Burlington Fall Festival

The Burlington Fall Festival is a family-friendly community event held annually at Burlington Community Park in Burlington, Carroll County, Indiana. Scheduled for October 3–5, 2025, the festival offers a rich variety of activities and entertainment including food, live music, games, arts and crafts, a chili supper, pancake breakfast, queen and cutie pageants, a parade, a car show, a co-ed softball tournament, and a community church service on Sunday. Vendors are welcomed, contributing to a lively community atmosphere.

Burlington Community Park, the festival site, is a spacious and well-equipped 30-acre park with extensive facilities suited for large community events. It features playground equipment, three lighted ball diamonds with bleachers supporting softball tournaments, basketball and tennis courts, paved walking trails, picnic shelters and tables, restrooms, and a wooded nature area. The park also houses the Lilly Building and the Community Building, indoor spaces used for vendor booths and other festival activities, with kitchen facilities available. Electrical hook-ups in the park accommodate outdoor booths and support festival logistics.

The park's evolution has been shaped by community cooperation since 1974, with governance shared between the town and township and support from local organizations such as the Burlington Community Club and Kiwanis. The festival itself is sponsored by the Burlington Community Club and forms a significant part of the park’s use throughout the year.

Event Vibe and Surroundings:

• The festival embraces a warm, welcoming, and traditional small-town feel, emphasizing community fun and family-friendly entertainment.
• The park’s natural setting, with open green spaces, wooded areas, and recreational facilities, provides a scenic and comfortable environment for attendees.

Activities and Event Highlights:

• Food and Drink: Chili supper, pancake breakfast, multiple food vendors offering local fares.
• Live Entertainment: Music performances throughout the festival.
• Games and Crafts: A variety of games for children and adults, arts and crafts booths for browsing and purchasing handmade items.
• Pageants: Queen and cutie pageant showcasing local youth.
• Parade: Local parade featuring floats and community groups.
• Car Show: Display of classic and antique vehicles.
• Sports: Co-ed softball tournament held on the park’s lighted ball diamonds.
• Church Service: Community church service on Sunday to close the festival.

Rough Schedule and Locations (typical structure inferred):

• Friday evening: Opening with food vendors, live music, arts and crafts booths at the Lilly Building and outdoor areas.
• Saturday: Pageants and parade in the morning, softball tournament throughout the day at ball diamonds, continued live music, games, chili supper in the evening.
• Sunday: Pancake breakfast in the morning, car show during the day, community church service on park grounds, wrap-up activities.

The Burlington Fall Festival is a longstanding tradition that reflects the community spirit of Burlington and Carroll County, showcasing local culture, sport, and family entertainment in the welcoming environment of Burlington Community Park.