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Things to do in Indianapolis, Aug. 11-17, 2014
Madison Ribberfest, Aug. 15-16.
AroundIndy.com staff photo, (c) 2013, all rights reserved.
15 Public Events in Indianapolis and Indiana
VERIFY ALL EVENT LISTINGS TO BE CERTAIN THEY WILL BE HELD AS SCHEDULED
- THU-SUN: Gen Con Gaming Convention at the Indiana Convention Center
- MON-SUN: 158th Indiana State Fair at the State Fairgrounds
- THU-SUN: 10th Annual Indianapolis Theatre Fringe Festival in Indianapolis
- SUN: 5th Annual Dig In, A Taste of Indiana at White River State Park
- WED-SUN: LPGA Legends Championship at the French Lick Resort
- FRI-SAT: 10th Annual SausageFest at St. Thomas Aquinas Church
- THU-SAT: ‘City of Forking Paths’ at the Indiana Convention Center
- SAT: Miranda Lambert in Concert at Klipsch Music Center
- FRI-SUN: Elwood Glass Festival in Madison County
- FRI-SAT: Madison Ribberfest BBQ and Blues in Jefferson County
- MON-WED: Indianapolis Colts Training Camp at Anderson University
- THU-SUN: Greensburg ‘Power of the Past’ at the Decatur County Fairgrounds
- SAT: 6th Annual WAMMfest at Craig Park in Greenwood
- THU, SAT: Indiana Fever WNBA Basketball at Bankers Life Fieldhouse
- FRI-SAT: Symphony on the Prairie at Conner Prairie Interactive History Park
To see thousands of upcoming event listings and things to do in Indianapolis and Indiana, visit our main Web site at http://aroundindy.com/, or visit our Mobile Web site on your smartphone or tablet PC at http://aroundindy.com/mobile. Thank you for making AroundIndy.com your #1 source for things to do around Indy!
August 2014 Events in Downtown Indianapolis
Gen Con Gaming Convention at the Indiana Convention Center, Aug. 14-17.
AroundIndy.com staff photo, (c) 2012, all rights reserved.
By Amanda Dorman
Indianapolis Downtown, Inc.
http://indydt.com/
A number of large-scale, one-of-a-kind events will take place Downtown next month – making August an exciting time to be Downtown! Gen Con returns to the Indiana Convention Center, the Red Bull Indianapolis GP takes place at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, Motorcycles take over Monument Circle, Meridian Street and Georgia Street for Motorcycles on Meridian plus many exciting festivals.
Bring on the drums
The Drum Corps International World Championships Aug. 7 – 9 will bring about 30,000 visitors to Downtown Indy. The Finals takes place Aug. 9 at Lucas Oil Stadium, marking the sixth straight year that the Championships have been held at this venue. Before the Finals, head to Georgia Street from 10 a.m. – 3 p.m. for the DrumLine Battle. Drum lines will face off, each group putting together a 90 – 120 second performance.
Rev your (motorcycle) engines
Motorcycles will take center stage with the Red Bull Indianapolis GP Aug. 8 – 10 at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. Practices begin Friday, Aug. 8 with qualifications taking place Saturday, Aug. 9 and race day Sunday, Aug. 10. The FREE Kids Zone will be running all weekend with music, dancing, games and prizes. Don’t miss the Pit Lane Walk Aug. 9. MotoGP enthusiasts can view the motorcycles up close. Estimated attendance: 100,000.
The IMS is offering a special ticket package to our partners with more than $25 in savings that includes:
- Sunday reserved seat
- Discounted motorcycle parade lap
- Free official IMS souvenir(s)
- $5 retail coupon on IMS merchandise
Redeem this offer: http://info.ims.com/IDI
As a part of the festive weekend, Motorcycles on Meridian will take over Monument Circle, South Meridian Street and Georgia Street Aug. 8 & 9. Bikes and more bikes will be on site, from stylish Harleys and Ducatis to sport bikes to motor scooters. Everyone is welcome to experience this event, whether or not you have a motorcycle to bring. Estimated attendance: 10,000 each night.
The gamers are coming
Gen Con, the longest-running and highest-attended gaming convention in the world, returns to the Indiana Convention Center Aug. 14 – 17. The convention includes tournaments, guest appearances, exhibit hall booths, games, workshops, seminars, art shows, auctions and costumes, of course! Estimated attendance: 49,000.
10 years of IndyFringe Fest
Celebrating its 10th anniversary, IndyFringe Festival begins Aug. 14 and continues for 11 days at various Mass Ave theatres. With eight different venues, 64 performing groups and 384 performances, this festival is a cultural catalyst for the Indy arts community. All shows are 45 – 60 minutes and adult tickets are $15 each. Don’t miss the pre-festival events throughout Downtown, including the premiere of Fringe Factor on July 31 at the IMAX Theater. To encourage street performance/busking throughout Downtown, IDI has partnered with IndyFringe and the Arts Council of Indianapolis to launch a Downtown Buskers Campaign through the end of August.
Last chance for summer festivals
One of Indy’s most exciting sporting events, the Mass Ave Criterium & Cycling Festival, takes place Aug. 2. The course is a challenging, triangular, 2/3 mile course through the Mass Ave district. Non-cyclists can enjoy the beer garden and live entertainment.
Don’t miss Dig IN – A Taste of Indiana Aug. 17 at White River State Park, where you can sample locally-produced food and drink prepared by world-class chefs. Dozens of Indiana chefs, brewers, vintners and food artisans will gather in the park to celebrate Indiana agriculture. This year, Dig-IN is offering even more chefs, an increased focus on the farmer and three ticket levels.
Festiv-Ale brings together beer enthusiasts at Victory Field Aug. 23. The festival features more than 100 wines and more than 100 micro-breweries, as well as other beverages including martinis, margaritas and wine. Guests can also sample food from local restaurants and enjoy live music.
Indianapolis Labor Fest is a FREE street festival on three blocks of Georgia Street on Aug. 30 featuring live music (including Cousin Eddie, Zanna Doo and Flatbed Twitch), food and beverages and a kids zone.
Other festivals: India Day on Monument Circle Aug. 17.
For more information, visit http://indydt.com/, or call 317-237-2222.
Downtown Indy Buskers Project Launches Today
IndyFringe Street Sign. AroundIndy.com staff photo, (c) 2012, all rights reserved.
By Bob Schultz
Indianapolis Downtown, Inc.
http://www.indydt.com/
Indianapolis Downtown, Inc. (IDI), in partnership with IndyFringe and with the support of the Arts Council of Indianapolis, is investing in a Downtown Buskers Campaign to encourage street performance/busking throughout Downtown. At various times throughout the pilot period of late summer 2014, street performers under the guidance of IndyFringe will entertain Downtown residents/visitors. The campaign starts July 25-26, 2014, in downtown Indianapolis.
Busking is the practice of performing in public spaces for gratuities/tips, and can include anything from musicians, poets and storytellers, to magicians, living statues and hoopers. According to IndyFringe, buskers come from all walks of life and bring fun and entertainment with them. They want to share their art-form with the public on the oldest stage in the world – outside, on sidewalks and in the parks – where theatre began a long time ago.
“Busking is an age-old art form,” said Pauline Moffat, executive director of IndyFringe. “It brings vibrancy and fun to city streets; it defines a world-class city and demonstrates the breadth of hidden talent in our community.” Through its participation, IndyFringe hopes to add more awareness of its annual Fringe Fest, as well, which is celebrating its 10th anniversary this summer. The Fest runs Aug. 14 – 24 in the Mass Ave Cultural District.
In 2013, IDI and several Indianapolis-based civic organizations launched Velocity, a co-created, five year strategic action plan for Downtown. One of the objectives cited in the Velocity plan was to promote collaborations that will cultivate participation in events and experiences Downtown. A specific tactic referenced under that objective was to “create a plan and encourage participation in pop-up entertainment Downtown (a.k.a. busking).”
“This campaign is designed to encourage a culture of urban busking in Downtown,” said Sherry Seiwert, president of Indianapolis Downtown, Inc. “There is an enjoyment of the surprise factor of spontaneous arts and cultural experiences and we want to grow these types of experiences in Downtown. Partnering with IndyFringe presents us with an ideal opportunity to work with street entertainers who know the art – and science – of quality street performance.”
From approximately 6-10 p.m. each Friday and Saturday evening from July 25 to Aug. 23, street performers under the leadership of IndyFringe will busk in various public places downtown, including Georgia Street, Monument Circle and up and down Mass Ave. IndyFringe and the Indiana Acoustic Music Society is having an open call for artists to join the growing street team and learn the skills needed to engage an audience. However, special permits are not required for buskers. Anyone can busk on public property in Indianapolis as long as doing so does not impede the public right-of-way.
For more information, visit http://www.indyfringe.org/, or call 317-869-6660.
Things to do in Indianapolis, Aug. 19-25, 2013
Diana Ross at the Carmel Palladium, Aug. 24. AroundIndy.com staff photo, (c) 2011, all rights reserved.
- MON-SUN: 9th Annual Indianapolis Theatre Fringe Festival in Indianapolis
- FRI-SUN: 40th Annual Indianapolis Greek Festival at Holy Trinity Greek Orthodox Church
- MON-SUN: Devour Downtown Summerfest in Indianapolis
- SAT: Indianapolis Colts Preseason NFL Football at Lucas Oil Stadium
- SUN: ‘Dig IN – A Taste of Indiana’ at White River State Park
- SAT: Keith Urban in Concert at Klipsch Music Center
- THU-SAT: 15th Annual Bean Blossom Blues Fest in Brown County
- THU-SUN: 46th Annual Vevay Swiss Wine Festival in Switzerland County
- FRI-SUN: 23rd Annual National Toy Truck ‘N Construction Show and Auction
- SAT: Diana Ross in Concert at the Carmel Palladium
- FRI-SAT: Women of Faith Tour at Bankers Life Fieldhouse
- FRI-SUN: Indy 1500 Gun and Knife Show at the State Fairgrounds
- SAT: Festiv-ALE Wine and Stein Celebration at Victory Field
- MON: Bruno Mars Concert at Bankers Life Fieldhouse
- FRI: High School Varsity Football Season, Week 1
9th IndyFringe Theatre Festival, Aug. 15-25
IndyFringe Program Cover. Used with permission from the Executive Director.
By Bob Burchfield, Editor
AroundIndy.com, LLC
http://aroundindy.com/
DISCLOSURE NOTICE: I was the volunteer Web Manager for the first five Indianapolis Theatre Fringe Festivals from 2005 to 2009, and received their Lifetime Achievement Award in 2009. IndyFringe is a paying advertiser on AroundIndy.com and presenting sponsor of our mobile app for iOS and Android devices, and AroundIndy.com appears in the IndyFringe program as a partner.
The 9th Annual Indianapolis Theatre Fringe Festival is scheduled for Aug. 15-25, 2013 at multiple venues in and around the Massachusetts Avenue Arts & Cultural District of downtown Indianapolis, Indiana.
IndyFringe 2013 features 384 shows over 11 days covering a broad spectrum of theatrical experiences: comedy, cabaret, dance, drama, magic, music, multimedia, and more. Each show is one hour or less and admission to each show is just $10 per person.
This year’s venues include:
- The Basile Theatre at the IndyFringe Building, 719 East St. Clair Street.
- Theatre on the Square Mainstage, 627 Massachusetts Avenue
- Theatre on the Square Stage #2, 627 Massachusetts Avenue
- Frank & Katrina Basile Theatre, Phoenix Theatre, 749 Park Avenue
- Livia & Steve Russell Theatre, Phoenix Theatre Mainstage, 749 Park Avenue
- BABECA Theatre, 919 North East Street
- Cook Theatre, Indiana Landmarks Center, 1201 Central Avenue
- ComedySportz Arena, 721 Massachusetts Avenue
The Beer Tent and Outdoor Stage is located at the Old Firehouse Museum where Massachusetts Avenue, College Avenue, and St. Clair Street intersect. The IndyFringe festival headquarters, for the duration of the festival, is located at BABECA Theatre at 919 North East Street.
Each patron must purchase a one-time Backer Button for $5. This button is good for all 11 days of the festival and covers the cost of running the festival, and must be worn to attend a show. Then each show is $10 per person at the door ($8 students and $5 under age 12), CASH ONLY, available 30 minutes before show time on a first-come, first-served basis until the show sells out. Unique to this festival is that the performers receive 100% of the ticket revenues and have full artistic freedom.
Some of the special events at this year’s festival include:
- Visiting Performer Showcase, Aug. 15, 7 PM, at the Outdoor Stage. Each show gets 2 minutes to pitch their production. Fun!
- 2nd Annual DoItIndy.com Party, Aug. 16, 7 PM, Outdoor Stage. Three local bands, entertainment, FLAT 12 beer. $5.
- Comedy Loco, Aug. 17, 7 PM, Outdoor Stage. Lightning Fast Poetry and the best of Indy’s stand-up comics, music and more.
- Blues With a Twist, Aug. 18, 4 PM, Outdoor Stage. Featuring Ken Stanton and Paul Henry, plus Harpman and Friends blues jam.
- Cultural Cannibals, Aug. 23, 7 PM, Beer Tent.
- Fringe Prov, Aug. 24, 7 PM, Outdoor Stage.
- Jammin’ in the Tent, Aug. 25, 4-8:30 PM. Blues With a Twist.
- Closing Night Party, Aug. 25, 8:30-11 PM, Outdoor Stage and Beer Tent.
I can tell you from personal experience that the energy level and excitement on Massachusetts Avenue during IndyFringe is palpable. It’s a lot of fun just to hang out on Mass Ave during the festival. From the outdoor stage to the impromptu street theater and buskers to the scheduled shows, there’s something lively going on every day of the festival up and down Mass Ave.
There’s lots more to IndyFringe 2013 than I’ve mentioned here. The full 32-page program (see image above) is available at the IndyFringe headquarters at BABECA Theatre or online at http://indyfringe.org/. For more information, call 317-869-6660. And all the shows are listed chronologically on AroundIndy.com at http://aroundindy.com/indyfringetheatre.php.
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