A favorite destination for Midwesterners, Nashville, Indiana, offers a wide variety of year-round recreation. One hour south of Indianapolis, Nashville is located in the rolling hills of Brown County. While Nashville is home to Indiana’s largest state park, which covers 16,000 acres, it has also been tagged “The Art Colony of the Midwest.” Home to more than 250 artists with established studios and shops, there are always festivities on the calendar in Nashville.
A Brown County Tradition, the Annual Fallfare is held the first weekend in October. Presented by the Nashville United Methodist Church, this family-friendly festival includes fine-art booths, woodworkers, antiques and collectibles, a silent auction, Paws for Pets, games and more. Food booths at the Village Café offer everything from morning coffee to lunchtime chili. The Fallfare is held at Village Green in downtown Nashville. Admission is free.
Start a family tradition at Kelp’s Annual Farm Fest. Activities include games, hay rides, a petting zoo, an antique tractor and farm equipment display, face painting and more. Enter a jack-o-lantern in the pumpkin-carving contest; carving is available both days, with judging on Sunday afternoon. Farm-fresh items such as pumpkins, squash, mums and gourds are available. A free event, Kelp’s Annual Farm Fest is held all day the first Saturday and Sunday of October. Kelps Pumpkin Patch is seven miles east of Nashville, Indiana, on State Road 46.
Enjoy the fall foliage of Brown County while visiting the artists who comprise “The Art Colony of the Midwest.” The annual Back Roads of Brown County Driving Tour is a free, self-guided tour that explores working studios of local artists and craftsmen. Tours are daily during the month of October. Times vary by day; visit the Brown County Visitor's Center for hours of operation.
For one weekend in October, Halloween festivities are held at Brown County State Park. Dress up in Halloween costumes and walk the not-so-scary trick-or-treat trail for younger ghouls, or the more frightful Haunted Trail for older goblins. Bring a pumpkin to carve and enter the finished masterpiece in the pumpkin-carving contest. Camping is available. If camping out, bring festive Halloween decorations for the campsite and enter the campsite decorating contest. Regular park admission will be charged; donations are accepted for this special event.
