Things to Do Around Indiana This Fall

How does a flower parade stay part of a festival for more than 65 years? In Greenfield, elementary students are part of the answer: they place bouquets around James Whitcomb Riley’s statue during the Riley Festival. We love that a tradition honoring an Indiana poet brings local students into the celebration, too. Come watch Friday, October 2, and share a little Greenfield festival spirit with the community.

Fall festivals worth making a day of

Metamora Canal Days in Franklin County

Metamora’s historic canal town is the draw before the first booth even comes into view. Canal Days adds a busy main street of crafts, antiques, flea-market finds, flowers, and food, so it suits a slow wander more than a rushed stop. It runs October 2 to 4, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Admission is free; parking is paid. The Franklin County event page has the current visit details.

Riley Festival in Greenfield

Greenfield celebrates poet James Whitcomb Riley with a downtown festival of arts, food, and entertainment. If you cannot make the whole four-day run, the parade of flowers on Friday, October 2, gives you a single event to plan around. The festival runs October 1 to 4. See the Riley Festival’s schedule and updates before heading out.

Harvest Homecoming in New Albany

New Albany’s Harvest Homecoming starts with a parade on October 3, then returns with booth days October 8 to 11. Go for the floats and bands, or pick a booth day for food and family activities downtown. The official festival site lists parade details and daily hours.

West Side Nut Club Fall Festival in Evansville

The West Side Nut Club Fall Festival brings food booths, rides, entertainment, a talent show, and a parade to Franklin Street. It runs October 5 to 10. Saturday’s main parade is at 4:30 p.m.; the daily schedule helps match a visit to a specific event. The main site has the broader overview.

Bridges, living history, and a Halloween week

Parke County Covered Bridge Festival

Parke County’s covered bridges give the festival a setting unlike a single downtown fair. The event itself is based in nine communities, with Rockville as its headquarters. It runs October 9 to 18, and the headquarters booths are open 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Admission is free. The organizer’s event information helps you choose where to begin.

Feast of the Hunters’ Moon

At Fort Ouiatenon near West Lafayette, the Feast of the Hunters’ Moon recreates an eighteenth-century gathering through demonstrations, hands-on activities, and performances on several stages. History fans can spend time moving among the program areas. It takes place October 24 to 25. The official event page has ticket and access details, including its no-pets rule except for assistance animals.

Historic Irvington Halloween Festival

In Indianapolis, Irvington’s Halloween Festival runs October 24 to 31, with its street fair on Halloween itself. The calendar also includes a movie night and the Vampire Run. You can build a single outing around the October 31 street fair, or look through the week’s program for a different event. Check the festival’s 2026 schedule as details continue to fill in.

Pick the kind of outing you want

Metamora and Greenfield make sense for a town-center wander; in Greenfield, the October 2 parade gives a shorter visit a clear focus. Parke County spans nine festival communities, so it takes more choosing between stops. New Albany and Evansville have fuller schedules to build a day around, while Irvington is the late-October choice for a week of Halloween events.