Westfield Things to Do: NUMA Festival, Monon Trail, and More
Westfield, Indiana is a moderately sized satellite community located just north of Carmel, Indiana and Indiana state capital Indianapolis. It is one of the eight cities that make up Hamilton County, a growing tourist area that complements Indianapolis attractions with its own variety of dining establishments, activities, and places to visit. Westfield things to do encompass a wide range of sporting opportunities, shopping venues, restaurants, and other attractions. In Westfield, there are plenty of opportunities for shopping, dining, sports, and, most of all, fun.
Westfield residents are fortunate to have an extensive parks system that has numerous facilities and locations. The Westfield Parks and Recreation Department works hard to keep these green spaces clean, safe, and fun. Asa Bales Park, located in downtown Westfield near Westfield High School, has a paved trail system and playground equipment for Westfield children. Freedom Trail Park was designed mostly as a sporting arena, while Hadley Park is a leisurely spot to sit and rest a spell, with its beautiful flower gardens, comfortable benches, and quiet surroundings.
In addition to its parks, Westfield also has a number of trails designed to keep its residents fit and exploring the countryside. The biggest of these is the Monon Trail, a part of the huge trails system known as the Indy Greenways. The Monon Trail extends through several areas of Hamilton and Marion County, including the Carmel Monon Trail, downtown Indianapolis, the Indiana State Fairgrounds, and Broad Ripple Village. It’s a great resource for hiking, biking, and trail walking in Indianapolis. The Midland Trail is a much smaller trail that courses through the Westfield city limits, while the Natalie Wheeler Trail connects the downtown area with another Westfield park, the Hamilton County Cool Creek Park. A walk or bike ride down any of these trails is an invigorating Westfield thing to do.
| Video of a biking trip down the Monon Trail near Westfield, Indiana |
For Indianapolis sports lovers, Westfield has a number of opportunities for you to flex your muscles and show off your prowess. The town is home to several baseball diamonds, basketball courts, an indoor aquatic center, and more. Many of these are located within the Westfield parks system, but others are privately owned Westfield businesses. Two of these are Wood Wind Golf Course and The Arctic Zone.
Wood Wind Golf Club is an 18 hole, professionally designed golf course that is known as one of the best such courses in the United States. It has been the site of several Indianapolis events since its opening, including the Masters Tour Junior Championship and the U.S. Women’s Amateur Qualifier. If you want to test your golfing skills, head on down to Wood Wind Golf Club to try one of the most challenging courses in the region. The Arctic Zone is a full featured skating rink located in Westfield. This facility hosts several camps and clinics for aspiring hockey players, adult and youth hockey leagues, and even cosmic skating on certain days of the week. It’s a fantastic place for beginners and experts alike to come and cut some ice. Both of these Westfield sports facilities make for great things to do in Westfield.
For lovers of history, Westfield has something for you as well. One of the main repositories of historical artifacts in the region is the Westfield Washington Historical Society and Museum, a museum dedicated to preserving the rich heritage of Central Indiana. With exhibits on Westfield’s Underground Railroad, the founding Quakers, and other important factors in Westfield’s development, the Westfield Washington Historical Society is a good place to go to explore the town’s roots. Search through antique photographs, period works of art, artifacts from daily life in the 19th century, and more; the Westfield Washington Historical Society can take you back in time.
If shopping is more your thing, downtown Westfield is the perfect place to go. This collection of quaint shops, stores, and restaurants has everything you need to find that special gift, decoration, or kitschy souvenir. One of the most delicious of these shopping ventures is the Westfield Market, a huge farmer’s market that dominates downtown Westfield every Friday from June to October. Fresh produce, homemade jellies and jams, organic plants, and more are sold from the backs of cars and vans; it’s a great place to chat with members of the community and buy some of the fat of the land as well. Other than the Westfield Market, there are plenty of Westfield businesses that line the waterway that courses through the city. Public Westfield art galleries, entertainment venues, and restaurants all combine to make downtown Westfield a friendly, clean, fun place to visit in Hamilton County. A stroll through the sights and sounds of the downtown sector is a fun Westfield thing to do.
Though Westfield has plenty of things to do all year round, there’s one big event that draws in visitors from all around the region. Westfield’s NUMA Festival is a relatively new Indianapolis festival that draws on all segments of the Westfield arts scene to create a day full of beauty, music, and fun. Live Indianapolis music is played all throughout the day, and the festival even features a special schedule of events for Westfield children, with magicians, storytelling, and a puppet show. At the NUMA Festival, you can also see local crafts, handmade instruments, and more pieces of useful Westfield art.
After you’ve seen all there is to see in Westfield, you might as well taste what the town has to offer. Westfield restaurants span a variety of different cuisines, from the chain eateries of Hardee’s and Domino’s to the locally owned restaurants lining the avenues of downtown Westfield. Bobby Brennan’s is an Irish pub, similar to Fionn MacCool’s Irish Pub in Fishers, Indiana or Claddagh Irish Pub in Indianapolis, a great place to drink a Guiness and enjoy corned beef; Big Hoffa’s Barbecue will make your stomach grumble as soon as you walk in the door with its savory smells of brisket, jerky, and its house barbecue sauce; and Old Country Buffet is the place to go for a big appetite. There’s a Westfield restaurant for every type of foodie, from the discerning palate to the rumbling empty stomach; a meal at one of these establishments is a delicious thing to do in Westfield.
If somehow you run out of things to do in Westfield or would just like a little change, the town is incredibly close to all the sights and sounds of Indianapolis. Only a 30 minute drive from downtown Indianapolis, Westfield residents are in the perfect spot to enjoy all the Circle City has to offer. Tour one of the six Indianapolis cultural districts to get an instant feel for the Indianapolis arts climate, see an Indianapolis performing arts show at an Indianapolis theater, sample cuisines from around the world at an Indianapolis restaurant, mingle with all the high rollers at an Indianapolis society function, catch the pulse pounding action at an Indianapolis Colts or Indiana Pacers game, or take in some tunes at a live Indianapolis music event; whatever it is you like to do, Indianapolis lets you do it.
All in all, Westfield is a perfect example of the type of town that is coming to dominate the increasingly fun Hamilton County. It is home to a great variety of sports destinations and beautiful parks. It features a leg of the Monon Trail, and privately owned businesses like Wood Wind Golf Course and The Arctic Zone can provide hours of fun in a professionally designed environment. Downtown Westfield is home to a variety of Westfield attractions, including many different shops, restaurants, and performing arts venues. During the summer, Westfield becomes a hub for the arts with the vast array of craft booths, live music, arts vendors, and entertainment at its annual NUMA Festival. And there’s always nearby Indianapolis to visit if you’re in the mood for a change of pace. Visit growing Westfield today to see what kind of Westfield things to do you can come up with!
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