Historic Irvington Halloween Festival

Last updated

The Historic Irvington Halloween Festival is a non-profit event founded in 1947 by the Historic Irvington Community Council in an effort to bring together residents, neighborhood organizations, and businesses in the Irvington Historic District of Indianapolis, Indiana for a celebration of heritage and community. The festival is currently the nation's second oldest and largest Halloween festival. [1]

Contents

The festival encompasses the week leading up to October 31, culminating in a street festival on the final Saturday. East Washington Street is closed between Ritter Avenue and Arlington Avenue in Irvington to hold the street festival. Events include a 5-mile run, a pageant, live performances, contests, Halloween-themed movies, ghost tours, live theater, a "haunted" puppet show, and many other events.

The COVID-19 pandemic caused officials to cancel the 2020 festival [2] and to hold the Pleasant Run Run in a virtual mode.

Pleasant Run Run

The Pleasant Run Run, established 1982, is a 5-mile run and 3-mile family walk through the streets of Historic Irvington. It is named after the nearby Pleasant Run Creek and takes place during the final day of the festival. The run helps attract a large number of people to the Saturday events and is also Indianapolis' oldest 5-mile competitive race. Proceeds from the Pleasant Run Run benefit the programs of the Historic Irvington Community Council.

Festival Venues

The Irving Theatre: Built in 1913, the Irving Theatre was originally used for a nickelodeon. In 1926, the theatre went under major renovations; adding six rental units, a second story, and lengthening the theatre. Throughout the decades, the theatre's uses differed until it closed in the mid-1990s. It sat unoccupied until 2005, when it was reopened, and has been looking for funds to be renovated since then. The theatre is a hub for live music, films, and art, community, and private events. The Lazy Daze Coffee House is located on the east end of the structure and three apartment units are on the second floor. The Irving is one of the city's largest all-ages music venues. With a capacity of over 700 people, the theatre hopes to attract bands that would otherwise pass on an Indianapolis visit.

Ellenberger Park: Landscape architect and urban planner George Kessler developed this park and Pleasant Run Parkway in the early 1900s. In 1930, the park added a pool, and in 1962, an ice rink was installed, which was later closed in 2009. The park also includes two playgrounds, eight tennis courts, a baseball diamond, softball diamond, football field, fitness trail, beach volleyball court, and a hill for winter sports such as sledding and snowboarding. Ellenberger Park hosts outdoor movie screenings in the summer. In recent years, the city of Indianapolis has finished constructing the Pleasant Run Trail greenway. The trail currently runs 6.9 miles (11.1 km) and connects Ellenberger Park with Garfield Park, the oldest park in the city (est. 1873, renamed in 1881), on the old Southside of Indianapolis—significant northern and southern expansions are planned for the trail.

Irving Circle: At the center of Irvington is a small circular park surrounded by a round-about street intersection. The park includes a fountain, a bust of Washington Irving, and personalized brick paths.

Schools and libraries: Irvington is home to local schools and a branch of the Indianapolis Public Library. Thomas Carr Howe Community High School and George Washington Julian elementary school #57 are both part of the Indianapolis Public Schools. There are also two Charter schools. Irvington Community School is for grades K-8,and the other is the Irvington Preparatory Academy, serving grades 9-12. Together, these schools offer public education for grades K-12. Irvington is also home to the Roman Catholic school Our Lady of Lourdes, available for grades K-8. Irvington has a long history of libraries. In 1903 the Bona Thompson Library was open to Butler students and the public. Since then, a local Irvington library has always been open to residents in different locations ranging from homes to particular structures. In 1956, the Hilton U. Brown Library, named in honor of the Irvington resident, opened on East Washington Street. In 2001, a new Irvington Branch Library opened at 5625 East Washington Street. The former Brown Library building is now used for early education by Indianapolis Public Schools. Irvington was also home to the Children's Guardian Home on University Avenue, before being converted to a new high school for the Irvington Preparatory Academy.

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Indianapolis</span> Capital of Indiana, United States

Indianapolis, colloquially known as Indy, is the capital and most populous city of the U.S. state of Indiana and the seat of Marion County. According to the 2020 United States census, the balance population was 887,642. It is the 16th-most populous city in the U.S., the third-most populous city in the Midwest after Chicago and Columbus, Ohio, and the fourth-most populous state capital after Phoenix, Arizona, Austin, Texas, and Columbus. The Indianapolis metropolitan area is the 33rd-most populous metropolitan statistical area in the U.S., with 2,111,040 residents. Its combined statistical area ranks 28th, with a population of 2,431,361. Indianapolis covers 368 square miles (950 km2), making it the 18th largest city by land area in the U.S.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Greenwood, Indiana</span> City in Indiana, United States

Greenwood is a city in Johnson County, Indiana, United States. The population was 63,830 at the 2020 Census. Greenwood is located southeast of central Indianapolis between Indiana State Road 37 and Interstate 65. The city shares a border with Indianapolis and is the most populous suburban municipality in the southern portion of the Indianapolis Metropolitan Area.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Irvington, New York</span> Village in New York, United States

Irvington, sometimes known as Irvington-on-Hudson, is a suburban village in the town of Greenburgh in Westchester County, New York, United States. It is located on the eastern bank of the Hudson River, 20 miles (32 km) north of midtown Manhattan in New York City, and is served by a station stop on the Metro-North Hudson Line. To the north of Irvington is the village of Tarrytown, to the south the village of Dobbs Ferry, and to the east unincorporated parts of Greenburgh, including East Irvington. Irvington includes within its boundaries the community of Ardsley-on-Hudson, which has its own ZIP code and Metro-North station, but which should not be confused with the nearby village of Ardsley.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tarrytown, New York</span> Village in New York, United States

Tarrytown is a village in the town of Greenburgh in Westchester County, New York. It is located on the eastern bank of the Hudson River, approximately 25 miles (40 km) north of Midtown Manhattan in New York City, and is served by a stop on the Metro-North Hudson Line. To the north of Tarrytown is the village of Sleepy Hollow, to the south the village of Irvington and to the east unincorporated parts of Greenburgh. The Tappan Zee Bridge crosses the Hudson at Tarrytown, carrying the New York State Thruway to South Nyack, Rockland County and points in Upstate New York. The population was 11,860 at the 2020 census.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Upper Arlington, Ohio</span> City in Ohio, United States

Upper Arlington is a city in Franklin County, Ohio, United States, on the northwest side of the Columbus metropolitan area. As of the 2020 census, the population was 36,800. The Old Arlington neighborhood is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Stillwater, Oklahoma</span> City in Oklahoma, United States

Stillwater is the tenth-largest city in the U.S. state of Oklahoma. It is the county seat of Payne County, Oklahoma. It is located in north-central Oklahoma at the intersection of U.S. Route 177 and State Highway 51. As of the 2020 census, the city population was 48,394. The Stillwater Micropolitan Statistical Area had a population of 78,399 according to the 2012 census estimate. Stillwater was part of the first Oklahoma Land Run held on April 22, 1889, when the Unassigned Lands were opened for settlement and became the core of the new Oklahoma Territory. The city charter was adopted on August 24, 1889, and operates under a council-manager government system.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lake View, Chicago</span> Community area in Chicago

Lakeview, also spelled Lake View, is one of the 77 community areas of Chicago, Illinois. Lakeview is located in the city's North Side. It is bordered by West Diversey Parkway on the south, West Irving Park Road on the north, North Ravenswood Avenue on the west, and the shore of Lake Michigan on the east. The Uptown community area is to Lakeview's north, Lincoln Square to its northwest, North Center to its west, and Lincoln Park to its south. The 2020 population of Lakeview was 103,050 residents, making it the second-largest Chicago community area by population.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Little Havana</span> Neighborhood of Miami, Florida, US

Little Havana is a neighborhood of Miami, Florida, United States. Home to many Cuban exiles, as well as many immigrants from Central and South America, Little Havana is named after Havana, the capital and largest city in Cuba.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Columbia Heights (Washington, D.C.)</span> Neighborhood of Washington, D.C.

Columbia Heights is a neighborhood in Washington, D.C., located in Northwest D.C. It has diverse demographics, the DC USA shopping mall and many restaurants, BloomBars, Meridian Hill/Malcolm X Park, Howard University, Banneker Recreation Center, and All Souls Church.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Garfield Park (Indianapolis)</span> Municipal park in Indianapolis, Indiana, U.S.

Garfield Park is a 128-acre (52 ha) urban park in Indianapolis, Indiana, United States. Established in the late 19th century, it is the oldest city park in Indianapolis and is on the National Register of Historic Places. The park is located at the confluence of Pleasant Run and Bean Creeks on the near Southside of Indianapolis. The 10,000-square-foot (930 m2) Conservatory and Sunken Gardens are located in the eastern portion of the park. The noted landscape architect George Edward Kessler designed the Sunken Gardens along with many of the other features of the park as part of his Park and Boulevard Plan for the city.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Rennerdale, Pennsylvania</span> Census-designated place in Pennsylvania, United States

Rennerdale is an unincorporated community and census-designated place in Collier Township, Allegheny County, Pennsylvania, United States, about 9 miles (14 km) southwest of Pittsburgh. As of the 2020 census it had a population of 1,103.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Irvington Historic District (Indianapolis)</span> Historic district in Indiana, United States

The neighborhood of Irvington, named after Washington Irving, includes Irvington Historic District, a historic district in Indianapolis, Indiana. The historic district is a 545-acre (221 ha) area that was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1987. That year, the district included 2,373 contributing buildings, 5 other contributing structures, and 2 contributing sites.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Downtown Indianapolis</span> Central business district of Indianapolis, Indiana, U.S.

Downtown Indianapolis is a neighborhood area and the central business district of Indianapolis, Indiana, United States. Downtown is bordered by Interstate 65, Interstate 70, and the White River, and is situated near the geographic center of Marion County. Downtown has grown from the original 1821 town plat—often referred to as the Mile Square—to encompass a broader geographic area of central Indianapolis, containing several smaller historic neighborhoods.

The Bates–Hendricks neighborhood is situated just south and east of the downtown commercial district of Indianapolis, Indiana. The Fountain Square business district is just to the east.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Washington Street (Indianapolis)</span> Primary east-west street in Indianapolis, Indiana, U.S.

Washington Street is the primary east–west street in Indianapolis, in the central part of the U.S. state of Indiana. The street follows the route of the National Road for almost all of its length in the city of Indianapolis. For a time, its entire length was designated as U.S. Route 40 (US 40) before that highway was re-aligned with the southern segment of Interstate 465 (I-465); now only the segments of Washington Street between I-465 and the city limits on either side of the city are part of US 40.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Irvington, Baltimore</span> Neighborhood statistical area in Baltimore, Maryland, United States

Irvington is a neighborhood in the Southwest District of Baltimore, located between Yale Heights neighborhood to the west and the Gwynns Falls neighborhood to the east. It was historically nicknamed "Skulltown" for its three large cemeteries: Loudon Park, Mount Olivet and New Cathedral.

The Pleasant Run Greenway, also known as the Pleasant Run Trail, is a shared-use path in Indianapolis, Indiana. It runs for 6.9 miles (11.1 km) from Ellenberger Park, through Christian Park, to Garfield Park. It follows the general course of Pleasant Run Creek as it flows to the south and west. Most of the greenway is located within the parkway on one side or the other of the creek; the parkway itself is part of the historic Indianapolis Park and Boulevard System. In several places, the greenway is routed on sidewalks of city streets due to existing structures and facilities that make the parkway itself discontinuous.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Indianapolis Park and Boulevard System</span> United States historic place

The Indianapolis Park and Boulevard System is a group of parks, parkways, and boulevards in Indianapolis, Indiana, that was designed by landscape architect George Edward Kessler in the early part of the twentieth century. Also known as the Kessler System, the district includes 3,474 acres (1,406 ha) and has shaped the city through the present day. This historic district was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 2003.

References

  1. "Our History". Historic Irvington Halloween Festival. Retrieved 2022-09-02.
  2. Lindquist, David (2020-07-15). "Irvington Halloween Street Fair canceled, but neighborhood won't neglect its big holiday". IndyStar. Retrieved 2021-06-11.