Indianapolis, IN
10 Indy food festivals to check out this summer
(MIRROR INDY) — Indianapolis has a tasty list of food festivals that can’t be missed, like homemade meatballs at Holy Rosary’s huge Italian Festival and near-endless suds and wing sauces at Chicken & Beer Fest.
Dig a little deeper into America’s culinary crossroads and you’ll find a feast of hidden-gem and culturally diverse spring and summer events that tempt your appetite, spark your curiosity, and fill your soul.
Noon, May 11, 4141 S. East St., Indianapolis. Free entry.
Mangos are so beloved and important in the Philippines that Filipinos call them “golden fruit” and “fruit of the gods.” Indulge in all the velvety sweetness of the country’s national fruit in desserts like mango floats, mango ice candy and mango ice cream. There are savory mango dishes and mango drinks, too, all at The Philippine Cultural Community Center.
8 a.m.-1 p.m. June 30, 11717 42nd Street Indianapolis. Free, but reservations required.
Pack mints and enjoy all the magic of everything garlic at this hands-on harvest festival. Get right in there and help loosen the soil. Then, learn how to cure bulbs you pulled from the ground. Everyone who helps gets to take home five pounds of garlic. The day includes lunch and an optional light breakfast.
June 22 and 23, 500 W. Washington St., Indianapolis. Free entry for kids; $20-$25 for adults.
Indigenous communities that existed before colonization in what is now Indiana included the Kickapoo, Lenape, Miami, Piankashaw, Potawatomi, Shawnee, Wea and Wyandot or Wyandotte. Learn about the foods of native cultures past and present as well as music, dance, storytelling and hands-on artmaking at the family-friendly event featuring more than 140 vendors.
Noon, May 25, 8902 E. 38th St., Indianapolis. Free for all.
Twelve Black-owned food trucks vie to be named best of the best at Community Alliance of the Far Eastside. Judges consider execution, appearance and taste. Keep your own score for the People’s Choice award. Entrants include 2023 People’s Choice champion House of SoulRollz, famous for egg rolls full of collards and smoked turkey. The 2023 juried winner, Good Vegan/Bad Vegan, will be there, too, with dishes like its “chicken” and waffles, raw tacos and award-winning buffalo “chicken” ranch fries.
10 a.m.-3 p.m. Sept. 14, 3350 N. German Church Road., Indianapolis. Free for all.
Savor India’s delicious feast of regional flavors and world influences at this Hindu Temple of Central Indiana festival. Experience Mumbai street food, like the spicy vegetable dish pav bhaji, served with soft rolls. Try Indo-Chinese stir-fried hakka noodles. Also discover South Indian dishes, for instance the fluffy rice cakes called “idlis” and milky sweet filter coffee. Indian music and dance happen as vendors sell everything from fashion to trinkets.
2-4 p.m. May 5, June 2, July 21, Aug. 4, Sept. 8, and Oct. 12; 2424 Doctor M.L.K. Jr. St., Indianapolis. Free entry, but tickets required.
This on-going celebration at Ujamaa Community Bookstore is a chance to learn about Afro food origins and experience the culinary art of local chefs. Flanner House’s director of food justice Candace Boyd Simmons, also co-host of the Black Girls Eating podcast, curates the culinary book list. Reservations are required. Space is limited.
11 a.m.-4 p.m., June 9, Stage Door Irvington, Bonna Ave., Indianapolis. Free entry, but $20 to attend talks.
Savory mushroom tacos, anyone? How about mushroom-infused drinks? The magical and tasty world of mushrooms provides an unforgettable experience combining culinary delights with education and entertainment. The immersive speaker series delves into growing, foraging and cooking mushrooms, as well as their medicinal properties. The event is free, but the speaker series costs $20, and tickets are limited.
Noon, May 5, 3585 Commercial Drive, Indianapolis. Free for all.
Tucked in along the south side of Indiana Discount Mall, next door to the Saraga off Lafayette Road, Indy Taco Fest maintains a small-community feel. Family-run food trucks and vendors serve real-deal tacos but also tamales, gorditas and more.
5 p.m. to midnight, May 31 and June 1, 6000 W. 34th St., Indianapolis. Free for all.
Food drawing from the global culinary traditions of the Circle City’s ethnically diverse West Side takes center stage at this International Marketplace neighborhood party. Papusas, brats, elotes and tortas are some of the foods you may encounter alongside family-friendly games and live music by local artists.
Noon, Sept. 21, 4141 S. East St., Indianapolis. Free for all.
According to legend, a man trying to comfort his neighbors invented Chinese, stuffed dumplings almost 2,000 years ago during a freezing Han Dynasty winter. Whatever their origins, dumplings spread far and wide, including to the Phillipines, where the pork-stuffed variety are known as siomai. Steamed buns are called “siopao.” If you’re the person who lives for dim sum, this tasty gathering at The Philippine Cultural Community Center is for you.
The Indianapolis Colts’ 2026 NFL Draft class got mixed reviews to say the least as some rankings and grades have them at the top and others in the mid-20s. Here’s a selection of the analysis from the national media.
The Colts didn’t pick in Round 1, a product of their deadline deal with the Jets to land Sauce Gardner in November. They were 7-2 at that point with Daniel Jones playing great ball, but after an overtime win the following week in Berlin, they became the first NFL team to ever be six games over .500 and still finish with a losing record (per ESPN Research). Jones tore an Achilles in Week 14, and 44-year-old Phillip Rivers, signed out of retirement, was unsurprisingly unable to right the ship.
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The CJ Allen pick is going to be huge for the defense. He was a steal at No. 53 — I had him 28th on the board. He has three-down attributes that allow him to impact the game in coverage, as a run stopper and as a blitzer. Just look at his stat line from 2025: 97 tackles, seven tackles for loss, nine run stops, three pass breakups, two forced fumbles, 3.5 sacks. Paired with free agent signing Akeem Davis-Gaither and Day 3 pick Bryce Boettcher, the linebacker unit should take a step forward.
Despite tying for 14th with 39 sacks, this team was 30th in pass rush win rate (29.1%) last season. George Gumbs Jr. and Caden Curry chip in with Laiatu Latu (who is looking like a promising young pro after 8.5 sacks in 2025) to get after more AFC South quarterbacks, but Indy could have used a little more here. A.J. Haulcy enters as a potential Nick Cross replacement next to Cam Bynum, with eight interceptions and 12 pass breakups over the past two seasons. And Jalen Farmer was a strong value in Round 4, as I ranked the 6-foot-5, 312-pound guard at No. 81 overall. He didn’t allow any sacks last season.
Without the first-round pick, the Colts did pretty well here overall, getting a borderline first-round talent on Day 2.
The Indianapolis Colts gave up their first-round pick as a part of the Sauce Gardner trade. Given the lack of elite cornerback prospects in this year’s draft — after Mansoor Delane, who was taken sixth overall — the Colts will probably stand by their position.
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Gardner will only turn 26 in August, and he may prove to be more valuable than prospects who would have been available with Indy’s 16th pick, like Oregon tight end Kenyon Sadiq and USC receiver Makai Lemon.
GM Chris Ballard picked up a little extra capital by trading down in Round 2 — flipping the 47th and 249th picks for the 53rd, 135th, and 237th selections — before grabbing Georgia linebacker CJ Allen.
Allen was considered one of the top off-ball linebackers in the 2026 class and should immediately boost Indy’s second-level defense. With their second pick on Day 2, the Colts added safety A.J. Haulcy, another talented defender who should make an early impact.
Haulcy was the 53rd-ranked prospect on the B/R board.
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Linebacker Bryce Boettcher could also push for early playing time. He and Allen have the potential to reshape Indy’s linebacker group, and Jalen Farmer will provide valuable depth along the interior O-line.
GM Chris Ballard could have afforded to address the team’s need at edge-rusher earlier in the draft, but he largely did a good job of adding defensive help without a Day 1 selection.
The Colts addressed their defensive needs on Days 2 and 3 after watching from the sidelines on Thursday. That has to feel good for Lou Anarumo after his group put up some real stinkers in the second half of last season.
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Inside linebacker help was a necessity for Indianapolis, and it found some in the second and fourth rounds. If not for positional value, Allen would have been a first-round pick. For him to still be on the board at 53 was a win. Allen is a hard hitter who will help establish a tough culture on the defensive unit. And if recent history tells us anything, it’s that there is nothing wrong with taking a linebacker out of Georgia.
Bryce Boettcher is just as exciting. He has two-sport experience after playing both baseball and football at Oregon and boasts a motor that separates him from most prospects in this class.
Second-round LB CJ Allen (53rd overall pick) and third-round S A.J. Haulcy (78th) seem like sweet value picks given where these talented defenders were selected – and both could start as rookies. They’re also the secondary story of this draft. In a win-now move made at least year’s trade deadline, Indy surrendered this year’s first-rounder (and next year’s even more valuable one) to the Jets for CB Sauce Gardner, who – through no fault of his own really – wasn’t able to help the cratering Colts win now in 2025. But if Gardner, who hasn’t been the same player the past few years that he was earlier in his career, doesn’t revert to All-Pro form – maybe even Deion Sanders form – history is not going to look kindly upon GM Chris Ballard’s very expensive gambit.
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Analysis: The Colts, without a first-rounder, still made this draft solid with the combination of Allen and Haulcy early to fill defensive needs. With no glaring holes, GM Chris Ballard did the best he could to bolster depth with Curry being the best later pick.
Allen: Allen is a physical, reliable middle linebacker with strong run-defense ability. His length limitations are notable, but he flashes enough in coverage to project as a starter.
Haulcy: Haulcy is a true deep safety with strong range, ball skills and an aggressive playmaking mentality. He projects as a starter in systems that keep him in a traditional backend role.
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Farmer: Farmer put together a solid but unspectacular 2025 season, earning a 69.8 PFF overall grade that ranked 93rd among guards. His best work came in pass protection, where his 72.4 PFF pass-blocking grade ranked 256th, while his 67.4 run-blocking grade ranked 113th. Across 818 snaps, he allowed 14 pressures, including three sacks and no quarterback hits, and committed one penalty.
Boettcher: Boettcher is a high-energy, multi-sport athlete who plays with physicality despite a smaller frame. He could carve out a role in an attacking defensive scheme.
Gumbs: Gumbs brings intriguing size and length (6-foot-4, 245 pounds, 33 5/8-inch arms) alongside developing production, and entered draft weekend at No. 211 on the PFF Big Board. He logged 345 snaps in 2025 and earned a 66.0 defensive grade, with solid marks in run defense (69.2) and pass rush (68.2). His 13 total pressures and 12 run stops point to flashes of impact, though five missed tackles and inconsistent efficiency highlight a still-developing profile.
Curry: Curry generated 46 pressures and 12 sacks along Ohio State’s defensive front while also excelling against the run, earning an 86.7 PFF run-defense grade. However, his lack of ideal size and length could limit his defensive role, making his extensive and productive special teams experience a key path to a roster spot.
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McGowan: McGowan has the build and athleticism to be a starting-caliber back at the NFL level. His explosiveness in short areas and long speed, paired with quick processing and play speed, make him a difference-maker between the tackles in power-run concepts.
Llewellyn: Llewellyn brings effort and a variety of pass-rush moves but is an average athlete who must improve strength to earn consistent snaps.
Burks: Burks’ size and production do not clearly point to a future NFL contributor, but his athleticism and strength make him difficult to dismiss. He offers intriguing upside as an explosive slot receiver, though he may not fit every scheme.
Joel A. Erickson and Nathan Brown cover the Colts all season. Get more coverage on IndyStarTV and with the Colts Insider newsletter.
This article originally appeared on Indianapolis Star: Colts draft grades: Colts get high marks from some, very low from others
INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) – People can weigh in on regulations guiding the future of data center development in Indianapolis.
The Department of Metropolitan Development (DMD) will hold two virtual meetings this week on a proposed ordinance to create zoning regulations for data centers. The city doesn’t currently have zoning rules specific to data centers.
The virtual meetings are Tuesday, April 28, from 6:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. and Thursday, April 30, from noon to 1 p.m.
Attendees need to RSVP to join the info sessions. A meeting link will be provided after registering.
Public comments can also be submitted through an online survey.
The city says four separate requests were made to build data centers in Indianapolis over the last year. These developments have drawn intense public pushback, with concerns surrounding the environmental impacts of data centers and their strain on water and power supply.
After the Indianapolis City-County Council approved rezoning for the $500 million Metrobloks data center in the Martindale-Brightwood neighborhood, someone shot into the home of Democratic Councilman Ron Gibson. A note reading “No data centers” was left under his doormat.
A lawsuit seeks to block a $4 billion data center project on the southwest side of Indianapolis.
“The fact of the matter is data centers are coming whether we want them to or not,” Gibson told News 8. “So, how do we make sure they’re more responsible, how do we make sure they invest in our community, and how do we make sure that investment is what we want?”
Council President Vop Osili, a Democrat currently running for mayor, says he doesn’t want any data centers built in residential neighborhoods. Republican Councilmember Michael Paul-Hart wrote in his weekly newsletter, “communities need stronger protections, better notice, and clearer standards if these projects are approved.”
A DMD spokesperson said the goal of the data center zoning ordinance is to create minimum requirements and add clarity to the development process.
Critics have said the proposed regulations are too relaxed.
Ben Inskeep, Program Director of consumer and environmental advocacy group Citizens Action Coalition (CAC) told News 8 “This ordinance fails to create basic protections for Hoosiers.” Inskeep said the ordinance could include stronger noise limits, requirements to use clean energy, and increased setbacks.
CAC is also calling for required annual reporting on water usage.
Democratic Councilmember Jesse Brown has publicly called for a six-month moratorium on data center developments in Marion County. According to CAC, a dozen Indiana counties have already put moratoriums in place.
The Metropolitan Development Commission will consider the new zoning ordinance on data centers during its next meeting on May 20. If approved, the ordinance could be introduced at an Indianapolis City-County Council meeting in June then be adopted as early as July.
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