Friend Social at Newfields Harvest Nights

Friend Social is hosting a speed-friending night at Newfields on Sunday, October 18, from 6:30 PM to 8:30 PM. It's built like speed dating but for friendship and community rather than romance: you rotate through five-to-seven-minute conversation rounds with other people, with icebreaker questions and social activities to keep things moving. It's open to everyone, not just singles, and you exchange contact info with the people you hit it off with to keep the friendship going afterward. They describe it as a welcoming environment for introverts and extroverts alike.

The session is part of Harvest Nights, presented by Everwise Credit Union in The Garden at Newfields. This is the seventh season of the spooky-not-scary fall spectacle, which takes over the grounds with tens of thousands of pumpkins and jack-o-lanterns. You walk through fog-filled forests along The Pumpkin Path of Peril, feel the Ghost Train rumble beneath your feet, and take in the sheer scale of the display. New this year is Boo Shoo, an interactive element by Lightborne that lets you chase away the ghosts of Mischief Manor.

Your ticket covers more than just the social hour. It includes expedited entry at the main entrance and Mischief Manor, pumpkin blinky lights, a 2026 commemorative pin, and a non-alcoholic beverage. The price is $40, a special group rate that's $10 less than the premier package ticket price. The whole thing runs from 6:30 PM to 8:30 PM at The Garden at Newfields, 4000 N Michigan Rd, Indianapolis, IN 46208.