An awesome event that gets better every year! This summer it was held at Banker's Fieldhouse which…read moreoffered lots of great space as well as ample parking. As always, entry is FREE but you could opt into a paid ticket which allowed pre-entry an hour before the public. I always enjoy the variety of merchant vendors, but this year there were so many interesting businesses represented! Sierra Club Indiana Chapter, Hoosier Environmental Council. Upland Peak Animal Sanctuary, Pet Friendly Services, Commuter Connect...to just name a few. It's a great way to learn more about environmentally friendly businesses and the services they offer. There was even a vegan dietician on hand to answer any questions guests had about living a healthy vegan lifestyle. I came hungry and wasn't at all disappointed by the variety of food vendors available on the floor level. Many sold out of their goods by the end of the event. I had an amazing bbq jackfruit sandwich from Union Jack's Pub, pistachio ice cream from Moo Over and took home some amazing soy Gouda cheese from the Vegan Cheese Lady. Also purchased some amaretto flavored maple syrup and a sampler pack from Dragonwood syrups...yum! There was a cooking demonstration by Sea Salt and Cinnamon that I unfortunately missed. A variety of alcoholic beverages were also available at the fieldhouse bars. All in all, I had a great time as always. My thanks go out to Katelin and Joseph for all their hard work in organizing this fantastic event! There's something for everyone regardless of whether you're a veg-head or not.

I knew this event is a wild success each year, but I'm not a vegetarian or a vegan. I fully…read moreexpected to simply check it out and then eat elsewhere. NOPE. I ate DELICIOUS food from amazing vendors - many that I didn't even realize serve vegan options. Located at the Biltwell Event Center this year, the first floor consisted primarily of food vendors (both cooked-to-order and pre-packaged options). Bizs included: -Three Carrots -Ezra's Enlightened Cafe -Union Jack's -Mama P's Bakery -Duos, BRICS -Circle City Kombucha -Tlaoli New, amazing businesses I encountered for the first time: -Sea Salt & Cinnamon -Simply Divine Cupcakes -Roamers (delish beet hummus) There were a TON of people at this event. My tip would be to come towards the end so there's less lines. It's a great spot to learn about your food and also try amazing local options.

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.

As someone who has a background in visual arts, I'm always excited to visit Newfields! Art in…read moreBloom, The Lume immersive experiences , Winterlights and of course Harvest Nights are some of the annual events I look forward to. Last night was the third time I attended Harvest Nights. This was the first time I arrived before it was dark so it was less spooky and a bit more wholesome in the daylight. We arrived at 7 and stayed until about 9 pm to experience everything lit up after dark. When you arrive, you're surrounded by stacks of pumpkins in every size, shape, color and type imaginable. Beautiful Fall arrangements are everywhere you look. The Fungi Forest was something new I haven't seen before. Very cool! I felt a bit like Alice in Wonderland encompassed by giant mushrooms towering above illuminated by strategically placed neon lights. One of the highlights of the event was the Cutwater Lounge--a 21+ space upstairs in the Lily House transformed into "Mischief Manor" only for Harvest Nights. The bartender told me this was the first year having this feature. We had a flight of the Cutwater alcoholic beverages that included a snack mix of tasty treats. The Mule and Espresso Martini were our favs with the margarita coming in 3rd. Cutwater's take on the Lemon Drop (which is a drink I typically enjoy) was strong yet tasted a bit watered down. The adult only experience wasn't very well marked (it's upstairs) and signage in general--starting at the parking lot entrance--needs improvement. I'm not sure we would have known about the adult area had it not been for the nice lady who sold us some yummy sweet potato fries with sage and bourbon maple dip. The Spider Stomp, Ghost Train and light show projected onto the Lily House all add to the overall experience. The seasonal food and drink options are great albeit a bit pricey. Passed on the $12 Bavarian pretzel but had to try Elysian Pumpkin Ale and wanted to try the cider but $14 was a little steep. It's not necessary to spend $20 for premium parking that they pressure you to purchase when you first pull into the lot. I recommend getting there early and wearing some of your best walking shoes. It's a cashless campus so good to keep that in mind. Love Newfields and can't wait for Winterlights in a couple months!

We went at 7:30 which was the perfect time since it was just starting to get dark. The line was…read morelong but move pretty quickly. We loved all the lights and decorations. There were tons of decorated pumpkins throughout Newfields. There is a food/drink garden area in the middle with benches to take a break if you want. We ordered the Marsh & Mallow Spooky Campfire Cocoa (spiked hot cocoa) and we all liked it and was comforting on this chilly night. The Lily house had a long line but we enjoyed going in and seeing all the spooky details inside.

SWING is a fun new charity hosted by Victory Field x Indianapolis Indians to raise funds for their…read morecharity which supports local youth groups, family groups, educational programs, and neighborhood development. The SWING event was a roaring good time with the best drinks from St. Elmo Cocktails, the best food from the best restaurants all around the city, and great live music. Some of my favorite highlights from the night were St. Elmo's Old Fashioned, Mimi Blue's Mashed Potatoes, Clancy's Fries, Tinker Coffee was much needed, Simplicity cocktails were delicious, and the DeBrand Chocolates. The Infield was a giant party with live music, bourbon tastings, a 360 Video stand, and so many more cool things. And the best part of the night we $400,000 for Indianapolis Indians Charities and its 2024 grant recipients!

This event had so many great vendors! The Beauty Bar at Geist, Merle Norman, The Dry Bar and Reveal…read moreBy Polish just to name a few. We started out the afternoon with a wine slushy from Daniel's Vineyard. Then the keynote speaker Nicole Pence Becker gave us the low down on self-love and self-care. We even got to see a makeup demonstration from Merle Norman. Then we all headed upstairs to the Love Loft to get pampered. All of the vendors had a booth set up to pamper you. I was lucky enough to have my hair done, make up applied, a wonderful hand message and spray tan on my arms! I wish there was an event like this once a month not once a year for Mother's Day! Thank you to all of the vendors that made this a great afternoon.

Had a great time at the Mamahood event with 150 plus other ladies, hosted by theCityMoms. A great…read morething about this event is that it was open all women, not just moms. A unique experience seeing women of all ages as well, some grandmas and aunts, and of course moms too. It started with a key note speaker who spoke the main downstairs area. There were a ton of great giveaways and each lady got a goodie bag as they arrived. There was an option to purchase a VIP tickets, which included an additional goody bag and a wine slushie. After the speaker, everybody was released to go explore all the offenders that were set up upstairs. this range from massages, to facials, to candles, to boutique, and even airbrush tanning. Many of the vendors were doing minis of their product, whether this be hair or massages, etc. Daniel's Vineyard was on hand selling glasses of wine and wine slushies. Their pizza was available for all the guests to snack on as they shopped & browsed. Love they're fire cooked pizzas!

If you know me at all, you know I have a deep appreciation for everything grassroots. I prefer…read moresmall mom n' pop diners. I love small, hole-in-the-wall businesses. I also really love grassroots special events, fundraisers, and activism. Joe's Show is a definite grassroots fundraiser, a music/arts showcase type of event started 14 years ago by Tom and Heather Dane as a fundraiser to support the growing medical expenses they were experiencing due to their son Joe's multiple health concerns. Initially held at a local bar, the soon to be annual event featured everything you'd expect from a small, grassroots fundraiser. Joe's Show grew. It possessed a communal spirit, something which tends to be true when you immerse yourself in the community of families who have children with disabilities, and Heather became more and more active in the disability community and eventually she and Tom became parents to a second child with significant health issues. Eventually, Joe's Show grew to become an outdoor event at an area on Indy's Northside in the Ravenswood neighborhood. It's a weirdly beautiful setting on private property, though the event itself is held at a building known as "The Fishing Shed," which I understand to have at one point actually been some sort of official fishing type of shop. It's a rustic and beautiful little place and the outdoor area, which is close to a couple of Indianapolis parks, offers a waterside view and a surface that is lightly graveled, mostly dirt paths yet surprisingly friendly to wheelchairs. My familiarity with Joe's Show comes out of my being a co-worker of Heather's. She continues to be immersed in the disability community (I also work in the disability community) and her social circle is obviously broad and diverse, though I certainly won't leave her husband Tom out of that equation. During the event's 12th year, sadly, the inspiration for the show, Joe, passed away at the age of 12 not long before the show was to be held. The Dane's made the decision to continue the event, at least that year, and decided to give proceeds to a non-profit where Heather worked at the time. As someone who has lost a child myself, I can assure you the grief remains a constant and at some point the decision was made to continue Joe's legacy by continuing the show as a benefit for other families experiencing significant medical costs. For the last two years, they've picked a child's family each year and proceeds went to the family to support medical expenses. If you don't resonate with that cause, just close up shop and donate your heart because you're obviously not using it. The event is typically held in September. As you might expect, it is attended by lots of families and you will definitely see both children and adults with disabilities. The event is outdoors. It's not what I would call particularly wheelchair friendly, but when you're in a true "community" everything really kind of becomes accessible. I pulled into the area unsure about parking, but it seems to be a "park wherever you can find space" kind of deal. I didn't hear a single complaint about a single thing. I mean, seriously. Admission is $5 - a stunning price for an afternoon of entertainment and community. The event starts around 3pm and includes several bands - for example, this year included Shadeland, Tracksuit Lifestyle, Giant Not Giant, Old Revel Minds, and Glamerica. The event had a raffle with some very cool items, food, a bake sale, games, plenty of space to just sort of play outdoors (the waterside was actually roped off to prevent a tragic accident), face painting, a balloon artist, and much more going on. I believe everyone donated their time and talent, while raffle tickets were $1 and baked goods were on a donation basis. In other words, EVERYONE was there because they cared. As a side note, there's also a golf event that benefits Joe's Show that happens about a week or so before the actual event. Joe's Show is well organized, the design of the event area is impeccable with lots of room for people, play, relaxation, and wheelchair mobility (both power chairs and manual). They had port-a-potties that were sponsored for the event. The sound system is fantastic - loud enough that you can hear it in the back, yet not so blaring that you can't enjoy conversation. If there's one thing I appreciated most about Joe's Show, though, it's simply the sense of community throughout the event. There's an authenticity and emotional resonance to the show that you simply can't fake and you'll find yourself wanting to immerse yourself in. The fundraising is important, and definitely mentioned, but it's compassionate reinforcement and done without an ounce of manipulation. Joe's Show has a Facebook page, though I don't believe the effort has an actual website. It's a definite 5-star effort and afternoon of entertainment, community, and compassion.

We took the grandkids to the Carmel Pride festival on Carter Green yesterday. Although it was…read moreincredibly hot outside, we were still able to enjoy the event because many booths were shaded. The people were friendly and we were able to talk to many sponsors and understand current endeavors. The kids got their faces painted (so did I) and played many games to win trinkets. Some booths were giving water so people could stay hydrated. I saw about a dozen food trucks selling everything from iced cones to egg rolls. There was a band that was really good. I would have liked to see some shaded seating, or any seating, so I could have relaxed more or sat down to eat. We only stayed an hour because of the heat. There as plenty of free garage parking although it was tight.

This was a fun art festival at Arbuckle Park in Brownsburg. There were between 40 - 50 vendors…read moreattending with music by Six 5 featuring Jacob Bates and Andrew Butcher. And everyone, including us, appeared to be enjoying the band. The Flying Cupcake was on site as well as several other food vendors. The Boy Scouts were doing well selling sandwiches for their troop. This of course is a smaller festival than Penrod and others but with a nice variety of product for sale and less expensive here than same product at other festivals. The rain had put a damper on the festival but the rain let up after an hour or so. Several vendors threw in the towel but the real troopers hung in there since we and many other shoppers didn't let the rain stop us. The vendors who remained open were busy and sold items along with marketing their business. I came home with several things I was very tickled to pick up while disappointed that one of the vendors I originally came for had given up and closed her tent for the day. Regardless, we had a great time and enjoyed talking to Jim Spilman of Slinky and Maggie's Homemade Dog Treats. This was the second time we crossed paths and we have purchased each time. His gluten free, all natural dog treats are popular with both our dogs. My little one has a tendency to turn up his nose if cookies are crunchy or flavorless. Both dogs love his cookies. Check him out if you're in Greenwood at 4084 Rocking Chair Road or Phone 317-509-2781.