I love this two-day festival. I go once or maybe both days. Free parking in the neighboring…read moregarage which informs the number of available spots on each of the 4 levels. Usual: I visit the City of Carmel booth to get a thermo lunch bag; I learned about their new logo. I stop by the Carmel Fire Dept. booth to learn about their upcoming Safety Day. The movie theaters have interesting games. This year: I tried a couple of free samples, which I did not like. One vendor was selling macarons on both areas of the festival. Lots of political booths. I seldom find food to purchase, but this year I noticed and tried el Patron food truck because they offered short rib taco, which I have never heard of. I bought 2 short ribs tacos and 1 steak taco with side of mild salsa, which was super hot to me. The tacos needed each lime wedge to moisten the delicious, hearty meats. I would recommend the $16 tacos (with tax). I wanted to listen to the concert tribute to Fleetwood Mac which was OK from where I sat to eat dinner. This year fireworks will be on the 4th. Parade will be on the 4th in the morning with people already placing something to hold their spot.

Went to Carmelfest for the first time and my family and I really enjoyed it! It felt like we were…read moreat a smaller version of a carnival with a Carmel feel to it. We started off grabbing a funnel cake and then walked around all the pop up shops! We headed over to the kid zone which was a ton of fun they had bounce houses and a few rides along with a petting zoo with goats, bunnies and horses. We did a pony ride and got to pet and feed the animals! Then to end our day we watched the concerts going on and had a blast listening and dancing to the music. Overall it was a fun experience and we look forward to coming back next year!

Add this event to your fall festival bucket list! One of the best in the central Indiana area. I…read morewent both days to wander around for 2+ hours and explore, as admission is free. The festival features more than 130 juried artists who are each exceptional at their work. This is not a craft fair or flea market; rather, these are high end pieces ranging from paintings to photographs to jewelry and ceramics and beyond. Some of the price tags are high (meaning you could drop $3,000 if you wanted to) but many offer affordable prints of their paintings at a lower cost, for example. I was mesmerized to see the diversity and quality of artwork. Even though there are thousands of attendees, the festival is set up well and flows easily. There are food vendors on-site (would love to see more international cuisine), dance demonstrations and more. My only suggestion is to give it more "international" flair as I'm not really sure why it's called the international arts festival. Perhaps a number of the artists travel from abroad? I'm not entirely sure.

This was our first visit to the Carmel Arts District and we enjoyed ourselves when we visited the…read moreInternational Art Fair. It was a nice time for the family. The children really enjoyed seeing all different types of art displayed there. They even got to participate in one of the art exhibits. Carmel High school had a display where the children could choose a number and color that number on a giant Mona Lisa painting. After all the colors were finished, the painting would be displayed at the high school. Do they really enjoy being a part of that. We'll have to get back up there to see how the finished work turned out. There were food vendors out, live music, dance lessons taking place. So a few things to see. It was nice. I enjoyed the fried veggie truck. I can't remember the name but it was good. I will say it would have been nice to see other representation of other cultures here, as it called itself the "International" fair. But definitely a nice event to go do to get some fresh air and see some local art talent.

What a cute pumpkin patch! The staff were incredibly friendly and helpful. The layout was…read moreorganized, not too crowded or over priced. My family and I had a great time!

I love any farm that lets you explore all their activities for one flat entrance fee. Russell Farms…read moredoes this so we'll definitely be back! Activities we participated in included: Tractor ride Animal farm Playground area Pumpkin field Farm life activity role play There is also a shop to purchase food and beverages. Great place for field trips too!

As someone who has a background in visual arts, I'm always excited to visit Newfields! Art in…read moreBloom, The Lume immersive experiences , Winterlights and of course Harvest Nights are some of the annual events I look forward to. Last night was the third time I attended Harvest Nights. This was the first time I arrived before it was dark so it was less spooky and a bit more wholesome in the daylight. We arrived at 7 and stayed until about 9 pm to experience everything lit up after dark. When you arrive, you're surrounded by stacks of pumpkins in every size, shape, color and type imaginable. Beautiful Fall arrangements are everywhere you look. The Fungi Forest was something new I haven't seen before. Very cool! I felt a bit like Alice in Wonderland encompassed by giant mushrooms towering above illuminated by strategically placed neon lights. One of the highlights of the event was the Cutwater Lounge--a 21+ space upstairs in the Lily House transformed into "Mischief Manor" only for Harvest Nights. The bartender told me this was the first year having this feature. We had a flight of the Cutwater alcoholic beverages that included a snack mix of tasty treats. The Mule and Espresso Martini were our favs with the margarita coming in 3rd. Cutwater's take on the Lemon Drop (which is a drink I typically enjoy) was strong yet tasted a bit watered down. The adult only experience wasn't very well marked (it's upstairs) and signage in general--starting at the parking lot entrance--needs improvement. I'm not sure we would have known about the adult area had it not been for the nice lady who sold us some yummy sweet potato fries with sage and bourbon maple dip. The Spider Stomp, Ghost Train and light show projected onto the Lily House all add to the overall experience. The seasonal food and drink options are great albeit a bit pricey. Passed on the $12 Bavarian pretzel but had to try Elysian Pumpkin Ale and wanted to try the cider but $14 was a little steep. It's not necessary to spend $20 for premium parking that they pressure you to purchase when you first pull into the lot. I recommend getting there early and wearing some of your best walking shoes. It's a cashless campus so good to keep that in mind. Love Newfields and can't wait for Winterlights in a couple months!

We went at 7:30 which was the perfect time since it was just starting to get dark. The line was…read morelong but move pretty quickly. We loved all the lights and decorations. There were tons of decorated pumpkins throughout Newfields. There is a food/drink garden area in the middle with benches to take a break if you want. We ordered the Marsh & Mallow Spooky Campfire Cocoa (spiked hot cocoa) and we all liked it and was comforting on this chilly night. The Lily house had a long line but we enjoyed going in and seeing all the spooky details inside.

The French Market hosted by ST. Joan of Arc is always a fun place to go. They have lots of vendors…read moreranging from food, art, jewelry and so much more.

Ooo la la! What a great festival! St. Joan of Arc puts this festival on every year. It has so many…read moregreat foods that you can't normally get locally. Tarte Flambé, beef bourgeon, fresh Cafe Du Mont beignets, ratatouille, and so much more! They have live music and lots of local venders as well as a bake sale. They have lots of volunteers from the church and school that do a great job of putting this event on. They offer tours of the gorgeous Roman Catholic Church during the event. They offer mass in French also. This is a great festival that if you haven't been you should put on a beret and head over to it.

Not sure where to begin. Our hotel room door had a very large gap in it, so much so you could see…read morepeople as they walked by, there was a big iron burn on the carpet between the beds, there was a huge crack on the bathroom counter (where the tissue box was located), and you could see the vent from the shower and it was just caked with dust. But, the worst was the fact that in the morning we woke up to ants all over the ac unit. When I contacted the front desk, a maintenance man did come out and "treat." I asked for a discount on the room as this is disgusting and they were also all over the blanket my son used to sleep. I was told that we had a "ton" of food in our room and "ants are attracted to everything," so they were unwilling to give a discount. We had a pizza box in the room with one piece of pizza leftover. It was boxed up and off the floor and we were going to take it out the next morning because, as the hotel stated upon check in, they do not offer any trash removal services during guests' stay. To top it off, even after it was treated, what did we see this morning? More ants. We had to stay at this establishment for a soccer tournament and it was a required two night stay. I am a seasoned traveler because of my son's travel soccer and I will never stay at a best western again. They made me feel dirty and at fault. One last note, I posted a similar review on their website, and it was removed less than 12 hours later. So, rather than discussing the issue with me, they simply deleted it. Very shameful in my opinion.

Hear ye! Hear ye! What a great day for a Renaissance Faire! This was my first time at this…read morefestival, and I came dressed up a a fair lady of the Crown. Tickets are available at the gate for a fair price ($15/adult), and parking is free. I wasn't excited about driving all the way to Noblesville, so I hope that someday they hold it closer to the city. A smattering of booths and food stalls were available, and a tavern tent for the 21 and older crowd. My favorite part was the jousting. Like REAL jousting. It was awesome! Overall, a good time had by all, and I look forward to an even bigger turnout next year.

Price too much. I'm thinking $5 at most. We have many art fair in our area at no cost and we see…read moremany of the same artists and vendors.

Always one of my favorite artist events. Two days of wandering around and discovering someone new…read more Too bad they had to cancel the second day because of potential weather conditions. Food trucks were good. We didn't stay too long to enjoy entertainment but got to walk through the arts center and discovered new pop up events. Tip: go early. It's usually a hot day. Carpool to shuttle or take Uber. Broad ripple restaurants/nightlife is within walking distance.

The new public garage is now open with the first 4 hours free. Restrooms are on the east side on…read moreground level of the garage. I tried a $5 TLG sweet guava flavored chicken skewer with 2 toasty toast from The Latin Griller. They corrected my order. Taste was fine. Also, I bought from the Amish group zucchini and yellow squashes for 3 for $2. I tried the made-from-scratch chocolate zucchini bread by Simply from Scratch with special dairy products. Taste was OK.

The Noblesville Farmer's Market is one of the better ones I've been to. The minuses are you have to…read morepark accroas the street and it can be a pain crossing and the walking paths where vendor's are is narrow and can feel crowded and cramped. The pluses are there is a great variety of vendors selling goods as well as plenty of food and drink options. I took my dog and we had a fun time. Vendors were friendly and the grounds are well maintained.

We went for the first time this year and were so glad we did! I've heard that it's many people's…read morefavorites, and so we were eager to visit. Here's what we loved: + Free entry (and $5 parking to park close but totally worth it) + Food area = they allow you to pick up all the food you want and then pay for it all together as you exit. Same with the dessert room. Super efficient! + Huge Greek salads and Greek fries = favorite savory foods + Dessert room in the church = favorite thrill of the event (yummmm) + Baklava cheesecake = favorite dessert we tried + Fun dancing = performances and they involve everyone later in the night + Seating = many shaded tents with chairs and tables + Kids area = puppet shows, coloring, and beading crafts + Church = beautiful building and they let you peek in too + Photo opps = fun and creative + Marketing = Lenie does the best job and is so on top of things! + Social media = so much great info posted clearly on their IG Things to note: + Dessert line = it's long but it moves quicker than you'd expect. I saw that they have a dessert pre-order option and a pick-up area that makes it much quicker but it was fun to see everything in person to choose! No regrets. + Dessert menus in line = there was a dessert menu listed outside of the church but as we were waiting in the line, it would've been helpful to have some menus posted along the line so people could think up their order while waiting. (Or we should've taken a photo of the outdoor sign!) + Entrance from parking lot = mostly everyone parks in the big field next to the church but then you walk up a little hill, between trees, through the parking lot, and past the emergency vehicles. It felt like maybe that wasn't the right entrance, so some signage or some type of entrance would be fun there. It's such a wonderful event and we'll definitely be back! Great work!

This is my first time attending the Greek Festival, I would say the food and the environment are…read moreamazing! The food is very delicious and tastes amazing! They have entertainment and dancing, and everyone is enjoying their time! I would recommend this place if you are looking for an amazing time to relax and enjoy your night. It only happens once every year! Would go back next year to enjoy the food and entertainment!

The Taste of Carmel. It is the food fest fundraiser benefiting Orchard Park Elementary School that…read moreI try my best not to miss each year. It never disappoints; just makes me a little uncomfortable by the end of the night. Take a look at just a few of the dishes served up tonight. You'll also see that theI I was invited to attend the VIP First Taste - the hour prior to the start of the event that grants serious foodies early access to sample creations by some of Carmel's award-winning chefs. Never been to this extraordinary eating extravaganza?? You are missing out! Get there next year, support a very worthy cause, and make your stomach extremely happy. #TasteOfCarmel2020 #OrchardParkElementrySchool

Taste of Carmel is a foodie fundraising event that happens in Carmel the first week of March. All…read moreof the profits go toward Orchard Park Elementary School, to help pay for classroom materials, field trips, school programs and teacher support. I attended in 2018, and I have to say, it was really great. There were at least three dozen food and beverage vendors set up in one big, indoor room at the event center, and you can just walk around and take samples from each one. Multiple samples! As many samples as you want! There were particular tables that I kept going back to (hello, endless vodka shots and meatball sliders). I came to the event hungry, and I left full, buzzed and happy. The great thing about Taste of Carmel (besides the fact that it is a fundraiser that directly helps a local school) is that the vendors at the event are all local and from the Indianapolis / Carmel area, so you get to discover new restaurants and businesses during the event. There were a few local distilleries that I had no idea existed in the area, so I was happy to sample their beverages. Parking is abundant at 502 East Event Center, where the event is held. But this event is really popular, so there are busses that will take you to nearby parking lots where there is more parking. I'm looking forward to Taste of Carmel next year!