This year’s Zionsville Fall Festival is back, Sept. 9-11, with the theme ‘Chills and Thrills’, and will feature two new events at its 69th running.
Operation KidSight and a Dangers of Smoke and Fire Safety demonstration put on by the Zionsville Fire Dept. are part of the community-centric offerings.
Tim Reinhart, Zionsville Lions Club’s Fall Festival chairman, said the highlight of this year’s Fall Festival will be the VIP Carnival and the parade.
“The Fall Festival really brings everyone together,” Reinhart said. “You can expect to see half the town in the parade, and the other half watching it.”
The festival will kick off Friday, Sept. 9, with the VIP Carnival from 6-11 p.m. Primarily, it is oriented to those with family members or ones they care for who have special needs.
On Saturday, visitors may attend the parade at 10 a.m., which starts at Zionsville Community High School and moves down to Main Street. Parking for the parade will be available at the southwest quadrant of South Main and East Sycamore streets.
Following the parade, visitors may head to the festival in Lions Club Park from noon-11 p.m. to explore many activities and an array of vendors.
KidSight vision screenings will be available on the west side of the park, across from the bounce houses, from 11 a.m.- 6 p.m. Saturday.
The Dangers of Smoke and Fire demonstration will take place from 3-3:30 p.m. in the Safety Zone, which is in the central area of the park near the playground.
The Lions Lounge, a 21-and-older area in the Entertainment Tent, will be open from 5-11 p.m., and the cover charge will be $10 per person. Saturday’s festivities will wrap up in the Lions Lounge with a performance by The Impalas from 7-11 p.m.
Sunday activities will include the American Dream Car Show from 10 a.m.- 3 p.m. next to the parking lot, and Silly Safari animal demonstrations from 1:30- 2:15 p.m. and 3-3:45 p.m. in the exposition tent next to the Safety Zone.
On both days, guests can expect an array of options of carnival fare from a variety of local vendors that will be set up along Food Alley and in the commercial tents.
Bounce houses will be available in the Kids’ Corner in the southwest corner of the park on Saturday from noon- 9 p.m., and Sunday from noon- 5 p.m. Differently colored wristbands for daily admission to the bounce houses can be purchased for $12 per day.
Wristbands for Wristband Day on Sunday at Poor Jack’s Carnival will be $22.
The festival will be free to people of all ages. Festival parking will be available in Lions Park for $8 per vehicle, and additional parking is located near the park on Elm and Main Streets.
