History:

The first Madison County Covered Bridge Festival was held in 1970, started by a group of active and passionate citizens. Eventually, as the event grew in size and scope, the Madison County Chamber of Commerce was asked to take on the job of organizing it. Some things about it may have changed since its inception, as one would expect after nearly fifty years, but much also remains the same. We still honor our six remaining bridges with regular tours throughout the weekend and a popular “Meet Me at the Bridge” celebration on the Saturday evening of the festival. As expenses have grown over the years (electricity, insurance, etc.), the cost of entry has gone from Free to just $2.00 per adult, with kids 12 and under still free. We do have craft booths, as they originally did, and many of them today display hand-made goods made by local artists: pottery, quilts, doll clothes, paintings, drawings, photographs, jewelry, woodcrafts, fiber arts, and more. We also have an array of demonstrators and old-time activities that visitors are welcome to participate in, including an antique tractor ride, a Civil War fashion show, sheep-shearing, wool spinning, a corn box for the kids to play in, marble shooting, Passport to the Past activities at the Madison County Historical Complex (penny candy sales, horse and wagon rides, old-fashioned school lessons, a Civil War reenactment, etc.), and the annual Antique Vehicle and Covered Bridge Festival Parade. Visitors can also see an old fashioned spelling bee, an antique car show, and a quilt show with many heritage quilts displayed.

One thing has not changed at all. There is nothing that pleases us more than to share our community with you, and we hope you’ll enjoy your visit and come back again!