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See our Highland Halloween Guide 2026 for haunted homes, trunk or treats, family fun, Halloween night details, and more - updated throughout October.

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Highland’s varsity volleyball team gave the home crowd plenty to cheer about on Dig Pink Night, battling Hobart through five sets before pulling out a 3-2 victory on Thursday, Oct. 1.

After dropping the opening set 25-12, the Lady Trojans answered by taking the next two, 25-23 and 25-17. Hobart forced a deciding fifth set with a 25-23 win in the fourth, but Highland closed it out 15-9.

Senior Kaitlin Smith led Highland with 24 kills and 17 digs, while sophomore Jaymie recorded 40 assists. Senior Selena added 11 kills, senior Julia finished with 15 digs, and sophomore Erin contributed 7 blocks at the net.

The team also marked Dig Pink Night in matching pink shirts, showing support for those affected by breast cancer with the message, “For us, it’s a game; for them, it’s a battle.”

Since that win, Highland fell to Andrean 3-0 on Oct. 6, moving the Lady Trojans to 13-14 on the season. They’ll look to bounce back Thursday, Oct. 8, when they travel to Munster for a 6:30 p.m. Northwest Crossroads Conference match.

Sources: Highland Trojans Volleyball; MaxPreps

If you’ve driven past 8401 Indianapolis Boulevard, you know the building (next to Dollar Tree behind Bigsby Coffe). The former Ultra Foods has been sitting largely empty for years, a huge reminder of a grocery chain that once had deep roots in Highland.

Ultra Foods was part of the Strack & Van Til grocery operation, which was based in Highland. In 2017, parent company Central Grocers was in financial trouble and began selling stores and closing much of the Ultra Foods brand. The Highland Ultra held on longer than many of the others, but by July 2017 it too was headed for closure.

At the Sept. 28, 2026 Redevelopment Commission discussion, town officials said they had recently met with an unnamed national grocery chain interested in redeveloping the former Ultra Foods property. According to the presentation, the grocer is considering a new building of roughly 99,000 square feet with a pharmacy, drive-through, and gas pumps. The project could represent an estimated $30 to $40 million investment and bring roughly 250 to 275 full-time jobs to Highland.

Nothing is final yet. The company is still working out a deal with the current property owner and has also asked the town about possible incentives.

Town officials are separately looking at a stormwater rule change that could make redevelopment of older commercial sites easier by giving credit for existing buildings and pavement rather than treating the entire property like untouched land.

For now, it’s still the giant empty grocery store on Indianapolis Boulevard. But after nearly a decade of false starts and redevelopment ideas, this may be the strongest sign yet that the property could eventually return to life.

Source: Sept. 28 Highland Redevelopment Commission meeting video; and Town of Highland redevelopment records.

Halloween fans, mark your calendars! Highland Haunted Haven throws open its gates for opening night on Saturday, Oct. 10, from dusk to 11 p.m. at 9443 Anthony Place. T

he full haunted display will be up and running, with a spooky cemetery scene, plenty of photo ops and treats for everyone (plus maybe a few tricks). Admission is free, and the whole family is welcome.

The organizers call it spooky fun for the community and ask visitors to be respectful of the neighbors and the property while they're there. More haunt nights may be added, so follow Highland Haunted Haven on Facebook for updates and photos. The cemetery is waiting. Do you dare to enter?

Highland’s annual leaf collection begins Monday, Oct. 12, with scheduled pickups continuing through Dec. 4. The town is divided into 10 zones, and each zone gets multiple collection dates, so check the town’s schedule to find yours.

Rake leaves into a pile or row in the parkway between the sidewalk and curb, not into the street, and have them ready by the night before your scheduled pickup. Keep piles away from mailboxes, hydrants, signs and parked cars, and don’t mix in branches or other debris or the pile may be skipped.

One reminder for anyone still trimming trees: the final scheduled branch pickup is Oct. 9. On leaf collection days, avoid parking where your vehicle would block crews from reaching the leaves. Vehicles that interfere with collection can result in a $25 fine.

Town officials also noted at the Sept. 28 council meeting that subdivisions whose HOA uses a private garbage hauler instead of town service are not included in Highland’s leaf and branch collection.

After the scheduled routes end Dec. 4, crews may continue making unscheduled rounds through December as weather allows.

Questions? Call Highland Public Works at 219-972-5083.

Download and print the schedule here.