Hello out there in the blogosphere! I am a new blogger and a new member of the Conner Prairie staff. Let me tell you, my 3 ½ months here as Annual Fund Manager have been packed with new experiences, opportunities to work with and be a part of many spectacular events and a surprisingly quick transition into the ebb and flow of all things Conner Prairie.

One thing I love most about my job and something that makes it like no other, are the many and varied tasks I work on each week. High points include meeting our loyal and always dependable volunteers, collaborating with the Development team and having conversations with donors about why they chose to support Conner Prairie. Speaking of donors, our donors have the opportunity to become part of the Conner Society, whose member perks include invitations to twice-yearly excursions. I’ve been planning and researching a weekend excursion to New York City for friends and donors to Conner Prairie. I’d like to tell you about it...

You start off the weekend by flying into New York City late morning on December 4th. A quick stop at the hotel and you’re off to visit the Metropolitan Museum of Art where a tour of the new American Wing awaits. What better tour guide than Conner Prairie’s own President and CEO Ellen Rosenthal, once a curator of decorative arts. Friday night includes a cocktail party and an opportunity for you to visit with Ellen and your Conner Prairie friends. Saturday is a packed day with a visit and tour of the Lower Eastside Tenement Museum, a bit of free time in the city, then its dinner and a motor coach to South Pacific! Seeing South Pacific allows you to not only see the revival of a critically-acclaimed, eight-time Tony winning musical, but also to visit the historic Lincoln Center Theater, founded by John D. Rockefeller. Sunday includes a trip to the New York Historical Society to see the exhibit Lincoln and New York and more free time in the city. You’ll depart New York City early Sunday evening. Check out the full itinerary and find out how to sign up for the trip here:

Exclusive trips like this one to a historic location and/or museum will be happening twice a year… stay tuned to information about our spring journey to a secret, for now, location!

When I started working at Conner Prairie almost a year ago, I was ready for sheep. Sheep and goats and the 1800s and Civil War Days and churning butter and all the things my Indiana friends told me about their fourth-grade field trips to Conner Prairie.

But a giant balloon? That I did not anticipate.

However, a few years ago, something magical started happening here—something that sparked imaginations and dreams and big ideas. Something that eventually brought us 1859 Balloon Voyage and opened a new door to the adventures that can—and do—happen at Conner Prairie.

This summer, in addition to feverishly tracking media coverage and tweeting endlessly about this new balloon, my marketing assistant responsibilities included accompanying the team from Good Vibes Media as they filmed the whirlwind of activity around 1859 Balloon Voyage. Balloon inflation day in May, intensive exhibit-building, opening day in June, behind-the-scenes interviews and countless flights to get the right shot—I just kept wondering how it would all come together.

“History Rising: Conner Prairie’s Balloon Adventure” aired last Thursday night on Indy’s WFYI and was the answer to my woes. The documentary, a behind-the-scenes look at the drama and development of 1859 Balloon Voyage, conjured up something peculiar in me. As I watched, I waited in anticipation to see what plot twist was next, what adventure was on the horizon…even though I’d been there. I moved sandbags for inflation day, played with the exhibit interactives and took my share of flights. But seeing the story told on screen made my experiences new again. I remembered the awe I felt looking out over the prairie on my first flight, the hope that this exhibit would bring new excitement to our guests’ experiences.

Maybe that’s the real magic of 1859 Balloon Voyage—not the fact that it’s completely one-of-a-kind or even that it’s a catalyst for endless innovation at Conner Prairie, but that it’s the kind of experience that resonates, that excites, that becomes part of each guest’s story.

If you missed it, check out “History Rising” on September 24 and October 1 at 8:30pm on WFYI 3 or September 28 at 12:30am and October 7 at 9:30pm on WFYI 1. Get a sneak peek of the film at connerprairie.org.