Every year the streets of Irvington come alive with the bubbles of laughter, live music and rustling costumes as the neighborhood prepares for its annual Halloween Festival. What started close to a century ago as a small community parade has grown into one of Indiana’s largest celebrations, drawing thousands of visitors each October to the historic east-side district.
The Historic Irvington Halloween Festival takes nearly a full year of planning, according to Sue Beecher, president of the Historic Irvington Community Council. The all-volunteer group starts organizing almost as soon as the previous year’s event wraps up, handling everything from vendor applications to street closures.
“It is complete volunteers, which is pretty amazing when you think about it,” Beecher said. “Every council member has a part in the Halloween Festival.”
The event has grown significantly since Beecher moved to the neighborhood in 1991. What began as a few booths along Washington Street now draws crowds of visitors each year.
“When I moved here in ’91, I used to walk up casually and there would be just a few people and a few booths,” Beecher said. “And then after COVID, it was 75,000 people and you couldn’t walk through the festival.”
“It’s the only festival I know of that closes down a major highway,” Beecher said, referring to U.S. 40, which is blocked between Arlington and Ritter for the street fair.
What defines the fete now is the way it takes over the neighborhood for a week and turns ordinary streets into something almost cinematic. Decorations fill porches, costumed kids run between booths, and volunteers work quietly in the background to keep everything running.
“People start planning their yard displays a year in advance,” Beecher said. “It’s a lot of small pieces that come together to make something really big.”
The weeklong lineup includes events like pumpkin carving, a pet costume contest, home-decorating tours and trick-or-treating. Planning and safety coordination are managed by council members, including a safety director who works with the Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department.
According to Beecher, even after decades of growth, the spirit of the festival hasn’t changed. For her, it’s about more than costumes or candy. It’s a reminder of how a neighborhood tradition can bring people together and form community year after year.
For newcomers, the festival can be both overwhelming and welcoming. Elle Hodge moved to Irvington in late July and said she was surprised by how quickly the neighborhood’s sense of community revealed itself.
“I was worried that being so close to the city, people might keep to themselves,” Hodge said. “But everybody is very friendly and neighborly.”
After hearing about the event from residents at the local farmer’s market, she decided to see it for herself.
“Every time I told somebody I was moving to Irvington, they said, ‘You have to go to the Halloween Festival,’” Hodge said.
To Hodge, the festival’s organization stood out the most. This is because the overwhelming sense of community present all around.
“It was pretty well put together, especially for being volunteer-ran,” Hodge said. “It’s a pretty good reflection of the people who live here.”
Over the whole day, she experienced tons of things she had never seen before, but one stood out more than the rest: the dogs. She laughed remembering the pets parading by in their crooked costumes.
“I’ll remember all the dogs in their costumes the most,” Hodge said. “There was this golden retriever in a green monster costume that didn’t fit right, so it was just kind of lopsided. It was adorable.”
By the end of the day, she understood why the festival has lasted nearly eight decades.
“It made me feel like I am part of this community already,” Hodge said.
For newcomers and longtime residents alike, the Irvington Halloween Festival transforms the neighborhood into a shared space of celebration, creativity, and connection.
“I’ll definitely come back every year I am physically able to.” Hodge said.
Even with decades of history and tens of thousands of visitors each year, the Irvington Halloween Festival continues to thrive because of the people who make it happen and those who show up to enjoy it. For volunteers like Sue Beecher, it is a labor of love that transforms the neighborhood into a hub of activity and creativity. For first-time attendees like Elle Hodge, it offers a way to feel connected to a community that is lively, welcoming, and deeply invested in its traditions. From decorated porches to costumed pets and endless trick-or-treating, the festival is more than a celebration, but it is a shared experience that brings Irvington together every October.
