Halloween may only come once a year, but thankfully, you do not have to wait until Oct. 31 to celebrate. In this special edition of This Weekend in the Arts, the Indianapolis Recorder has you covered with all kinds of fall-related and Halloween-esque events to check out. We have put together an extensive list of some of the haunts going on in and around Indianapolis this weekend in the arts.
As excited as we are about presenting this list, we know we could not get everything. If there is something going on other Hoosiers and we should know about, feel free to let us know so we can include it next week!
Friday, Oct. 6
First Friday Gallery Opening: “Women’s Place, Sacred Space”
Harrison Center, 1505 N. Delaware St.
6-9 p.m.
Free
Resident artist Allison Ford’s exhibition aims to explore merriment, make-believe, memory and mourning within a conversational environment and shared experience, featuring common food imagery through installation, sculpture and dyed fabrics.
Harvest Nights
Newfields, 4000 N. Michigan Road
7:30-10:30 p.m. (Ongoing through Oct. 31)
Tickets start at $24
Newfields’ heavily anticipated fall event returns with the spooky, not scary Harvest Nights! Join Newfields for its after-dark, family-friendly event to wander through foggy and pumpkin-filled forests while sipping on hot cocoa or enjoying caramel corn and cinnamon Bavarian crème churros.
Oktoberfest
Carmel City Center, 720 S. Rangeline Road, Carmel
6-10 p.m.
Free
Enjoy the annual fall celebration in Carmel, complete with food and drinks from local vendors, opportunities to shop from small businesses and live performances from Der Polkatz.
carmel.in.gov/our-city/experience/events-and-festivals/oktoberfest
Saturday, Oct. 7
Brewfari
Indianapolis Zoo, 1200 W. Washington St.
8-11 p.m.
Tickets are $30-$60
The Indianapolis Zoo is adults only for this exclusive after-hours Halloween Party complete with sampling from 22 of Central Indiana’s top craft breweries, cideries and distilleries. Guests are encouraged to dress up, wander the main pathways for eateries and other fall favorites, as well as participate in Halloween-themed activities and animal chats and demonstrations throughout the evening.
indianapoliszoo.com/events/brewfari
Indy Cinema Series at Central Library
Central Library, 40 E. St. Clair. St.
1:45-5 p.m.
Free; registration not required.
Adults and teens ages 17 and up are welcome to drop in and catch a screening of “The Wailing” in Clowes Auditorium at Central Library for its October film selection.
Young Explorers: Fall Harvest
Indiana State Museum, 650 W. Washington St.
1-2:30 p.m.
Tickets are $14 per child
This 90-minute drop-off class will have kids exploring common plants seen during fall, such as pumpkins and crunchy leaves, in an environment that aims to foster creativity and imagination. The class is open to kids ages four through six.
Sunday, Oct. 8
Headless Horseman Festival
Conner Prairie, 13400 Allisonville Road, Fishers
6-10 p.m. (Ongoing through Oct. 29)
Tickets are $24-$31
Featuring thrilling activities, games and haunts for the whole family, Conner Prairie’s Headless Horseman Festival returns with haunted hayrides, Trail of Terror corn maze, barrel train rides, Sleepy Hollow Marionette Show, live music, food and more.
connerprairie.org/explore/things-to-do/headless-horseman/
“Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein”
Indiana Repertory Theatre, 140 W. Washington St.
2 p.m. and 6 p.m. (Ongoing through Oct. 14)
Tickets are $25-$86
Much like Mary Shelley’s iconic novel, written for Lord Byron’s ghost story competition on a dark and stormy night in 1816, the play experiments with themes of love, grief, horror and the power of creation and destruction. The play has an approximate runtime of 2 hours and 20 minutes, including a 15-minute intermission.
ZooBoo
Indianapolis Zoo, 1200 W. Washington St.
2-7 p.m. (Ongoing through Oct. 31)
Tickets are $28-$32
Featuring family-friendly and fear-free fun with a Trick-or-Treat Trail, Roller Ghoster and Round-Go-Merry, the Bicentennial Pavilion transforms into Pumpkin Town where kids and parents can wander the whimsical village, listen to the Patch DJ and experience Jack’s Barn houses cats and Agape therapeutic miniature horses.
Please note: Admission and ticket prices listed are general and before taxes/fees.
Contact staff writer Chloe McGowan at 317-762-7848 or chloegm@indyrecorder.com. Follow her on Twitter @chloe_mcgowanxx.
