The leaves drifting from the trees, college football on repeat, the smell of imitation pumpkin spice in the air and in our coffee cups… this can only mean one thing, people. Fall is upon us. But when you’re not planning out your Halloween costume or tailgating like there’s no tomorrow, what else is there to do in South Bend? You’d be surprised – and impressed – by the fall festivities lurking just outside our li’l bubble.
So, here’s to the “Autumn Bucket List You Never Knew You Needed,” featuring all the best haunts and hayrides in everyone’s favorite thriving Midwestern metropolis. Get out there and see for yourself (but hurry before the permacloud sets in)!
Keep it fresh – South Bend Farmer’s Market
Did someone say berries? Perfect for occasions when limp dining hall broccoli just won’t cut it, the South Bend Farmer’s Market offers fresh local finds such as produce, delicious veggies, vibrant flowers, home-baked bread, and other goodies produced right here in the community. Give your grocery shopping a fresh twist and check the Market out every Tuesday, Thursday, and Saturday from 7am-3pm. If all this food is making your stomach rumble, stop by their Café… or just load up on sweet treats and samples (!) from the Market’s many vendors.
Embrace your inner kid — Thistleberry Farm
If your schedule doesn’t include a trip to the pumpkin patch penciled in, you’re doing fall wrong. Get back to your childhood roots by paying a visit to Thistleberry Farm, a family-friendly place that offers anything and everything you could possibly desire from a middle school field trip in October… or a bored college student’s Saturday afternoon), maybe? On weekends, snag some fresh Kettle Corn and Apple Cider Donuts while you pick your way through the pumpkin patch, navigate a corn maze, lounge on a hay ride, and push past second-graders to feed the farm animals. Best of all for our aching college wallets, admission is absolutely free.
Get freaky (or just freaked out) – Niles Scream Park or Legends Park
Enough with the kiddie stuff. This one’s for all you thrill-seekers out there who can’t spell “fall” without adding “pee-your-pants scary” in there somewhere (an impressive linguistic feat, by the way). If the breezier weather makes you want to find your way around a pitch-black room full of fake chainsaws and the faces of nightmares, hit up one of Mishawaka’s two haunted houses ASAP. These aren’t your neighbor’s sheet-covered ghosts either; Niles Scream Park claimed the “must-see haunt of 2015” and Legend Park’s “Fear Itself” was voted one of America’s top 5 haunted houses overall. In addition to its main attractions, Niles even boasts a haunted hayride and outdoor theater. Enter both at your own risk, and maybe leave Grandma at home for this one.
Pretend you’re James Bond – Michiana Escape Room
So maybe the breezier weather makes you want to find your way around a completely lit room instead, featuring less fake blood and more brain-twisting puzzles. Lucky for you, the “escape room” craze that’s sweeping the nation has finally made its way to our own South Bend, and Michiana Escapes just opened its doors earlier this year next door to the Tippecanoe Restaurant. Get a group of budding detectives together to solve your way through its clues, puzzles, and riddles and escape before time ticks out. Definitely not your tired, basic fall excursion – sorry, no pumpkin spice lattes allowed.
From classic nostalgia to brand new adventures, these South Bend attractions will have you rethinking the next time someone sighs and says there’s “nothing to do” here. Just let this mini fall bucket list (and your aggressive “I Heart SB” t-shirt) speak for itself!
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