Indy Fall Fest is over, but autumn isn't

If you missed the Indy Fall Fest this year, you're not alone. The main event ran on Saturday, October 17, from noon to 5:00 PM at the Indy Art Center at 820 E. 67th St., over in the Broad Ripple area, and it was a good example of how Indianapolis does autumn. More than 50 local and regional artists set up in ARTSPARK, with art activities and food trucks scattered around. Entry was free, and pumpkin painting was free too, though a few of the hands-on classes needed separate registration and payment. It's the kind of event that's easy to drop into for an hour or stay for the whole afternoon.

That same day, the Indy Art Center pulled double duty with the Autumn Tidings Fall Fest, which leaned into the season with cider samples from Ash & Elm Cider Co. It's worth keeping both on your radar for next year, because they turn the same campus into two different reasons to head to Broad Ripple on a Saturday.

If you're still looking for something to do, the city's fall calendar is far from empty. The Historic Irvington Halloween Festival is just getting started, running from October 24 through October 31. This is its 80th edition, and it builds toward a big Street Fair on Saturday, October 31, from 10:00 AM to 4:00 PM along Washington Street and Audubon Road, with more than 120 vendors, live music, and a costume parade. The week leading up to it is packed with a Wellness Fair, a Spooky Organ Concert, a blood drive, family movie night, a zombie bike ride, and a vampire run with a 5K and a kids' dash. The Street Fair itself adds costume contests for both humans and canines, wrestling shows, and pumpkin carving contests, with music from The Replays, C O R K E N, Union Suit Rally, and Jake Towe.

Over in Fishers, Conner Prairie's Headless Horseman runs through October 25, on Thursdays through Sundays from 5:00 to 10:00 PM. It's a haunted hayride with a Trail of Terror corn maze, fortune telling, and activities for all ages, though the hayride needs its own timed entry. Admission is free for members, $26 for adults 13 and up, $24 for seniors 65 and older, and $20 for youth 2 to 13, with a half-price general admission after 3:00 PM for in-person purchases. Active, retired, and veteran military get in free, with a 50% discount for spouses and children.

And for something a bit more atmospheric, Harvest Nights at Newfields runs through November 1 at The Garden at Newfields, with the Pumpkin Path of Peril, Ghost Train, Mischief Manor, Fungi Forest, and Boo Shoo. Advance tickets are required, children five and under enter free, and prices start at $25 with dynamic pricing based on demand. A $2 processing fee applies to each paid ticket, and reserved parking is $20 a car, which they recommend booking in advance. It's a more planned-out evening than the free festivals, but it's one of the bigger autumn draws in the city.

Between Irvington, Conner Prairie and Newfields, there's plenty to fill the next couple of weekends. The Indy Fall Fest may be done for the season, but the rest of the city's autumn lineup is still in full swing.