Billed as Indiana's largest four day festival, the Riley Days Festival has been going on for a long…read moretime (I remember going in the late '80's when I lived in New Pal.) I had forgotten how large this event had become. They close down the National Road (US 40) and State Road 9 the first weekend of October each year. So, you can imagine that this event, which covers multiple blocks is one you need to be willing to walk a fair distance to get to. (Note: A shuttle does run from the County Fairgrounds for those who can't walk as far.) I found some street parking several blocks from one corner of the event. Tents line each side of the streets. Some house small business items. Some promote churches or politicians. Other vendors forego the tents and set up State Fair type food wagons of just about any type of food that can be eaten without a knife and fork (or plate). And the place is packed. You can't hurry through to get a quick view of what is here. The crowd meanders and stops unexpectedly, so even if you know where a particular vendor is, you have to allow time to get there. And when you do, there will most likely be a line. Seriously, if you can't make a sale here, you probably should just close your business. People were stopping at just about every tent. I am not sure what activities and entertainment they have since I wasn't planning on staying for any of those. If you like browsing through a huge number of tents to look for something unique or interesting, then you will probably like attending this festival. Just make sure you bring your best walking shoes. Review #3130

The Riley Festival is a big event every year for the town of Greenfield. The town itself has grown…read moreover the years. They have some very nice restaurants, car dealerships, bowling, a theater, and a Movie Theater. Look for the special chocolate shop and antique store. Now, back to the festival. I am a music lover since I have played piano and guitar for 59yrs. I also sing. What I was getting to is that I saw 4 different platforms where there was live entertainment. Some was rock and roll and some was very mellow. Something for everyone. There was food trucks and booths all around the square. The smells wafting through the air and our nostrils drove us crazy. As we walked through the crowd and twisted lines we tried to decide which place we would settle on. Tony set his mind on a BBQ place and got Potato Salad for a side. That was $10.00. It was also a joke. There was about three tablespoons of pulled pork on...wait for it...on a hot dog bun!! He also had about 4 small spoons of potato salad. I decided on a plate of Fried Veggies for $8.00. They were ok, but not the best I've had and super greasy. We walked around some more, ran into friends, bought some Christmas gifts, finished shopping. Decided we wanted the Apple Dumplings with Ice Cream. Well, those were the best thing we had!! I definitely have to learn to make them. Next time I will skip the food and go straight to the apple dumpling booth. There's only one so you can't miss it. The Cakehole is here with many flavors of cupcakes. Don't miss out on the best cupcakes ever!!

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!

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.

This place was so, so fun and the colonial theme really sticks with the place!…read more The decor and music was wonderful and staff was kind and gave directions. Thank you for having me!

Angie A. did an awesomely thorough review worth reading. I will fill in some details:…read more My boyfriend brought me here. He comes every year for the Sweet Annie wreaths and Bud's root beer. I am always up for an adventure, and this one was no exception. If you like stepping back in time, then you need to come check out the Feast of the Hunters Moon, a reenactment of a mid-1700s trading post. With a reenactment comes reenactors. There are hundreds of them, dressed in traditional garb, armed with artillery, hanging out in their traditional tents, huddled around the fire. It's quite the sight to see. These reenactors lead a variety of events, from traditional dances to church ceremonies for a few denominations. Vendors also set up shop, selling everything from furry frontier hats to fine china to swords to mini telescopes. Best of all, there's BUD'S ROOT BEER (the best of the best) and FOOD: apple dumplings, fried dough, pork chops, stews/soups, sausages, breads. Most of it is pretty tasty, so bring cash and your appetite for sure! This event is definitely family-friendly and a nod to our Indiana history. Mark your calendars to experience this for sure!

One of the best festivals in Indiana. It takes place in downtown Mitchell spanning two city blocks…read morealong with side streets. There are a lot of activities during the week long festival for all ages, from a 5K to a pageant to a road rally. Local entertainment each night on a main street stage. Definitely don't want to miss. Always the last full week in September.

Freudenfest is a fantastic small town festival in Oldenburg, Indiana (70 min drive SE of Indy) that…read moreoffers authentic German food, various German style beers, live entertainment and tons of things to do in this idyllic Hoosier town. I usually go with a group of friends and we spend a good part of the afternoon / evening there. Plenty of spots for shade while you're waiting for your turn to chicken toss or chicken dance. The Dachshund races are a blast but you gotta get there early to get a good view of really short dogs (race starts 2 pm Sat.). Plenty of free street parking. Don't miss this festival - it's one of southern Indiana's best!

Great family friendly festival for all ages. Being of German heritage, I really enjoy being a part…read moreof the celebration that features the old style culture of the German people. Lots of games, events, music, food, and of course beer to enjoy. So grab a stein and head to Freudenfest for what is always a good time.

Great festival in a small town. Everybody was happy and friendly with both the vendors and the…read morepeople walking around the festival being very orderly. Popcorn and apples were a feature in many of the booths. Will return for more next year.

Spouse and I moved to Brookston about a year and a half ago, just before the 2018 APF. If you sit…read moreon our front porch during the festival, I could throw a baseball to the first booth. Well, maybe I couldn't, but a baseball player sure could. To begin with, it's worth noting that the city shuts down for festival weekend. If you want to go to the hardware store...don't. Any store that IS open along 3rd street is dedicating itself to its festival booth. But that's okay - for one day a year, I'm happy to hang out at home and watch about a million (okay, probably just a couple of thousand) wander over. Parking isn't terrible as long as you're okay with walking, since you can basically park in any of the neighborhoods. If you're not able to do that, the churches sell spots on their lawn and in their parking lots. There are three main attractions to be had: 1. The entire city becomes a giant yard sale. Everyone uses that weekend as a time to help make their stuff into your stuff. So bring your cash. There are a couple of ATMs in town at the convenience stores as well. Oh, and come visit me, I have a lot of whisky decanters to rehome. Tell me that you found me on Yelp and I'll give you a discount. 2. Food. This is where the festival doesn't do as well. There are a lot of food options, but the lines are incredibly long. They either need more food vendors, or the existing food vendors need to be more efficient. We want to give you our money, but you have to meet us halfway! 3. STUFF. Lots of vendors selling various things. There are always some people selling wooden creations, plants here and there, food products, etc. If you go to Mosey Down Main or other street festivals in the greater Tippecanoe area, you'll probably see similar things. There are other attractions, like the pony ride, music, a beer garden, etc., but that changes from year-to-year. I think it's a delightful little festival, and that everyone should come.

Tell me what is more quintessential Indiana than walking through a corn maze and drinking beer?…read more This event is a great way to try brews from all over the county (and the world -- there was a latvian brewer this year!) Be prepared to get a little dusty, and wear your sunscreen if it is sunny outside. You will see many sun burnt people as this event is several hours long in the sun. With over 80+ breweries and eight different sections of the maze, this event feels much more open/enjoyable than other beer fests where the vendors are squished together. There is also a ton of parking (you are in the middle of no-where) and they give people an option to camp overnight if you think you may over-indulge.

This was the 4th Annual Corn Maze Beer Fest held on the Simmon's family farm in rural Columbus at…read more450 North Brewing Company. This 21+ event was a lot of fun on a perfect, sunny, 70 degree fall day. We came as a group of seven and the first time for all. If you've never been before the main attraction is over 80 of the nation's best breweries scattered out among 10 numbered canopy stations throughout an 11-acre corn maze. As you enter the maze your given a limited edition souvenir glass for unlimited samples of beer all day long. Each of 10 canopy stations had 8-10 different breweries providing unlimited samples to all. Inside the maze, Station 1 had 450 North Brewing samples plus live music playing on an additional stage kicking off the party atmosphere. It was nice having this large crowd broken into smaller, controlled groups than one large overwhelming area. People had the option of starting at different stations so the crowd dispersed quickly. Some of the lines were long but moved quickly and groups moved freely from one station to the next. A map was provided listing which breweries were at each station number so you wouldn't miss the breweries you wanted to visit. Much appreciated were tubs of free water and sodas throughout the maze and on the main grounds. Thank you for providing free water all day. Outside of the corn maze was the main stage, a beer garden and a huge tent with tables and chairs for dining, shade and rest. Along Food Alley were food trucks offering sliders, 3 different bbq trucks and a pretzel vendor. The Simmons Winery (next door to the 450 North restaurant and brewery) was also pouring wine and cider at the 450 North tent. The corn maze closed at 5:00 p.m. but an after party with live music (Sundance Head) played from 5:00 - 8:30 p.m. keeping the party going. All ages were welcomed from 5:00 - 9:00 p.m. Check out tickets next year at 450 North Brewing Company's website. VIP tickets, general admission and designated driver tickets were available. VIP tickets get you entry 1 1/2 hours before general admission guests. They sell out quickly!! What a fun day and a great way to sample breweries from across the nation all in one location.

Definitely worth the $2 entrance fee. Parking is free. The festival is always held the weekend…read moreafter Labor Day. It is in the area close to the covered bridge. There is something for everyone. Lots of great food, both fair type and that served up by local churches and organizations. There were even two places that sold ice cream made the old fashioned way. They each had fun setups that churned the ice cream. Sadly each time we went by they were making the ice cream and it wasn't ready. My husband loved seeing the large number of old tractors. On Saturday morning there is also a parade with the old tractors. There is live music and a field full of inflatables and horse rides for the kids. There is even a cornhole tournament where you can pay $10 for a team of two to compete. They also have rows of vendors selling all kinds of things. From clothes to shoes to honey and soap. I would definitely recommend you check it out. Fun way to get out with the family while supporting the local community. If you go from here to Matthews town you will find big rummage sales spread out all over town. And more fair type food being served up.

By far the best Covered Bridge Festival in the state of Indiana ! I look forward to it every year !read more