Fall has arrived, which means there are there are more than enough apple orchards, fall festivities and pumpkinfests to go around. Orchards in the Anderson and Indianapolis area include Tuttle Orchards, Apple Works Orchard, Anderson Orchard, Pleasant View Orchard, Apple of His Eye Orchard and many more.
Tuttle Orchard has been around for almost 87 years now and has a 50-year history of winning Indiana State Fair ribbons. Several varieties of apples can be picked each fall, including Early Blaze, Cortland and Ida Red.
Grab a little red wagon or bring your own as you explore the pumpkin patch at this family farm east of Indianapolis. The 2017 corn maze is called “Agrimaze” with activities families can complete along the way. Catch a narrated hayride offered at specific times, too. Tuttle’s is also known for their infamous pumpkin donuts and homemade caramel apples. Tuttle’s is open Monday-Saturday from 9 a.m.-7 p.m. and is closed on Sundays.
There aren’t too many places where you can find elephants smashing pumpkins except at the annual fall celebration at the Indianapolis Zoo. This fall festivity, known as Halloween ZooBoo, is not just for little ones, but for grown-ups too. Line up to see the elephants smashing, stomping or beating the pumpkins in an effort to get to their favorite snack. Guests can also watch brown bears bobbing for apples and enjoy Halloween music at the Dolphin exhibit. Costumes are encouraged to keep the Halloween spirit alive, since this event takes place Oct. 9-11, 16-18 and 23-25.
The Headless Horseman is at the Conner Prairie Interactive History Park this year. This educational park transforms into “Conner Scairie” each October. Enter a land haunted by friendly ghouls all vying to be mayor after Lord Moldywart accidentally turns himself into a fuzzy bunny. For those who dare, you can come face-to-face with the menacing Headless Horseman on the haunted hayride. You can make history by visiting the craft area and participating in Conner Prairie’s attempt to break a Guinness Book of World Record by folding more than 6,000 origami bats. You can expect it to be open Oct. 9-11,15-18 and 22-25, with the gates opening at 6 p.m.
Every day, cows at Kelsay Farms produce eight gallons, or 128 glasses, of milk. They are specifically known for tours of their milking parlor, freestall barn (where the grown cows live) and the calf barn (where you can learn about how the baby cows are taken care of). Fall is a special time on the farm with hayrides, a seven-acre corn maze (bring your flashlight to explore at night), pumpkin bowling and the Moo Choo Express. Enjoy delicious dairy snacks featuring chocolate milkshakes, grilled cheese sandwiches, ice cold milk and juicy cheeseburgers. Don’t forget to pick up your pumpkins and gourds during your visit to the farm as well. Kelsay Farms is open all weekends through Sunday, Oct. 29 and is located in Whiteland, Indiana.
If you are interested in experiencing a different kind of festival, check out Germanfest. Hosted in Indianapolis, the 8th-annual celebration of German-American Day is celebrated on Oct. 14. You can expect German food, a strong man competition, 5k Lederhosen run/walk and wiener dog races. ZwergenLand for Kids ($2) has play area, arts & crafts, bounce house, fishing pond, face painting and other activities. There also is entertainment held on two different stages from 12-7 p.m. The cost is $8-10 and the address is 401 E. Michigan Street, Indianapolis.
Indianapolis haunted houses are some of the largest and best in the United States. Plan a great but scary night out with your date or friends. Expect to be spooked at these haunted attractions and for the price of a restaurant meal, you can be part of the action as you come face to face with terror. Most use animatronics, sound FX, great props, Hollywood sets and actors with makeup beyond belief. Haunted houses to visit include Edge of Insanity in Kokomo, Fright Manor and Hanna Haunted Acres in Indy, Indy Scream Park in Anderson, and many more.
Indy Scream Park has been terrifying visitors for several years, and this year will feature six different spooky attractions. The experiences offer different themes: Zombieland Unchained, which is a new attraction this year, Pandemic Mutation, also premiering this year. Returning attractions are Rage 3D—featuring clowns—Backwoods, Brickmore Asylum, and Monster Midway, which includes games, food and beverages.
Tickets for Indy Scream Park are available for purchase online at indyscreampark.com, with varying prices depending on the exact date and the option to select a day based on prices. All general admission tickets include unlimited access to all six haunted attractions.
Make sure to take advantage of all the haunted houses, trails, corn mazes, hayrides, apple orchards and Halloween fun attractions in the Indianapolis and Anderson areas!