John Schrock's vision comes to fruition as Conns break ground at Amish Country Theater complex
Sometimes things simply come together for reasons that are far beyond what people can ever imagine.
The Mike Conn family is digging in for the long haul, and the family’s commitment to bringing a rousing good time to Holmes County has resulted in a massive undertaking that will soon be a tremendous destination that will only enhance the flavor of Amish Country.
With the flick of a couple of shovels near Schrock’s Amish Farm in Berlin, Mike Conn and sons Jeff and Braden Conn officially kick-started the new Amish Country Theater campus. However, the campus is truly a culmination of something that John Schrock, the creator of Schrock’s Amish Farm and an entertainer at heart, had always dreamed of bringing to Amish Country.
Now years after his passing it has come to fruition, and it seems appropriate this new endeavor take place on his family’s property.
“I feel like their values are actually the same as ours,” said Jo Ann Hershberger, John Schrock’s daughter. “And just listening to them talk today at the groundbreaking and seeing their joy and passion for what they are doing, I can sense that they are on the same page we are in terms of faith and entertainment. I am sure Dad is more than just smiling right now. He always wanted to see something like this come to this area, and the one condition that I would sell this land was that it would be for something just like this.”
Mike Conn agreed. “This was John’s dream, and Jo Ann is a huge visionary and shares our values.”
Mike Conn said the entire family firmly believes God has been behind each and every step they have taken, and their faith continues to be a monumental part of this entire operation.
“Countless things have happened that can only be explained by divine intervention,” Mike Conn said. “I don’t feel like this happens by chance. Being able to buy this land from Jo Ann, that doesn’t just come up on its own. That’s what has been most rewarding through all of this. At our church we say ‘if God were to go away tomorrow, what would you have to stop doing because you have been depending on God so heavily?’ And we’d have to stop doing this project because we depend on God to make it happen.”
The new campus is a bold undertaking as the family will team up with local builder Robert Schlabach, owner of WB Services. The campus will include the new Amish Country Theater, a state-of-the-art theater that will provide a home for the wildly popular comedy show; the Encore Hotel & Suites, a seven-story, 81-room hotel and suite complex; and Encore Hall, an event center that will have the capacity to seat 600 people and will create space for weddings, meetings and other social events.
The idea began when the Conn family’s Amish Country Theater Show grew to the point where the family realized it needed a new and bigger space than its current home at the former Amish Country Flea Market in Walnut Creek. However, the search for land was not easy, but when Mike Conn’s cousin Dave Conn told the family about the opportunity at Schrock’s Amish Farm, the wheels were set in motion.
“This is a very exciting time for us, one that we weren’t sure would ever come,” Mike Conn said.
According to Jeff Conn, as the plans continued to develop, the family began thinking in bigger and bolder ways, and the concept of the hotel and event center were added.
“We wanted to create something that was connected and helped pull everything together,” Jeff Conn said. “Our hope was to create a unique experience, a destination for people to come and enjoy.”
Jeff Conn went on to note that throughout this entire process he has never seen his entire extended family work harder.
During the groundbreaking ceremony Friday, April 28, Mike Conn provided the welcome to area dignitaries, officials and those who came to support the new project. Jeff Conn then gave a short history of the theater and how it has grown into one of Holmes County’s biggest drawing cards.
Braden Conn provided the project details. Mike Conn then recognized the officials in attendance, and several of them spoke glowingly about the economic impact the new complex would have for Holmes County.
Braden Conn said the new facility will maintain the down-home theme the show has built over the years, and the entire campus will continue to feature a family-friendly atmosphere.
“We will work hard to continue to promote the family values that have been such a big part of our lives,” Braden Conn said.
The Conns plan to begin excavating May 8 with the hope of officially opening the campus in April of 2018.
When complete, the new theater will provide a home for a hilarious family-friendly variety show performed in a 325-seat auditorium with state-of-the-art lighting, video and sound. The show features nationally acclaimed ventriloquist Ken Groves and Lynyrd, the spotlight stealing country bumpkin who’s as unpredictable as an Ohio spring. And don’t forget the famous Amish comedy trio The Beachy’s and Fannie Mae, whose parody songs and jokes about farm living will keep you laughing the whole way home. There also will be sensational musical talent like Mark Hardesty and the Stockdale Family.
In the brand-new 600-seat theater audience members will find themselves walking into a live barnyard with a cast of characters greeting guests and ushering them into a state-of-the-art space complete with horizon lighting that mimics the sunset and a water tower extending through the roof.
Hotel guests also will have discount packages for theater tickets and a one-stop entertainment and lodging experience. All of this works together to ensure the Conn family’s newest project promises to be the biggest tourism destination in Ohio’s Amish Country.
The Berlin Encore Hotel & Suites will feature an inspiring 20-foot-high, atrium-style lobby connecting all three buildings with rustic decor and exposed beams, complete with soft seating, fireplaces and room to relax to live music and entertainment in the lobby. The hotel itself will stand seven stories high with unmistakable curb appeal and a gorgeous countryside view.
The 16,000-square-foot event center will offer the perfect spot for destination weddings with its enchanting outdoor ceremony space, an impressive grand staircase, floor-to-ceiling windows and a dreamy island gazebo.
While the father-sons team still do the majority of the work and heavy lifting, from digging trenches for light poles to programming light shows, they don’t pretend to take all the credit.
“Our wives are the behind-the-scenes heroes and our biggest cheerleaders,” Braden Conn said. “They support us in so many different ways, like giving us grace when we are stressed, taking care of details we forget and encouraging us at every step.”