The countdown to the West Side Nut Club Fall Festival is officially on, and once again our local festival has been named among the best in the country.

West Side Nut Club Fall Festival

The West Side Nut Club Fall Festival is an Evansville tradition dating back over 100 years.  According to the West Side Nut Club, the very first Fall Festival wasn't even a week-long event, it was a one-night event billed as a Halloween Carnival.

We can't even say the Fall Festival grew from "humble beginnings" because the very first one had a crowd of 25,000 people!

The first West Side Nut Club Fall Festival was billed as a Halloween Night, Halloween Carnival, masked ball and even one Nut Clubber compared it to the Mardi Gras. The event was a one night affair and consisted of a parade of costumed people that started at 8:00 p.m. followed by a Halloween Mask Ball lasting until 11:30. The crowd was estimated at 25,000.

That Halloween Carnival eventually became the West Side Nut Club Fall Festival we know and love today. These days the Fall Festival draws in more than 200,000 people annually!  It's hard to ignore the massive impact this festival has on our community.

The impact of the West Side Nut Club Fall Festival is so big, that on Tuesday, September 17th, the West Side Nut Club hosted the annual Founder's Day where they awarded more than $700,000 to several local nonprofits, local organizations, programs, schools, youth sports, and more.

The West Side Nut Club Fall Festival Ranks Number One in the Country

USA Today often hosts online polls for Readers' Choice Awards highlighting the best of the best across the country.  Every year they highlight different fall-themed festivals throughout the United States.  Voting started in August, and it was announced on September 18th the the winner for the best Fall Festival in the nation, was none other than the West Side Nut Club Fall Festival!

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According to USA Today, these festivals were nominated by an expert panel. Here is why the Fall Festival was nominated for this vote:

The West Side Nut Club Fall Festival attracts more than 200,000 people to Franklin Street each year, making it one of the largest street festivals in the United States. The October event includes free live entertainment, carnival rides, over 130 food booths, talent competitions, and a huge fall parade.

 

Congratulations to the West Side Nut Club, as this is no doubt a massive win to be named the best in the nation! Of course, those of us from the Tri-State already knew that.   The Fall Festival will return on October 7th and run through the 12th, so get your stretchy pants and your walking shoes ready!