I truly just enjoy interesting surroundings and the ability to just stroll around and visit the…read morelittle shops lining the street. Takes me back in time when this was the norm. Gives you a bit of that nostalgic small town feel, even so we all know how much Carmel has grown and become so much more like the big cities.

There's a wonderful mural that was created by the Art Department from Carmel High School. The mural…read moreis located just off Main Street in Carmel and was created in 2007. The mural is entitled "Cityscape" and depicts images from the the Art District with some modern twists. I was touched to see faculty and students given the opportunity to express their creativity in their community. The names of the artists are listed on the south end of the mural. The mural is slightly faded with age. There is a small, lovely garden with benches at the base of the mural with a plaque that honors donors.

First year attending the event, and thoroughly enjoyed the people, music, food/drinks, and terrific…read morefestival arrangement and surroundings. Well done!

Heat wave warning when I went. Was expecting to be hotter later on July 3. I quickly explored…read more Ate beforehand. North side had concert, food vendors, and 2 cute blown up patriotic symbols. Southside had new vendors - Meijer, CFA. Picked up a Carmel see-thru fanny pack and a different sport ball on mini 4-ink pen. Another cute blown up if remembered an eagle. Stay safe. That might mean staying home. Bring a hat, sunscreen, fan, and lots of water. Due to the heat, it was not worth it to me. However, I am glad for the celebration. They need water mist fans like previous years.

I haven't had the pleasure of attending their flea market yet, but I drive through here often and…read morejust love this neighborhood. If I ever win the lottery, I would love to buy a house here. The divided streets lined with mature trees. The statues and fountains in the median. The great yesteryear houses, smelling of old grandeur. Yeah, I would love to live here. But of course only if I have enough money to hire folks for the upkeep of house and yard. A girl can dream

I look forward to the Woodruff Place Flea Market every year. I love looking at the beautiful homes…read moreand browsing through what's for sale. Residents and businesses participate in the Flea Market, selling their wares. There are also food and beer trucks. It makes for a fun day! This year, there didn't seem to be as many residents participating. And some of our favorite vendors from past years weren't there.

I hadn't been to the Marion County Fairgrounds in years since I felt the security and maintenance…read morehad gone downhill. I gave it another try on the Fourth of July since my mom and friends wanted to go. The security seemed to have improved. The facilities seemed to be the same as they have been for decades. The prices were comparable to any fair. My almost 4 year old daughter had never been, so there were plenty of amusements for her age to bring her joy. I like that they added a wine and beer garden since I last visited. They had a pretty good band performing as well. I tend to shy away from the county fairs nowadays and save that trip for the State fair l, but if you want a shorter visit at a smaller venue you can still get the full fair experience.

I went to the fair during the pandemic and it was still a good time!…read more This review is for the Marion County Fair. The event is running through until Sunday. The fair is open from 5pm-11pm during the week and 12pm-11pm on the weekend. Masks are mandatory to enter the fair- however not enforced once you are inside the fair. Most people wore masks when they were not eating. It was hard to socially distance yourself as the stalls were close to each other. Hand sanitizer and hand washing stations were plentiful!! I saw staff also cleaning up the trash all through the event. As it is a county fair, it is smaller but with COVID-19 it was not as busy as usual. Entrance tickets are $5 but I was able to attend for free as a city employee on Thursday night. There were not as many events but it was still fun to see a wood carving demonstration, dinosaur event, auto exhibit from Indiana Historical Society, karaoke, and some animals. There was also a marketplace area but there were not a lot of vendors besides businesses for homes. The main attraction of any fair is the FOOD! They have plenty of food vendors and most of them had masks and gloves on. Only downside is no one was able to do free refills due to COVID-19. We looked and looked and there was no fried vegetables stall so we were let down on that front. The best spot we found was the kabob stall and of course the lemon shake ups and funnel cake. They had rides for mainly kids and games but we did not participate. They also had a bumblebee type character wandering around- picture is attached. Since there is no State Fair- the county fair did just fine!

Excellent night of Motown entertainment, beautiful venue with lots of old, elegant architecture…read more Perfect place to gather for an evening of music, fun, friends, and drinks. This was my first time in this venue, and I am excited to come back in September to see the play Dreamgirls.

Attended Das GartenGrillFest with 3 family members. Unfortunately, food was lackluster (some was…read morecold) and food ran out before end of buffet. Buffet began later than advertised. Beer also ran out midway during the posted times for event. Price was excessive for entertainment and food value (48.00/person). Website to purchase tickets stated tables were sold out, but venue was half empty. Just disappointing.​

If it's related to the arts in Lawrence, there's a pretty good chance that Arts for Lawrence has a…read morehand in it. Started as a non-profit in 2006, Arts for Lawrence is the largest non-profit arts organization in Lawrence and Indy's northeast quadrant. The organization serves as the steward for the historic Theater at the Fort and offers a remarkably diverse array of affordable arts programs at Theater at the Fort, Fort Ben Cultural Campus, and the Visual Arts Campus. VERY often, these activities are provided at no charge to the community. This was the case for this past weekend's Shakespeare at the Fort: A Midsummer Night's Dream directed by longtime Indy radio personality Matthew Socey. At one point, I was contemplating placing a memorial for children lost to violence in the Fort Ben area - It was Arts for Lawrence that responded and had some dialogue about the idea. Essentially, I've found the organization pretty amazingly responsive when it comes to exploring ideas for creatively improving the lives of Lawrence residents. The musical chairs at Fort Ben? Arts for Lawrence is behind this wonderful, family-friendly installation operating daily from 9am-10pm. (I do agree with some who've observed it would have been ideal to include at least one accessible swing). The Fort Ben Cultural Campus as launched in 2021 with the former Fort Harrison Communications Building moved to the campus and re-established as a Visual Arts Center with monthly exhibitions, a ceramics studio offering classes for all ages and abilities, and upstairs area offering additional classes. Programs include festivals, theater performances, outdoor concert series, art classes, art exhibitions, poetry readings, and more. Food trucks often appear at outdoor events. Being right by Lawrence's City Hall, this area seems to have become a central locale for many of the City's sponsored community activities. Arts for Lawrence also has a strong equity statement on their website indicating a desire to ensure that arts programming is accessible to all. The Visual Arts Center is now open from 6-9pm daily and during festivals. Additional features include the Sterrett Center, Marching Sidewalk, Lawrence's public art, the amphitheater, and an app offering AR/VR experiences. Arts for Lawrence only assumed stewardship of Theater at the Fort in 2016. They began a vigorous upgrading of the 1929 theater and while it's certainly not perfectly accessible (what 1929 building is?), it's dramatically improved and there's an attitude of access. As a city, Lawrence fairly recently established a commission on disability. It took me quite a while to realize that many of the activities I attend here in the Fort Ben area fall under the umbrella of Arts for Lawrence. I'd imagine it will only improve once the currently under construction Fort Ben branch of the Indianapolis Public Library is completed. There's so much to love here and Arts for Lawrence is behind much of it and they've become a guiding player in the growing Lawrence arts scene. With friendly people, great events, and opportunities for all, I'm definitely a fan of Arts for Lawrence.

I love coming to support local artists here! I have been a few times now for Crossroads Dance Indy…read moreperformances and I love it every time. The venue feels small, but still fits an audience of 100+. The staff are always so friendly and do a good job of guiding you where to go. The restrooms are always clean as well. The parking situation isn't super great, however. I usually park in the lot across the street, but there isn't a ton of room on show nights. You'd have to find street parking if it were a busy night. Plan extra time just in case!

Here's the thing: If it didn't cost $5 per person to get in, this review would be at least four or…read morefive stars. But as it stands, Indy Urban Flea gets three stars because it is super small and not worth the admission price -- it took us MAYBE 10 minutes to walk the whole thing. We left saying, "Seriously, that's it?" The products that the vendors and artists were selling were very cute and original. We saw everything from handmade leather bags to soap to jewelry to cards to clothing. There was also a selection of curated vintage items. There was also a guy there selling coffee pour overs. All in all, I would have been super excited about this place (and would have considered coming back next month with friends and family) if they didn't charge five bucks just to step inside. The people who put on this flea market should consider doing away with the entrance fee!

Fun Facts: 1.) The first Indy Urban Flea was May 2015 (not…read moreeven a year old, it's still growing) 2.) This event is held Second Saturdays of each month 3.) Vendors change monthly so you can always expect to see something new 4.) Lots of FREE parking found in front and back of the building 5.) FREE coat check is available 6.) Drinks are available for purchase at the large bar near coat check 7.) Each event offers a give back opportunity. Admission often FREE with donation. 8.) Check The Urban Flea FB page for more FREE admission opportunities 9.) The event helps support small local business, artisans and sustainable goods 10.) The Event is from 10am - 5pm I really enjoyed this event. I appreciated that it wasn't super crowded. I was able to speak with businesses about their products and enjoyed the more intimate setting. Added bonus, it was at the Biltwell which is an interesting building with lovely exposed brick, sliding barn doors, high ceilings with beams, lovely views, beautiful light pours into the space, such a lovely setting for an event. While I was there I purchased a one-of-a-kind gorgeous ring from artist Amy Boyer, I was able to learn about her processes. From Queen Bee Vintage I bought a wallet made from recycled truck tarps. I had a rich delicious pour over of Bourbon Barrel Aged coffee from The Rugged Company. I grabbed a bounty of Frittle from Newfangled Confections. I fell in love with a table made from salvaged wood from furniture artist Jason Kersh (Salvage 3). I met the creator of the Fleabots artist John Pinkerton. In addition to these gems I saw Onyx candles represented and cool items from Stray Cat and My Warped Halo Art. I also discovered some great jewelry pieces made from recycled glass and had my eyes on a beautiful handmade up-cycled leather bag. I only picture this event getting bigger as it's so new to the scene. It would be great to see the integration of all vendors on one floor or mix the vendors between both floors to improve traffic flow. I'm not sure many people were even aware there was food on the first floor. Also additional food vendors or even food trucks would be a wonderful addition.

I've lived not far from the Irvington area for the past 14 years. Over this time, it has become one…read moreof my favorite Indianapolis neighborhoods with a combination of urban style, history, and strong personality. As a wheelchair user, I'm the first to acknowledge it's not the most wheelchair friendly area - a definite deficit when it comes to patronizing its businesses AND attending events such as Irvington's "The Historic Irvington Halloween Festival." Yet, I've long thought to myself that if there any Indianapolis neighborhood to which I'd like to move for retirement it's likely Irvington. Despite being close to Irvington for quite some time, I'd not ventured out for its iconic Halloween Festival before precisely because of those accessibility concerns. Parking can be a beast around here, however, as expected I can honestly say I found it all worth it. Now in its 77th year, The Historic Irvington Halloween Festival is sponsored by the Irvington Community Council and brings together thousands of folks from across the city for the focal point of quite a few events that lead up to it including movies, ghost tours (Irvington has quite the reputation for its haunted spots), and other events. The festival itself weaves together a sense of community and a rare celebration of Indy's Eastside - a side of town that often gets a lot of disrespect. Events this year included an art auction, wellness fair, after party, masquerade ball, fright-seeing, movies, horror shorts movie night, family movie night, blood drive, "night out in sleepy hollow," zombie bike ride, vampire run, a night of spirits, and the actual joy-filled parade. All the festivities began as early as 10am - a great thing for those who prefer daytime activities, however, it all does go well into the night. There are numerous contests throughout the day and just a whole lot of fun to be had. The Irvington Witches are a must-see for me. For the week prior to the street fair, the festival utilizes a lot of volunteers to help run the event. There are, of course, lots of vendors involved and the vast majority of those vendors on the main East Washington Street strip get involved. I mean, c'mon, places like Jockamo and Scarlet Lane were practically made for this kind of thing. If you know me, and a lot of Yelpers do, I'm not always the most social human being but I had a blast with this. Yes, it can be a lot in terms of accessibility - parking is a bit obnoxious, Irvington's streets aren't always the most wheelchair friendly, and the crowd gets a bit overwhelming. However, it all works out pretty easily and nearly everyone I encountered was incredibly aware of and conscious of my wheelchair. I guess you could say I felt cared for throughout. If you've never attended The Historic Irvington Halloween Festival, you're missing out on one of Indy's most iconic events. While I'd plan ahead a bit if you have mobility needs, it's worth the planning and a whole lot of fun. Addendum: After my review, I was contacted by Jake, who plans logistical and technical aspects of the street fair. He noted that the festival provides "a large amount of accessible parking in the Snips parking lot as well as down the middle of Washington Street." He noted this info is available at the festival website under the street fair! Thanks to Jake for the contact and additional information!

Well, well, well, Halloween lovers this is the festival for you! I've always loved Halloween!…read moreCostumes, candy, pumpkins, haunted houses...it's just fun! This festival in Irvington has been held for 76 years! You could just people watch and see so many amazing costumes! They have a costume contest, pumpkin carvings, live music, food, and much more. The weather was perfect 72 and sunny! People go all out for their costumes! If you've never been you should try to go at least once. It's really neat. People young and old enjoying Halloween! It was a blast! Definitely would go again!