The Best of Fall

Michelle McNally - Indianapolis
October 4, 2011

Crisp air equals crisp apples and pumpkin ready for carving in central Indiana. As the temperatures become more hospitable, fall is ushered in with a bevy of fall festivals and down-on-the-farm activities for everyone. Picking apples, riding on a tractor out to the pumpkin patch and navigating your way through a corn maze is what fall in Indiana is all about! 

The Apple Orchards

There are many apple orchards within easy driving distance of the Circle City. Tuttle Orchards offers apple picking through the end of September, and then offers pumpkin patch activities for the month of October. Just east of the Mount Comfort Airport, Tuttles is about thirty minutes from downtown.  

Beasley's Orchards and Gardens in Danville hosts an annual Heartland Apple Festival the first two weekends in October. Not only are apples available for sale, but trips to the pumpkin patch, as well as an amazing corn maze are available. 

Stuckey Farm offers u-pick apples, a wagon ride through the orchard, and the chance to watch cider being made. They also have a pumpkin patch and corn maze to enjoy all fall long. 

Anderson Orchard in Mooresville offers u-pick apples, as well as pumpkins. The annual Apple Festival and Craft Fair is held the last weekend in September every year.  

The Pumpkin Patches

The Annual Pumpkin Harvest Festival runs throughout the month of October at Stony Creek Farm in Noblesville. There's a tractor ride to the pumpkin patch, a petting zoo, pumpkin train ride and more!

Before the Christmas trees are ready, Piney Acres Christmas Tree Farm celebrates the fall season with pumpkin patch activities and a haunted corn maze in Fortville.  

Visible from I-465, Waterman's Farm Market offers a day of pumpkin-themed fun. Enjoy a carnival like atmosphere with bouncy houses and other attractions, a tractor ride out to the pumpkin patch and a corn maze. Snacks are available for purchase, along with pumpkins of all sizes.

To the south of city, Kelsay Farms hosts a fall festvial for the month of October that boasts a dairy theme. This sixth generation dairy farm celebrates fall with the Moo-Choo Express, five-acre corn maze, and a chance to buy pumpkins as well. 

Wherever you decided to enjoy these Indiana traditions, be sure to dress for the weather and wear sturdy shoes. Fields take a long time to dry out, and it's no fun to get stuck in the mud! Be sure to bring cash (plastic is not always accepted) and your camera, and have a great time celebrating the bountiful harvest Indiana has to offer.