Winterfest at the Indiana History Center, Dec. 26-29, Jan. 2-5

Indiana History Center. AroundIndy.com staff photo, (c) 2010, all rights reserved.

By Amy Lamb
Indiana History Center
http://www.indianahistory.org/

Even though Christmas will be past, the future is bright for families looking for affordable activities with the Indiana Historical Society’s (IHS’s) Winterfest, which will take place Dec. 26-29 and Jan. 2-5. IHS is offering free admission during the first week of the celebration at the Eugene and Marilyn Glick Indiana History Center, home of the IHS and its Indiana Experience, at 450 W. Ohio St. in downtown Indianapolis.

Guests can enjoy family-friendly crafts and activities, face painting and special performances each day from jugglers, magicians, dancers and musicians. The History Center will still be decked out in holiday style, offering opportunities to step into a scene from A Christmas Story for a fun photo op with the infamous leg lamp—with or without bunny suits. Visitors can also enjoy Eli Lilly Hall’s holiday transformation into a gorgeous tree-filled white winter wonderland featuring beautiful handmade star lanterns.

Included with Winterfest is the IHS’s award-winning Indiana Experience, which uses cutting-edge technology and interactive elements to bring the wealth of IHS’s extensive collections to life in meaningful and enjoyable ways. Guests can step back into particular moments from recreated historic photographs with You Are There, take virtual time-travel journeys with Destination Indiana, try their hand at conservation work in the W. Brooks Fortune History Lab and have songs sung live for them upon request in the Cole Porter Room.

The Rose McKee Lanham Gallery on the fourth floor offers a look at IHS collections materials on the Civil War, from the firing on Fort Sumter to the signing of the Emancipation Proclamation. The IHS’s Basile History Market will feature many great post-holiday deals on Indiana-related products, and the Stardust Terrace Café (operated by Hoaglin To Go) will offer kid-friendly cuisine throughout the celebration.

The 2012 Winterfest performance schedule includes:

Wednesday, Dec. 26 (1 p.m. and 2 p.m.)
Elliot Feltman

The Blue Monkey Sideshow founder and member stumps and stupefies guests with his unique brand of juggling and magic.

Thursday, Dec. 27 and Friday, Dec. 28 (11:30 a.m., 12:30 p.m. and 1:30 p.m.)
Mike and Suzie DeSante, Arthur Murray Dance Studio in Zionsville 
Celebrate the winter season with a unique mix of holiday-themed ballroom dance lessons, including the Foxtrot, Waltz and Swing, as well as exhibition dancing by the instructors.

Saturday, Dec. 29 (1-3 p.m.)
Radio Disney 

Radio Disney entertains guests with games, prizes and music.

Wednesday, Jan. 2 (11 a.m., 11:40 a.m., 12:40 p.m., 1:20 p.m., 2 p.m. and 2:40 p.m.)
Connor Ebbinghouse 
This state and regional yo-yo champion entertains with skills demonstrations.

Thursday, Jan. 3 (1 p.m.)
Metropolitan Youth Orchestra of Indianapolis

MYO features talented middle and high school musicians.

Friday, Jan. 4 (11:30 a.m., 12:30 p.m. and 1:30 p.m.)
Zach Kelley
Join this White Lick Elementary teacher and founder of Juggling Masters for an afternoon of plate spinning and juggling—including lessons!

Saturday, Jan. 5 (12:30 p.m. and 2 p.m.)
Magician Ryan Demler
Be filled with intrigue and wonder by his magical works!

Winterfest will take place from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. and is included with admission to the Indiana Experience, which will be complimentary Dec. 26-29. Winterfest is presented by Macy’s with support from Indiana Farm Bureau Insurance. For more information on IHS offerings, call 317-232-1882 or visit www.indianahistory.org.

Ring in the New Year in Downtown Indianapolis

New Year’s Eve Events in Downtown Indianapolis.

By Taylor Newell
Indianapolis Downtown, Inc.
http://indydt.com/

Forget hosting a New Year’s Eve get-together this year. These Downtown parties, events and specials offer everything from exciting daytime sports matchups to classy top-shelf parties in the sky.

*Family-friendly option

Be safe – don’t drink and drive. Plan out your transit to and from your Downtown NYE destination ahead of time. IMPD and Indianapolis Downtown, Inc. have teamed up to place taxis in metered parking zones along Illinois, South and South Meridian streets from 9 p.m. until 4 a.m. on Dec. 31. For more information on Downtown taxis and buses, visit www.indydt.com/TaxiBus.cfm?&lm=vd.

*Indiana Ice vs. Chicago Steel: New Year’s Eve Celebration (Dec. 30), $11 – $29
Bankers Life Fieldhouse

New Year’s fun takes place a day early with the Ice as they match up with the Steel at 6 p.m. Tickets start at just $11 with discounts for children, seniors and military service members. www.indianaice.com

*Indiana Pacers vs. Memphis Grizzlies, $15 & up
Bankers Life Fieldhouse

Have some daytime fun with big-time NBA action as the Pacers take on Rudy Gay and the powerhouse Memphis Grizzlies in a 3 p.m. tipoff. www.pacers.com

*Countdown to Noon, $17.50 adults, $12.50 kids
The Children’s Museum of Indianapolis

Instead of counting down to midnight, celebrate during the day with music, fun activities and a Water Clock countdown that kids can enjoy without staying up late! www.childrensmuseum.org

*Family New Year’s Event, $6 member, $11 non-member
Indiana State Museum

Enjoy face painting, stilt walkers, clowns and music by The Tides with an 8 p.m. balloon drop. A fun, alcohol-free celebration for the family. www.indianamuseum.org

ComedySportz Celebrates New Year’z Eve, $20 adults, $15 students/seniors
The Athenaeum Theatre

Celebrate with the most unique comedy show around! Admission to the ComedySportz match includes hats, noisemakers and a sparkling cider toast. Second show ends with a countdown to midnight. www.indycomedysportz.com

6 X 13: New Year’s Eve at the IMA, $125 – $175
Indianapolis Museum of Art

Don your festive cocktail attire and peruse the IMA’s fantastic galleries as you sample drinks from a champagne bar and select Upland Brewery offerings. Live music by The Cultural Cannibals. www.imamuseum.org

Hard Rock’s NYE Bash, $30 – $95
Hard Rock Cafe

Celebrate with live music from Brent James & the Contraband, coming straight off their tour with Third Eye Blind. www.hardrock.com/locations/cafes3

New Year’s Eve Party at The Rathskeller, $50 in advance, $55 at the door
The Rathskeller

Enjoy some local brew and live music from Zanna Doo! Includes hors d’oeuvre Buffet and a champagne toast at midnight. www.rathskeller.com

New Year’s Eve at Howl at the Moon!, $30 – $90

Celebrate New Year’s Eve with the World’s Greatest Rock N’ Roll Dueling Piano Bar! Seating package includes gourmet dinner buffet, champagne toast. Standing room package includes champagne toast. www.howlatthemoon.com

Cheer to the New Year, $100
Chef Joseph’s at The Connoisseur Room

One of Indy’s top new restaurants, Chef Joseph’s is offering a wine pairing dinner and cabaret with Nancy Moore and Sean Baker the Music Maker. www.chefjosephs.com

NYE with James Johann: “Rural Genius,” $22.50
Crackers Downtown

Welcome the New Year with stand-up comedy by James Johann, who has been featured on Comedy Central and The Slackers Tour. www.crackerscomedy.com/nye

New Year’s Eve Blue and White Ball, $25
Cadillac Ranch and Bartini’s

Party with DJ Slater Hogan, DJ Cory James and X103 personality Deuce, and enjoy the pre-party dinner with a special menu at Bartini’s. www.cadillacranchgroup.com/event/new-years-eve-blue-and-white-ball

ChaCha presents CIROC the New Year, $125
Regions Bank Tower

Party in the sky with a 360-degree view of Downtown! Features an all-inclusive top-shelf  bar with light gourmet hors d’oeuvres, champagne toast, special fireworks show & party favors. www.cirocnewyears.com

New Year’s Eve Rock ‘N’ Roll Ball, $40 – $375
Hyatt Regency Indianapolis

Live music from local musicians and DJs, plus the biggest balloon drop in Indy! Admission to the party is $40 or $65 for VIP and room + party packages are available starting at $225. indianapolis.hyatt.com/hyatt/hotels-indianapolis

New Year’s Eve with Toxic Reasons, $10
Radio Radio

Be at one of Fountain Square’s coolest venues for a NYE punk rock show featuring Toxic Reasons, Creepin’ Charley & the Boneyard Orchestra and others. www.futureshock.net

New Year’s Eve Murder, $50
Indianapolis Propylaeum

Enjoy a fabulous dinner at the Propylaeum – but be careful. Other things besides champagne corks are popping… the host is dead! www.thepropylaeum.org

Stella Artois New Year’s Eve Masquerade Ball, $55 (VIP $110 – $135)
Union Station

This New Year’s Eve party takes over three ballrooms at Union Station, each with their own theme and entertainment! www.indynewyears.com

New Year’s Eve Party at Blu & Hideaway, $80 – $100
Blu

Open bar from 9 p.m. – 1 a.m. DJ John Larner and live music, hors d’oeuvres, balloon drop and champagne toast at midnight and prize package giveaways all night! www.bluindy.com/new-years-eve-2012

NYE Shows at the Noodle, $30 – $250
The Slippery Noodle Inn

$30 admission includes admission to The Why Store show plus champagne toast, hats and noisemakers. $250 table of four available for Big James & the Chicago Playboys show with reserved seating and buffet dinner. www.slipperynoodle.com/calendar.php

New Year’s Eve Party at Adobo, $59.99 – $89.99
Adobo Grill

Complete your New Year’s Eve party with unlimited drinks, dancing and light appetizers. The $90 option includes a four course meal and tequila toast. www.adobogrill.com/indianapolis/events.aspx

New Year’s Eve at Scotty’s Brewhouse, various discounted prices
Scotty’s Brewhouse

$10 all you can eat wings, $7 pitcher specials, $3 Thr3e Wisemen Brewing Company pints and a special tapping of King Solomon’s Imperial Stout. www.scottysbrewhouse.com

New Year’s Eve at End of the Line Public House, $30
End of the Line Public House

Starting at 5 p.m., get a special prime rib dinner for two for only $30 at this unique restaurant inside the Fountain Square Theatre Building. www.fountainsquareindy.com/publichouse/index.asp

For more information, visit http://indydt.com/, or call 317-237-2222.

New Year’s Eve at Beef and Boards Dinner Theatre

Beef and Boards Dinner Theatre. AroundIndy.com staff photo, (c) 2011, all rights reserved.

By Patricia Rettig
Beef & Boards Dinner Theatre
http://www.beefandboards.com/

Looking for a killer night out for New Year’s Eve? Beef & Boards Dinner Theatre presents a special 8 pm performance of Arsenic & Old Lace, Dec. 31, 2012, complete with party favors and more. Enjoy dinner from Chef Odell Ward’s ample dinner buffet, the fruit & salad bar, along with select complimentary beverages. Full bar service and gourmet desserts are also available at your table.

Then sit back and enjoy the hilarious comedy, Arsenic & Old Lace. Brewster sisters Martha and Abby are charming and innocent ladies who have taken it upon themselves to help lonely men. With a little arsenic, strychnine and just a pinch of cyanide in a glass of homemade elderberry wine, their guests are unburdened of their unhappy lives. Quietly the bodies of these socially and religiously “acceptable” roomers begin to populate their cellar, with the unwitting assistance of their loony brother Teddy, who thinks he is Theodore Roosevelt digging locks for the Panama Canal. Their charity continues smoothly until being discovered by their nephew, Mortimer. A theatre critic who is preparing to marry, Mortimer is shocked to learn the truth about his aunts – and only becomes more frantic when his maniacal uncle Jonathan makes a surprise visit.

But even when the show is over, the fun isn’t.

Prepare to dance the rest of 2012 away as the Blue Bus band takes the stage. Playing together for over 14 years all over the Midwest, the group plays a wide variety from jazz standards, Motown, classic rock and R&B.

Ring in the New Year with a balloon drop and champagne toast, and then enjoy Chef Odell Ward’s scrumptious breakfast buffet, served after midnight.

All tickets for this special evening are $75, and include both the dinner and breakfast buffets.

For reservations call the Box Office at 317-872-9664. Box office hours are 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. Tuesday through Sunday, and 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Mondays. For more information, visit http://www.beefandboards.com/.

A Candlelight Evening on Delaware Street, Dec. 28

Benjamin Harrison Presidential Site. AroundIndy.com staff photo, (c) 2006, all rights reserved.

By Kaylee Showers
Benjamin Harrison Presidential Site
http://www.pbhsite.org/

Join the Benjamin Harrison Presidential Site on Friday, December 28, 2012, as we host our annual winter event, “A Candlelight Evening on Delaware Street.” This progressive walking tour takes guests inside four majestic mansions along historic North Delaware Street in Indianapolis, where they will enjoy fine food, beverages and music.

Benjamin Harrison Presidential Site, 1230 North Delaware Street

The first stop of the evening is the Benjamin Harrison Presidential Site, located at 1230 North Delaware Street, where guests will enjoy a tour of the home and hors d’oeuvres. As a successful attorney, Benjamin Harrison purchased a double lot on the west side of Delaware Street in May 1868. In 1874, he and wife Caroline began construction of their 16-room Italianate style house, a carriage house, brick drive and landscaping.

Making the holidays special, Harrison was the first President to decorate a Christmas tree in the White House.  A replica of the first evergreen tree to grace the White House is displayed at the Harrison Home, decorated with wooden soldiers, hand-blown glass figures, candles and cotton batting.  Guests to the event will enjoy the home’s decorations featuring Victorian holiday ornaments, including feather trees and Harrison family toys.

The University Club, 970 North Delaware Street

Dinner at the University Club will be the next stop on the tour. Guests will dine on pork crown roast with port sauce, accompanied by oven browned golden new potatoes and asparagus with red peppers.   A vegetarian option is available by request.  The University Club is a private club of which Benjamin Harrison was the first club president.

Bals-Wocher House, 951 North Delaware Street

The third stop on the tour is the Cline Farrell Christie and Lee Law Firm located at the historic Bals-Wocher Home. Guests will be treated to a guided tour and history of this revitalized mansion, bedecked with beautiful Christmas decorations throughout the home.  The Bals-Wocher Home was built in 1869, by Charles H.G. Bals, and is considered one of the finest examples of Italianate architecture in Indianapolis.

New Fishback House, 1101 North Delaware Street

The final home on the tour is that of William P. Fishback, law partner of Benjamin Harrison.  Guests will be treated to dessert, coffee and a tour of this fine home.  The house has undergone extensive renovation by the new owners, 11th and Delaware Partners, Inc. Great care has been taken to restore the original character of the home, while adapting the space for offices, business meetings, and special events. Interior architectural elements include original woodwork mantels, leaded and stained glass windows, and a walnut staircase.

Reservations are required for “A Candlelight Evening on Delaware Street” and space is limited.  Tickets are $75 per person, $70 for BHPS members and may be purchased online or by phone. For more information, visit www.pbhsite.org or call 317-631-1888.

Things to do in Indianapolis, Dec. 17-23, 2012

“The Nutcracker” at the Scottish Rite Cathedral, Dec. 21-23. AroundIndy.com staff photo, (c) 2011, all rights reserved.

Things to do in Indianapolis
December 17-23, 2012

• ‘Festival of Carols’ Concert at the Carmel Palladium
• Duke Energy ‘Yuletide Celebration’ at Hilbert Circle Theatre
• ‘The Nutcracker’ at the Scottish Rite Cathedral
• Indiana Pacers NBA Basketball at Bankers Life Fieldhouse
• Hairbangers Ball Live at the Vogue Nightclub
• ‘A Christmas Carol’ at the Indiana Repertory Theatre
• College Men’s Basketball at Indiana University
• Indiana Ice USHL Ice Hockey at Bankers Life Fieldhouse
• ‘Conner Prairie by Candlelight’ at Conner Prairie
• ‘Jingle Rails: The Great Western Adventure’ at the Eiteljorg

Free publicity for your events! Submit an event.