With the growth of local pride and demand for “homegrown” products, there are many opportunities to experience true Hoosier culture. Whether it’s restaurants, attractions, shops or anything in between, we’ll showcase some of our favorite gems that make Indiana a great place to live and work.
Pumpkin spice lattes, campfires and a crisp coolness in the air. Tis’ the season of autumn. The unusually warm weather we’ve been having can’t spoil that wonderful fall feeling. I will eat pumpkin cookies and don cozy sweaters while it’s 80 degrees outside (no shame in my autumn game). However, I feel the cold wind blowing this way next week with temperatures in the 60-70 range. Grab your boots and fleece jackets, folks, we’re going to some of Indiana’s best fall festivities!
Pumpkin patches and apple orchards
Let’s start with the obvious fall activity: picking pumpkins and apples from local farms. While it may be easier to visit the nearest grocery store, nothing compares to the authentic experience of getting it right from the grower. Lucky for us, Indiana has plenty of farms to choose from.
- Beasley’s Orchard– pumpkin patch, apples orchard, corn maze, hayrides, barnyard bonanza and apple cannons. Each year, the farm hosts the Heartland Apple Festival packed with fun activities, live music, wine tastings from Indiana wineries, delicious food, and arts and crafts vendors. This year’s festival will be held on October 7-8 and 14-15.
- Hogan Farms– pumpkin patch, corn maze, hayrides and petting zoo. The farm also has a haunted corn maze (dates will be determined soon).
- Waterman’s Family Farm– pumpkin patch, hayride, corn maze, straw “mountain”, exotic animal interactive experience, bounce houses, live music and more.
Festivals
There’s more fall fun to be had outside the agricultural world. Indiana has so many fall festivals throughout the state, it is difficult to choose which to visit! My mom and I have a yearly tradition of visiting our favorites near my hometown of Spencer. However, I have been wanting to branch out to other festivals.
- Parke County Covered Bridge Festival-if you love crafts, gift items, yard sales and delicious food, you will love this festival! Be sure to bring a cart/stroller and comfortable shoes, you will need it. Also, a visit to the Bridgeton Mill is a must! It is one of the oldest operating mills in the country.
- Indianapolis ZooBoo– exotic animals, fun activities, music and delicious treats. Need I say more? This event runs Thursday-Sundays throughout October.
- Germanfest at the Athenaeum– celebrate this cultural tradition on October 14th. This event is for family-friendly with plenty of activities for the kids.
- For more festivals, check out the Indiana Festivals Guide to search in by county, city and region.
Haunted Houses
To be honest, I’m a scaredy cat and do not enjoy going to haunted houses. I have been to Indy Scream Park and would recommend it to those seeking shrills and thrills. Indiana Haunted Houses is a fantastic resource for haunted houses, hayrides, mazes, etc. Check out a few attractions listed on their website.
There are many more festivities throughout our state I did not mention. A simple online search with reveal all the possibilities.
Happy fall!
