INDIANAPOLIS — Spooky season has finally arrived to the delight of children chomping at the bit for Halloween treats, families eager to participate in some fall fun, not to mention people who love all things pumpkin spice and others just happy to escape the summer heat.
There's plenty to do in central Indiana for those excited to participate in all the festivities that fall has to offer.
Central Indiana fall activities:
Barktoberfest
Location: Asa Bales Park, 205 West Hoover St., Westfield
Date: Oct. 9
Hours: 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.
Barktoberfest is in its fifth year. It benefits the Humane Society for Hamilton County. There will be vendors and activities for both humans and dogs, including a canine agility course, professional photo station and caricatures. There will also be adoptable available for anyone looking for a furry friend.
The event's highlight, the pet costume contests, will happen at noon, 1 p.m. and 2 p.m.
Ticket sales benefit the shelter. Purchase tickets ahead of time at westfieldwelcome.com for $5, or purchase them at the festival, where only card transactions will be accepted. Registration for the pet costume contests is also available online.
Beasley's Orchards Fall Festivals
Location: Beasley's Orchard, Danville
Dates: Sept. 25 through Oct. 31
Hours: Monday through Friday 1 p.m. to 6 p.m., Saturday 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. and Sunday 12 p.m. to 6 p.m.
Activities include an 8-acre corn maze, hayrides to the pumpkin patch, apple cannons, barnyard bonanza, straw mountain, yard games, food, entertainment, and more. There are also u-pick apples and u-pick pumpkins.
Each weekend, there's a different series of events. The Annual Heartland Apple Festival will be held Oct. 9-10. The next weekend, on Oct. 16-17, there will be "Dog Daze at the Maze." "Halloweekend" will be held Oct. 23-24 and Oct. 30-31.
More information can be found here.
Benjamin Harrison Presidential Site's "Night at the Site"
Location: Benjamin Harrison Presidential Site
Dates: Oct. 27
Hours: 6:30 p.m.
The Benjamin Harrison Presidential Site is offering a fun fall program called "Night at the Site."
It will feature a glimpse into the home at night and fun artifacts related to some unexpected stories. Guests will get a look at the flag that laid over Harrison’s casket, William Henry Harrison’s mourning ribbons and hear a funeral march played on our historic Reginaphone.
The tour is recommended for children aged 10 and older and is free. Reservations are required and can be made here.
BOO 'N BREW
Location: Clay Terrace
Dates: Oct. 23
Hours: 2-6 p.m.
Boo 'N Brew is a family friendly event that will feature a beer garden for adults and trick-or-treating for kids. Other activities for kids include face painting, a pumpkin patch and hayrides.
The beer garden will have craft beer from local breweries including City Brewing Company, Big Lug, Bier Brewery, and Prodigy Burger Bar.
The festival will also feature live music and a pet costume contest.
The Children's Museum of Indianapolis' "Frightful Frontier"
Location: The Children's Museum of Indianapolis
Dates: Oct. 9-31
The Children's Museum of Indianapolis will open the doors to the "Frightful Frontier" this year. It will feature destinations such as The Bony Express, Witchin’ Post, Not-So-Okay-Corral, Ghost Town Road and Boo Hill Cemetery.
There will be "lights on" hours for the younger kids and then "lights off" for kids daring to be scared. Tickets are $9 and available here.
All visitors 2 and older must wear a mask or face covering over their nose and mouth while indoors at the museum.
Other events at the Children's Museum include:
Sports Spooktacular
Round up friends for a sporty and spooky night out at the museum.
- Friday, Oct. 15
Saturday, Oct. 16
6:30–9 p.m.- $25 per person, youth and adult
- Museum members SAVE $2.50
- Limited capacity
- Tickets on sale Sept. 7
Feast with the Witches
Grab grub with the friendliest of witches.
- Saturday, Oct. 23, 11:30 a.m.
- Lunch Feast by HotBox Pizza
- Saturday, Oct. 30, 9 a.m.
- Breakfast Feast by Indy Anna’s Catering
- Sunday, Oct. 31, 11:30 a.m.
- Lunch Feast by Chuy’s
- $25 per person, youth and adult (Does not include museum admission)
- Museum members SAVE $2.50
- Children under 2 free
- Limited capacity
- Tickets on sale Sept. 7
Halloween After Dark (ages 21 and older)
- Saturday, Oct. 23
- 7–11 p.m.
$35 for members, $40 for non-members- Limited capacity
- Tickets on sale Sept. 24
- Find ticket information here.
Clay Terrace BOO 'N BREW
Location: Clay Terrace, Carmel
Dates: Oct. 23
Hours: 2-6 p.m.
Clay Terrace will celebrate the fall season with the community by hosting the DC Construction Ninth Annual BOO ‘N BREW Fall Festival.
Children ages 10 and under are invited to come dressed in a costume and trick-or-treat while supplies last. Other activities for kids include: Silly Safari animal show, face painting, balloon artists, hayrides and a pumpkin patch.
Adults can treat their taste buds with local craft beer, food pairings and enjoy live music.
For more information on the event, click here.
Colts drive-thru Halloween celebration
Location: Lucas Oil Stadium, South Lot, 500 S. Capitol Ave.
Dates: Oct. 20
Hours: 5-7:30 p.m.
Indianapolis Colts team mascot “Blue” and members of the Colts Cheerleaders will welcome kids and families to the Colts Drive-Thru Halloween Celebration in Lucas Oil Stadium’s South Lot.
Here's what participants can expect:
- Giveaways will be distributed to the first 2,000 fans who enter the lot, limited to four (4) giveaways per vehicle.
- Children must be present to receive the giveaway items. Items will be distributed to children inside of vehicles only.
- All fans are required to stay inside their vehicles throughout the event. Fans are encouraged to remotely open their trunk so staff can load giveaway items, or staff may pass the items through a vehicle window to an unoccupied seat.
- Distribution staff will follow current health and safety guidelines.
- No walk-ups will be permitted.
For more information, click here.
Conner Prairie Corn Maze
- Location: Conner Prairie, Fishers
- Dates: Open in October, hours and dates vary
The 22,160-foot maze features three paths to appeal to guests of all ages: a puzzle maze, a kids' maze and a haunted maze.
The haunted maze is open Thursday through Sunday, Oct. 7-30, sunset until 10 p.m.
More information can be found online.
Ghost Walk and Tours
- Location: Central Indiana
Professional paranormal investigators tour guests through central Indiana's most haunted places. Private dinners, private group walking and bus tours and private paranormal investigations are available. Reservations are required by phone or on the web. The walking tours are about 1.5-2 hours. Children must be at least 6 years old to attend.
Here are some of the upcoming ghost walk locations and dates:
- Chatham Arch-Lockerbie: Oct. 8, 15, 22, 30
- Noblesville: Oct. 8, 16, 22, 30
- Downtown Indianapolis: Oct. 9, 23, 29
- Westfield underground railroad: Oct. 9, 15, 23, 29, 31
More information can be found on Visit Indy's website.
Greenwood Halloween parade
Location: Downtown Greenwood
Date: Oct. 30
Time: 5 p.m.
The second annual Halloween parade will give Greenwood residents another chance for trick-or-treating.
For more information about the event and to see the route, click here
Harvest Days and Harvest Nights
- Location: Newfields, Indianapolis
- Dates: Oct. 2-31
- Hours: Harvest Days from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Harvest Nights from 7:30 p.m. to 10:30 p.m.
Harvest Days will feature local breweries, live music, a beer garden, a pumpkin bounce pad and lawn games.
When the sun goes down, Harvest Nights takes over with a never-before-seen spooky, but not scary, outdoor path that will guide people around an enchanted forest and an eerie ghost train before reaching a grand finale at Mischief Manor, which will be held at the Lilly House mansion.
Advanced tickets are required and can be purchased at discovernewfields.org.
Headless Horseman Festival
- Location: Conner Prairie, Fishers
- Dates: Thursdays - Sundays, Oct. 7-30
- Hours: 6 p.m. - 10 p.m.
The festival includes a haunted headless horseman hayride through Conner Prairie’s grounds, plus a barrel train ride for kids, spooky shows and storytelling, a carnival ride, festive games, fortune-telling and a live DJ. The festival also has food and it's right by Conner Prairie's 11-acre haunted corn maze.
More information can be found here.
Historic Irvington Halloween Festival
Location: Irvington, Indiana
Dates: Oct. 24-30
The 75th annual fall festival in Irvington has multiple events taking place the last week of the month.
Here is a list of events:
- Spooky Organ Concert
- Art & Silent Auction
- Slightly Haunted Puppet Show
- A Night of Spirits Séance
- Night Out in Sleepy Hollow
- Zombie Bike Ride
- Vampire Run
- Street Fair
- Irvington Halloween Festival Official After Party
Click here for more information.
Howl-O-Ween
Location: Military Park at White River State Park
Date: Oct. 30
Hours: 11 a.m. - 2 pm.
The final event of the Yappy Hour series will transform Military Park into a fall festival with a costume contest for both people and pups, a Bone Bar by Camp Bow Wow for decorating bone treats, a bobbing for tennis balls event sponsored by City Way Animal Clinics and other Halloween-themed activities.
The free event is open to everyone. Dogs are welcomed but not required. All dogs must remain on a leash while at the event.
IACS Trunk or Treat
Location: Indianapolis Animal Care Services – 2600 S. Harding Street, Indianapolis
Date: Oct. 30
Hours: 5-8 p.m.
IACS is hoping for a larger turnout at its trunk or treat event than 2020, the first time the shelter hosted the event.
The shelter will be decked out in Halloween decor while the staff and volunteers hand out treats. Community partners will also be on site to hand out candy and offer resources to families with pets.
The event is free, and visitors will be able to see adoptable pets until 6 p.m. Costumes are encouraged.
IMPD Fall Festival
Location: JTV Hill Center, 1806 Columbia Ave.
Date: Oct. 30
Hours: 11 a.m. to 2 p.m.
IMPD East District is partnering with community nonprofits to host a fall festival, featuring candy, games and family-friendly activities.
IMPD Cycles Unit, SWAT, Mounted Patrol, Mobile Bike Track, Indianapolis Fire Department, Indianapolis Emergency Medical Services and Crime Watch will be at the event.
Costumes are encouraged.
IU Spooky Spectacular
Location: IU Auditorium, Bloomington
Date: Oct. 27
Hours: 7 p.m.
World-renowned cinematic organist Dennis James returns for his annual family-friendly spooky spectacular Dennis James Hosts Halloween on Thursday, Oct. 27 at 7 p.m.
The performance allows the audience to witness James bring a classic silent film to life using the IU Auditorium’s 4,543 pipe organ.
For more information, click here.
Monster Mash
Location: Craig Park, 10 E. Smith Valley Road, Greenwood
Date: Oct. 22
Hours: 6-8 p.m.
Greenwood's annual trick-or-treat event will take place along the Play Pocket Trail. Costumed attendees can visit nearly 25 vendors and go on hayrides, plus enjoy live music. General admission is free. Parking is available at the corner of Meridian St. and Surina Way.
Morgan County Fall Foliage Festival
Location: Morgan County Fair Grounds, Martinsville
Dates: Oct. 7-10
There will be an art show, live music and plenty of other performances, as well as a car show, air show, kids events, a parade and more. More information can be found here.
Necropolis Underground Haunted Attraction
Location: Indianapolis
It's one of the largest indoor haunted houses in the country, and it's already open for the Halloween season. Necropolis Underground will be open every Friday and Saturday through Halloween. It will also be open on two Sundays, Oct. 24 and 31.
Tickets start at $35. Purchase them online here.
They're offering a brand new festival area with tarot card readings, an escape room and an ax-throwing station. It also features four different haunts guests can walk through.
The attraction is located at 7130 Western Select Drive, near the I-465 and I-70 interchange, just east of Shadeland Avenue on the east side of Indianapolis.
Nehemiah Ranch Fall Harvest Days
Location: Avon, Indiana
Dates: Every Saturday between Oct. 2-16
Hours: 6 p.m. to 9 p.m.
The Fall Harvest Days will include hayrides, a pumpkin patch, a firepit and live music. There will also be food, hot chocolate and s'mores.
More information can be found here.
Safe Night Halloween
Location: Indiana State Fairgrounds
Date: Oct. 31
Hours: 5-7 p.m.
Safe Night Halloween at the Indiana State Fairgrounds is back for the 25th year. The event will take place on the north side of the fairgrounds at Celebration Park. It's free, and gives families a safe place to get their favorite Halloween candy, trunk-or-treat-style.
The event is open to all children 12 and younger, accompanied by an adult. Click here for more information.
ZooBoo
Location: Indianapolis Zoo
Dates: Oct. 6-31
Hours: Wednesday, Thursday and Sunday from 2 p.m. to 7 p.m and Friday and Saturday from 2 p.m. to 9 p.m.
The Indianapolis Zoo will have Halloween activities, a live DJ, spooktacular costumes and trick-or-treating. The zoo also said October weather means active animals, colorful foliage and a new season to explore.
More information can be found here.