Things to Do This Weekend in Indianapolis with Kids | October 2-4, 2026

Looking for the best things to do this weekend in Indianapolis with kids? For October 2-4, 2026, the lineup includes apple cannons at Beasley’s Orchard, wiener dog races at GermanFest, a spooky hayride at Conner Prairie and free kids’ workshops at Home Depot and Wasson Nursery. Sunday brings sensory-friendly play at Urban Air and Chuck E. Cheese. Browse our picks below or check the full Indy family events calendar for more options.

Things to Do This Weekend in Indianapolis with Kids | October 2-4, 2026

All Weekend

James Whitcomb Riley Festival | October 2-4 | Downtown Greenfield | FREE

Greenfield celebrates its hometown poet with art and craft booths, festival food and live entertainment downtown. Friday’s Parade of Flowers begins at 1 p.m., with elementary students carrying bouquets to the James Whitcomb Riley statue at Courthouse Square.

The festival runs October 1-4.

Headless Horseman Festival | October 2-4 | Conner Prairie, Fishers | 5-10 p.m. | $26; members free; $10 with Access Pass; hayride $10 extra

Conner Prairie’s opening festival weekend brings carnival games, magic shows, corn mazes and the Perilous Plunge dry tubing hill. The Haunted Trail and separately ticketed Headless Horseman Hayride are built to scare, so let your child’s comfort level guide the evening.

Runs Thursdays-Sundays, October 1-25.

Heartland Apple Festival at Beasley’s Orchard | October 3-4 | Beasley’s Orchard, Danville | 9 a.m.-6 p.m. | $16; ages 2 and under free

Five apple cannon shots come with admission, so the kids may already have their first stop picked out. There’s also a hayride to the pumpkin patch, corn maze, jumping pillow, Straw Mountain and Barnyard Bonanza games. Pick-your-own apples and pumpkins cost extra.

The festival repeats October 10-11; the orchard’s fall season runs through November 1.

Fall Harvest Festival at Waterman’s Family Farm | October 3-4 | Waterman’s Family Farm, Indianapolis | Saturday 10 a.m.-8 p.m.; Sunday 10 a.m.-7 p.m. | Tickets start at $17.95; ages 2 and under free

Waterman’s covers the full farm checklist on Indy’s east side: pumpkin patch, hayrides, corn maze and petting zoo, plus rides, games and a pumpkin-eating dinosaur. Some activities cost extra.

Runs select dates September 26-November 1.

Fishers AgriPark Fall Festival | October 3-4 | Fishers AgriPark | Sessions 11 a.m.-3 p.m. or 3-7 p.m. | $5 Fishers residents; $7.50 nonresidents; ages 2 and under free

Explore a corn maze and toddler straw maze, meet farm animals and enjoy crafts, puppet shows and live music. Register everyone, including kids 2 and under, and take the free shuttle from Geist Waterfront Park. Only accessible parking is available at the AgriPark; strollers must fold for the shuttle, and car seats aren’t allowed.

Saturday, October 3

Home Depot In-Store Kids Workshops | Participating Home Depot stores | 9 a.m.-noon | FREE

Kids build a small project to take home at this free workshop. Kits are available while supplies last, so plan an early stop.

Potter’s Bridge Fall Festival | Potter’s Bridge Park, Noblesville | 10 a.m.-5 p.m. | FREE

The covered bridge provides the backdrop for arts and crafts booths, live music and food vendors. Leave time to walk a stretch of the White River Greenway before heading home.

Wasson Nursery Kids’ Spooky Plant Workshop | Wasson Nursery, Fishers | 10 a.m. | FREE

Kids pot a live plant in a Halloween-themed container, add spooky decorations and take it home. No registration is needed, but supplies are first come, first served. A parent or guardian must stay.

Kids Market at Russell Farms Pumpkin Patch | Russell Farms, Noblesville | 10 a.m.-2 p.m.

Kids run the booths, sell their creations and help customers at this market of young makers. Stop by to shop and support their small businesses.

GermanFest | Athenaeum, Indianapolis | 11:30 a.m.-6:30 p.m. | Advance tickets: $20 adults; $10 ages 4-12; ages 3 and under free

Plan around the Dachshund Dash, with races at 1, 2 and 3 p.m., then explore Kinderland, live music and German food. Free 15-minute building tours run between 11:45 a.m. and 3:45 p.m. Everyone needs a ticket, including kids 3 and under; adult tickets cost more on event day.

Paws to Read | Carmel Clay Public Library, Main Library | 2:30 p.m. | FREE

Kids ages 6-12 get 15 minutes to read to a Paws & Think therapy dog, about the most patient audience a new reader could find. Registration is required.

Movies in the Plaza: Miracle | FORUM Credit Union Plaza at Fishers Event Center | Gates 6 p.m.; movie 7 p.m. | FREE

Bring chairs or a blanket for “Miracle,” the PG-rated film about the 1980 U.S. Olympic hockey team. Admission and surface parking are free, with no registration needed. Leave the cooler at home: outside food and drinks aren’t allowed, but concessions are available inside.

Sunday, October 4

Sensory-Friendly Play at Urban Air | Franklin, Noblesville and Plainfield | 9-11 a.m.

All three parks offer morning play without loud music or flashing lights, giving kids with sensory sensitivities a calmer time to explore.

Sensory Sensitive Sunday at Chuck E. Cheese | Chuck E. Cheese, 5501 E. 82nd St., Indianapolis | 9-11 a.m.

Dimmed lights, reduced sound and no flashing effects create a calmer setting for arcade play. Siblings and caregivers are welcome, and no reservation is needed.

Meet a Raptor | Eagle Creek Ornithology Center, Indianapolis | 2:30-3 p.m. | Included with Admission; park entry $6 per car for Marion County residents, $8 for nonresidents

Meet one of the center’s Raptor Ambassadors, birds of prey that can’t return to the wild, and learn how they’re cared for. Pair the 30-minute program with a park hike.

For more weekend ideas, browse our full calendar of Indianapolis family events, free things to do this month and fall fun bucket list.

Things to do near Indianapolis this weekend (October 2-4, 2026):