Crisp air, colorful leaves and festival season are calling! From lively Oktoberfests and harvest celebrations to pumpkin patches and haunted happenings, fall along Indiana's South Shore is packed with unforgettable events. Grab your sweater, gather your friends and family, and discover the best ways to celebrate autumn in Northwest Indiana.
September 2026 Festivals
September starts with a bang this year, with four of the largest festivals of the season happening on September 12th. Empanada Fest at Whiting Lakefront Park features plenty of food, live music, entertainment, and a beer garden. Sample fine wines, grab a bite, and listen to live music at the Crown Point Wine Fest at Bulldog Park in Crown Point. At the Valparaiso Popcorn Festival, which started in 1979, visitors can watch the Popcorn Parade and enjoy the Poppin' Play Zone, beer garden, vendors, and more in downtown Valpo. There's also Rock the Arts at Carpenter Creek Cellars in Remington, blending fine wine, art, and live music.
September 12-13 celebrates the fall harvest! At Fair Oaks Farms' Applefest, you can pick apples and enjoy some sweet apple treats.
For the creative ones, Art Blitz on September 19th at Art Barn School of Art in Valparaiso is an interactive exploration of the arts with activities, exhibits, artist demos, hayrides and music.
Finish off September by sipping on a few samples of craft beer at Valpo Brewfest on September 26th in Central Park Plaza. Or at Oktoberfest from September 26-27, where Fair Oaks Farms will be pouring some fall brews along with German fare and games for every age, like stein holding and the soybean maze!
October 2026 Festivals
If you're looking for another German fest, Crown Point is hosting its Oktoberfest at Bulldog Park on October 3rd with a beer garden, hayrides, a bean bag tournament and more. If you'd rather skip right ahead to frightful fun, Wickedly Whiting is happening October 2-3 in downtown Whiting with spooky vendors, mystifying entertainment and activities for all. Munster is getting into the Halloween spirit, too, with Pumpkins, Witches and Hayrides, Oh My! at Centennial Park on October 3rd, where kids can visit the pumpkin patch, meet some characters, go on a candy hunt, ride a pony and more.
If you're into pottery and music, the Rhythm and Raku Fest on October 10th at Beale Pottery in Westville is perfect for you! For oversized fall entertainment, Fair Oaks Farms is hosting Pumpkinfest October 10-11, with giant pumpkins, snacks, signature drinks and all kinds of pumpkin-related activities like pumpkin bowling, ring toss or head balance. Check out the Fall Festival at Haunted Hills Haunted Attractions in Merrillville on October 10th & 24th. Activities include a gel blaster arena, photo ops, escape rooms, carnival games, face painting, magic shows and more.
Head to Sandy Oak Ranch in Lake Village on October 17th & 31st and Trick-or-Treat in the Wild! Kids can collect treats while exploring the ranch and meeting its animal residents. Also on October 31st, Fair Oaks brings in a host of characters to hand out candy along the Halloween Trail, which is included in your orchard admission, so you can pick some pumpkins and apples while you're there, too!
In late October, celebrate the season at Friendship Botanic Gardens in Michigan City during their Haunted Trail, featuring costume-friendly fun, garden exploration, games, cider, crafts, and storytelling in a festive fall setting.
November 2026 Festivals
Rounding out the fall and bringing in winter are these fun November events. The Pumpkin Smash Bash returns to Fair Oaks Farms on November 7th, where visitors can smash a section of pumpkins to fertilize the land for next year's batch. The Festival of Owls is on November 14th at the Porter County Expo Center in Valparaiso. Meet and greet live owls, shop local vendors, and enjoy plenty of educational activities for kids.
Finally, the Gobble Gobble Thanksgiving Turkey Walk at the Friendship Botanic Gardens in late November allows kids and adults alike to hike through the garden trails, looking for hidden turkeys that can be redeemed for a prize.
