Indianapolis, IN
Madam Walker Legacy Fest continues celebrations with daylong block party
INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) — The third annual Madam Walker Legacy Fest took over Indiana Avenue Friday and Saturday, and the celebrations continued Saturday with a daylong block party.
Kristian Stricklen, president of the Madam Walker Legacy Center, says they expect thousands to come out to Saturday’s block party. “We’re so excited, we have more than 25 vendors and food trucks – it’s (about) coming back to (Indiana Avenue) for the community.”
Even with the vendors and line-up of local artists hitting the stage, Stricklen says it’s about bringing in the younger generation.
“This is our giveback; we want to bring people back to the avenue and allow them to have the memories that their grandparents had of coming to the avenue to have a great time,” she said.
Stricklen adds that the hope is to continue to grow the fest year after year. “It’s just about building on what we had already started to accomplish. That just means more people.”
The event kicked off at 11 a.m. and runs until 7 p.m. More information on the festival can be found on the Legacy Center’s website.
The Indianapolis Colts are in a make-or-break season under longtime general manager Chris Ballard.
After exiting a season that featured yet another mid-season collapse, this regime is holding onto its last remaining breath of hope as it attempts to right the ship entirely. Colts Owner/CEO Carlie Irsay-Gordon said in her post-season press conference that the sense of urgency ‘has never been higher’ for Ballard and Shane Steichen, who is entering his fourth season as the Colts’ head coach.
As a result, this offseason has featured numerous high-floor, low-ceiling decisions for Indianapolis. In an attempt to replicate last year’s early-season success, Ballard’s Colts are once again ‘running it back,’ something that has yet to produce meaningful results in past years.
Ballard’s recent draft has been deemed by some a near-perfect outing considering their situation — not having a first-round pick to bolster their roster — but more than anything, it’s a showing that addressed the team’s weakest position rooms.
From immediate contributors to sleepers and depth pieces, Colts on SI breaks down each draftee’s projected 2026 role.
Immediate Starters
Georgia LB CJ Allen
After trading longtime starter and leader of the defense, linebacker Zaire Franklin, to the Green Bay Packers, Georgia’s CJ Allen will slide in seamlessly as his replacement for the future.
“We’ve liked CJ (Allen) through the whole process,” general manager Chris Ballard began fawning over his newest linebacker in his post-draft press conference. “He stands for all the right stuff. He’s an athletic, fast MIKE. He’ll be a green-dot guy for us from the get-go. I mean, he’s a face of the program type of guy. He’s a really special dude now.”
Still just 21-years old, Allen did not compete at the NFL Scouting Combine as he was rehabbing a knee injury suffered late in his final season at Georgia, but Ballard and Co. are confident in his progress and foresee no setbacks ahead of the season after he worked out a few weeks prior to the NFL Draft.
LSU S A.J. Haulcy
Although the Colts replaced Nick Cross with an aggregate of veteran safeties in free agency to compete for the opening at strong safety, rookie A.J. Haulcy has the inside track at winning the job this summer.
The SEC safety moved up in competition each step of the way (New Mexico, Houston, LSU), starting in 44 of 48 possible games. Haulcy is a ballhawk who logged eight interceptions over the past two seasons, but his versatility to play both in the box and back deep is what’s most intriguing about his game.
Sleepers
Kentucky G Jalen Farmer
The Colts may have confidence in their projected starting five (Raimann, Nelson, Bortolini, Goncalves, Travis), but insurance beyond them was nonexistent entering the NFL Draft.
Kentucky’s Jalen Farmer is set to provide depth across the entire offensive line, while likely being prioritized across the interior as a former guard. He makes the third consecutive installment of fourth-round offensive linemen drafted by Chris Ballard, who are subsequently thrust into the Tony Sparano Jr. school of hard knocks — aka, a recently-established draft-and-stash process that has produced two full-time starters who are still on their rookie contract.
Farmer is projected to immediately become the team’s swing offensive lineman, though don’t count him out from winning the right guard spot from Matt Goncalves.
Oregon LB Bryce Boettcher
Boettcher is set to be a special teams demon as a rookie, but his plus coverage ability bodes well in his favor as he joins a position room that lacks a specialist as such — they do have Jaylon Carlies set to return, who has flashed in coverage, though his early injury history makes it difficult to bet on him moving forward.
The Oregon linebacker should compete for the opening at WILL linebacker alongside veteran Akeem Davis-Gaither. Even if he ultimately loses the job, Boettcher presents a high-floor for a depth piece, and more than likely carves out a role as a sub-package coverage defender.
Kentucky RB Seth McGowan
McGowan had a troubled past early in his college career, causing him to climb back to earn consideration as an NFL prospect. He has since earned the opportunity to not only join an NFL roster but also to truly compete for touches as the Colts have an opening at backup running back under star feature back Jonathan Taylor.
Oklahoma WR Deion Burks
The Colts entered the 2026 NFL Draft with an opening at wide receiver alongside Alec Pierce and Josh Downs, despite adding Nick Westbrook-Ikhine earlier this offseason.
Deion Burks immediately strengthens the depth chart at wide receiver, serving as a potential steal after being selected with one of the last picks in the draft (254th overall). His small build (5’9″, 180 lbs) suggests that he’ll sit directly under Josh Downs for the foreseeable future, but his experience at outside receiver points to a potential rotational role as early as his rookie season.
Long-Term Bets
EDGE George Gumbs Jr.
Indianapolis has been lacking juice at defensive end for far too long, and though Gumbs Jr. doesn’t scream day-one contributor as a former wide receiver turned edge defender, his profile as a long-term project takes no convincing.
It was a bit of a headscratcher to see the Colts finally address edge during the fifth round, though their lack of depth outside of an opening up top needed addressing, and Gumbs Jr. provides just that.
EDGE Caden Curry
Similar to Gumbs Jr., Caden Curry doesn’t project as an immediate force, though he does present a bigger production profile (16.5 tackles for loss and 11 sacks as a senior) that you can see him contributing in a rotational role as a rookie.
Curry may have historically small arms, a threshold that NFL decision-makers often stray away from, but his relentless motor is worth betting on despite his physical limitations.
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2019 CMA Awards: Blake Shelton wins for Single of the Year for “God’s Country”
Blake Shelton wins CMA for Single of the Year for “God’s Country” at the 53rd Annual CMA Awards
Mike Fant, Nashville Tennessean
A crowd huddled around the windows at Ole Red on Broadway, peering through the glass as a purple light poured over country music star Blake Shelton.
“Honey, look, that’s Blake,” one woman said.
Television screens mounted along the exterior showed the performance and, although his voice didn’t cut through the bass and bands coalescing on Broadway, a sea of cellphones pointed toward the “God’s Country” singer.
Inside his honky-tonk, Shelton was performing his new song, “Let Him In Anyway,” a grief- and faith-stricken plea to God to let a non-believer, lost soul into heaven anyway.
“The reaction that I’m getting to that song is absolutely blowing me away,” he told The Tennessean before his performance. “I’ve only performed this once before tonight and I saw a lot of people crying, like ugly crying, because it’s one of those songs that hasn’t ever been said before in such an honest, brutally honest way.”
As smoke surrounded the singer, Shelton quickly pivoted back to the crowd.
“That’s enough sad songs.”
Opening an Ole Red location in Indianapolis
Less than 12 hours earlier, Shelton gathered on an Indianapolis stage for a press conference, flanked by Pacers Sports and Entertainment CEO Mel Raines and Ryman Hospitality Properties Executive Chairman Colin Reed.
“Some of the bigger moments of not just my career, but my life, have been here,” he said. “So I always feel at home when I’m here. And I love the people, and I just love the vibe and the atmosphere in this place.”
The announcement confirmed Ole Red will open a seventh location in the city’s rapidly expanding Fieldhouse District, just steps from Gainbridge Fieldhouse, which hosts more than 2 million visitors and over 500 events each year. It sits at the center of roughly $3 billion in tourism-related infrastructure investments.
The 37,000-square-foot, multi-level venture joins existing Ole Red outposts in Nashville (on Broadway and in the airport); Las Vegas; Orlando; Gatlinburg, Tennessee and Shelton’s hometown of Tishomingo, Oklahoma.
Indianapolis city leaders touted the addition of Ole Red signals another step in Indianapolis’ evolution.
“What I love about coming here is every time I come here, there’s something new and exciting happening,” Governor Mike Braun said. “I think it symbolizes the entrepreneurialism of the city and the state.”
Mayor Joe Hogsett framed the project opening in 2027 as part of a broader transformation downtown.
“Our city is currently undergoing an unprecedented level of growth, especially right here in the urban core,” Hogsett said. “The future is bright, and it starts with announcements like the one we are celebrating today.”
Shelton’s connection to Indianapolis extends back more than two decades ago, when he performed at a local radio station showcase to test out his first hit “Austin.” He returned to sing “America the Beautiful” at Super Bowl XLVI in 2012 and serve as Grand Marshal for the Indianapolis 500 in 2022.
As part of immersing himself in Indy culture, he met WNBA superstars Caitlin Clark and Sophie Cunningham, both of whom he called “awesome.”
Building a brand legacy on Broadway in Nashville
More than 60,000 customers, sometimes up to 100,000, pass through the doors of Ole Red in Nashville each month, a steady stream that has carried the Lower Broadway venue since it opened in 2018.
Operated by Opry Entertainment Group, a division of Ryman Hospitality Properties, the bar was built as more than a namesake venue inspired by Shelton’s song. It has become a destination, carving out its own lane in a landscape where nearly every corner features a country star’s name on a bar. Another branch of the Ole Red brand opened in Las Vegas in 2024.
Brand marketing manager Lindsey Barber credits the success to three things: operating as a full-service restaurant, functioning as a true live music venue and Shelton’s consistent presence.
She recalled a recent trip where Shelton was doing a shoot at the Las Vegas branch and made it to the bar to open the doors and shake hands with fans.
The 6-foot-5 singer joked that he’s become the go-to contact for friends and family hoping to stop by — from last-minute dinners to bachelorette parties and large group reservations.
“I’m not a business guy,” he said. “I just love country music and fun and hopefully people pick up on that and then it bleeds out into these places. People associate me with this bar and it really makes me proud because every time I walk in here there’s new talent. Like I’m sitting here right now watching the Mobile Homeboys and I’m blown away by these guys.”
Plus, there’s another unexpected perk to ownership.
“I’ve got seven concert venues that I could never get kicked out of,” he joked. “That’s a pretty good position to be in.”
Bryan West is a music reporter at The Tennessean, part of the USA TODAY Network. Follow him on Instagram, TikTok and X as @BryanWestTV.
Hogsett promised this would be his “final term.” But in weighing another run, he may be looking to overcome scandals and project delays, experts say.
Tony Cook and Peter Blanchard on their reporting of Mayor Joe Hogsett
Indy Star reporter Tony Cook and Mirror Indy reporter Peter Blanchard talk to Mirror Indy’s Ibby Ahmed about reporting on Indianapolis Mayor Joe Hogsett.
As Indianapolis Mayor Joe Hogsett openly considers a fourth term, political experts say that Hogsett’s musing shows he may want to exit office on stronger footing after a third term dogged by scandals and development delays.
With three Democrats already running for Indianapolis mayor in 2027, Hogsett, 69, refused to rule out a reelection bid when reporters asked him about his plans on April 29.
“Any mayor who has put enough time into the development of our downtown would like to see it completed. So it’s one thing to shovel in a new development. It’s another thing to open the doors and welcome people in and see them enjoy it,” Hogsett told reporters with WISH-TV and WRTV.
“So that tugs at my heartstrings,” he added. “But ultimately, I’ll make a decision that’s based on whatever legacy I’d like to leave our city and how far along we are in promoting that legacy.”
Hogsett did not agree to IndyStar’s request for an interview April 30, made through campaign spokesperson Emily Gurwitz. In a statement, Gurwitz said the mayor remains focused on finishing out his third term by delivering investments in roads and public safety, as well as stewarding the Indianapolis Public Education Corp., the state-mandated entity tasked with reshaping public education in Indianapolis.
“Mayor Hogsett made it clear in his comments yesterday: with the 2027 election still more than a year and a half away, he is focused on the work immediately before him to continue shaping a safer and more vibrant Indianapolis,” Gurwitz said. “This includes developing the 2027 City-County budget, moving forward the critical work of the Indianapolis Public Education Corporation, delivering on important infrastructure investments with triple the funding in the strip-patching budget in 2026, and continuing to drive meaningful public safety improvements for neighborhoods across the city.”
When he announced his reelection bid in 2022, Hogsett said multiple times that he was seeking his “third and final term.” But the mayor’s recent comments and campaign finance reports have sparked curiosity about his intentions now. Hogsett raised more than half a million dollars in 2025 and ended the year with $1.2 million on hand.
Hogsett, who would be 76 at the end of a fourth term, told reporters that he will announce his decision toward the end of this year, ahead of the May 2027 city primary election.
If he enters, he’ll compete with fellow Democrats Indianapolis City-County Councilor Vop Osili, Indiana Sen. Andrea Hunley and Department of Public Works official David Bride.
Each mayoral candidate told IndyStar April 30 that the mayor’s remarks don’t affect their plans.
“I’m running for mayor. I’m talking with residents, visiting every corner of our city, and focused on affordability, housing, roads, and public safety,” Osili said in a written statement April 30. “Everyone has the right to decide their own political future, but the real question isn’t about one candidate, it’s about the future of our city.”
Will Hogsett move beyond ‘third and final term’ he promised?
The 2022 speech where Hogsett announced his bid for a third term — which came after he’d previously called for mayors to be limited to two four-year terms during his 2015 campaign — may shed light on some of the unfinished business he has in mind.
Addressing a crowd gathered inside City Market in November 2022, he mentioned several major redevelopment projects that he hoped to see finished in a third term, after the COVID-19 pandemic brought the “train of progress” to a “screeching halt.”
“Over the next three years, a historic public-private partnership will revitalize the historic City Market while transforming an entire city block,” Hogsett said.
“New development next to old City Hall? It’s on its way,” he later added. “Downtown heliport redevelopment? Won’t be far behind. The old downtown jail? It’s coming down and we’re going up.”
Of that partial list, the only projects that may wrap up by the end of Hogsett’s third term are downtown’s two jail redevelopments. Jail I was demolished and the Indiana Fever are building a $78 million practice facility, set to open in 2027. Although construction started years late on the Jail II redevelopment, it’s expected to bring more than 200 residential units to downtown’s east side by 2027.
The delayed or failed redevelopment plans, meanwhile, have stacked up.
Earlier this month, the city backed out of plans to build a museum hotel, housing and office space at old City Hall. The renovated City Market won’t open until at least 2028, after the city cut ties with the initial developers.
While the downtown heliport — eyed as a potential site for a Major League Soccer stadium — has closed, Indiana Senate leader Rodric Bray recently dashed hopes for an arena on the site in the near future, saying it “doesn’t look like there’s much chance there.”
“We are confident that Major League Soccer puts Indianapolis at the top of its list of places it would like to see a club,” Hogsett Communications and Policy Director Aliya Wishner said in February in response to Bray’s remarks. “We realize there is still challenging work before us to provide the framework for how state and local support will accomplish this goal.”
Scandals, delays could sway Hogsett to seek reelection
Experts say Hogsett may want to secure more wins to overshadow scandals tied to his handling of sexual harassment allegations within his administration and his oversight of city development deals involving conflicts of interest.
An IndyStar/Mirror Indy investigation dubbed “Mr. Clean” found that Hogsett allowed his former chief of staff Thomas Cook, whose sexual misconduct allegations the two outlets investigated in 2024, to cash in on millions in city incentives overseen by a city official with whom he had a romantic relationship. The stories also showed that the Hogsett administration routinely awards no-bid contracts to former staffers and top campaign donors.
Hogsett has said he’s confident that multiple layers of legal, administrative and legislative oversight ensured that tax incentives and no-bid contracts were in the best interest of the city and taxpayers. Cook, who has not been charged with any crime, has apologized for “consensual relationships that violated a trust placed in me” but denied that he used his professional role to further those relationships.
Still, experts say, the incidents may mar Hogsett’s record.
“He has not been able to cement his legacy in the way that I think he hoped,” Gregory Shufeldt, an associate professor of political science at the University of Indianapolis, told IndyStar in an April 30 interview. “The sexual assaults and corresponding cover-ups, the Mr. Clean series of articles and kind of broader insights into corruption, I think have really weakened his political capital. The types of things that he has tried to make the capstone or kind of lasting contributions — for example, the MLS team — have not really seen significant progress.”
By keeping the door open to a fourth term, Hogsett can maintain influence over the debate about who will replace him, Shufeldt said. If a candidate wants the mayor’s endorsement or access to his campaign finance largesse, Hogsett can persuade them to focus on issues that further his legacy.
Paul Helmke, who served as mayor of Fort Wayne from 1988 to 2000, told IndyStar he thinks Hogsett has to weigh whether he may want to hold onto power for the right reasons. Helmke, now 77, said his decision not to seek reelection to a fourth term in 1999 was tough, even though he felt he’d accomplished his major goals.
About 50 years old at the time, Helmke chose to devote his next few decades to pursuing other work. He led an organization working to end gun violence and in 2013 became a faculty member at Indiana University, where he founded a civic leadership center and teaches courses on law and public affairs.
“If Hogsett has things he wants to accomplish that he’s making progress on, that he’s not sure will go well if he’s not there, that’s a reason to run again,” Helmke said. “But if you’re just doing it because you don’t know what else to do, or you get to the stage where you’re not sure you’ll have the energy or enthusiasm, then you probably shouldn’t do it.”
Email Indianapolis City Hall Reporter Jordan Smith at JTSmith@indystar.com. Follow him on X @jordantsmith09 and Bluesky @jordanaccidentally.bsky.social.
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