The German-American Klub put on another wonderful festival again this year. The weather was…read moreabsolutely perfect and the place was packed all weekend. The festival was Thursday Friday and Saturday September 5-7 2024. My recommendation is.... Get there early! The desserts sold out each night and the lines can get very long. All of the food we tried were great. I love the potato pancakes with a little applesauce on them. So good! There were live bands playing near the restaurant and another German band playing in the pavilion. There was also traditional dancing in the pavilion. All of the food and beverages stands take tickets only. So you buy tickets for $1 each at a tent and then buy the food or drinks that you want. Admission was $5 a person.

Oktoberfest is a must! Great bier and food, got to get food right away! Great band this year.read more

This is an amazing annual event held a Watermans' farm. It also goes by the name of Christmas at…read morethe Farm and runs on the weekends in December. It is very reasonably priced and my littles loved it. They offer free parking and have food trucks on site. The parking lot is a bit dark in spots and hard to navigate, but I made it. Now, it is a festival hosted in December which means it is more than likely going to be very chilly at best. I recommend checking the weather and dressing accordingly. The staff there, from the ticket takers, to the vendors, to the characters, to the ride operators, were so very friendly. They were all awesome. The place has an awesome walk-thru interactive light show. They have some cool music that syncs to the lights. It is worth the price of addmission all by itself. During the COVID year they made it a drive thru attraction. Within the maze of lights there are trailers that has characters that you can take photos with including the Grinch, Jack Skellington from the nightmare before Christmas, Ana, Elsa, and Olaf, and of course, the jolly one himself, Santa. Our favorite was the Grinch. He really played his role and looked great. There are also characters roaming the grounds like an old Mickey Mouse, a deer, and a panda. The festival has a small ride/game area that has a tall rock-climbing wall, bungee trampoline, an archery game where you try to hit floating balls with an arrow. A bear affair spinner, a basketball shot game, and a wizzer. They are all included with your admission and you can play/ride as much as you want. As I mentioned, it is reasonably priced, but has a bunch of add-ons. There is a train that costs $5 per person and takes you along the festival grounds and through the lights. The train is cash only and they have an ATM on site, if you need it. Also, you are not allowed to take personal photos with the characters in the trailers. You must pay for their photos. They are $10 per photo. So, as you can see, the amount of money you spend can creep up very quickly. They have a lot of food options. They have a kettle corn vendor on site selling various flavors of kettle corn. There is also a small snack bar and a couple of food trucks. They have set up a small tent where people can eat and have a heated restroom trailer nearby. They were playing classic Christmas movies on a large screen on the grounds and had a bonfire going. I must admit, We hung out at the bonfire for a while to warm up. They also have a very tall inflatable slide. One of the tallest that I have seen. I looked like a small mountain. Other attractions include a hayride, a set of illuminated wings that you can take a picture in front of, a creepy Christmas maze (it is not too scary and is ok for little kids to go in), and a photo op with Krampus in a trailer behind the snack bar and next to the slide. No attraction is complete without a gift shop. This place is not different. They have a gift shop next to the movie screen and near the entrance. We had an amazing time here. It is definitely a well kept secret. They have been doing this for at least 4 years and this is the first time that I heard about it. I definitely will be back next year. Hopefully, my littles will be ready to visit Krampus by then. They did not make half way into the trailer this year. I know time is running out this year to purchase one of their dated tickets, but you should have it on your radar for next year if you can't squeeze it in this year.

Last year the wait was over and hour and I didn't end up getting any strawberry shortcake because I…read morehad to get back to work. So, this year we did the pick up order for 10. Two of us walked over around 9 am to pick them up. Mind you a line had already formed outside and people were already enjoying their strawberry shortcake. So, we go inside and down to the basement of Christ Church Cathedral. So, we're thinking they had 10 shortcakes in a bag, a tub of strawberries in a container, same for the ice cream and whipped cream. So, when we got back we could make our own when we got a chance. NO!!! We get there and we don't even know how long the shortcakes had been sitting on the tables already made!!!! They had so much juice in them that transporting them was a mess in those flip containers they were in. By the time we got back it was mushy. Some of us didn't even eat them they just weren't fresh like you would get if you had them in line. Next year we won't be doing that. I wish they had them separated. My other coworkers were like why were they already made if you weren't even there yet? We were the only customers down there. No one was in the basement picking up orders. :-/ Hopefully next year will be better by going and getting in line. So, if your company or group of 10 want to order ahead know that they might be sitting for who knows how long....

I've gone every year and the festival only gets better! The lines move quicker, more people are…read morethere to enjoy, and the shortcake is always amazing. Definitely recommend getting there early OR ordering ahead for 10+ orders if you don't want to miss out

Fun Facts: 1.) The first Indy Urban Flea was May 2015 (not…read moreeven a year old, it's still growing) 2.) This event is held Second Saturdays of each month 3.) Vendors change monthly so you can always expect to see something new 4.) Lots of FREE parking found in front and back of the building 5.) FREE coat check is available 6.) Drinks are available for purchase at the large bar near coat check 7.) Each event offers a give back opportunity. Admission often FREE with donation. 8.) Check The Urban Flea FB page for more FREE admission opportunities 9.) The event helps support small local business, artisans and sustainable goods 10.) The Event is from 10am - 5pm I really enjoyed this event. I appreciated that it wasn't super crowded. I was able to speak with businesses about their products and enjoyed the more intimate setting. Added bonus, it was at the Biltwell which is an interesting building with lovely exposed brick, sliding barn doors, high ceilings with beams, lovely views, beautiful light pours into the space, such a lovely setting for an event. While I was there I purchased a one-of-a-kind gorgeous ring from artist Amy Boyer, I was able to learn about her processes. From Queen Bee Vintage I bought a wallet made from recycled truck tarps. I had a rich delicious pour over of Bourbon Barrel Aged coffee from The Rugged Company. I grabbed a bounty of Frittle from Newfangled Confections. I fell in love with a table made from salvaged wood from furniture artist Jason Kersh (Salvage 3). I met the creator of the Fleabots artist John Pinkerton. In addition to these gems I saw Onyx candles represented and cool items from Stray Cat and My Warped Halo Art. I also discovered some great jewelry pieces made from recycled glass and had my eyes on a beautiful handmade up-cycled leather bag. I only picture this event getting bigger as it's so new to the scene. It would be great to see the integration of all vendors on one floor or mix the vendors between both floors to improve traffic flow. I'm not sure many people were even aware there was food on the first floor. Also additional food vendors or even food trucks would be a wonderful addition.

Here's the thing: If it didn't cost $5 per person to get in, this review would be at least four or…read morefive stars. But as it stands, Indy Urban Flea gets three stars because it is super small and not worth the admission price -- it took us MAYBE 10 minutes to walk the whole thing. We left saying, "Seriously, that's it?" The products that the vendors and artists were selling were very cute and original. We saw everything from handmade leather bags to soap to jewelry to cards to clothing. There was also a selection of curated vintage items. There was also a guy there selling coffee pour overs. All in all, I would have been super excited about this place (and would have considered coming back next month with friends and family) if they didn't charge five bucks just to step inside. The people who put on this flea market should consider doing away with the entrance fee!

I've lived not far from the Irvington area for the past 14 years. Over this time, it has become one…read moreof my favorite Indianapolis neighborhoods with a combination of urban style, history, and strong personality. As a wheelchair user, I'm the first to acknowledge it's not the most wheelchair friendly area - a definite deficit when it comes to patronizing its businesses AND attending events such as Irvington's "The Historic Irvington Halloween Festival." Yet, I've long thought to myself that if there any Indianapolis neighborhood to which I'd like to move for retirement it's likely Irvington. Despite being close to Irvington for quite some time, I'd not ventured out for its iconic Halloween Festival before precisely because of those accessibility concerns. Parking can be a beast around here, however, as expected I can honestly say I found it all worth it. Now in its 77th year, The Historic Irvington Halloween Festival is sponsored by the Irvington Community Council and brings together thousands of folks from across the city for the focal point of quite a few events that lead up to it including movies, ghost tours (Irvington has quite the reputation for its haunted spots), and other events. The festival itself weaves together a sense of community and a rare celebration of Indy's Eastside - a side of town that often gets a lot of disrespect. Events this year included an art auction, wellness fair, after party, masquerade ball, fright-seeing, movies, horror shorts movie night, family movie night, blood drive, "night out in sleepy hollow," zombie bike ride, vampire run, a night of spirits, and the actual joy-filled parade. All the festivities began as early as 10am - a great thing for those who prefer daytime activities, however, it all does go well into the night. There are numerous contests throughout the day and just a whole lot of fun to be had. The Irvington Witches are a must-see for me. For the week prior to the street fair, the festival utilizes a lot of volunteers to help run the event. There are, of course, lots of vendors involved and the vast majority of those vendors on the main East Washington Street strip get involved. I mean, c'mon, places like Jockamo and Scarlet Lane were practically made for this kind of thing. If you know me, and a lot of Yelpers do, I'm not always the most social human being but I had a blast with this. Yes, it can be a lot in terms of accessibility - parking is a bit obnoxious, Irvington's streets aren't always the most wheelchair friendly, and the crowd gets a bit overwhelming. However, it all works out pretty easily and nearly everyone I encountered was incredibly aware of and conscious of my wheelchair. I guess you could say I felt cared for throughout. If you've never attended The Historic Irvington Halloween Festival, you're missing out on one of Indy's most iconic events. While I'd plan ahead a bit if you have mobility needs, it's worth the planning and a whole lot of fun. Addendum: After my review, I was contacted by Jake, who plans logistical and technical aspects of the street fair. He noted that the festival provides "a large amount of accessible parking in the Snips parking lot as well as down the middle of Washington Street." He noted this info is available at the festival website under the street fair! Thanks to Jake for the contact and additional information!

Well, well, well, Halloween lovers this is the festival for you! I've always loved Halloween!…read moreCostumes, candy, pumpkins, haunted houses...it's just fun! This festival in Irvington has been held for 76 years! You could just people watch and see so many amazing costumes! They have a costume contest, pumpkin carvings, live music, food, and much more. The weather was perfect 72 and sunny! People go all out for their costumes! If you've never been you should try to go at least once. It's really neat. People young and old enjoying Halloween! It was a blast! Definitely would go again!

The November show was festive, crowded and fun with lots of Thanksgiving and Christmas nostalgia. I…read morelove these shows and try to not miss one as I like to collect MCM Christmas decor. At this show I bought a cute Santa Christmas Card holder. I always buy something and resist the urge to hoard. The staff and vendors are super friendly. It was hard to get into some of the booths because of the crowd of people. There were two buildings filled with stuff. Parking is plentiful, if you don't mind walking. They charge $3 entry fee. The bathrooms could use updating. Some of the paper towel and soap dispensers don't work. I love this show and it's worth the 90 minute drive.

Bigger building and wider booth space would be more conducive to being able to shop. Alot of people…read morestanding in the way not moving around the space made it very hard to see what was for sale. Strollers should be banned. Much larger crowd than I expected.

I wasn't sure what to expect when my sister recommended we try out buck creek winery. A winery in…read moreIndiana? Sure, whatever (I wrongly thought). I'm so glad we visited to taste a few of their creations. I had the pleasure of meeting Jeff and his family, who are the brains behind this winery and vineyard. For $5, you get to sample 6 different tasting pours. After tasting a few of their common favorites, I asked for something a bit more viscous and full. Jeff immediately suggested I try their Single Barrel Reserve for a premium ($2/taste) - wowza! It was a great, deep, full red wine. I quickly bought a bottle of Single Barrel, as well as a bottle of Seyval Blanc (100% estate grown). I'm not typically a white wine drinker, but their Seyval was delicious - perfect on a warm day or with the right foods. I ended the buying spree with a bottle of Strawberry wine which was so unique to me. It is so uniquely sweet and full of strawberry flavor that I just had to share with my friends back at home. If you're looking for a chill place to enjoy some great local wines, don't hesitate to visit Buck Creek. They also host live music and other events on their lawn, so check their website for the latest news.

Stopped by here after visiting veals Ice tree and so glad I did!! They have 6 tasting for $10. The…read morelady at the counter was very nice and the pours were generous. I came on a full stomach but the wines had me feeling good. The pinot noir, yee yee (bourbon barreled), and raising were my fav. Yes all diff but I prefer my wine dry and red. If I go for a white it's usually a resting that's a little sweet. But the yee yee was different and since I like bourbon this was nice. They have a few tables to sit at. Pretty small in here. In the sumer they have concerns outside. Nice stop if you're in the area here or the ice tree!

This was a fun festival to attend. Would I go every year? Probably not, but definitely worth going…read moreevery once in a while. I tried several different foods - fettuccine, fried ravioli, meatballs on a stick and cannoli. The fettuccine was not great. This one would be a skip for me - the noodles were overcooked and the sauce was very average. I LOVED the meatballs on a stick. That red sauce was amazing and I 100 percent recommend getting some of that and sticking with the red sauce based foods. Fried ravioli was alright. I have had better but it was satisfactory and a good way to start my food journey through the festival. The cannolis were excellent too. I saved one for the next day and it stayed crispy and delicious. There is music, some carnival type activities and something to note: food tickets are cash only!

If you're a foodie and enjoy Italian cuisine, this is the street festival for you!…read more Come hungry and ready to mangia! There are so many tasty food options. We had the Antipasto salad, fried ravioli, Italian sausage and meatballs. There's also breadsticks, pizza, fettuccine Alfredo, cannolis, cheesecake and tiramisu...it's possible I'm leaving something out! All the food is made by the parishioners. There's also beer, wine, soft drinks and water. We got the Metazoa beer, Llama Mia, specially brewed for the event. I was surprised an Italian festival didn't offer Peroni. Bring cash to buy food tickets. One ticket is $1. Most items run 4-6 tickets. Otherwise, everything else is free - parking (courtesy of Lily) and entry to the festival. There's also live music. You can bring lawn chairs to sit and enjoy it. The festival runs 5 - 11 p.m. both Friday and Saturday. It's a good idea to get there early to beat the long lines. Also, vendors often sell out of food. Already looking forward to next year!

I took my daughter and her friend and it was great! The flower selection was diverse and had many…read moredifferent colors to choose from. We were given instructions and then set free to go and wander around the property. Learning about the history of the farm was a story I've told repeatedly since leaving. The small gift shop smelled incredible and the selection was great. I bought whipped honey and oh my goodness. It's amazing. We loved it and will be back!

My first time to Dollie's farm! I've been excited about going for weeks. I went during their…read moreLavender festival, so my experience included a few things that may not usually be there; a couple of food trucks and vendors. And lots of people! That being said, I had a lovely day at Dollie's. The location appears to be dog and family friendly and would be a fun day out for families. Flowers were very popular with various sizes offered at a range of cost, from small bunches to a bucket! I went for the lavender. You are given a basket and garden shears and left to cut your own. I took my time and enjoyed the relaxing environment. Pricing is per ounce, pre-wrapped bundles are available but these are dried. There are a few animals including peacocks! A store is located on the site, filled with cute home and body care. All of the items were lavender themed-I'm not sure if this was done for the festival or if this is standard.

I hadn't been to the Marion County Fairgrounds in years since I felt the security and maintenance…read morehad gone downhill. I gave it another try on the Fourth of July since my mom and friends wanted to go. The security seemed to have improved. The facilities seemed to be the same as they have been for decades. The prices were comparable to any fair. My almost 4 year old daughter had never been, so there were plenty of amusements for her age to bring her joy. I like that they added a wine and beer garden since I last visited. They had a pretty good band performing as well. I tend to shy away from the county fairs nowadays and save that trip for the State fair l, but if you want a shorter visit at a smaller venue you can still get the full fair experience.

I went to the fair during the pandemic and it was still a good time!…read more This review is for the Marion County Fair. The event is running through until Sunday. The fair is open from 5pm-11pm during the week and 12pm-11pm on the weekend. Masks are mandatory to enter the fair- however not enforced once you are inside the fair. Most people wore masks when they were not eating. It was hard to socially distance yourself as the stalls were close to each other. Hand sanitizer and hand washing stations were plentiful!! I saw staff also cleaning up the trash all through the event. As it is a county fair, it is smaller but with COVID-19 it was not as busy as usual. Entrance tickets are $5 but I was able to attend for free as a city employee on Thursday night. There were not as many events but it was still fun to see a wood carving demonstration, dinosaur event, auto exhibit from Indiana Historical Society, karaoke, and some animals. There was also a marketplace area but there were not a lot of vendors besides businesses for homes. The main attraction of any fair is the FOOD! They have plenty of food vendors and most of them had masks and gloves on. Only downside is no one was able to do free refills due to COVID-19. We looked and looked and there was no fried vegetables stall so we were let down on that front. The best spot we found was the kabob stall and of course the lemon shake ups and funnel cake. They had rides for mainly kids and games but we did not participate. They also had a bumblebee type character wandering around- picture is attached. Since there is no State Fair- the county fair did just fine!