10/22/2026
Most people think of a garden center as a place to buy mulch.
In Fishers, Indiana, families buy a train ticket.
Every Halloween season, Allisonville Home & Garden sets up PumpkinTown. There's a train, food, games, and pumpkins everywhere.
I went on opening night with my husband Ben, Marion Pulse from our team, and Gina Schaefer.
The train was easy. The carnival games were not.
When a store gives people a reason to show up beyond the next purchase, it becomes a place they want to come back to.
What could your store host that has nothing to do with a sale?
Thank you to Pat Sullivan and the whole Allisonville team for an amazing night. See more on their Instagram, .