in the foothills of the Allegheny Mountains and is surrounded by beautiful nature. There’s an abundance of parks and trails in the area, as well as water for boating, fishing and watersports.
Some of the top nature destinations in Indiana include:
- Blacklick Valley Natural Area and Buttermilk Falls Natural Area: These nature areas are the earliest established natural areas in Indiana County’s park system and provide opportunities to immerse yourself in nature. There are several tracts to explore on a hike, including the Parker Tract, and Caldwell and Clark Run Tracts, and the Ghost Town Trail.
- Blue Spruce Park: This 650-acre public park is around 6 miles north of Indiana and provides more than 5 miles of hiking and skiing trails, as well as hunting and fishing opportunities. The park includes four pavilions and two lodges available for rental, as well as two playgrounds, a horseshoe court, a volleyball court and demonstration gardens.
- Old Smicksburg Park: This 33-acre park includes hiking trails, birding and wildflower study opportunities, picnic tables, a gazebo and a boat/canoe/kayak launch into Little Mahoning Creek. There are also specialty shops nearby, selling Amish goods.
There are more than a dozen parks and trails in Indiana, with plenty more in the surrounding area. It’s a great place to walk, hike, bike and enjoy nature.
3. Dining & Drinking Scene
Indiana has a wide variety of restaurant and bar options, with dozens of locally owned eateries to choose from. Restaurant types include Thai food, home-style Amish meals, bakeries, delis, coffeehouses, Italian food, burgers and American staples, and much more. When the weather’s nice, it’s a great time to enjoy a meal al fresco on a restaurant patio in town.
The Indiana area is also home to a distillery, wineries and breweries. The vibrant dining and drinking scene has lots to offer foodies and cocktail lovers, while many local restaurants also host fun events like trivia nights and live music performances.
4. Museums & Culture
Indiana has a strong history in American culture, as Indiana County was a major Underground Railroad route in the early 1800s. The city is also the birthplace of famed actor Jimmy Stewart. Residents can explore more of what makes Indiana such a unique destination at museums and cultural attractions like the following.
- Underground Railroad History Center: The Underground Railroad History Center in nearby Blairsville is a by-appointment museum that’s housed in a historic African American church that was built in 1917. There’s also a self-guided tour residents can take around the area to learn more about its history.
- The Jimmy Stewart Museum: Visitors to The Jimmy Stewart Museum can see several galleries and rotating exhibits, watch a film in the vintage theater and shop in the gift store celebrating the late actor’s life and legacy. The museum hosts monthly movie showings and features special exhibits on a variety of notable people and works related to Stewart’s place in history.
- Indiana University of Pennsylvania University Museum: This university art museum features artworks by notable living artists, often those who have connections to the Indiana and Pittsburgh areas. Visitors can see both permanent and rotating exhibits, in disciplines like painting, drawing, mixed media and illustration.
Everywhere you go in Indiana, there’s some piece of history waiting to be discovered. The Saltsburg Area Historical Society is a great local resource for residents who want to learn more about the area’s roots.
5. Live Entertainment
In addition to various music events and concerts held regularly throughout the area, Indiana also has several community theater organizations and venues that host world-class performers and local artists. These include:
- Lively Arts at Indiana University of Pennsylvania: The Lively Arts presents hundreds of performance and visual art events each year, including both student-featured and international artist-featured shows, including dance, concert, theater and orchestra performances.
- Indiana Theater: The historic, 300-seat Indiana Theater shows movies, as well as hosts concerts in a variety of genres and special events like comedy and poetry shows.
- Philadelphia Street Playhouse: The Philadelphia Street Playhouse is home base for the Indiana Players, a community theater group that presents productions including Shakespeare plays, mysteries and an annual one-act festival.
You don’t have to go far in Indiana to see high-quality entertainment. Whether you’re into poetry slams or standup comedy, symphony orchestra or local theater, there’s always something new on the calendar in Indiana.
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Indiana Is Also Home to Moorehead Place
Indiana also has Moorehead Place, a beautiful senior lifestyle community that offers personal care and short-term care residency. Residents get the exact level of care they need and can enjoy amenities such as:
- Chef-prepared meals with restaurant-style service
- Guest rooms upon availability
- Hair salon
- Housekeeping
- Library
- Lounges
- Transportation services
The pet-friendly residence also presents a variety of daily programming, with activities like bingo and card games, happy hours, exercise classes, coffee and conversation clubs, and much more.
For information on Moorehead Place in Indiana, find out more about Senior Lifestyle, or schedule a tour today.