Fall Festivals And Fairs Worth Circling Through October
From a speedway craft fair this Saturday to Fusion Fest at Howard Park, Pumpkin Patch at the Zoo and the Michiana Festival of Beers, here is the fall calendar in one place.
Michiana On Tap Staff
Thursday, September 17, 2026
Fall in Michiana arrives fast. These are the festivals, fairs and markets on the calendar between now and the end of October, in date order. Details and links come from the organizers; check each event page before you go.
Saturday, September 19: Fall Fest at South Bend Motor Speedway. Handmade crafts, flea market treasures and food from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Same morning, the Fall Greenhouse Plant Sale runs 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. at Battell Community Center in Mishawaka.
Friday, September 25: Mish Fall Fest. Ironworks Plaza welcomes the season with live music from Trailer Swift and activities in the Ball Band Biergarten, 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. The same evening, Brew at the Zoo turns Potawatomi Zoo into an adults-only beer festival from 5:30 to 9:30 p.m. Valid ID required, 21 and over.
Saturday, September 26: South Bend Fusion Fest at Howard Park, starting at noon. Across town, Chickadees Gift Shop holds its 9th annual Fall Fest from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
From Sunday, September 27: Pumpkin Patch at the Zoo. Potawatomi Zoo's seasonal pumpkin patch runs on multiple dates through the fall. Check the calendar for hours on the day you want to go.
Friday, October 2: Ramencon 2026 brings an anime convention to Century Center, and Goshen Theater hosts its monthly First Fridays gathering with food, art and entertainment.
Saturday, October 3: three in one day. Madison Road Artisan Market, with over 100 handmade and antique vendors on a historic farm south of South Bend. The Studebaker Clubhouse 100 Year Anniversary at Bendix Woods County Park. And in the evening, Mishawaka Market Under the Lights, year two of the night market at Ironworks Plaza with live music, food trucks and the Ball Band Biergarten.
Saturday, October 24: Michiana Festival of Beers. A craft beer festival featuring 100 percent independent breweries at Four Winds Field, 2 to 6 p.m. This is the big one for beer people; see What's Pouring for the drinking calendar.
New festivals get added to the calendar as organizers post them. Browse all events with the Festivals filter for the latest.
Top photo: Pumpkin Picking by Bonnie Kittle via Wikimedia Commons, public domain (CC0 1.0).
