Collect these freebies

Hit the town

• Plaza Nights Live Music Series | Thursday, Oct. 5 | 6-10 p.m. | Fountain Square Plaza, 1101 Virginia Ave., Indianapolis | Free | The Fountain Fletcher District brought back all-ages live music on The Plaza — each show will feature three local musicians in a casual setting.
• Headless Horseman Festival | Thursday, Oct. 5-Sunday, Oct. 29 | 6-10 p.m. | Conner Prairie, 13400 Allisonville Rd., Fishers | $0-$31 | Celebrate 40 years of the Headless Horseman at Indiana’s most beloved fall tradition.*

• Indianapolis 8 Hour presented by AWS | Friday, Oct. 6-Sunday, Oct. 8 | 9 a.m. | Indianapolis Motor Speedway, 4790 W. 16th St., Indianapolis | $20-$80 | The Indianapolis 8 Hour is back for its fourth year — get up close and personal with the biggest names in sportscar racing globally.
• Harrison Center First Friday Gallery Opening | Friday, Oct. 6 | 6-9 p.m. | Harrison Center, 1505 N. Delaware St., Indianapolis | Free | Check out this gallery opening, featuring “Woman’s Place, Sacred Space: Merriment, Make Believe, Memory, Mourning” by Allison Ford.

• GermanFest | Saturday, Oct. 7 | 12-8 p.m. | Athenaeum, 401 E. Michigan St., Indianapolis | $10-$15 | Discover your inner German and party at the Athenaeum with vendors, Durstig games, live wiener dog races, strong man competition, Zwergenland for the kids, bier, and German food.

• The time has come. Dream Palace Books has officially announced its grand opening date. The books + coffee shop will open on Saturday, Oct. 21 at 7 a.m. with readings from Sam Pink, Susan Neville, Big Bruiser Dope Boy, Sylvia Thomas, and Charlene Fletcher until close.

• Local Cunningham Restaurant Group’s newest concept is open at The Shops at Perry Crossing in Plainfield. Theo’s Italian is a pizza + pasta restaurant offering dining for all ages. It’s open seven days a week, Sunday-Thursday, 11 a.m.-9 p.m. and Friday-Saturday, 11 a.m.-10 p.m.

• The Indianapolis Zoo’s newest member has turned one month old + now the zoo is asking for help giving the baby elephant a name. You can vote between three names: Maji (meaning water), Jabari (meaning fearless or brave), and Zambezi (meaning great river). Voting is open through Oct. 16 at noon. (WRTV)

• The 32nd annual Heartland International Film Festival opens today and runs through Sunday, Oct. 15. The festival will show 120+ movies from all around the world at five theaters around Indianapolis. The 11-day festival was named one of the 25 Coolest Film Festivals in the World by MovieMaker Magazine earlier this year. Get film info. (WISH)

• Have items waiting to be returned? Send them through Uber. The company has selected Indianapolis as a test market for its expanded Uber Connect service that allows customers to have up to five packages picked up and returned to UPS, FedEx, or local post office locations.

• How does Going work? Sign up for free, follow up to five airports, and get notified when flight deals to over 900 destinations are 40-90% off.*

• Oliver’s Woods | Indianapolis | Right in the heart of Keystone at the Crossing is this hidden gem along the White River. The wooded paths offer an array of autumn colors. To get on the river and experience fall’s beauty from a different vantage point, use Oliver’s Woods’ canoe launch.
• Meltzer Woods | Shelbyville | This is one of the last old-growth forests in Indiana —meaning it has trees older than 150 years that have been left undisturbed for more than a century. Its 1.2-mile loop trail is easy for hikers of all levels. Bonus: Not far from the parking lot is a self-serve pumpkin patch where you can pick one of 20 varieties off the vine.