The block between State Street and Broadway smells like woodsmoke by mid-October, and the Maumee runs low enough that the honey-locust pods crunch underfoot on the Rivergreenway. If you already live here, you know the reflex: on the first cool Saturday, the temptation is to drive west into Fort Wayne for pumpkins, a festival, a walk, and dinner. The argument of this post is that you do not have to. New Haven's fall calendar is built so a full weekend, from morning pumpkin field to evening tavern, fits inside a three mile radius of Broadway Street.
Below is how the pieces actually connect, with the dates, hours, and addresses you will need to plan the day rather than search for it in the parking lot.
Start at Kurtz, but know the hours
The pumpkin field most Fort Wayne families drive past on I-469 is Kurtz Produce at 14212 State Road 37 E, a farmstead started in 1872 that added the on-farm market in 1985. Matt Kurtz is the sixth generation working the ground, and the fall program is narrow on purpose. The U-Pick pumpkin patch and corn maze are open Saturdays and Sundays in October only, 1:00 to 6:00 p.m., with Friday afternoon hours of 4 to 7 p.m. added during peak weeks.
Two details reward planning ahead. First, the corn maze changes every year and is designed with an agronomist; one recent theme was the Community Harvest Food Bank in Fort Wayne, with $1 off admission for a nonperishable donation, so it is worth bringing a can. Second, the after-dark version is a separate ticket. The Scare Maze runs 10/17, 10/18, 10/24, and 10/25 from 8:30 p.m. to 11:00 p.m., $10 per person, which pairs well with a late dinner rather than a family afternoon.
If your errand list runs past pumpkins, the same farm rolls straight into the holidays. Once the fall season ends in mid-November, the farm concentrates on Christmas trees grown in Michigan and sold pre-cut or potted, including Fraser fir, Douglas fir, and Scotch pine. One address, three seasons of the year handled.
Two Saturdays worth blocking on the calendar
The city itself does most of the programming downtown, and the fall dates are already set.
- Fall Fest, Saturday, October 3, 2026. On October 3, 2026, all things Fall come together on Broadway.
- Holiday Homecoming, Saturday, November 21, 2026. The Saturday before Thanksgiving, the City lights up downtown with Christmas lights and a Christmas tree, with prize giveaways from local businesses, hot chocolate, and a visit with Santa.
The Homecoming detail worth noting for anyone who moved here recently: it is deliberately not the day after Thanksgiving. The event includes a Christmas parade, carriage rides, a heated tent with live holiday music and the Holiday Hoopsters dance routine, plus downtown businesses handing out cookies, hot chocolate, and hot dogs. If you have out of town family visiting for the holiday, this is the Saturday afternoon that actually shows off the town.
The three miles most residents underuse
Ask a newer neighbor where the Rivergreenway starts and you will get a shrug. The answer is at the end of your own block, more or less. New Haven is home to 3 miles of the 26-mile recreational trail, which begins at Moser Park and ends at the boat launch near the entrance of the Fort Wayne Trail at North River Road, and to the east, the Maumee Pathway follows the Maumee River past Kreager Park to Moser Park. In practice that means you can walk from downtown New Haven west along the river and end up at a Fort Wayne park without ever crossing a major road.
Moser is easier to find once you know the trick. The entrance is at the corner of Main and State, and if you are not familiar with the area it can be tricky to spot. Inside, public restrooms sit at the entrance with running water and electricity, along with a lit basketball court, a ball diamond with concession stand and dugouts, a batting cage, and a nature center. The nature trail is the reason to keep walking past the ball fields.
Two reasons to put this trail on the fall list rather than the summer one. Dogs are welcome on the trail through New Haven Rivergreenway/Moser Park at 601 Main St. and in Haskamp Woods at 5200 Falcon Way, both part of the Allen County Trailblazers program. And the Trailblazers Community Hiking Program runs through Dec. 31, with a form you turn in after 10 of the 14 listed hikes to earn a walking stick medallion. Two of those checkbox hikes are inside city limits.
When you want quiet instead of company
For residents who already know the Rivergreenway and want something less trafficked, there is a specific pair worth learning.
Deetz Nature Preserve sits at the intersection of Parrot and Hartzell Roads, a 72-acre low-lying wetland that was donated by Waste Management, replanted with native grasses and new trees, and now offers multiple mowed trails, a parking area, and open ground good for leisure walks, bird watching, and hiking. It is the closest thing to a quiet woods walk inside the city, and in November the sight lines through the leafless understory make the wetland readable in a way it is not in July.
Marylands Farm Park, easily accessible from the shared Rivergreenway Trail, adds a homestead, a sensory trail, a nature playground, and farm animals for viewing. That is the softer landing when there are kids along and Deetz is a stretch too far.
Where to land afterward
A morning at Kurtz plus a Rivergreenway walk earns dinner. The New Haven roster is deeper than a lot of residents give it credit for, and none of these require driving into Fort Wayne.
| Where | Address | Why it fits the day |
|---|---|---|
| East Haven Tavern | 635 Green St | Late kitchen, covered patio, pets welcome |
| Rack & Helen's Bar and Grill | 1324 Minnich Rd | Burgers and wings after a cold walk |
| Rich's Cafe | 330 Entrance Dr | Breakfast before the pumpkin field |
| Hall's Commissary | The "wedge" where 14 and 930 split | Big portions, easy stop from I-469 |
| Salvatori's | New Haven | Italian night when the temperature drops |
The tavern detail one long term neighbor mentioned in passing: East Haven Tavern runs Monday through Saturday 11:00 a.m. to 3:00 a.m., with Sunday hours seasonal. In practice that is the only kitchen you can count on after a Scare Maze night at Kurtz.
The Broadway thread you have probably missed
Between the two big Broadway dates, there is one more piece of the picture that ties the season together. New Haven's Music, Market, and Munchies (M3) Concert Series is a family friendly summer and fall event that features produce, baked goods, food trucks, adult beverages, and live music. It is the reason downtown feels lived in on a Thursday evening in September even when no festival is scheduled, and it is the answer to the question of why the city holds Fall Fest on Broadway rather than up at Schnelker.
Schnelker still has its role. Nestled in the heart of downtown, Schnelker Park's large trees create a shaded area for visitors to relax, play, or spend the day at annual events, Summer Fest and M3. Read the fall calendar this way and the pattern is clear. The city puts the harvest programming on the street where the shops are, and keeps the park for the summer crowd and concert nights. That is a small thing, but it changes where you park in October.
One weekend, three miles, no I-469
The through line is straightforward. Between Kurtz on State Road 37, the Rivergreenway starting at Moser, Deetz on Parrot and Hartzell, and the Broadway blocks between Rose and Middle, a New Haven resident can spend an entire fall Saturday on the town's own map. The out of town families driving in for the corn maze do not know about the Trailblazers medallion, the Scare Maze Fridays, or the reason downtown gets lit on the Saturday before Thanksgiving instead of the day after. You do now.
If a fall walk has you thinking about the house you own, what it is worth this cycle, or what a move inside the 46774 might look like, the team at Triad Real Estate Services is happy to talk it through. Schedule a Free Consultation and we will bring the local map to the conversation.
