105 years strong, the Fall Festival is coming back for another week of fun. Packed with food, games, and parades, the event is a staple of Evansville’s community. Everything is deep-fried, everyone puts in to the half pot, and everyone wants apple cider. And now? There’s an app for it! Guiding you through all the food, all the stalls, and all the essentials. But what exactly is the Fall Fest, why is everyone talking about it, why do you need an app for a festival, and what are any of these foods they’re talking about? I’ll answer these questions, as well as give my personal recommendations on how to spend the week.
Since 1921, the Fall Festival has been held in Evansville. It began as a one-night Halloween event but has since evolved into what it is today. Last year alone broke several records. With over 280,000 people attending, 47,000 showing up on Wednesday alone, $8.3 million in economic impact, and $2.6 million put into the half pot… this event is no joke.
This festival, held on West Franklin Street during the first full week of October, is regarded as the second-largest festival in the Country! People come from out of town, out of county, and even out of state! If you EVER wanted to see as many state plates as possible in a week… this is your week. While some only travel a few minutes, others travel several hours to stay the week. Some go for the shows, others go for the rides, and everyone goes for the food.
Speaking of, the biggest hype for this event is all the treats you can eat. With over 130 booths, this week-long event has a wide variety of things to munch on. And now… there’s an app to help you with it all! Named the Nut Club Fall Festival, the app has many helpful features. For starters, there’s an interactive map of the street, including booth numbers and areas for games. Additionally, there’s a helpful list for food. Deemed the “munchie map,” this guide gives you a full list of every bite there! From deep-fried PB&J to donut burgers, this event is the place to try any and every crazy meal you can think of. If you’re interested in what a specific booth is selling… you can now see that, too! While prices aren’t listed, most items usually go for $3-$10. Some other features of the app include a height guide for rides, the number of credits (digital tickets or tokens, essentially) you need for each ride, a way to purchase half-pot tickets from your phone, and a set schedule of shows and parades.
Personally, my big 5 for this year are the Pronto Pup, the Pizza Burger, the deep-fried mac & cheese bites, the Grippo’s combinations, and all of the Monster floats I can down. And these are just the tame options you have! I’d argue that the craziest thing you can eat there is a brain sandwich. And no—it’s not a metaphor! It contains the actual brain of a pig, deep-fried and slapped in between two buns. But if wild and savory isn’t your thing, there are also sweet options for all the candy lovers out there! They’ve got funnel cakes, ice cream floats, churros, monster ears, and too much more for me to name. And even if neither of those are your things, I promise you, you will find something that piques your interest!
This year, the fall fest will last from October 5th until October 10th. So, it’s time to start setting that spending money aside. Personally, my best recommendation would be to set aside $150-$200 for the week; that way, it accounts for both the food and any games or rides you’d like to take part in. Have a great Fall Fest, and live up the hype!