Fall is fast approaching.
Blistering hot days have been replaced by chilly mornings and evenings. Apples and gourds have beaten out sweet corn and cucumbers in the farmers markets. Pumpkin spice is in, well, everything.
The season means football, sweater weather and thick, hearty stews.
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And like leaves proliferating underneath the trees, Johnson County communities are piling special events on the calendar, taking advantage of the one last opportunity to gather as one until winter sets in.
Fall festivals are here in cities, towns, churches and schools throughout the county. From beer-tasting events to family-friendly parades to some of the best music in the region, people are sure to find an activity that perfectly fits their autumn mood.
Music at the Creek
Details: 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday, Indian Creek High School, 803 W. Indian Creek Dr., Trafalgar
What: This annual event has become an autumn tradition celebrating the Trafalgar community. People gather to watch Indian Creek marching bands and other organizations in the opening parade, listen to live music, check out hot rods and cool rides at the car show and shop 75 vendor booths.
Indian Creek FFA will have pork chops to eat, while local Boy Scouts plan to cook up cheeseburgers. All proceeds go towards classroom grants for Indian Creek schools, through the NHJ Educational Foundation.
Harvest Moon Festival
Details: 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. Saturday, downtown Bargersville
What: Welcome the arrival of fall and help the community at the same time at Bargersville’s Harvest Moon Festival. The event itself will feature a parade, craft fair, food vendors and a beer and wine garden. Music will be provided throughout the day by Chicken Bone — the acoustic quartet stemming from the popular band Tastes Like Chicken — as well as by Shady and Toy Factory. The Colts In Motion exhibit, a fun interactive display, will be set up as well.
At the same time, organizers at the Heaven Earth Church booth will be collecting items for Resources of Hope, which provides items to foster children and the families caring for them. The organization is in need of new outfits sizes 5 to 14/16 for boys and girls, new toys for infants to 11-year-olds, and new blankets.
Nailtoberfest
Details: 3 to 7 p.m. Saturday, Nailers Brewing Co., 6001 N. US 31, Whiteland
What: Nailers Brewing may be one of the county’s newest breweries, having just opened in spring 2018. But it has already established this all-ages event as a fall favorite. For $5, get a peek at some of the region’s best breweries, wineries and distilleries. Tickets will be available to purchase samples as well as pints, while food will also be on sale.
Set up a lawn chair, listen to some live music and check out the motorcycles from the Going to the Dogs Charity Ride, which will end at Nailers. Organizers will set aside 10 percent of the proceeds from the event for the Johnson County Animal Shelter.
Oktoberfest Prost Party
Details: 4 to 10 p.m. Friday, MashCraft Brewing Co., 1140 N. SR 135, Greenwood
What: You’ll think you’re sitting in a Munich beer garden. Get your German on with the unveiling of MashCraft’s own märzen-style Oktoberfest beer. The rich and toasty beer is brewed with German yeast, giving it an authentic taste.
The brewery will feature bratwurst, pretzels and other traditional foods. Polka Boy is slated to provide the soundtrack to the event starting at 6 p.m., and kids activities will be set up to keep the little ones entertained.
TAXMANniversary Festival
Details: 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. Saturday, Taxman Brewing Co., 13 S. Baldwin St., Bargersville
What: In conjunction with Bargersville’s Harvest Moon Festival, the town’s signature brewery is hosting a celebration for its fifth anniversary. The five-day event, which started on Tuesday, is highlighted by the release of its lambic release, which has been three years in the making.
Live music will be featured, and people can enjoy samples of their lambic varieties, vintage releases, saisons, sours and other specialty beers. A special seasonal lunch and dinner menu will be available as well. The event is family friendly, no ticket is required to attend, and it will be held rain or shine.
SS. Francis and Clare Fall Festival
Details: 5 to 9 p.m. Sept. 27 and noon to 9 p.m. Sept. 28, SS. Francis and Clare of Assisi Roman Catholic Church, 5901 Olive Branch Road, Greenwood
What: Carnival rides, raffles, Monte Carlo games and amazing community dinners are some of the highlights of this church festival, now in its 13th year. Art lovers will be able to browse paintings, sculpture, glasswork and other creations in the Art in the Park section. Live music, a beer garden and kids games will also be includes. Come hungry, because organizers have put together a fish fry dinner on Sept. 27, and a fried chicken dinner on Sept. 28. A wine and dessert bar and cake wheel will be featured all weekend.
Highlander Festival
Details: 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Sept. 28 and 29, the Apple Works, 8157 S. 250W, Trafalgar
What: Johnson County, particularly in the southern part, has a strong Scottish culture. Celebrate that tradition at the Apple Works during their annual Highlander Fest, part of the orchard’s fall music lineup. The sounds of bagpipes and Celtic rock will be provided by Highland Reign, a band with Johnson County roots that has performed throughout the U.S. and Europe. Clan Destin will also be performing. When you’re not rocking out, enjoy cultural food and desserts, craft vendors, activities aimed at the kids and all of the seasonal apples and pumpkins you can handle.
Franklin Fall Vintage Fest
Details: 8 a.m. to 10 p.m. Sept. 28, downtown Franklin
What: See miniature dogs scurry for the finish line, shop some of the area’s best vintage vendors and enjoy one of the county’s longest-running fall events. Organizers have renamed the event to put an emphasis on Franklin’s thriving vintage goods scene, but it will still include delicious food, a parade, music, kids activities and more. Fireworks will cap off the evening. And don’t miss the famed Dachshund Derby, which pits adorable wiener dogs against one another in an often hilarious race.
Rock the Clock
Details: 3 to 10 p.m. Sept. 28, corner of Main and Madison streets, Greenwood
What: The fourth iteration of Greenwood’s community block party will feature a full day of music, food and family friendly activities unfolding around the city’s iconic downtown clock. For $5, get all-day play in the “fun zone,” an area specifically designed to entertain children and adults alike. Enter a competition, such as the rock-paper-scissors tournament, the beer stein contest (or the root beer stein version for kids).
Music starts at 3 p.m. with the Blue River Band, followed by the Karma Band at 5:30 and Tastes Like Chicken at 8. Local restaurants, breweries and wineries will be serving up the best tastes of Greenwood.
