Family-Friendly Festivals, Parades & Spooky Events Fill the Season in Muncie
As the weather cools, the leaves change color and the holidays are around the corner, the activities and events in the community often bring families and friends outdoors to enjoy the fresh air and fun.
The City of Muncie, businesses, museums, the college campus and many others offer plenty of those family-friendly and perhaps a bit spooky activities for the community leading into the fall.
Get ready for the season by stopping by Spangler Farms Market for your fresh fall produce and everything you’ll need to decorate your home or business. They have pumpkins, both large jack-o’-lantern-size and flat for a stackable design on the front porch, mums to brighten up the look and corn stalks and straw for the finishing touches.
As far as activities go, the month kicks off with a special edition of First Thursday – Arts Walk and the annual Soup Crawl from 5 to 8 p.m. Oct. 2.
“First Thursday – Arts Walk features local handmakers and artists displayed in booths throughout the town,” says Lena Reid, communications manager at Destination Muncie. “Muncie Maker Market vendors will be there and the popular Soup Crawl returns. This is a ticketed event and it’s walkable. You go from one location to the next and judge the soups. In the end, a winner receives a prize for the best soup.”
The Soup Crawl is sponsored by PrimeTrust FCU and benefits Second Harvest Food Bank.
Throughout the evening, visitors can enjoy live music on the Canan Commons stage. Sample street fare and drinks from local food trucks or stop in to dine at your favorite downtown restaurant.
On Oct. 10 from 5:30 to 8 p.m., another popular fall event will return with the annual Boo-levard Bash in Minnestrista.
Dress up in your favorite costume and bring the entire family to experience trick-or-treating, games and activities for all.
“There’s always a great turnout for this event,” Reid says. “They’ll also have their fresh-pressed apple cider on site — very popular this time of year.”
The local college campus won’t disappoint either. The week of Homecoming at Ball State University is Oct. 13-18 and will be packed with exciting events for students and the entire community.
Not only will there be decorating contests, food truck festivals and a campus dinner with a homecoming-themed meal, the 46th annual Bed Race on Oct. 17 will pit teams of five people pushing a bed on a 100-yard course. The fastest team wins a plaque and bragging rights.
On Oct. 18, the Chase Charlie 5K is at 8:45 a.m. followed by the traditional Homecoming Parade, with both campus and community participants at 9 a.m.
As Halloween approaches, things become a little spookier. If you enjoy a haunted house or want to hear some creepy tales, there are plenty of options offered across Muncie.
Be sure to stop by Pumpkin Pulp to check out the custom masks, props and merchandise for all things Halloween. The store is open by appointment only throughout the year but will post regular hours in the month of October. They’ll also bring back Scarevania, a haunted house attraction.
Perhaps a little less scary but still educational and informative, the Charles W Brown Planetarium will feature “Halloween: Celestial Origins” planetarium show on Oct. 17-18. Find out what stars and planets will light up the sky this Halloween.
To find out more about eerie happenings and hauntings in Muncie and Delaware County history, attend the “Eerie Muncie: Even More Tales from the Dark Side of Local History” from 6 to 8 p.m. Oct. 21 at the E.B. and Bertha C. Ball Center. The event is free but registration is required.
On Oct. 25, the Albany Lions Club will host its annual Halloween Parade from 6 to 8:30 p.m. Since 1936, they’ve been the go-to place for games and activities in the afternoon with the popular parade to follow.
Cammack Station will also host its annual Trunk or Treat event on Halloween night, Oct. 31.
Whether dressing up in costume and drinking hot apple cider around a bonfire is your thing or enjoying a Halloween scare this season is up your alley, Muncie is offering a little bit of fall fun for everyone.
A full schedule and details can be found at destinationmuncie.org.
