Downtown Indy gets festive in June 2015

Antipasto salad at the Italian Street Festival. AroundIndy.com staff photo, (c) 2010, all rights reserved.

By Amanda Dorman
Downtown Indy, Inc.

Family-friendly outdoor festivals take the forefront in June with the return of many annual Downtown favorites.

The Christ Church Cathedral Women’s Strawberry Festival returns to Monument Circle to serve an estimated six tons of strawberries and 18,000 homemade shortcakes on Thursday, June 11, 2015.

Thousands of people will gather outside of Holy Rosary Catholic Church and enjoy 25 different Italian meats, pastas, salads and desserts during Italian Street Festival June 12 & 13 (see photo above).

The Circle City IN Pride Festival, Indiana’s largest LGBT celebration, takes place at American Legion Mall June 13.

Sip on craft beer from more than 50 local and national breweries at Brew-Ha-Ha on Park Avenue June 20.

On June 27 & 28, check out the Eiteljorg Museum’s Indian Market and Festival, one of the Midwest’s largest Indian markets.

Other big June festivals:

June 6: Vintage Indiana Wine and Food Festival

June 13: PBS Kids in the Park

June 13 & 14: Talbot Street Art Fair

June13: INDIEana Handicraft Exchange

June 18: Marsh Cookout on the Circle

June 20: Asian Fest

June 21: Familia Fest

Take in the sights and sounds of summer

Summer concerts are officially here and national and local artists alike will bring Downtown to life this June.

The Farm Bureau Insurance Lawn at White River State Park hosts an exciting June summer concert lineup, with Third Eye Blind and Dashboard Confessional kicking off the season on May 30. See Alabama Shakes June 2, Cage the Elephant June 7, Hozier June 11, Ben Harper & The Innocent Criminals June 13, Rob Zombie June 14, Barenaked Ladies June 17, Flogging Molly June 17 and David Gray/Amos Lee June 27.

At Old National Centre, fans of all genres of music can catch big names including:

June 5: Juicy J

June 11: Heart

June 16: Rob Thomas

June 17: The Smashing Pumpkins: In Plainsong – An Acoustic Electro Evening

June 27: Reel Big Fish and Less Than Jake

Catch two more shows at The Cabaret at the Columbia Club: Indy Men’s Chorus: A Night at the Cabaret on June 12 and Linda Lavin: Now on June 26 & 27.

There are several options for enjoying live tunes outside this summer. Indiana Historical Society’s “Concerts on the Canal” kick off May 28 and continue every Thursday at 6 – 8 p.m. through the end of July. Reserve a table on the Stardust Terrace or bring a chair or blanket and take a seat on the grassy hill right off the Canal.

Easley Winery offers free concerts every Saturday from 2 – 5 p.m. as part of their “Groovin’ in the Garden” concert series.

Enjoy great live music, animals, rides, delicious food and more Friday nights June 19 through July 10 from 5:30 – 8:30 p.m. at the Indianapolis Zoo’s Zoolapalooza Concert Series.

The Indianapolis Museum of Art kicks off Summer Nights Film Series on June 5 with National Lampoon’s Vacation. Other June showings include Heathers June 12; Casablanca June 19 and Psycho June 26. The series continues every summer Friday through Aug. 28. Films begin at dusk with pre-show activities at 7 p.m. Tickets are $12; $6 for members.

Go car-free this summer

WalkScore.com ranks Downtown Indy as a “Walker’s Paradise” and Sports Illustrated named Indy as “the most walkable Downtown in America.”

That’s why Downtown Indy is challenging the public to go car-free this summer with the new Car-Free Indy program. Ride your bike, take the bus or walk for a more sustainable city. Participants can up online, create a profile, set a goal and track progress now through August. The program strives to have 1,000 participants and save 30,000 miles of commuting by the end of the summer. Prizes will be awarded monthly.

Georgia Street action

Happy Hours kicked off with a bang, with more than 400 people attending each week. Wind down your week at Downtown’s hometown hangout every Thursday from 4:30 – 7 p.m. Enjoy live DJs or bands, appetizers from the Severin Bar and domestic beers and craft brews including Flat 12 and Upland. This event is free to attend.

Workout Wednesdays continues through the end of July on Georgia Street’s west block. Downtown Indy has again partnered with the YMCA to provide fun, all-levels group fitness for FREE Workout Wednesdays weekly from noon – 12:45 p.m. thanks to Buckingham Companies.

Eat lunch alfresco on the Boardwalk and enjoy the sights and sounds of Downtown during Food Truck Fridays from 11 a.m. – 2 p.m.

Cheer the Fever, join the Tribe and more Downtown sports

Catch one (or more) of the 15 Indianapolis Indians home games at Victory Field in June. Enjoy monthly promos including 2-for-1 Tuesdays, Thursday Craft Beer Night, Friday Fireworks and Kid’s Eat Free Sundays.

On June 4, catch the Celebrity Softball Challenge at Victory Field. This game features Indianapolis Colts Robert Mathis and teammate Dwayne Allen, along with other local sports stars as well as mascots and media personalities. The Home Run Derby competition begins at 6 p.m., followed by the seven inning Celebrity Softball Game at 7 p.m.

The Indiana Fever home opener is June 6 against the Minnesota Lynx. Catch four more games at Bankers Life Fieldhouse this month: June 12, 14, 20 & 26. Every Indiana Fever game of the 2015 season will be broadcast either online or on radio or television.

And there’s one more chance to catch the Indy Eleven at home for the season. The team plays FC Edmonton June 13 at IUPUI.

For more information, visit http://downtownindy.org/, or call 317-237-2222.

NCAA Final Four Fan Fest Tickets Now Available

Final Four Fan Fest at the Indiana Convention Center, Apr. 3-6, 2015. AroundIndy.com staff photo, (c) 2012, all rights reserved.

By John Dedman
Indiana Sports Corporation

Tickets to the NCAA® Final Four® Fan Fest presented by Capital One are now available to the general public. Fans who purchase tickets this week will be rewarded with a 50 percent off discount. Regularly-priced tickets are $10 for adults and $5 for children ages 3-11, current college students with valid ID, senior citizens ages 55+ and military personnel. Ages 2 and under are free. Fans can purchase tickets at NCAA.com/FinalFour.

The event is open Friday, April 3 from Noon to 8 p.m., Saturday, April 4 from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m., Sunday, April 5 from Noon to 8 p.m., and Monday, April 6 from Noon to 8 p.m. Final Four Fan Fest is scheduled for the Indiana Convention Center in downtown Indianapolis. Tickets are good for one day of the event.

Fan Fest is the ultimate pregame destination. A budget-friendly, four-day indoor interactive event, Fan Fest targets basketball fans and fans of all NCAA sports by offering them a chance to meet legendary coaches and former college stars at exclusive autograph sessions, sign up for daily youth clinics, and participate in a host of sport activities ranging from basketball to lacrosse to hockey and more. The weekend also boasts a variety of unique entertainment including the annual Final Four Pep Rally featuring the bands and cheerleaders from the four participating NCAA teams.

The 2015 NCAA Men’s Final Four Weekend includes fan events surrounding the national semifinals and championship game at Lucas Oil Stadium in downtown Indianapolis. Information is available at NCAA.com/FinalFour as well as @FinalFour on both Twitter and Facebook.com/FinalFourIndy. These events include:

– Final Four Fan Fest presented by Capital One at the Indiana Convention Center Friday, April 3 through Monday, April 6

– NCAA March Madness Music Festival at White River State Park, a three-day event including the AT&T Block Party (April 3), Coca-Cola Zero Countdown (April 4) and the Capital One JamFest (April 5)

– Reese’s Final Four Friday at Lucas Oil Stadium on Friday, April 3, featuring open practices by all four teams and the Reese’s College All-Star Game

– Northwestern Mutual Road to the Final Four 5K beginning at the NCAA Hall of Champions on Saturday, April 4

– Youth initiatives including Coca-Cola NCAA Youth Clinics at four locations on Saturday, April 4, and the Final Four Dribble refreshed by Coca-Cola in Downtown Indianapolis on Sunday, April 5.

For more information, visit http://www.indianasportscorp.org/.