Things to Do This Weekend in Northwest Indiana | October 2-4, 2026

The first full weekend of October lands right in the sweet spot of Northwest Indiana's fall festival season. The St. John Oktoberfest opens Friday under a big tent at the St. John the Evangelist Old Parish Parking Lot on Wicker Avenue, Crown Point turns Crown Point Square, Downtown Crown Point, IN, into an Oktoberfest of its own on Saturday, and Whiting goes full Halloween with Wickedly Whiting. Add the Westville Pumpkin Festival, the Chesterton European Market, and a family-friendly afternoon at Munster's Centennial Park, and you have one of the busiest weekends of the fall.

Here is your complete guide to everything happening from Friday, October 2 through Sunday, October 4, plus a few of my favorite ways to plan it. Whether you are a longtime resident or just visiting, this is the weekend the Region shows off.

Friday, October 2

St. John Oktoberfest opens under the big tent

The St. John Oktoberfest returns Friday through Sunday at the St. John the Evangelist Old Parish Parking Lot, 9400 Wicker Ave. Friday night runs 5:00 to 11:00 PM with live German music, hearty food, and family activities all under one huge tent, with admission and parking free. The official St. John Oktoberfest website lists the full entertainment lineup.

When: Friday, October 2: 5:00-11:00 PM · Saturday, October 3: 1:00-11:00 PM · Sunday, October 4: noon-8:00 PM
Where: St. John the Evangelist Old Parish Parking Lot, 9400 Wicker Ave., St. John, IN
Cost: Free admission and parking; food and drinks extra

DJ Pauly D headlines Bulldog Park in Crown Point

Crown Point keeps the good times rolling into October with a free city-hosted concert featuring DJ Pauly D at Bulldog Park on Friday, October 2, from 5:00 to 11:00 PM. Bulldog Park sits just off the historic Crown Point square and is the gathering spot for the city's summer series all year long. Details are on the DJ Pauly D event page and the City of Crown Point entertainment calendar.

When: Friday, October 2 · 5:00-11:00 PM
Where: Bulldog Park, Crown Point, IN
Cost: Free, city-hosted event

Wickedly Whiting opens in downtown Whiting

Whiting's all-Halloween street festival, Wickedly Whiting, returns Friday and Saturday along 119th Street near the lakefront. Expect spooky specialty vendors in the Market of the Living Dead, festival food, live bands, a beer garden, costume contests for kids and adults, the Wicked Willows haunted house, and paranormal ghost tours of the neighborhood. Official 2026 hours are posted on the Wickedly Whiting website, and the Whiting-Robertsdale Chamber of Commerce lists it as a signature event.

When: Friday, October 2 and Saturday, October 3
Where: Downtown Whiting along 119th Street, Whiting, IN
Cost: Free to attend; vendors, food, and the haunted house vary

Also Friday: the theatre in Valparaiso

If you want a calmer start to the weekend, Chicago Street Theatre in Valparaiso opens its production of "Arsenic and Old Lace" on Friday at 7:30 PM. The Valparaiso Events calendar has ticket details and the full run of performances.

When: Friday, October 2 · 7:30 PM
Where: Chicago Street Theatre, Valparaiso, IN
Cost: See the Valparaiso Events website for tickets

Saturday, October 3

Crown Point Oktoberfest at Crown Point Square, Downtown Crown Point, IN

The headline event of the day is the Crown Point Oktoberfest, hosted by the City of Crown Point at Crown Point Square, Downtown Crown Point, IN on Saturday, October 3 from 1:00 to 10:00 PM. This free, family-friendly festival brings German food, live music, contests, hayrides, a beer garden, and a bean bag tournament to one of my favorite Lake County downtowns. The city's Oktoberfest event page has the full schedule.

When: Saturday, October 3 · 1:00-10:00 PM
Where: Crown Point Square, Downtown Crown Point, IN
Cost: Free to attend; food and drinks extra

St. John Oktoberfest, day two

The St. John Oktoberfest continues Saturday from 1:00 to 11:00 PM at the St. John the Evangelist Old Parish Parking Lot on Wicker Avenue. In between the German bands and the food stands, there are kids' activities all day, which makes this a genuinely family-friendly festival despite the name.

When: Saturday, October 3 · 1:00-11:00 PM
Where: St. John the Evangelist Old Parish Parking Lot, 9400 Wicker Ave., St. John, IN
Cost: Free admission and parking

Chesterton European Market, back for October

Every Saturday through the end of October, the Chesterton European Market fills Thomas Centennial Park at Broadway and Third Street in downtown Chesterton from 8:00 AM to 2:00 PM. Browse artisan goods, local produce, and prepared foods, listen to live music, and take a dog-friendly stroll through one of the prettiest downtowns in Porter County.

When: Saturday, October 3 · 8:00 AM-2:00 PM
Where: Thomas Centennial Park, Broadway and Third Street, Chesterton, IN
Cost: Free to browse

Westville Pumpkin Festival

La Porte County gets in on the fun with the Westville Pumpkin Festival at Prairie Meadows Park, 253 S. Flynn Road in Westville on Saturday. The day brings a 5K run and walk, a kids fun run, food and craft vendors, pumpkin pie and pumpkin cake, a parade, a garden tractor pull, Pumpkin Palooza, kids' games, and live music, running from morning into the evening.

When: Saturday, October 3
Where: Prairie Meadows Park, 253 S. Flynn Rd., Westville, IN
Cost: Free admission; food and some activities extra

Munster's Pumpkins, Witches, Hayrides, Oh My

Families in Munster head to Centennial Park on Saturday from 10:00 AM to 2:00 PM for Pumpkins, Witches, Hayrides, Oh My, listed on the Town of Munster official events calendar. It is exactly the fall-in-Indiana afternoon kids remember: pumpkins, fall crafts, and hayrides on a crisp October morning.

When: Saturday, October 3 · 10:00 AM-2:00 PM
Where: Centennial Park, Munster, IN
Cost: Check the town calendar for details

Wickedly Whiting, day two, and Porter County pours

Wickedly Whiting continues Saturday in downtown Whiting, so there is still time to catch the costume contests and the Market of the Living Dead. Over in Porter County, the town of Porter celebrates with Pints in the Park / Porter's Perfect Pint on Saturday, part of the regional fall lineup the PanoramaNOW fall festivals roundup keeps track of. In Valparaiso, Central Park Plaza hosts the Family House Pumpkin Palooza from 9:00 AM to 1:00 PM, and the Valparaiso University Chamber Concert Band performs at 4:00 PM in the Chapel of the Resurrection. The Valparaiso Events calendar has details for both.

Sunday, October 4

St. John Oktoberfest finale

Sunday is the last day of the St. John Oktoberfest, running noon to 8:00 PM at the St. John the Evangelist Old Parish Parking Lot on Wicker Avenue. It is the perfect way to close the weekend with German music, good food, and on-street parking steps away from the tent. See the St. John Oktoberfest website for the closing day lineup.

Mac and Cheese Fest at Zorn Brew Works

Beer lovers can end the weekend at Zorn Brew Works in Michigan City, which hosts the Mac and Cheese Fest on Sunday at 1:00 PM as part of the Dig the Dunes fall series. It is a cozy, indulgent way to close out a busy festival weekend. The Michigan City events guide and the South Shore CVA regional calendar both list it and more across the lakeshore.

When: Sunday, October 4 · 1:00 PM
Where: Zorn Brew Works, Michigan City, IN
Cost: See the event listing for details

A quiet close at the lakeshore

If you would rather end slowly, the trails and lakefront of Indiana Dunes National Park are gorgeous in early October, with fall color arriving along the dunes and fewer crowds than summer. A Sunday afternoon walk by the water is a Northwest Indiana tradition worth starting.

How should you plan your weekend?

Friday: Catch DJ Pauly D at Bulldog Park in Crown Point, open the weekend at the St. John Oktoberfest opening night, or wander the spooky streets of Wickedly Whiting in downtown Whiting.

Saturday: Start at the Chesterton European Market in the morning, then choose your festival: Crown Point Oktoberfest at Crown Point Square, Downtown Crown Point, IN, the Westville Pumpkin Festival, or Pumpkins, Witches, Hayrides, Oh My in Munster, with Wickedly Whiting for the evening crowd.

Sunday: Close out the St. John Oktoberfest in the afternoon, enjoy the Mac and Cheese Fest at Zorn Brew Works in Michigan City, or take a slow walk on the Indiana Dunes lakeshore.

Weekends like this remind me why Northwest Indiana feels like such a special place to call home. Festivals, parks, farms, and neighbors who show up for each other, all within a short drive of each other. If you are thinking about making this area your home, I would love to help you find the right fit. I bring 9 years of experience, 80+ homes sold, and a genuine love for this community to every conversation. Reach out anytime on my contact page for a free consultation or market analysis, or browse the neighborhood guides to find the town that fits you. For more ideas anytime, check our complete guide to Northwest Indiana activities, and catch up on last weekend in our Things to Do September 25-27 guide.