Episode Details

On today's live show recorded at the West Side Nut Club Festival in Evansville, I sat down with Nut Club members Brandon McClish, Jon Yeager (treasurer), and Dennis Nettles (vice president), who explain how the 105-year tradition is built by 300 active Nut Club members and thousands of volunteers staffing more than 120 nonprofit-run food booths.

McClish details membership requirements, the festival's reach of roughly 270,000–295,000 unique visitors, and an estimated $8.1 million economic impact returning to the community, including major Founders' Day grants.

Yeager then spotlights the Half Pot raffle, started in 2019, which grew from $1.2 million in year one to nearly $2.7 million in 2026, with online ticket sales available statewide.

Nettles closes by sharing Evansville's west side pride and history as we sample signature foods like the brain sandwich, walk-off chop, donut tenderloin, and chicken-and-waffle sandwich.

If you like this episode and want to hear more Get IN. episodes where I interview Hoosiers making a difference, visit getindiana.com/podcast.

You are going to learn about:
- The History of the West Side Nut Club and the Nut Club Festival
- How the Nut Club Festival Generates Revenue
- Signature Foods Available at the Nut Club Festival

Thank you to our partners:
MyRacehorse
Donut Bank

Check out these great clips from the show:
00:00 Festival Life Teaser
01:31 What Is the Nut Club
02:59 Origins Under the Oak
04:59 Joining and Volunteering
06:15 Crowds and Festival Schedule
09:10 Booths Setup and Logistics
10:53 Economic Impact and Grants
14:55 Volunteer Culture Spotlight
19:44 Must-Eat Booth Picks
22:36 Half Pot Basics and Origins
25:08 Half Pot Growth and Operations
28:59 Online Sales and Future Plans
33:18 Half Pot App Buzz
34:08 Volunteer Pride Week
35:29 Meet West Side Legend
36:51 Childhood Festival Memories
38:01 How Fall Fest Evolved
39:28 Why Outsiders Get Hooked
41:56 105 Years Of Nut Club
44:58 Food Tasting Tour
47:33 Reitz-Mater Dei Rivalry
49:03 More Must-Try Foods
52:16 Evansville Beyond Fall Fest
55:28 Volunteers Needed Now
59:26 Wrap Up Pride And Hat

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