GREENFIELD — The Riley Festival, Oct. 2-5 in Greenfield, is one of the largest craft festivals in the state of Indiana, with designated areas for food, commercial and flea market booths and much more. Admission is free to the many events that make up the festival.
The event celebrates the birth of James Whitcomb Riley, the “Hoosier Poet.” It begins every year on the first Thursday of October. Residents of Greenfield, Hancock County and the surrounding area join talent and resources annually to honor the memory of Greenfield’s noted native son. This year, the Riley Festival celebrates its 45th year.
The Greenfield Banking Company Entertainment Tent, is a showcase for a wide variety of talent that runs Friday, Saturday and Sunday. The Parade of Flowers, which is held on Oct. 3 at 12:45 p.m., features Greenfield-Central Community School Corporation’s elementary students marching downtown to place bouquets of flowers around Mr. Riley’s statue. The Parade of Flowers honors the love Riley had for children — and children had for him. The Parade has been going on for over 65 years.
Each year one of Mr. Riley’s poems is selected as the theme for the Festival. The theme this year is “When the Frost is on the Punkin.” The Ameriana Riley Festival Parade will be on Saturday, with over 75 units marching from the high school through downtown to Riley Park, stepping off at 11 a.m.
There is a Riley 5K Run and Walk which is on the Pennsy Trail in Greenfield on Saturday. Check out the entries in the largest pumpkin contest on the courthouse lawn (no frost expected, according to the National Weather Service), poster contests, Old Fiddler’s contest, and much more going on during the four days of the festival. Shoppers will love the handcrafted items, food, and much more in the vendor’s areas.
Most of the entertainment will be held around the Plaza Gazebo and GBC Entertainment tent, near the courthouse. Family-friendly music and dance go on for hours, so there’s always something to watch and appreciate.
Be sure to visit the Living History Camp on the Hancock County Fairgrounds to get an idea of how folks lived when Greenfield and Hancock County were on the “frontier” of America. You can see demonstrations of weaving, blacksmithing, and other lost arts. Also visit the Riley Home, which is open for tours at 250 W. Main St. to see how Riley lived in his early years.
Parking and shuttle service is available from the Hancock County Fairgrounds, 620 N. Apple St. The shuttle will take visitors to the heart of all the action for a donation.
Hours for the Riley Festival are 11 a.m.-9 p.m. Thurs., 10 a.m.-9 p.m. on Fri., 9 a.m.-9 p.m. on Sat., and 10:30 a.m.-5 p.m. on Sun. Visit the Web site, rileyfestival.com for a full schedule of events.
