With sunshine and a slight breeze, Saturday was the perfect weather to enjoy a day full of everyday adventures in Hamilton County Indiana. Hamilton County is a northern suburb of Indianapolis, Indiana and boasts some wonderful towns, lots of interesting things to do and a family-friendly atmosphere.
We started our day as every morning should begin with a delicious cup of coffee. Indie Coffee Roasters is a local coffee shop at the edge of Main Street in Carmel with a fun, industrial vibe, friendly baristas, and rich, bold coffee. The shop is located in a converted house with plenty of indoor and outdoor seating. We enjoyed sipping our coffee on the large patio as the temperature was perfect for our cappuccino’s and latte’s – crisp air but warm sunshine. I have plans to go back there and work in the near future – it’ll be a nice change of pace from my normal coffee shop! Indie Coffee Roasters also has kombucha on tap as well as decadent hot chocolate for the non-coffee drinkers. This was an excellent way to begin our day of exploring. The shop is open Monday – Saturday from 7 AM – 6 PM and is closed on Sunday.
Once we were fueled up, we walked through the Carmel Farmer’s Market to pick up some fresh tomatoes and zucchini for the week. Yum! Our next stop was to pick a pumpkin at Russell Farms in Noblesville, IN. If you are looking for family-friendly fall fun, Russell Farms has you covered. Not only did we find the perfect pumpkin, but we also found a lot of fun!
While visiting, we checked out the animals, got lost in the corn maze, rode on some fun old-fashioned “rides” and played a round of mini golf. Also available are cute shopping areas, a hayride and tons of games for little ones. Need a place to hold an event? (Birthday party, school field trip, etc.) Russell Farms is the perfect set-up. I remember taking my kids there on field trips when they were little and I was amazed at how much it has grown and all that has been added. Plan on a couple of hours – especially if your kids are in the 3-11 age range. My teen still had a good time, but I think 3-11 is the farm’s sweet spot. Russell Farms is open every Saturday and Sunday during the month of October from 10 – 6. It is also open on Friday the 12th and 19th from 10 – 6 to take advantage of the Fall Breaks in the area.
After working up an appetite with all the playing at the farm (and running through the corn maze – well, “walking quickly”), we decided a picnic was in order. Our favorite picnic spot is just down the road from Russell Farms and my preferred place to walk our dog. Since it was close, we ran home and got him and he was able to enjoy a leisurely picnic and gorgeous 2-mile walk with us at Potter’s Bridge.
Not only is Potter’s Bridge a great picnic and walking location, but there is also a fun playground and a covered bridge which is ideal for a family or formal pictures. It’s also possible to access the White River from Potter’s Bridge and you’ll often see kayakers, tubers, and folks fishing. I love that there are mile markers along the path as well as many benches, swings and other places to stop and enjoy the views. If you are in the area, Potter’s Bridge is a must stop. Especially in the next few weeks as the leaves begin to change. It’s beautiful.
Bernie at Potter’s Bridge
It was high time for an afternoon snack, and the best place in Hamilton County to load up on Fall goodies is The Apple Store at Conner Prairie. (Conner Prairie is a wonderful living history museum – I’m sure I’ll do a full post on it in the future – but it’s really a day trip in itself). Luckily, The Apple Store is open to the public without museum admission and a fun place to grab a Fall treat. In the store, you’ll find cider slushes, caramel and candy apples, apple pie and dumplings, unique sodas, candy, fall and Halloween crafts and plenty of fresh apples. A cider slush tasted amazing after our long walk, and my kids indulged in a caramel apple too! It’s run by the Conner Prairie Alliance and all the proceeds go right back into Conner Prairie improvements. The store is only open from September 1st – October 31st, and it’s hours are Tuesday – Sunday from 11 – 5. Even if you are just driving down Allisonville heading into Fishers or Indianapolis, make a point to stop at least once during the season!
By this point, we had worn our kids out, but my hubby and I still had energy, so we dropped them off at home and went to Westfield to check out Urban Vines. This winery/brewery had been on my radar for a long time and today was the day. We both loved it!
Our goal was to try out their pumpkin beer, but when we arrived we discovered they were out of it until October 27th. We did get a tiny sip that our server was able to pull from the tap and it was delicious – I’ll have to get back there on the 27th for a full glass! Since pumpkin beer was out, we decided to try a wine tasting. Urban Vines does five 1-oz. tastes for $5. After discovering I loved several of their wines, my husband and I each ordered a glass and placed an order for a charcuterie plate. Wine and charcuterie are one of my all-time favorite meals, and this experience didn’t disappoint. We headed out to the patio and enjoyed live music, a lovely setting, and tasty food and drinks. Perfection. The meats are all local from Smoking Goose and the cheeses from Tulip Tree Creamery. I loved that we could make our own platter by selecting individual ingredients based on our preferences.
The winery is very kid and dog-friendly with a small playground and plenty of outdoor games. Sometimes there are ciders available, which I would LOVE to try, and the winery holds frequent events, live music, and festivals. Urban Vines is a perfect date night, girls night out or just a relaxing place to hang out for a few hours in the afternoon. I know I’ll be going back frequently – it was the absolute best way to end an amazing day enjoying Fall Fun in Hamilton County! Urban Vines is open Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday and Sunday from 11 to 9 and Thursday, Friday and Saturday from 11 to 11.
Thanks so much to Hamilton County Tourism for sponsoring our day. We had a fabulous time exploring Hamilton County and made some wonderful memories as a family. All thoughts, opinions, and pictures are my own.
Indie Coffee Roasters, 220 E. Main St., Carmel, IN 317-993-3443
Russell Farms Pumpkin Patch, 12290 E. 191st St., Noblesville, IN 317-773-9078
Potter’s Bridge Park, 19401 N. Allisonville Rd., Noblesville, IN
The Apple Store at Conner Prairie, 13400 Allisonville Rd., Fishers, IN 317-776-600
Urban Vines, 303 E. 161st St., Westfield, IN 317-763-0678
Pin for later or to inspire your own Fall Adventures: 
Sounds like an awesome day! I’m still in awe of a coffee shop with kombucha on tap (is my small town status showing?)!
Leah, we actually have TWO that I know of with kombucha on tap. I love it as after my first cup of coffee I have to move on to something else and I am a huge kombucha fan!
These are ideal Fall activities! Farm fresh zucchini sounds really good right now, and that caramel apple looks fantastic. We are heading to a local farm this weekend to pick out some pumpkins and I can’t wait! Also, I love covered bridges, and always make us stop if I hear there is one near by. Great way to kick off Fall!
Jocelyn, have fun! Pumpkin picking at a farm is always more fun than the grocery store! Our covered bridge is lovely – and it’s so convenient, just a few miles from downtown Noblesville.
You had me at wine, music and good food! It all looks so wonderful! This definitely made me want to be there! Thanks Pam!
Yep – all my favorites too! Urban Vines was a wonderful find!
It looks lovely around there. My kids are getting excited for Halloween already! ;-D
So are we! We put up our outside decorations Sunday and are now planning a few more fun Halloween-themed events around town.
Makes me want to take a trip and visit. It looks beautiful there!
Rosanna, thanks – and getting prettier every day as the leaves are turning!
I absolutely love days like these. Coffee, wine and pumpkins. YES. So fun. Hope to visit Indiana one day. My husband lived there 10 years before we got married
Clarissa, I agree – doesn’t get much better than that. We are already planning our next outing to the winery since we enjoyed it so much!
This sounds like so much fun. And it isn’t far from me. I can’t wait to visit.
Brianna, if it’s close you should make a weekend of it – there are MANY more things to do in the area, and some excellent restaurants too.
So pretty!
Thank you!
Sounds like an absolutely charming place to visit, Pam! You had me picturing myself there. The coffee and the apples sound delightful and the farm looks like a fun place for the kids. Sounds like you all had a fun day 🙂
Thanks Heidi – I love a good fall day like this, and this one was perfection. Plus, anytime I run across great new finds like Indie Roasters and Urban Vines, my day is made!
Hamilton County sounds like a wonderful place to visit. It is on our list. Thanks.
Missy, you’ll love it – there is a lot to do, great restaurants, charming shopping, and friendly people.
We have never been to Indiana but it looks like a load of fun. We love markets and outdoor fun activities. Might have to add these places to our next road trip!
Monica, you should – this area is just outside of Indianapolis so you get the best of small-town fun with bigger city museums and entertainment!
What a fun day!! I love fall!
Yes, I love spending a whole day running around, lots of it outside – this was a perfect example!
Looks like all around fun for the whole family! Especially love the farm, our little guy is amazed by the sheep and cows! Haha!
I love seeing little ones interact with the animals. So cute!
yay for apple cider weather! hoping to get to the farm this weekend.
I nominated you for a Blogger Recognition Award.
x Joy (www.thejoyousliving.com)
Thank you so much Joy! Hope you get to the farm this weekend!
Farmer’s market for me. Pumpkin patch and mini-golf for the kids. Then that bridge!!! That could possibly be a perfect fall day!
Kristi, it really was a lot of fun – all my favorite fall activities rolled into one beautiful day.
Looks like a lot of great places to visit in Indiana. We have family not too far from there, so will make sure we visit soon.
These look so fun! I have never been to Indiana and you make it look so exciting!
This is such a lovely area! I love Indiana but has never had the opportunity to be there at this time of year. Love your pictures.
Thanks – best time of the year in my opinion!
Put me down for a brewery tour! I try to visit fine hops establishments wherever I go so this would be a first stop for me. Hamilton County looks fun! My son and his family live a bit south of there, but if I am every in the area, I’ll come check it out.
Shirley, I love a good brewery too – we always search them out. We actually have quite a few of them in Hamilton County and the Indianapolis area.
Looks like so much fun! Great fall weekend!
Yes, it definitely was fun!
What a perfect fall day! Fall is my husband’s favorite season so we always try and go do something fun. My favorite fall activity is a corn maze (followed by some pumpkin donuts and hot chocolate!)
I do love a good corn maze too! And of course pumpkin donuts!!!
So awesome! Fall is so much fun! Hamilton County looks like a great place!
Mary, I agree – Fall is fun!
What a picture perfect fall day!
Yep – full of all kinds of fun fall activities!
I would definitely have to visit indie coffee roasters…it sounds amazing!
Tonya, it was quite tasty! And I loved the atmosphere.
This looks so dreamy! I hope we can visit sometime.
Brooke – me too! You’ll have fun.
What a wonderful day! You chose my kind of stops! And you pictures are great!
Thanks Michele!
Sounds like the perfect fall day! Makes me want to go find some fall activities to do this weekend. Wine and charcuterie is my favorite meal as well. 🙂
Brigette, you should go create a fun fall day yourself!
Boy, those pics may not be of New England, but you definitely have me missing the autumns up there! Great pics and what a fun place to visit!
New England IS beautiful in the Fall!
I’ve never been to Indiana but feels like a lot of the things I love to do in Long Island New York!
I’ll have to check out Long Island then!
What fun! That looks like an awesome place to be if you’re in Hamilton County! And that wine looked great!
Looks like such a fun autumn day!
Thanks – hoping for more of them this fall!
This looks like the perfect day! Coffee, farmer’s market, pumpkins, and a winery? I couldn’t script it better. Gorgeous photos!
All my favorites!
That looks so much fun! I can see it being a perfect day event for the family.
Yes a nice variety of activities for everyone!
Fall is hands down the best season for me. We also went to a farm fest here yesterday and we had too much fun.
Fun! I love a great farm fest!
Oh my!!! I grew up in Ohio and am missing my old stomping grounds. You certainly brought back some great memories in your post. If I lived nearby, I would certainly make some stops along the journey you shared. Thanks for sharing!
There’s just something about the Midwest!
Beautiful fall activities! I wish we had more of a fall season in Texas.
We are lucky to have a nice fall in the Midwest
So festive! Thanks for sharing this!
Thanks! Lots of fun things to do!