The inaugural Indianapolis Wine Festival exceeded expectations. Even though the event was new to…read moreIndy, the organizers have planned similar events in other cities. The IWF appeared well-run and it made for a good experience. The IWF was a two day event, with separate tickets for each night. Because of inclement weather, Friday night was cancelled and tickets were honored for Saturday. I wasn't sure what to expect since it's a new event, and they ended up having a big turnout on Saturday afternoon. The wine tasting went for a full five hours, and people arrived on a staggered basis. Lines for check-ins lasted no longer than a few minutes. Kudos for hosting the event for a long duration and allowing people to come back. As far as the wine tasting, there were 30+ booths to choose from. Most featured several reds and whites with a few dessert wines thrown in. I concentrated on the reds and they were fairly solid. Most of the selections were middle tier so don't expect a lot of high-priced vino. The lines weren't bad at all, at least toward the second part of the event. I just asked for a couple of samples (moving out of the way in between), then hit the next booth. There were some nice features of IWF I did not expect. There was a mini beer garden and admission included a pint of beer. That's a nice change of pace especially on a hot day. Free water was also included, and one of the sponsors offered free flavored water which really come in handy. There were a few food trucks on-site, and Maple Leaf Farms offered free samples of duck. There was also free popcorn and I certainly took advantage of it. Since the food options were fairly limited, I recommend eating somewhere else beforehand. Indianapolis Wine Festival was pretty good especially since it was new. The price point was on par with other events, though technically you don't get unlimited tasting (you get 20 sampling tickets but it didn't matter anymore toward the end). There were some nice perks, decent wines, and you didn't spend most of your time waiting in line.

First time going and it was planned very well. Staff and guests were all friendly and in a good…read moremood. Held at the Pan Am pavilion this year, saying they could set up for rain or shine. Weather was great Friday evening. Lucky us because if this was held earlier, it would've been uncomfortably sweltering. Event was offered two days, Friday from 5p to 10p and Saturday 3p to 8p. Alcohol serving ended 30 minutes to closing time. You could have bought tickets for one night or both. There's an upcharge if you wanted food or the VIP wines. A few weeks before the event, the FB page listed a $5 off coupon code and a $15 discount if you bought the ticket at Big Red liquor store. I wish I waited to buy my ticket to get the discounts but I wasn't sure if it was going to sell out. We walked in, was wristbanded, received our cute wine glasses, 20 tasting tickets, and a free beer sample ticket. There were food trucks on-site that you could pay out of pocket. We had a dinner reso later so i didn't get to try the food but it certainly smelled good. There was seating near the stage. Plenty of porter potties with hand washing station. Informal lines and walking around to sample wines. You could clean your glass at most tables with a water bottle and then dump into the bucket. Total of 1 oz pours and they're not allowed to put more than that at one time but you can resample with another ticket. At first i was disappointed with the pour size but by golly! 20 samples plus some freebies really was enough. If it weren't for our reso we could've easily spent 3-4 hours here. I started with whites but quickly switched to the reds because i prefer dry, oak, and whiskey. My favourites included Suite Michelle riesling and reds; Cooper Hawks almond, moscato, and cab; St. James peach; Constellation 7 moons and Cooper & Thief bourbon wine; and 520 bourbon and chocolate wine (tastes like a tootsie roll!). Thank you for such a great time!!

Okay, so a rainy night a week before Christmas was probably not the perfect time to check out…read moreChristmas Nights of Lights at the Indiana State Fairgrounds. On the other hand, traffic was lighter and there was something Dickensian about the entire experience. This is exactly what you expect it to be, though perhaps a better experience than I expected it to be. It's a drive-thru experience of Christmas lights, a synchronized light show with lots of spectacle and holiday spirit to be found. The music broadcasts through your car radio (I was glad I was with friends since my radio actually doesn't work). Christmas Nights of Lights opens before Thanksgiving and runs through New Year's Eve. It's a rain or shine (or snow) event. A few things to know: You enter at Gate 3. Online reservations are required and no cash/credit is accepted at the ticket booth. There are no refunds as they sell a limited number of tickets for each night. You "may" be able to exchange for a different time/night depending on availability, however, this MUST be done no later than 10pm on the day the ticket is valid. Carload passes and group passes apply to single vehicles. Also, the height restriction of the entrance tunnel is 11 feet. I grew up without Christmas in my home and there's a certain nostalgia to this experience in terms of driving around and seeing Christmas lights. Obviously, this is quite a bit fancier and a lot more festive. Is the experience somewhat expensive sure? $38 for a carload up to eight. $58.50 for 9-15 people. $84 for 16-35 people. If you go for an earlier slot, you get a time slot range of two hours. If you go later, it's about 30 minutes for the experience. With a carload, it's not a bad price. Will it become a holiday tradition? Probably not. I enjoyed it, maybe even more because of the rain. It added a certain sparkle to it all. However, it didn't quite have the "wow" factor that makes me immediately think I can't wait to go back. This is a neat experience and certainly a fun one for larger families or children's groups, however, for singles and small groups it's likely a bit pricey and not a great value.

I think the past years seemed better…read more The price is somewhat steep for a single family. The music this year (2025) didn't seem as good as the past. The music is noticeably more religion-oriented this year than the past. I'm not sure who actually runs this but it seems weird on the state fair grounds. And this is coming from a Catholic family. I just prefer blasting the Christmas classics in the car, not some new age Christian metal that I'd get exposed to at one of those churches.

If you're younger and grew up in the video console generation, the VR thing will probably come more…read moreintuitively to you. But I grew up on arcade games, and the staff could have been more helpful. The microphones for 2 in our group were not set up initially, then after struggling some more, and alerting the staff, it was discovered that the mics were off. Not being able to communicate to others in the game for nearly 75% of our time really ruined the experience. Be prepared to be vocal for assistance if you are new to VR and plan to visit this establishment.

I brought my nephews to Derezzed VR. It was our first time playing VR games and visiting Derezzed…read moreVR. You can ask each what they think about Virtual Reality and all of us will say You Have To, You Just Have To Come To This Store!! It was so much fun! Any and all ages too! For a whole week all I was asked was Can we go back?! Of course the answer is YES!! It was FUN! So many games. Easy to play. The space is plenty. It was truly an awesome experience! Highly Recommended. Bravo!

Such a great experience! There were so many people here, but surprisingly, it didn't feel super…read morecrowded, and I never had to wait in line more than a minute to get a food sample or refill my wine glass. That's a testament to the people who were running the show and the restaurant staff who were manning the booths. Bravo to everyone involved in this event! I can't even tell you how many restaurants were represented here, but there were lots. And I loved getting unlimited samples! My favorites were the chocolate pot de cremes from Gallery Pastry Shop and the apple pies from Pots + Pans ... are you sensing that I like dessert? Because I do. When you walk into this event, you grab a wine glass and a wearable badge-type-thing, and every time you get an alcoholic beverage, the people at the booth put a check on your badge. You are only allowed like 12 wine or beer samples, but the pours are generous here, so 12 is more than enough. The dress code seems to be all over the board. I saw dresses and heels and also jean shorts and flip flops. It's kind of like just wear what you want.

Y'all if you missed this event.... I'm so sorry! It was incredible! I won tickets thru Yelp and…read morehave been looking forward to it for WEEKS! Sooooo much amazing food, wine, and beer! I took one of my best girlfriends with me and we both agreed. This will now become an annual event for us. Be prepared to enter the food coma stage before leaving. UNLIMITED tastings y'all!!! You are limited to 12 beer/wine tastings but that's more than plenty. I suggest arriving early. We were first in line but got there about 35 minutes early. The line quickly grew. Like Indy Vintage Wine Festival type long. If you come at 1 be prepared to wait a while. We never had to wait long for a tasting though which says a lot for the crowd! The vendors were ON IT and so friendly. Some of my favorites were; Dan Dan Duck - Oakley's Bistro and Maple Leaf Farms Veal Osso Bucco Ravioli - Ruth's Chris Country Style Pork Rib with Chipotle Lime Slaw - Meridian Restaurant Chocolate Pot de Cremes - Gallery Pastry Shop (I might've gone back for seconds....maybe thirds don't judge.... They were THAT good) Hummingbird Cake with Cream Cheese frosting (from the heavens) - Bier Brewery (YES they have cake! I was shocked too...again went back forseconds :)

Loved this haunted house! So many theatrics! Tons of machines and lots of hard working actors. You…read morecan tell they really put a lot into this production. Lots of air puffs, ppl jumping at you, machines jumping at you. The machines tend to jump out a little close so that made it scarier. There was only one time it was pitch dark and one time you had to squeeze thru which was not good for my claustrophobia. Just when you think you're done, you're not! One more haunt at the end. There's a little drink stop with beebs and photo ops. They make you wait before starting to make sure there is ample space between groups. At first I was skeptical because you couldn't hear much and didn't see many ppl but it was def a blast and lasted a while

Wow! What an experience. I love the props, make up, jump scares and theme. I've been here every…read moreyear and everytime its and better experience! So exciting I could go back multiple times a year!... if you love haunted house or just the excitement you definitely have to add this to your must visit!!! Not allowed to take pics inside but they do have a test area in middle where you can take some awesome selfie and get a drink or snack.. love it!!

Firstly, Charles was super kind and super helpful. He instantly put in the F1 race without a…read morehesitation, which my partner was very happy about. The simulator moves you around and there are so many different options as far as tracks and cars go. If you of someone you know is into simulator racing, this is the place to be! It's wasn't crowded (we were here on a Sunday post-colts game) so we got into a room immediately. They also have signs to tell you to call if the doors are locked when you get there and you need to get on because the office building that this place is it has different hours than they do so it's really important that you call if it says they're open, but you can't get in because there is someone here and you will have a blast!

If you're looking for something to do in Indy that won't break the bank The Paddock is a solid…read morechoice. We took our 13 year old here on a Saturday after making reservations online a couple days before. When you get to the building you call and they come to get you. After you pick your car and your course from the list you get set up and are ready to go. You can also change your car and course through the experience. The entire set up moves through sensors and hydraulics. There are three 40 inch (?) TVs that show a 180 degree terrain. The kiddo said he could even feel pressure on his back and it moves from side to side. He had a great time.

We went to Tibbs for a school fundraiser so it was considered a private event. They organized and…read morehad workers to help with parking and other aspects. The drive in was clean and the staff were friendly. It was raining considerably so we took refuge under an outside awning. When a concession staff member spotted us she had us come inside to eat, even though the concession was from our private event. Very kind! It was a fun experience and totally new for the kids. We learned a bit about drive in etiquette and the best views. For sure we would prepare our car with cushy blankets etc for next time, or go with lawn chairs. It was a fun event and we would go again. The screen was perfectly visible and we didn't have trouble with sound as brought a 'boom box'! We plan to go again this summer!

Omg I live this place! Its reasonably priced. And its so family friendly. The concessions stand is…read morethe ultimate set up. They have it set up to run so smoothly. I loveeeee it. Every place should definitely take notice. The staff was friendly. And we just really enjoyed it. I used to take my boys to the drive in in Ohio all the time but had not been since moving to Indy but I will definitely go again!

I love this place so much that we bought two of the new chairs and are getting our names engraved…read moreon them. This is one of the largest screens in the country. The sound system is unmatched. And I've seen so many amazing movies here. The staff are great. The experience is great. I have no notes. It's perfect.

Drove a long way here to see the Odyssey on true IMAX 70mm. This theater is well organized and…read morefriendly. I appreciated: - 20% off concessions if you join the club (except I forgot to use it) - smooth queue to get in and immediately given parking validation after scanning our tickets - not extremely gougey concession prices - smooth exit out of the parking not as attendant was there to take our tickets and validation without needing guests to fiddle with the credit card machine Dislikes: - the seats were dirty and sticky. You can see dried soda splash stains on the chairs - very tight seating. If you have long legs, your knees will be pressed against the seat of the person sitting in front of you. Or someone else behind you hitting or pushing your seat.