The small town of Albion is bustling.
First Friday events have turned the Courthouse Square into a giant board game with games like Albionopoly and a Live Clue game.
At a recent Christmas in the Village event, streets were lined with crowds of people who had gathered to watch the Christmas Light Parade.
Those people stuck around after the parade to check out the Christmas decorations and visit local businesses.
Albion has a lot going on, but it has its share of challenges, too.
The town of 2,350, about 30 miles northwest of Fort Wayne, faces the same problems as many other small communities: a shortage of quality housing, difficulty finding volunteers for community projects and challenges engaging the younger generation in local politics and in general.
But a group of Albion residents refuse to be complacent. Committees and focus groups have been the driving force behind the town being named a Hometown Collaboration Initiative award winner by the Indiana Office of Community and Rural Affairs.
The award goes to communities with populations of 25,000 or less that want to develop a new generation of local leaders, build a supportive environment for small businesses and entrepreneurs, or improve quality of life.