West Side Nut Club earns top spot as USA Today’s ‘Best Fall Festival’ in U.S.

EVANSVILLE, Ind. (WFIE) - It’s official, the West Side Nut Club’s Fall Festival has been named the “Best Fall Festival” in the country by USA Today.

Leaders with the nut club shared the news Friday morning.

“Throughout the year you think, ‘well I got time to take care of this and I’ve got time to take care of that,’ but next thing you know you’re on the phone talking about meetings and conversations, and you go, ‘oh my God, it’s two weeks away,” Fall Festival Publicity Chair Todd Helfert said.

They say the West Side Nut Club Fall Festival won the title in the USA TODAY 10 Best Readers’ Choice travel award contest.

The release says the fall festival is one of 20 selected by an expert panel according to the USA.

“It is the West Side Nut Club Fall Festival, but we of course couldn’t do any of it without the community, and without the booths to come down,” Helfert said. “There’s no where else in the country that can do that, so I think it’s absolutely the people that make that work.”

Local leaders say the recognition is long overdue for the Nut Club’s signature calling card.

“To see it celebrated on such a national scale, it really provides a cool opportunity for us to talk about Evansville and talk about the fall festival,” Explore Evansville President and CEO Alexis Berggren said.

Helfert says it’s a big honor, and that it only adds to the excitement heading into the 102nd annual festival.

“It’s all coming together, it’s getting put in place, and we’re going to be ready,” Helfert said.

Berggren says we’ve all considered it the best for a while now, but now that it’s official, they can use it to attract more folks to the Tri-State.

“This is going to give great traction to not only the event but to the community at large, so we’re really excited to partner with the West Side Nut Club and the Fall Festival to find new ways to celebrate and market the event,” Berggren said.

The drive thru half pot makes its return the Thursday before the festival kicks off, and Helfert says some new rides are being added to the mix.

And if you haven’t already taken notice, West Franklin Street got a new pave job, something Helfert says it going to be a community effort to ‘re-season.’

“Just like a cast iron skillet, it’s time to get some grease and some pronto pup sticks down there on it, and get it worked in real well,” Helfert said.

Helfert says wristband sales will also change this year, with sales being solely online. You can check out their website for more information on that.

The West Side Nut Club Fall Festival will be taking place this year during the first full week of October.

[Related Story: Booths in need of volunteers for the Fall Festival]

[Related Story: West Side Nut Club releases 2023 Fall Festival Munchie Map]

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