Last Updated on April 29, 2026 by Adrienne
While it might not feel like it based on the weather we’re having in the Midwest right now, fall is officially here! It’s one of the best seasons here with so much going on, especially for families. I’ve rounded up my family’s favorite autumn things to do in the West Lafayette-Lafayette, Indiana area.
Boo at the Zoo at the Columbian Park Zoo
My family enjoys the Columbian Park Zoo, our small and affordable local zoo, all season long. But the highlight of the year for the zoo is their annual Halloween event, Boo at the Zoo, which features trick-or-treating, decorations, animals in costume and fun and games for kids, including a costume contest, bounce houses and train rides. One of the best parts for me is the pumpkin decorating contest, where local businesses compete to see who has the most creative themed pumpkin. This year Boo at the Zoo will take place from October 18-20.
The Columbian Park Zoo is best for younger kids, I’d say ages 2-8. If you have tweens or teens, the much larger Indianapolis Zoo also has a great Halloween-themed event, ZooBoo, which runs every weekend in October.
Visit the Pumpkin Patch
It wouldn’t be fall without a trip to the pumpkin patch! Our favorite local spot is Kent’s Cucurbits in Brookston, which typically opens in mid-September (September 14 this year) and is free to enter. This small pumpkin patch has beautiful pumpkins and gourds of all sizes, as well as some simple rides and family attractions. It’s the perfect place to take toddlers for their first pumpkin patch experience, or for a family outing without spending much money. If you have older children and want to spend more on a pumpkin patch that also has lots of rides, check out my recommendations below.
Fall Farms with Corn Mazes and Rides
If you have older children and are looking to make a full day out of a pumpkin patch outing, there are lots of options in central Indiana. Our family’s favorite is Hillside Acres, which has epic slides, a giant corn maze, hayrides and lots of food for sale, including incredible apple cider donuts (which are surprisingly hard to find in this area). Exploration Acres is another good option with a big corn maze and rides.
Apple Picking
Although a visit to a pumpkin patch is a lot of fun, you don’t really get to pick the fruit off the vine. You can get the full fruit-picking experience at one of the many apple orchards in the area. One of our favorites is Wea Creek Orchard, which usually has U-Pick apples from August until October, as well as tractor rides and a small market with food for purchase, including homemade honey and apple cider slushies. It’s the perfect to place to go to stock up on apples for all your fall baking. Wea Creek also hosts a great fall festival (on October 20 this year) with bounce houses, food trucks, live music and games for kids.
Globalfest
One of the best things about living in a college town is the diversity of cultures represented, and West Lafayette celebrates this with its annual Global Fest in late September, which has been running for nearly 30 years now. This festival, happening on September 21 this year, features music, dancing and international cuisine.
Art on the Wabash
Another annual event we always look forward to in the fall is Art on the Wabash, which showcases the work of local artists in a pretty riverfront setting. It’s a great place to buy artwork or jewelry with an Indiana flair. This year’s event will be on Sunday, September 29 and will also include some favorite local food trucks.
Hands on Transportation
If you have kids who loves vehicles and construction equipment, you can’t miss Hands on Transportation, an annual event put on by our local science museum Imagination Station. The museum gathers all kinds of real vehicles – from semi trucks and school buses to tractors and excavators – for kids to climb into and explore. In 2024, the event will take place on Saturday, October 5.
Feast of the Hunter’s Moon
Greater Lafayette’s best known fall festival is Feast of the Hunter’s Moon, taking place this year the weekend of October 5-6. It’s a reenactment of life in 18th century Fort Ouiatenon, and participants don historical garb and sell traditional foods like rabbit stew and turkey legs. Performances and activities throughout the weekend include singers, dancers, axe-throwing, cannon demonstrations and canoe races.
Fall Foliage at the Celery Bog
We enjoy hiking in the Celery Bog year round, but it’s hard to beat the views in mid-late October, when the area is filled with spectacular fall foliage. Other leaf peeping spots around greater Lafayette include Clegg Memorial Garden, Happy Hollow Park and Prophetstown State Park.
Howl Nights at Wolf Park
Wolf Park, a sanctuary for gray wolves and other animals, is a fun place to visit year-round, but is especially popular in the fall for their Howl Nights, when guests can visit after dusk and witness the wolves communicate with each other by howling – and you’re encouraged to join in and howl with them.
Purdue Football Games and Rides on the Boilermaker Special
A highlight of fall in any college town is college football, and although our Purdue team isn’t usually the best, they’re still fun to watch. Every Friday before home games, Purdue’s adorable train mascot, the Boilermaker Special, gives kids free rides around campus.
If you plan to regularly attend Purdue sports games with little ones, I recommend joining the Boilermaker Kids Club, which includes free admission to all games in sports other than football, men’s and women’s basketball and volleyball, as well as select tickets to those four sports and a goodie bag with a t-shirt and other swag. Memberships for BKC go on sale in the spring and they do sell out.
Fall Festival at the West Lafayette Wellness Center
The West Lafayette Wellness Center puts on an excellent fall festival the weekend before Halloween (on October 25 this year) with games, trick-or-treating, face painting, bounce houses, food trucks and more. It’s completely free regardless of whether or not you’re a member of the WLWC and is a great community event that’s always a highlight of fall for our family.
Fall Races
Fall is perfect running weather in Indiana, and this season is home to several family-friendly races. The Cupcake Run for Public Ed, benefiting the Public Schools Foundation for Tippecanoe County, is held on September 21 this year and features a 5K, 10K and kid’s race. On October 11, West Lafayette Parks & Rec foundation hosts the Harvest Hustle 5K and kid’s fun run. Thanksgiving weekend is home to several Turkey Trot races. Our favorite is the Gobble Wobble 5K hosted by Fleet Feet and benefiting the Food Finders Food Bank.
Trick or Treating
Of course, the highlight of fall for anyone with kids is Halloween and trick or treating. Greater Lafayette trick or treats on October 31, regardless of what day of the week that day is. In the weeks leading up to Halloween, many local businesses, churches and community organizations hold special trick-or-treating events or “trunk or treats” where kids get candy from a bunch of cars that have gathered in one place. Some of our favorites are trick or treating with the animals at Prophetstown State Park, the Legacy Halloween Bash at Legacy Courts and Imagination Station’s Haunted Lab.
Day Trips to Brown County State Park and Turkey Run State Park
Fall is the perfect time to take a day trip to one of our nearby state parks, which are gorgeous when the leaves start changing color. Two of our family’s favorites are Brown County State Park and Turkey Run State Park, which both have nice hiking opportunities and fall foliage at this time of year. Turkey Run is only about an hour from greater Lafayette; Brown County is closer to a two hour drive.
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