A limousine with an Iowa license plate was just one of the vehicles parked along Cambridge City's Main Street on Thursday afternoon.
It was joined by vehicles with plates from Tennessee, Ohio and various Indiana counties.
New shops and restaurants and marketing efforts have helped draw more area residents and out-of-state visitors to Cambridge City for everything from Cincinnati Reds memorabilia to lamps, dishes, crocks and furniture. They also can find New Orleans-style food and drinks, barbecue and sweet treats.
"If you drive through on a Friday or Saturday, you see a lot of license plates from Ohio, Michigan and Illinois," said Mark McCarty, who owns several downtown buildings and serves as town council president. "I've noticed that for the last year or so."
Beth Leisure has owned the National Road Antique Mall at 39 W. Main St. with her husband, Rick, for 18 years.
"In that time, we've seen the whole downtown blossom into a destination for antiques," Beth Leisure said.
That prompts the question: Why?
There are many reasons, local business owners and shoppers say.
Some are more customer-based. Visitors are finding out about Cambridge City through billboards on Interstate 70, individual stores' websites and referrals from the Wayne County Convention and Tourism Bureau to Antique Alley destinations.
Word of mouth and social media such as Facebook also are helping spread the word locally about new food choices.