Fall Festival at the Tri-State
Whenever October comes, different people are reminded of many distinct things. Some people would immediately think of the cooler temperatures, the serenely falling autumn leaves, and Halloween. But in the Tri-State, October is known as the month when the West Side Nut Club Fall Festival will take place. This week long festival covers both sides of four city blocks, and it brings with it the allure of food, rides, and games.
The Evansville civic organization, West Side Nut Club, is responsible for organizing the event. The first ever festival was held back in 1921, but it has since changed to become the second largest street festival in the whole of the United States. It has also been among the top 100 events for 2009 by the American Bus Association.
In the eyes of a lot of the participants, the biggest attraction of the festival is the food. See if you can imagine 126 food booths lined up along both sides of Franklin Street. Festival staples are, of course, present: corn dogs, caramel apples, hamburgers, and the like are all here. However, what makes it exciting is the fact that a lot of the booths offer food that you wouldn't expect to see as food in a festival. Care to try some bean soup, maybe? Or fried green tomatoes, or crab Rangoon.
If you are particularly adventurous, you may challenge your taste buds by sampling some truly exotic faire. See if you'll enjoy brain sandwiches, alligator stuffed potatoes, frog legs, or chocolate-covered insects. If you want to go on the other end of the spectrum, on the other hand, there are some safe, grease-free munchies that are also available. Vegetarians will delight at all the olives, green beans, and salads that you can buy.
While you're digesting, you can take a break from sampling all the food and go over to the crafts exhibit. You can find a lot of items that may spark your interest there, and meet some of the talented individuals from the Tri-State. Various blown glass works, carved wood figures and jewelry can be seen here.