The air is crisp, the leaves are changing, and it’s officially cider season! The highly anticipated Autumntidings Fall 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 Life.Style.Live! on Thursday to share the excitement behind this year’s lineup, including exclusive festival-only drinks and some bold new flavors.

“We do a Fall cider every year called AutumnTide, which is a pumpkin cider with baking spices,” Homoya said.

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

While the salted caramel cider promises a rich and 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’s going to be really comforting. We’re using 30 pounds of real banana, cooking it with spices, and infusing it into our semi-sweet cider.” She described the end result as having “a really warming, comforting flavor—like you’re sitting with your mom after school.”

Not everyone shares the same love for bananas, though. “True story: I personally am not a banana person, so I will not be trying it,” she joked. “It was my idea, but I’m not going near the production space when it’s being made!”

Beyond the unique cider flavors, Autumntidings Fall Festival is about celebrating local craft. “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’re the biggest cider maker in the state, but we’d love to see other makers grow and flourish.”

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

Tickets for the Autumntidings Fall Festival can be purchased at autumntidingsfallfest.com, and 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 don’t want to miss.

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