Forest Park at 100: How to Spend Noblesville's Centennial Fall, From Halloween Night to Holiday Lights

"Before we watch a film about one of America's most beloved poets of the natural world, we're going outside."

That line comes from Logan Street Theater's listing for its Nov. 8 Forest Park centennial event. The event starts with a walk under the park's trees and ends with a screening at the theater on Logan Street. It fits the park's history well. Forest Park was planned a century ago so people could walk to it from downtown, and the rest of its 100th year is set up the same way.

The official party already happened on Sept. 20. Plenty is still coming, starting Friday, Oct. 23.

A park built to be walked to

The City of Noblesville's centennial StoryMap says former Mayor H. G. "Pops" Brown sold the land to the city so it could become a public park, and the park was established in December 1925. Current in Noblesville reports that the Common Council approved buying 118 acres from Brown that year, and that thousands of trees and shrubs went in soon after.

Brown's goal is the part that still shows. The StoryMap says he wanted one central park for Noblesville residents "mere walking distance from the city's central square." It adds that this was something Indianapolis, which was spreading out and building around cars, could not offer.

The golf course was the main attraction from the start. According to the StoryMap:

• Indianapolis landscape architect A. W. Brayton laid out the plans and brought in Thomas Bendelow, a golf designer credited with around 700 courses.
• Getting the course ready to play cost $4,045.45, paid for with donated money, time and labor, so the city took it over free of debt.
• It opened in 1927 as Hamilton County's first golf course. Its nine holes cover about 55 acres, and the course is largely unchanged from Bendelow's original design.

Noblesville Parks & Recreation held the centennial celebration at the park on Sept. 20. It had historical displays, inflatables, a Kids in America concert, a photo booth and community vendor booths. One of the original carousel horses was also on display. If you've wondered why the carousel isn't running, Mayor Chris Jensen told Current that it "was not up to code, and there were some operational issues with it," so the city decided to build a replica rather than restore it. Recreation manager Parker Irwin said the replica is set to return for the 2027 summer season, tentatively opening in May. The Noblesville Parks Foundation is leading the project and getting ready to start a capital campaign for it.

So for the rest of this fall, plan around the park's trails, trees and train station.

Friday, Oct. 23: Halloween at Forest Park

The city calls Halloween at Forest Park "one of Noblesville's newest fall traditions." It runs Friday, Oct. 23, from 4:30 to 7:30 p.m. at 701 Cicero Road, and admission is free. Kids trick-or-treat along a decorated trail where city departments and local organizations hand out candy. The evening also has a costume contest, hayrides, games, inflatables, a spooky DJ, food vendors and photo ops. Indy's Child lists The Farmers Bank as the presenting sponsor.

Three details are worth sorting out before Friday afternoon:

1. Wristbands. Hayrides, inflatables and other wristband activities need a free wristband, and you have to preregister for it through Noblesville Parks.
2. Priority parking. A limited number of parking passes inside the park cost $15 per vehicle.
3. Free parking and shuttle. Free parking with shuttle service runs from Noblesville High School for the whole event.

If you live close enough to downtown to walk to the park, you're using it the way Brown planned it.

Sunday, Nov. 8: from the trees to Logan Street

The centennial event closest to Brown's plan comes two weeks later. Logan Street Theater, Indiana Humanities and the Noblesville Parks Foundation are teaming up for an afternoon the theater describes as celebrating "poetry, nature and 100 years of Forest Park." Here's the schedule:

1. 2 p.m., Forest Park. An optional guided walk based on Indiana Humanities' Campfires program, with stops for poetry and some of the park's history, including the people who worked to save the land a century ago.
2. 3 p.m., Logan Street Theater. Doors open.
3. 3:30 p.m. Mary Oliver: Saved by the Beauty of the World, a 91-minute documentary directed by Sasha Waters, begins.

General admission is $12 and includes the walk. If you'd rather skip the walk, you can meet the group at the theater when doors open at 3. The film draws on Oliver's archive and includes readings of her work by Stephen Colbert, Lucy Dacus, Steve Buscemi, Oprah Winfrey and others.

The theater is new this year. Current reported in March that Noblesville residents Rocky Walls and Zach Downs bought the historic building at 1274 Logan St. Walls and Downs are brothers-in-law who run the film company 12 Stars Media. The Noblesville Preservation Alliance had cared for the building since 2019 and restored its exterior. The room holds about 50 people. Walls told Current, "We want everything that happens there to feel like an inviting community space where there's not only art happening, but conversation and engagement and storytelling."

The theater's calendar has more this fall. BLOOM + LIFT, an evening of Indiana documentary film, is Nov. 15 from 6 to 7:30 p.m. The silent swashbuckler Don Q, Son of Zorro plays as part of the Vintage Film Series on Nov. 21 from 7 to 9:30 p.m.

There's another new stop on the same street. Current reports that The Collective on the Square opened Oct. 2 at 894 Logan St. It brings together Stain Haven, County Line Apparel and Without Borders Boutique & Permanent Jewelry. While renovating, the owners found original hardwood floors from 1868 under old carpet.

Leaving from Hobbs Station

The busiest part of Forest Park's fall is on the rails. The Nickel Plate Express runs themed excursions from Hobbs Station, at 825 Forest Park Dr. in the park. Here's the rest of the 2026 season from the operator's listings:

Reindeer Express is a 75-minute round trip with Santa, a holiday cookie, a letter-to-Santa activity, and chocolate or hot chocolate depending on the class you book. For the railbikes, the evening starts in the park. Discover White River says riders check in at Santa's House and warm up at fire pits among the holiday lights before boarding. Published dates for the railbike season have varied, so check the operator's booking calendar for the night you want. Evening departures there include 5:15, 6:30, 7:45 and 9 p.m. Nov. 25, the night before Thanksgiving, is on the calendar.

If you'd rather run Thanksgiving morning, the 19th annual Michael Treinen Turkey Trot starts at 9 a.m. on Nov. 26 at the Downtown Noblesville Square, with 5K and 3K options.

Whether you're picking up Halloween wristbands this week or planning a December night at Hobbs Station, I'm glad to share what I know about Noblesville, from the square out to Forest Park. If a question about your home comes up along the way, Andrew Clyne is here to help. Let's Connect.