Haunted Huntingburg Blues Festival Returns This Weekend

In the mayor’s absence, Pro Tem Councilman Wehr presided over Tuesday night’s Huntingburg Common Council and Utility Board Meeting. 

Haunted Huntingburg returns this weekend in Downtown Huntingburg at 4 th Street and Market Street Park. The fun begins with a free outdoor movie on Friday night. There will be a 7:30 showing of Hocus Pocus, and Igloos will be available. The Blues Festival will be held on Saturday from 1-7 pm. The Zombie Free Kids Zone will feature fun activities and inflatables, and food trucks and other vendors will be available throughout the festival. Trick-R-Treating will be downtown from 2-4, and family friendly Halloween attire is encouraged! General admission is free this year, so come out for a fun fall weekend! 

The Street Department’s Fall Cleanup Days will be held at 1103 E 1 st Street in Huntingburg on Thursday, October 10, from 1-7 pm, Friday, October 11, from 1-7 pm, and Saturday, October 12, from 8 am-4 pm. For more details on items accepted and prices, visit the City of Huntingburg Facebook page. 

The Council approved the introduction of 2025 Civil Budget Ordinance 2024-19. The expected rate is slightly lower than last year’s. A public hearing was already held, and no objections were raised. The meeting for adoption of the Ordinance will be on October 22.  

Water Superintendent Jerry Austin provided some background for the Board regarding needed repairs at the water treatment facility. Austin said that the original facility was put in place in 2003 and was designed with the goal of future expansion. This expansion began in 2019, rebuilding and upgrading the equipment in both pre-existing and newly built areas of the facility. Some issues with the filter began to arise in 2022 that were resulting in water loss, and there has been significant consultation with the filter company and other Huntingburg departments to try to diagnose the problem. Austin said that “we have exhausted all of our options” in troubleshooting the issues and said that it would be necessary to bring in some outside engineering assistance. Austin said that of the 8 filters, 6 are being run, but that the summer months will create a greater burden on the system. The Council approved the request to contract with Commonwealth Engineering to find the leak so that the filters can be put back into service. Wehr commented, “That’s a very wise idea to do. If something else would happen to that filter plant, we’re in trouble.” 

Clerk-Treasurer Thomas Dippel told the board that the $472,000 in American Rescue Plan Act funds has not been appropriated yet this year. According to ARPA guidelines, the money has to be spent or appropriated by the end of this year in order to carry it forward to next year. Dippel suggested that the ARPA funds could all go toward the senior center, but the spending plan needs to be formally introduced. The board approved the introduction of Ordinance 2024-20 for appropriations for the 2024 budget year and set a public hearing date for October 22.


For more information on these and other updates, visit www.huntingburg-in.gov


- Drew Hasselbring