What do you do in Spencer on a Saturday when McCormick's Creek State Park and Cooper Commons both have something going on, from breakfast until after dark?
On October 24, 2026, Indiana DNR's Falloween program at McCormick's Creek and the Sweet Owen Arts Commission's Arts in the Park & Classic Car Show at Cooper Commons fall on the same day. They mostly fit together. The park's programs come in the morning and again from 3 p.m. on, and the arts festival runs 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., so the only overlap is the last hour, when the 3 p.m. snake program runs alongside the 3:30 car show awards. Much of the cash you spend that day also goes back to the volunteer groups behind those places. Pumpkin carving and the breakfast stand raise money for the Friends of McCormick's Creek. Car show fees support the Sweet Owen Arts Commission.
The Day on One Page
The table below puts every listed event in one place. It draws on the DNR's Falloween listing and The Owen News' October 2 News in Brief.
| Time | Event | Where | Cost | Where the money goes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 8:30–10:30 a.m. | John Fuhs Memorial Casting Kids Contest | Owen County Fairgrounds, west end of the Commercial Building | Free, registration required | No fee |
| 9:30 a.m.–noon | Buck's Dead and Breakfast | McCormick's Creek Nature Center parking lot | Spider donuts $5, hot drinks $2, cash | Friends of McCormick's Creek |
| 10 a.m.–noon | Pumpkin carving | Nature Center Amphitheater | $5 per pumpkin, cash, first 50 guests | Friends of McCormick's Creek |
| 10 a.m.–4 p.m. | Arts in the Park & Classic Car Show | Cooper Commons | Free admission, $5 car registration | Sweet Owen Arts Commission |
| 3–4 p.m. | Ssssnakes live animal program | Nature Center Amphitheater | Listed without a fee | |
| 5:30 p.m. | Pumpkin Parade hike | Starts at the Nature Center | Listed without a fee | |
| 8–9 p.m. | Nocturnal Animal Show with WildCare | McCormick's Creek | Listed without a fee |
The two sources list different end times for the Pumpkin Parade. The DNR says it runs until 7:30 p.m. The Owen News says 7 p.m. Plan around the 5:30 start, which both sources agree on.
Morning Means Picking a Side of Town
The day starts with two early events, and families with kids ages 7 to 14 will have to choose. The Spencer Exchange Club and Sweet Owen Bassmasters Club run the John Fuhs Memorial Casting Kids Contest at the Owen County Fairgrounds from 8:30 to 10:30 a.m. Kids compete at casting, pitching and flipping to a target. There's no entry fee, and rods and reels are provided. Spots are limited to 10 kids in each age group, 7–10 and 11–14. Walk-ups are not accepted, so you need to register in advance by email, as described in the Owen News announcement.
Falloween at McCormick's Creek, 250 McCormick's Creek Park Road, starts at 9:30 a.m. with Buck's Dead and Breakfast in the Nature Center parking lot, where you can make spider donuts. Pumpkin carving runs from 10 a.m. to noon at the Nature Center Amphitheater. It costs $5 per pumpkin, paid in cash, and supplies are limited to the first 50 guests. Proceeds from both go to the Friends of McCormick's Creek. Since only 50 pumpkins are available, it's best to go to the park early and finish the morning at the fairgrounds or Cooper Commons, not the other way around.
Midday Belongs to the Riverfront
The Town of Spencer describes Cooper Commons as the only park inside the town limits. It sits on the south side along the north bank of the White River, with two playgrounds, open fields and shelters, and it's a trailhead for the MYPath trail. From 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., the second annual Arts in the Park & Classic Car Show fills the park. Admission is free. The Indiana Boys headline a full day of live performances, with an art fair of local and regional vendors, live art demonstrations, a collaborative community quilt project, food trucks and kids' activities.
Car owners can register for $5. Awards in four categories are presented at 3:30 p.m., and all registration fees go to the Sweet Owen Arts Commission to support the arts in Owen and surrounding counties. The commission's event page also lists 10-by-10 vendor booths at $50 for artists who want to sell.
The riverfront the festival uses is due for a change. A $1 million READI 2.0 award will fund the first phase of the Sweet OC Arts Park along the White River in Spencer, on an underused stretch of riverfront. The plans include an Arts Market Pavilion for artist markets and workshops, an updated MYPath Trailhead, a bird sculpture garden based on Owen County artist Ken Bucklew's paintings of native birds, and overlooks of the river. The design also includes a playscape themed on James Alexander Thom's novel "Follow the River." The current phase doesn't fund it, so it needs more fundraising before it can be built. Marce Johnson, CEO of the Owen County Chamber of Commerce and Economic Development Corporation, said the park "will give residents a place to gather, give artists a place to create and give visitors another reason to experience Owen County."
For coffee, the Town lists Main Street Coffee at 1 N. Main St., on the north corner of the courthouse square. In July, Indiana Public Media mentioned Main Street Coffee and Cooper Commons Park.
The Afternoon Lull Is the Park's Best Trail Window
Between the end of pumpkin carving at noon and the 3 p.m. snake program, nothing is scheduled at McCormick's Creek. That's a good time to hike, because several trails have changed this year.
The biggest change is at Wolf Cave. The DNR's tornado recovery page says Trail 5 recently got a new bridge that reopens the loop through Wolf Cave Nature Preserve. The same page still lists Trail 5 as partly open. To reach the loop, start at the Nature Center and take Trail 8 to where it meets Trail 5. The Wolf Cave parking lot is still closed. The DNR says the tornado knocked down at least 90 percent of the trees in its path through the preserve, and the downed trees will stay where they fell. Wolf Cave itself was not damaged. Staff at the Nature Center can confirm the current route before you head out.
Trail 3, which leads to the falls and Echo Canyon, has been getting work on its surface and drainage. The goal is full ADA access from the Canyon Inn parking lot. Repairs are also finished on the stairs from the main road parking area down to the falls. Grants from the Owen County Community Foundation and the Indiana Parks Alliance paid for the work. Trails 1, 2, 3, 4 and 9 are fully open, along with the bridle trail for hiking and the ADA waterfall overlooks at Echo Canyon.
Trails 6, 7 and 10 are still closed while the campground is rebuilt. The DNR says they'll stay closed until campground construction is finished. According to The Owen News, construction bids open on October 20, four days before Falloween. The DNR expects construction to start by spring 2027, and the rebuilt campground is expected to open in late summer 2028. The DNR's plans call for a new gatehouse and camp store, three comfort stations, playgrounds, and a lot of new trees and landscaping.
After Dark, the Local Businesses Take Over the Trail
The evening program starts with Ssssnakes at the Nature Center Amphitheater from 3 to 4 p.m. It's a live animal show about the longest snake in North America and the strongest predatory snake in Indiana. The Pumpkin Parade starts at 5:30. Guests in costume meet the Friends of McCormick's Creek at the Nature Center and walk an accessible path through the woods past jack-o'-lanterns carved by local artists. Visitors vote for their favorites and take home a treat bag.
Many of those jack-o'-lanterns come from local businesses and organizations. The park asked them to donate carved pumpkins, which are shown next to their logos. The winner gets a 2027 Annual Entrance Pass to Indiana State Parks. Businesses that want to enter have until Friday, October 16, to register. Pumpkins must be dropped off at the Nature Center between 9:30 a.m. and 5 p.m. on October 23, labeled on the bottom in permanent marker. Every entry will also be posted on the DNR's Facebook page.
The day ends from 8 to 9 p.m. with WildCare's Nocturnal Animal Show, featuring a silver-haired bat and a southern flying squirrel.
- Register for the casting contest by email now, since walk-ups are turned away.
- Bring cash for the park. The breakfast and carving stations both take cash only.
- Get to the Nature Center by 10 a.m. if you want one of the 50 carving pumpkins.
- Spend midday at Cooper Commons and stay for the 3:30 car show awards, or leave in time for the 3 p.m. snake program.
- Return to the Nature Center for the 5:30 Pumpkin Parade.
The money spent that Saturday goes to the Friends of McCormick's Creek and the Sweet Owen Arts Commission, both of which are working on projects in Spencer right now.
Realty Professionals has followed Owen County for more than 30 years, from the park's recovery to plans for Spencer's riverfront. If you're thinking about what these changes mean for your home's value, we're happy to talk it through with you. Get Your Instant Home Valuation.
