Historic Irvington Halloween Festival facts for kids

The Historic Irvington Halloween Festival is a super fun event that happens every year in the Irvington neighborhood of Indianapolis, Indiana. It's a non-profit festival, which means it's not trying to make money, but instead brings people together. It was started way back in 1947 by the Historic Irvington Community Council. This festival is special because it's known as the oldest and largest Halloween festival in the whole country!

The festival isn't just one day; it's a whole week of exciting activities leading up to October 31st. The biggest day is the final Saturday, when East Washington Street in Irvington gets closed off between Ritter Ave. and Arlington Ave. for a huge street party. You can find all sorts of things to do, like a 5-mile run, a pageant, live music, fun contests, Halloween movies, spooky ghost tours, live theater, and even a "haunted" puppet show!

Sadly, the 2020 festival had to be canceled because of the COVID-19 pandemic. But the Pleasant Run Run still happened, just in a virtual way.

Join the Pleasant Run Run

The Pleasant Run Run is a popular event that started in 1982. It's a 5-kilometer (about 3.1 miles) run and a 3-kilometer (about 1.8 miles) family walk. The race goes through the streets of Historic Irvington. It's named after the nearby Pleasant Run creek. This run takes place on the final day of the Halloween Festival and helps bring lots of people to the Saturday events. It's also Indianapolis's oldest 5-Mile Competitive Race! The money raised from the run helps support programs by the Historic Irvington Community Council.

Explore Festival Locations

The festival uses several cool spots around Irvington.

The Historic Irving Theatre

The Irving Theatre was built in 1913 and first showed movies as a nickelodeon. In 1926, it got a big makeover, adding more space and a second floor. Over the years, it was used for different things until it closed in the mid-1990s. It stayed empty until 2005 when it reopened. Today, it's a busy place for live music, movies, art shows, and community events. It's one of the biggest all-ages music venues in Indianapolis, holding over 700 people.

Fun at Ellenberger Park

Ellenberger Park was created in 1903. A famous park designer named George Kessler helped plan this park and the Pleasant Run Parkway. In 1930, a swimming pool was added, and in 1962, an ice rink was built (though it closed in 2009). The park has two playgrounds, tennis courts, baseball and softball fields, a football field, and a fitness trail. There's even a hill perfect for sledding and snowboarding in winter! In the summer, the park hosts outdoor movie nights.

Recently, the City of Indianapolis finished building the Pleasant Run Trail. This trail is about 6.9 kilometers (4.3 miles) long and connects Ellenberger Park to Garfield Park, which is the oldest park in the city. More parts of the trail are planned for the future.

Irving Circle Park

Right in the middle of Irvington, you'll find a small circular park called Irving Circle. It's surrounded by a round-about street. The park has a fountain, a statue of Washington Irving (who the neighborhood is named after), and special brick paths.

Local Schools and Libraries

Irvington has several schools and a branch of the Indianapolis Public Library. Thomas Carr Howe Community High School and George Washington Julian Elementary School #57 are part of the Indianapolis Public Schools. There are also two Charter schools: Irvington Community School (for grades K-8) and Irvington Preparatory Academy (for grades 9-12). These schools offer public education from kindergarten through high school. Our Lady of Lourdes is a Roman Catholic school for grades K-8.

Irvington has a long history with libraries. The Bona Thompson Library opened in 1903 for Butler students and the public. Since then, Irvington has always had a local library for its residents. In 1956, the Hilton U. Brown Library opened. In 2001, a new, modern Irvington Branch Library opened at 5625 East Washington Street. The old Brown Library building is now used by Indianapolis Public Schools for early education.