Such a great experience! There were so many people here, but surprisingly, it didn't feel super crowded, 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. read more

Y'all if you missed this event.... I'm so sorry! It was incredible! I won tickets thru Yelp and have 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 :) read more

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Ecstatic to see all this festival has! Stay tuned ;) - here are some of the photos I took! The Cellar was an awesome stop to learn about some wines! read more

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I just gotta be the person with 3 stars huh? This was first year at the IndyStar Wine and Food Experience and it was definitely a good one. Tons of food from all over Indy and the weather wasnt too bad. The line to get in was a bit ridiculous,I did appreciate the staff for scanning tickets ahead of time to get people in faster. Once 1pm hit the line moved pretty quickly. We got our Kroger bag, lil wine glass and lanyard and we were ready! First stop was a booth promoted by Martha Stewart..and that's where I realized the lanyard with the card on it was to count wine samples. Um what? Why is there a limit to the amount of wine samples we get? Did I miss that in the fine print or something? I was under the impression we'd have unlimited samples of wine AND food (there were unlimited samples of food). There were about 9-10 wine booths with 3-4 wines to try and only 12 sample spaces on the card. The food thooooo! I sampled just about everything, and some things twice lol. The vendors were all amazing. A few of my faves- Just Pop In's Popcorn bisque with beer cheese, Grindstones bourbon pulled pork, Pastry Shop's macaroons, Shrimp Cocktail from Ocean Prime, and the lamb shank with Ratatouille was AMAZING! I had the opportunity to try a few new things as well- Pumpkin Ale from Bier Brewery, Iced Coffee from Bee Coffee Roaster's, and a bourbon based wine. There were a few things that could've been better- more seating for people. It was a solid 88/89 degree day it would've been nice to sit, especially after waiting in the long line to get in. and the obvious MORE WINE SAMPLES! Not that I'm proud or bragging but I can drink 12 samples of wine pretty easily. And I understand that its an experience and a chance to try new things, not a place to get drunk but c'mon, 12 samples?! Overall it was a great experience and I'm glad that we went! It was the perfect opportunity to try new things. read more

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I can not say enough amazing things about this event- such an amazing way to try local food and wines and mingle with the community. I will say next year I will purchase the. VIP. Not only do you get extra special perks and restricted area access- but you get to enter an hour early. This is HUGE because the line to get in even with tickets was LONG. To me it's worth it to pay extra to best the crowd. There are tables set up in the park area of Clay Terrace. Each are from food places all across Indianapolis- each providing a sample item of their choice from Sushi, to steak, to dessert items- even popcorn bisque (which was amazing)! There were sooooo many amazing things to try and a lot the places were even handing out coupons which was a huge plus. For the wine you get a card to punch when you get a glass- your allowed 12 samples. This may not seem like a lot but they are heavy pours this is more than enough for the timeframe of the event. This was such an amazing event I HIGHLY recommend! Also... even if you aren't a wine person there's craft beer! read more

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What a fantastic event. So many restaurants so many wines and even a few beers. Honestly, even if you aren't a wine fan you should just come to sample all of the amazing food. We arrived right at 1 pm and the line was already pretty long. We were in the gate by 1:15. Before you enter the event you are handed a small glass and card on a lanyard with 12 circles. Every time you get a drink the staff will mark off a circle so to not over serve you. 12 was more than enough. Some food favorites were Anthony's Chop House which ran out of food first. (bad move on their part) I was so close to sampling one of their delicious burgers. Another favorite was Blue Sushi's ceviche. I personally enjoyed Ruth's Chris Steak House veal ravioli. I was happy to see there were also a few businesses serving desserts. This was a nice change up because some of the fishes were rich and heavy. Gallery Pastry shop was there with their macaroons and a hazelnut chocolate pudding mousse. I was super excited to see an iced coffee vendor as it was super hot the day of. My husband was happy to see a couple of beer vendors too. There was a delicious pumpkin ale. I would like to see a couple more next year. The event was a huge success and I can't wait to attend another. I would recommend finding a way for more tables to sit and stand at. Maybe even adding some fans or cooling mists. The event was super hot and a lot of food tents were in the sun. Pro tip. Grab a bottle of water to drink and rinse your pallet but also to clean out your wine glass. For staff, the water ran out early so a reminder to add more next year. Loved the backdrop for photos. The Kroger bags were a nice touch also. read more

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What a great event. So much good food, beer, and wine........and iced coffee. My wife and I had a great afternoon at the IndyStar Wine and Food Experience. Although, we both agreed we ate too much. My favorite was the lamb chops from Tony's, the crab cakes from Anthony's, the short ribs from Geraldine's, the beef from Hyde Park, the shrimp from Ocean Prime........truth is I liked it all. There was a really good mix of food and drinks to try as well as activities. We can't wait to come back next year. read more

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My husband and I had so much fun at this years FWE. This was my first time attending so I wasn't sure what to expect but it exceeded my expectations. When we arrived the line to get in was pretty long but it moved quick and only took about 15 min. We got a lanyard which had events and drink tracking. We also got a complimentary wine glass for all of our tastings. I was a little intimidated that they kept track of how many drinks I had but at the end I realized it was for the best. It's easy to sip on a lot of drinks in a 3 hour period. We did a loop around the event to check it out before we started sampling. After seeing what booths were the most popular we got in line. First for a drink and then food. I was really impressed with the variety of local vendors in attendance. All of the restaurants brought their best ingredients/dishes to show off for their customers. I loved the lamb chops from Tony's. My favorite part of the event was the break out sessions. I attended 2 at the cellar tent for wine tasting. I loved the intimate feel of hearing the experts speak up close and personal. The event went by so quick and it was time to leave before I knew it. I really enjoyed that it wasn't overly crowded but still felt like a special destination to be in attendance at. Hope we go back next year! read more

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This was my second year in a row at this event (THANKS YELP!! ). And it did not disappoint! Like last year they do give you a card that makes your track your alcohol (limit of 12) but honestly I didn't even come close to using them all. It is SO easy to get really full from the UNLIMITED food samples! I'm not even sure where to begin on the food. I don't think I tried anything that wasn't amazing! I was happy to see some of the same places as last year as well as a few new places- (hi just pop in!). I tried everything from shrimp to crab dip to meatballs and everything in between. I will say I'd you are worried you will not get to try everything don't fret- every place was still serving when we left! My boyfriend was happy there were a few more beer vendors this year than last. It was such a hot day that beer actually sounded better than wine. I will say I think the beer could still be expanded a little bit but it was great to see local representation there! I would love if they had a few local wineries too! The only real downside to this event is the line getting in. It took FOREVER I felt like they could have sped this up a little bit. Another thing that could make it better is more seats around the area. Again it was such a hot day that people were looking to sit and hangout but there wasn't much room to do that. All in all it was a great event! Highly recommend for anyone who considers themselves a foodie! read more

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This was such a good time! Perfect weather, great food and wine and short lines! The food vendors were welcoming and distributed reasonable sized samples. This was the perfect opportunity to publicize and showcase a food establishment. Loved there were activities. The only regret I have is that I didn't know about this event sooner! I have some new bucket list restaurants to visit thanks to this event! read more

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What a great event! A little on the pricier side, but it was worth every penny. First, it is not unlimited wine samples, but it is plenty of wine. I did not even make it all the way through my card. We did not have any problem with the line, but we did arrive about 20 minutes late. Not to worry if that is your game plan though. Nothing had run out, and I don't ever think anything ran out for the duration of the event. I have been to several beer and wine festivals where this has been an issue. So, great planning on the part of the IndyStar Wine and Food Experience group! We sampled wines from all of the booths. I had a few favorites that I went back for, but we generally tried to try a new wine each time. It was very well done and there was a wide variety of wines to try, from all over the world. The layout was done pretty well. I liked that you had the two event tents on either side of the space. We didn't realize that some of them needed extra tickets, but that wasn't a big deal. You could still stand and watch. I do think that it was a bit crowded near the front of the festival. There was so much space in the back that they could have probably spread out to a little more and had less congestion. Overall though, the lines to get wine and food moved quickly, so no real complaints. The Food, the food, the FOOD! To me this was the star of the show. There was such a wide variety of different foods that anyone could have found something they liked. There was also no limit on the food samples, so you could have as much as you wanted. Some of the highlights for me were: the salmon dumpling, the curry ball, the lamb meatball, the dan dan duck, and many more. It was easy to get full and even easier to get uncomfortably stuffed. Great event, and probably one that will become a yearly tradition! read more

Thank you Yelp for making this a dream come true. I have finally attended a Wine and Food event. I've seen photos of past events and always wanted to do this. And IndyStar Wine & Food Experiences presented by Kroger did not disappoint. I took my hubster as my plus one and of course he was my dd....also he's a fan of wrestling so getting to see the Bella Twins was a treat. I had a blast and the food was delicious. We were there for 2 hours of just tasting after tasting. Indy you did great! I Indy! read more

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I had a great time with friends. This was my 2nd year in a row attending this event. There was good food, good wine, good demos, and good fun. There were loads of people at the event. The event hosts were very hospitable. I will address the pros and cons.of the day. Upon arrival, we noticed an extremely long line trailing out and halfway down the west parking lot. It took us 15-20 mins, in line, to get into the event. They were scanning tix, wanding people, and checking bags. Which, in itself, left us down that much time to enjoy the event. Safety first, I guess. You were given a wine glass and a score card on a lanyard. The card was a way to let the wine/beer vendors know when to cut you off. Once into the event, the vendors were in full swing. The demos were running, wine was pouring, and food was plated. There were plenty of cold bottled water stations strategically placed around the event. This was very much appreciated as it was HOT. There were some hit and misses but everyone put their best foot forward. Loved the chefs demonstrations and their openness to answering questions. We even got a pic from a fan favorite local chef of Oakley Bistro. Now, last year we were given plates to get your food samples. This year the food was already plated for consumption. So for the eco-fans, sorry. As much as I wanted it to not be any negatives, there were. The long wait in line wasn't a sparkling moment. It appears there were a lot fewer vendors and no candy companies. Bummer . A lot of the vendors started packing up and 3pm when the event ended at 4pm. Some stayed until the end but almost half didn't. My final determination, I may go again next year. read more

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Wow! What a chance I got when 2 tix arrived via email! Hottest ticket in town! Truly good samples out there! All I needed was a tiny bite...so many places did it right. A few tried to serve more ... like a whole slider but I couldn't eat all that. The best idea is just give a bite... I was so full when I left! Also ... more seats in the shade please. Idk... can we bring our own chairs? I didn't see anyone who did that... but easy solution. Anyway - plenty of parking- nice venue - good signage- I really appreciated the spots who tried to cut down on Garbage- Thank You! Free water on this hot day was very welcome- thank you Kroger! read more

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Great event! This was my first time attending after friends raved about it! It was an awesome opportunity to taste and visit the food options that Indy has to offer! I discovered hidden gems and even some more well known dining options! I didn't find a wine but that's perfectly fine since the day at the event was truly enjoyable! read more

IndyStar Wine + Food Experience - Chef Alex G - Festivals Near Me - Carmel, Indiana

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Thanks to yelp I won tickets for this event. I had been previously and had an amazing time each time I was there. It was super hot, but the wine was SUPER chilled. I love all wine so this was the greatest place to go! The local resturaunts there serving small bites was delicious too, I was so stuffed that I didn't even get to try them all. I would love to see this event be more staggered with times, so not everyone is waiting in line at the same time, and possibly a little later in the year next year, so it isn't so darn hot! read more

Great food, great wine, great beer. The event was very busy with lots of different restaurants and food to choose from. Some of my favorite food was the shrimp cocktail from Oceanaire and the ravioli from Ruth's Chris Steakhouse. You could eat as much you'd like and you got a card for drinks. I wish there'd been more seating and shade available as it was very hot and humid and not many places to sit. All in all, great event. read more

What an awesome event! The food selections from various Indianapolis area restaurants included Tonys, Cobblestone, Hyde Park and more. Great wine as well! read more