Autumntidings Fall Festival Returns with Signature Ciders and Warm Flavors - Indianapolis News | Weather in Indiana

The air is crisp, the leaves are changing, and it’s officially cider season! The long awaited Autumn News Autumn Festival is back, bringing with it some of the most creative, fall-inspired ciders you’ve ever tasted. Andrea Homoya, founder and CEO of Ash & Elm Cider Co. joined Lifestyle.live! on Thursday to share the excitement behind this year’s lineup, including exclusive festival-only drinks and some bold new flavors.

“We make an autumn cider every year called Autumn tidewhich is a pumpkin cider with roasted spices,” Homoya said.

But for this year’s event, the cidery is creating special flavors just for festival-goers. One of the highlights? A salted caramel coffee cider. “It’s like an iced salted caramel macchiato, but with alcohol – always good,” she added with a laugh.

While Salted Caramel Cider promises a rich, creamy experience (made with cold brew from Tinker Coffee), Homoya’s real excitement lies in a new, adventurous flavor: banana bread. “We’ve never done this before,” she said, “but it will be very comforting. We’re using 30 pounds of real bananas, cooking them with spices and infusing them into our semi-sweet cider.” She described the end result as having “a really warm, comforting taste, like you’re sitting with your mom after school.”

However, not everyone shares the same love for bananas. “True story: I personally don’t like bananas, so I’m not going to try it,” she joked. “It was my idea, but I’m not going anywhere near the production space when it’s being made!”

In addition to the unique flavors of cider, Autumn News Autumn Festival is to celebrate local crafts. “Our goal is to support other cider makers in Indiana,” Homoya shared. The festival will feature not only Ash & Elm’s seasonal creations, but also popular drinks from local companies like Goodman House, West Fork Whiskey and High & Mighty Beer. “We are the largest cider maker in the state, but we would love to see other makers grow and flourish.”

The festive atmosphere will be enhanced with DJ music throughout the day, including a special Taylor Swift-inspired set – an unexpected but welcome touch for all the Swifties out there.

Tickets for the Autumn News Autumn Festival can be purchased at autumntidingsfallfest.comand the event will be held at Monon 30, conveniently located at the intersection of Monon and 30th Street. Whether you’re a cider connoisseur or just someone looking for a fun fall activity, this is one event you won’t want to miss.

“It’s going to be a big moment,” Homoya said. “We love bringing people together to enjoy the best flavors of the season.”