Updated Oct. 29, 2026
Halloween falls on Saturday (our list of Indianapolis-area trick-or-treat times has every town’s hours), and our picks for things to do this weekend in Indianapolis with kids, October 30-November 1, 2026, start with Fishers Boo Bash, the final three days of ZooBoo, the new Sesame Street Live show “Elmo’s Got the Moves” at the Murat Theatre on Sunday, the 30th annual Safe Night Halloween trunk-or-treat at the Indiana State Fairgrounds, the Indianapolis Symphony Orchestra playing “Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets” live and the last fall festival weekend at Beasley’s Orchard. Keep reading for the rest of the week’s events by day, then the free list, indoor ideas and every family event on our calendar this weekend.
Our Top Picks This Weekend
Fishers Boo Bash | Saturday, October 31 | Nickel Plate District Amphitheater, Fishers | 10 a.m.-2 p.m. | FREE
It’s free, it’s on Halloween morning and nothing about it is spooky. Costume parades step off every hour, with dance lessons from 31SVN Street Dance Academy, Stevens Puppets shows, Silly Safaris, a potion station, a magician, mini golf and business booths handing out Halloween goodies, plus Día de Muertos crafts and El Mariachi Solo at City Hall. No registration is needed, and sensory bags with noise-canceling headphones can be checked out at the Fishers Parks tent.
ZooBoo at the Indianapolis Zoo | October 30-November 1 | Indianapolis Zoo, Indianapolis | Friday and Saturday 2-9 p.m.; Sunday 2-7 p.m. | Included with zoo admission; free for members
These are the last three days of ZooBoo. Kids trick-or-treat through the zoo, take a potions class on the Potions Pathway, follow the silly-not-spooky Leeward Sisters through Leeward Manor and watch the elephants stomp and snack on giant pumpkins. Children 12 and under can wear masks or full face paint, and free sensory bags are available on request at the Visitor’s Service Center.
Sesame Street Live! Elmo’s Got the Moves | Sunday, November 1 | Murat Theatre at Old National Centre, Indianapolis | 2 p.m. | Tickets start at $37; Halloween-offer seats from $31 while they last
It’s the newest Sesame Street Live show, in Indianapolis for one afternoon only. Elmo, Abby Cadabby, Cookie Monster, Big Bird, Grover and Oscar get kids out of their seats to dance, stretch and play along to “Sunny Days,” “Elmo’s Got the Moves” and “Letter of the Day.” The show runs about 60 minutes plus a 20-minute intermission, doors open at 1 p.m., and it’s for all ages.
Safe Night Halloween | Saturday, October 31 | Indiana State Fairgrounds, Indianapolis | 5-7 p.m. | FREE
Free, in its 30th year and timed for Halloween night itself. More than 3,000 children are expected to collect candy and giveaways from businesses and organizations at the Blue Ribbon Pavilion. Parking is free too; use Gate 1 on 38th Street, Gate 2 on 42nd Street or Gate 6 on Fall Creek Parkway.
“Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets” in Concert | October 30-November 1 | Hilbert Circle Theatre, Indianapolis | Friday 7 p.m.; Saturday and Sunday 2 p.m.
The Indianapolis Symphony Orchestra plays John Williams’ score live while the film runs in high definition, and it happens only this weekend. The story covers Harry’s second year at school, talking spiders, scolding letters and giant snakes included. The Saturday and Sunday matinees start at 2 p.m.
Beasley’s Orchard Fall Festival Weekend: Día de los Muertos | October 31-November 1 | Beasley’s Orchard, Danville | Saturday 9 a.m.-6 p.m.; Sunday noon-6 p.m. | $14; ages 2 and under free
It’s the last of Beasley’s themed festival weekends, and the lowest-priced of the season at $14. Hispanic food trucks, face painting and decorations in the marigold field join the corn maze, the hayride to the pumpkin patch, apple cannons and the jumping pillow that come with admission. Pick-your-own apples and pumpkins cost extra.
Riverside Halloween Bash | Friday, October 30 | Riverside Park, Indianapolis | 6-8 p.m. | FREE
A free haunted house and a trunk-or-treat in one park, with no registration. Decorations, music, games and treats round out the night, and costumes are encouraged.
Haunted Conservatory | Friday, October 30 | Garfield Park Conservatory, Indianapolis | 5:30-9 p.m. | $6; ages 2 and under free
Friday is the second and last night the conservatory dresses its tropical plants for Halloween. From 5:30 to 7 p.m. there are no scarers and little ones in costume are welcome; from 7 to 9 p.m. ghouls, scary music and decorations take over the walk-through, recommended for ages 8 and up. Pay $6 at the door by cash or card, no registration needed, and expect strobe lights and artificial fog.
Town Hall Trick or Treat in Avon | Friday, October 30 | Avon Town Hall, Avon | 10 a.m.-noon | FREE
The sensory-friendly pick of the weekend: a quiet morning of trick-or-treating inside Town Hall, with very low music, bright rooms and town departments handing out treats at tables. It’s meant for toddlers, young children and anyone with sensory needs, cognitive disabilities or medical conditions who can’t go out in the evening. No registration is needed.
More Things to Do This Weekend
All Weekend
Harvest Nights | October 30-November 1 | Newfields, Indianapolis | 7-10 p.m. | Tickets start at $25 and vary by date; ages 5 and under free; advance tickets required
The gardens glow with pumpkins and lights for a final weekend, along the fog-filled Pumpkin Path of Peril, the Ghost Train, a Fungi Forest of 50 handmade mushrooms and a projection mapping show. It runs rain or shine, a typical visit lasts 90 minutes to two hours, and guests pass through metal detectors at entry.
Fright Academy | October 30-31 | The Children’s Museum of Indianapolis | Friday 10 a.m.-3 p.m. and 4-9 p.m.; Saturday 10 a.m.-3 p.m. | $9; $8 members; $5 with Access Pass
The Children’s Museum Guild’s 62nd haunted house, a school for monsters and villains in training, closes Saturday. Friendly Hours keep the lights bright and the greeters friendly, and Friday evening’s Frightening Hours bring jump scares and haunters in scary masks. There are no Frightening Hours on Halloween, and the ticket doesn’t include museum admission.
Dull’s Pumpkin Harvest | October 30-November 1 | Dull’s Tree Farm & Pumpkin Patch, Thorntown | Friday 1-7 p.m.; Saturday 10 a.m.-5 p.m.; Sunday 1-7 p.m. | $17.95 online, $21.95 at the gate; ages 2 and under free
The pumpkin season’s last weekend covers hayrides to the patch, a corn maze, giant slides, barrel train rides, farm animals and more than 45 activities in admission. Each ticket includes one Activity Pass, good for the air cannons, paintball, face painting or pumpkin decorating.
Fishers Arts Council Día de Muertos Activities | October 31-November 1 | Fishers City Hall, Fishers | 10 a.m.-2 p.m. | FREE
Bring a 1-inch photo of a loved one for a mini ofrenda on the community altar, then build a tissue-paper marigold and decorate a calavera while El Mariachi Solo plays. Activities are recommended for ages 5 and up, with younger kids welcome with help, Sunday adds Mexican hot chocolate and pan de muerto, and ASL interpreters are on hand both days.
Still going this weekend: Fall at Tuttle Orchards (Friday and Saturday only; the season ends October 31), the Fall Harvest Festival at Waterman’s Family Farm, Fall Fun at Lark Ranch (its Día de Muertos day is Sunday) and the Phantoms of the Canal Road motorcar ride in Metamora on Friday and Saturday.
Friday, October 30
Live Bat Presentation with Wild Birds Unlimited | Washington Township Pavilion Center, Avon | 6-7:30 p.m. | FREE
Ball State’s Dr. Tim Carter brings two live native bats, Chocolate and Petunia, and talks about his research on the endangered Indiana bat. An optional hike follows, and registration is strongly encouraged.
Brownsburg’s Movies in the Park: “The Addams Family” | Arbuckle Acres Park, Brownsburg | 6:30-9 p.m. | FREE
A costume contest at 6:30 p.m. leads into “The Addams Family” (1991, rated PG) at 7 p.m. Bring blankets, lawn chairs and snacks; popcorn is provided.
Spooky Screenings: “Hocus Pocus” at Newfields | The Tobias Theater at Newfields, Indianapolis | 6:30 p.m.; doors open at 5:30 p.m.
Newfields shows “Hocus Pocus” (1993, rated PG) the night before Halloween, with a witch’s cackle contest before the film for a chance to win a Newfields membership. The ticket also covers Harvest Nights in the garden afterward, and advance tickets are required.
Halloween Pajama Jam at Brookside Park | Brookside Park, Indianapolis | 5-8 p.m. | $10 per child; registration required
A night for ages 9 to 14 only, in cozy pajamas or a Halloween costume, with music, dancing, games and treats.
Saturday, October 31
Haunting of Waverly | Old Town Waverly Park, Martinsville | 5-9 p.m. | $10 adults; $5 ages 6-12; ages 5 and under free with a parent
Morgan County Parks fills Halloween night with a trunk-or-treat from 5 to 7 p.m., a haunted trail that stays kid-friendly from 6 to 7 p.m. before going fully haunted until 9 p.m., and a movie on the town square. Bring a blanket for the movie; the Pumpkin Patch Cafe sells food.
Day of the Dead with Noblesville Creates | Noblesville Creates, Noblesville | 11 a.m.-4 p.m. | Face painting $10; some crafts have a fee
Live music, a community ofrenda and an art market on 8th Street, with crafts (some free, some with a small fee), face painting and tamales, candy and fruit from food vendors. Family-friendly costumes are encouraged.
Trick or Treating with Animals at The Farm at Prophetstown | Prophetstown State Park, West Lafayette | 1-3 p.m. | Included with the park entrance fee
Kids in costume collect a treat at each station of the farm and meet the animals, several of whom wear costumes too. It runs rain or shine.
Not So Scary Scavengers at Eagle Creek Park | Eagle Creek Ornithology Center, Indianapolis | 4-5 p.m. | Included with park admission ($6 per car for Marion County residents, $8 for nonresidents)
A Halloween hour with the park’s vultures and other bird ambassadors: naturalists explain why scavengers matter during an outdoor feeding demonstration, then everyone heads inside for Halloween crafts. The feeding uses dead prey and meat and happens rain or shine; drop-ins are welcome.
Sunday, November 1
Sensory Friendly Play at Urban Air Noblesville | Urban Air Noblesville, Noblesville | 9-11 a.m.
The park opens early, without loud music or flashing lights, for children with autism and special needs. Hours can change around holidays and private events, so the Noblesville park page has the latest.
Celebrate Día de Muertos with Indy Reads | Indy Reads, Indianapolis | 1-3 p.m. | FREE
The community bookstore on Virginia Avenue hosts a presentation by Indy Reads students, face painting, flower headband crafting and a community Catrina walk. Bring a photo or small memento of a loved one or pet for the ofrenda; admission is pay what you can, with free tickets on Eventbrite.
Día de Muertos Catrina Contest at Indiana Discount Mall | Indiana Discount Mall, Indianapolis | 2-5 p.m.
An altar exhibition, a Catrina parade and mariachi music, plus a Catrina contest with a kids division for ages 5 to 14 and a $500 prize. Competing is free, but registration is required by text at 833-201-1970 or on the mall’s event page.
Free Things to Do This Weekend
Beyond the free picks above:
- Trouble on the Trail: Treasure Hunt Hike, Friday and Saturday 10 a.m.-8 p.m., Pock Woods at Pecar Park, Avon (last two days)
- Creatures of the Night Hike, Friday 8-9:30 p.m., Central Park, Carmel, ages under 18, registration required
- Harvest Party at The Father’s House, Friday 7-9 p.m., southeast Indianapolis, ages 2 to 12
- Festival of Jack-o’-Lanterns, Friday and Saturday 7-9 p.m., Riley Home Museum, Greenfield
- Halloween Costume Contest at Krannert Park, Saturday 10 a.m.-2 p.m., Indianapolis
- Halloween Celebration at Pride Park, Saturday 4-8 p.m., Pride Park, Indianapolis, for kids and teens under 18, no registration
See all free events this weekend →
Rainy-Day Ideas: Indoor Things to Do This Weekend
- SHPE STEM Familia Fest, Saturday 10 a.m.-2 p.m., Indiana Convention Center, free
- Halloween Story & Craft at the Nora Library, Saturday 10:30-11:30 a.m., ages 3 to 6, free
- Little Cave Explorers Halloween at Roller Cave, Saturday 10 a.m.-noon, ages 10 and under, $13
- Halloween Skate Kids Party at Roller Cave, Saturday 1-4 p.m., $15
- Sesame Street Live! Elmo’s Got the Moves, Sunday 2 p.m., Murat Theatre at Old National Centre, tickets start at $37
- Día de Muertos Community Altar and Art Exhibit, Eiteljorg Museum, through November 2, included with admission
See all indoor events this weekend →
This Weekend in Carmel, Fishers and Noblesville
- Halloween Spooktacular at the Fishers Library, Friday 10 a.m.-noon, ages 5 and under
- Halloween Parade at Carmel Clay History Museum, Saturday 11 a.m.-noon, Carmel
- Prime’s Haunted Car Wash, Friday 7:30-10 p.m. and Saturday 8-11 p.m., Fishers, $25 per car
- Kart City Grand Opening: Indoor Electric Go-Karts for Kids, Friday 3-9 p.m., Saturday 10 a.m.-9 p.m. and Sunday 11 a.m.-7 p.m., Noblesville, ages 5 to 11, $19.50 per race
- Day of the Dead Story Celebration, Sunday 2-3 p.m., Noblesville Library, free, registration required
- 3D Printed Sugar Skulls Painting Workshop, Sunday 2:30-4:30 p.m., Carmel Clay Public Library, grades 6 to 12, free
See all Hamilton County events this weekend →
For the rest of the season, browse our full calendar of Indianapolis family events, free things to do this month and fall fun bucket list, or look ahead with our guides to fairs and festivals around Indianapolis and Indiana hot air balloon festivals.
