It's Fall Festival time. Here's what you'll want to know before you head to the West Side.

The first full week of October is the biggest week for fried food, philanthropy and fun in Evansville. And it has arrived.

The West Side Nut Club Fall Festival runs through Saturday night on Franklin Street. That means more than 100 food booths are open for business offering pretty much every dish imaginable, along with scores of carnival rides and game booths, music and more.

The West Side Nut Club, a civic organization, returns the proceeds from the event back to local nonprofits. And many of those nonprofits also benefit from operating the aforementioned food booths.

Some 200,000 people will flow through the festival this week, if it's a typical year.

Here are a few things you'll want to know this week before heading to the West Side.

When is the Fall Festival open?

Festival food booths open for lunch each day and stay in operation until 9 p.m., with Nut Club officials noting that end times could vary based on crowd flow.

Carnival rides are open from 2-10 p.m. Monday throuhgh Thursday, from 11 a.m. to 10:30 p.m. on Friday and from 10 a.m. to 10:30 p.m. on Saturday.

Is there still a half pot this year?

Does a Nut Clubber wear a funny hat? The half pot is back and looking bigger than ever . Tickets will be on sale Monday through Friday from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. and on Saturday from 8 a.m. to 7 p.m. at booths along Franklin Street.

The Nut Club is shooting for more than $2 million in sales on the half pot this year, which would create a jackpot of at least $1 million.

What can I eat at the Fall Festival?

The easier question may be: What can't you eat at the Fall Festival?

According to this year's Munchie Map, the festival will host 137 booths along Franklin Street between St. Joseph and Wabash avenues. Those booths, all operated by nonprofit organizations, offer a dazzling array of choices. The full Munchie Map is available at nutclubfallfestival.com/food .

Here are just a few items that caught our eye:

• Cheesecake on a Stick, Booth 126 (Building Blocks)
• Skittles Fudge, Booth 59 (Life Choices)
• Butter Beer Ice Cream Pops, Booth 47 (EVV Racing Pigeons Club)
• Donut Burger, Booth 41 (Grace & Peace Lutheran Church)
• Aloha Balls, Booth 77 (Evansville Young Life)
• Jambalaya's Drunken Cousin, Booth 108 (It Takes a Village No Kill Rescue)
• BBQ Gripochos, Booth 83 (Army)
• Nutella Turnover, Booth 17 (Pleasant Chapel)

How's the parking for the Fall Festival?

With thousands of people packed onto one street, it can get a little crowded. There are dozens of parking options − most also operated by non-profits as a fundraiser − in lots near Franklin Street where you can pay to park.

There's also street parking in residential areas, but those spots can be scarce. (And please don't block any driveways, intersections or fire hydrants.)

The City of Evansville will offer lunch-time shuttle service to the West Side Nut Club Fall Festival for thepublic 11 a.m. through 2 p.m. from Monday through Friday. The standard bus fare applies for all passengers.

Each day, every half hour the shuttle will pick up/drop off from the west side of the C.K. Newsome Community Center on the “back 40” parking lot, then at the Civic Center, at the exit of the parking lot at Ninth St., and near the flagpoles on Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd.

The shuttle will pick up/drop off at the Temporary Bus Stop corner of West Franklin Street and Wabash Avenue on the quarter hour, with the first drop off at 11:15 a.m. the last departure is at 1:45 p.m.

What kinds of special events are there at the Fall Festival?

Each day brings several special events, ranging from talent competitions to musical acts and a tug of war.

The full schedule is available at nutclubfallfestival.com/schedule and here are a few highlights.

• Monday : Lighthouse Parade, 7 p.m.
• Tuesday : Tug of War at 5 p.m.; Queen and King Contest at 8:15 p.m.
• Wednesday : Mixtape, an 80s tribute band, performs from 8-10 p.m.
• Friday : The Amateur Hour finals take place at 7 p.m.
• Saturday : Pet Parade at 10 a.m., main parade at 4:30 p.m. and the half pot drawing at 7:45 p.m.

How much are Fall Festival ride tickets and wristbands?

Ride tickets are $1.50 each or 20 for $25. You can also purchase a one-day wristband for $30. Different rides require a different number of tickets, and some rides include minimum height requirements.

Before buying tickets and wristbands, you should check nutclubfallfestival.com/ride-tickets for details.

Will Lloyd Expressway construction affect the Fall Festival?

Wabash Avenue's intersection with the L loyd Expressway will not be under construction the week of the West Side Nut Club Fall Festival — at least not this year.

Despite posts circulating social media to the contrary, all lanes will be open between St. Joseph Avenue and Wabash Avenue during the week of Oct. 6, when hordes of extra traffic will flood the area. But there will be other concerns farther down the road.

Nicole Minton, public outreach manager for Lochmueller Group, the Evansville-based engineering firm behind the Indiana Department of Transportation Lloyd4U project, confirmed to the Courier & Press the timeline for the Wabash Avenue work is still 2026-2028.

This article originally appeared on Evansville Courier & Press: It's Fall Festival time. Here's what you'll want to know before you head to the West Side.