Indianapolis, IN
9 Great Things to Do in Indianapolis in June 2024 – wyandottedaily.com
Indianapolis, the vibrant capital of Indiana, offers a plethora of attractions and activities that will keep visitors entertained throughout the year. However, June stands out as an exceptional month to explore this Midwestern gem, with its pleasant weather, lively festivals, and exciting events. Whether you’re a history buff, an art enthusiast, or a sports fanatic, Indianapolis has something to captivate your senses and create lasting memories. Here are 9 Great Things to Do in Indianapolis in June 2024:
1. Immerse Yourself in Art at the Indianapolis Museum of Art
The Indianapolis Museum of Art (IMA) is a renowned institution that houses an impressive collection of over 54,000 works of art from across the globe and throughout history. With a focus on American, African, Asian, and European art, the IMA offers a diverse range of exhibits that cater to various tastes. In June, the museum presents special exhibitions that highlight specific artists, themes, or art movements. Visitors can explore captivating masterpieces, engage with interactive displays, and gain a deeper appreciation for the richness of human creativity.
2. Embark on a Historical Adventure at the Indiana State Museum
Step into the annals of Indiana’s rich history at the Indiana State Museum. This state-of-the-art museum tells the captivating story of Indiana from its prehistoric origins to its modern-day advancements. Through engaging exhibits, interactive displays, and immersive experiences, visitors can learn about the state’s diverse cultures, pivotal events, and the inspiring individuals who have shaped its legacy. The museum also features a planetarium, where you can embark on a celestial journey and explore the wonders of space.
3. Experience the Thrill of the Indianapolis 500
For motorsports enthusiasts, June in Indianapolis is synonymous with the legendary Indianapolis 500, one of the most iconic sporting events in the world. The race takes place on Memorial Day weekend and attracts a massive crowd of over 300,000 spectators. The electrifying atmosphere, the roar of engines, and the thrill of high-speed competition create an unforgettable experience. Whether you attend the race or simply immerse yourself in the festive atmosphere, the Indianapolis 500 is a must-see event that embodies the city’s passion for speed and adrenaline.
4. Discover the Wonders of the Indianapolis Zoo
Escape into the enchanting realm of the Indianapolis Zoo, home to over 3,800 animals representing more than 320 species. Wander through lush habitats that mimic the natural environments of these fascinating creatures. Observe majestic lions prowling through the African savanna, playful penguins diving in the icy waters, and curious orangutans swinging through tropical rainforests. Engage with interactive exhibits, attend educational programs, and gain a deeper understanding of the animal kingdom’s incredible diversity and importance.
5. Explore the Eclectic Treasures of the Fountain Square
Stroll through the charming streets of Fountain Square, a vibrant neighborhood known for its eclectic shops, art galleries, and unique eateries. This historic district has undergone a revitalization in recent years, transforming it into a hub of creativity and community. Browse vintage finds, admire local artwork, and savor delicious cuisine at trendy restaurants. Fountain Square also hosts regular events, such as art walks, live music performances, and community festivals, providing a lively and engaging atmosphere for visitors.
6. Dive into the World of Science at the Indiana State Museum
Unleash your inner scientist at the Indiana State Museum. This institution offers a wide range of interactive exhibits that explore the wonders of science, technology, and natural history. Engage with hands-on displays, marvel at life-size dinosaur skeletons, and participate in educational demonstrations. The museum also features a planetarium and an IMAX theater, allowing visitors to embark on cosmic journeys and immerse themselves in captivating films.
7. Attend a Performance at the Indianapolis Symphony Orchestra
Indulge in the harmonious melodies of the Indianapolis Symphony Orchestra (ISO). This renowned orchestra presents a diverse repertoire that ranges from classical masterpieces to contemporary compositions. In June, the ISO offers a variety of performances, including outdoor concerts in the picturesque setting of the Hilbert Circle Theatre. Experience the symphony’s exceptional musicianship, the richness of orchestral sound, and the magic of live music.
8. Stroll Through the Gardens at Newfields
Escape the hustle and bustle of the city at Newfields, a 152-acre estate that combines art, nature, and history. Stroll through the meticulously manicured gardens, admire exquisite sculptures, and immerse yourself in the beauty of nature. Newfields offers a sanctuary for relaxation, contemplation, and artistic inspiration. Explore the Lilly House, an architectural masterpiece that showcases American decorative arts, and visit the Virginia B. Fairbanks Art & Nature Park, where art installations blend seamlessly with the natural landscape.
9. Go Kayaking on the White River
Embrace the great outdoors and embark on a kayaking adventure on the White River, which flows through the heart of Indianapolis. Several rental companies offer kayaks, canoes, and paddleboards, allowing visitors to explore the river’s serene waters. Paddle past scenic riverbanks, spot local wildlife, and enjoy the tranquility of nature just minutes from the city center. Kayaking provides a refreshing and active way to experience Indianapolis’s natural beauty.
Indianapolis is a vibrant city that offers a diverse range of cultural experiences, historical attractions, and exciting events. With its central location in the Midwest, Indianapolis is easily accessible by car, train, or plane. The city boasts a variety of accommodation options, from budget-friendly motels to luxurious hotels. Indianapolis is also known for its culinary scene, with numerous restaurants serving a range of cuisines from around the world. Whether you’re a first-time visitor or a seasoned traveler, Indianapolis has something to offer everyone. So, mark your calendars for June 2024 and prepare to experience the many delights that this Midwestern gem has to offer.
INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) — The month of May begins with “the greatest spectacle in running.”
Runners from all over gear up for the 500 Festival Mini-Marathon, with the first race starting at 7:35 a.m. Saturday.
At the Indiana Convention Center on Friday, participants were prepping. They picked out shoes and running gear, and checked out the course map. Organizers estimated over 20,000 runners for the big race day. There’s the 5K run and, of course, the half-marathon that runs through Indianapolis Motor Speedway.
This year marks the 50th annual Mini-Marathon. Organizer Linday Labas of the 500 Festival said, “We have five Indy alumni who have done this race all 50 years, so they just keep coming back. They like the other part of the month of May, celebrating and tackling it. I know it looks different now than it was 50 years ago, but they keep coming back, because they love the celebration around Indy Mini.”
Cecilio Martinez has marathon tattoos for all the times he’s run. He ran the Chicago, Berlin, Honolulu and New York City marathons. But, he only has one half-marathon inked on his calf, and that’s Indy’s Mini-Marathon with the 50th anniversary medal. He said this isn’t the first time he’s run the Indy Mini. “I like the course. I like the people. I love Indy Mini.”
Runner Karina McDougle said, “Unlike 2025, the race is going to be chilly with temperatures as low as 39 degrees. “Honestly, because I’ve been running in so much cold weather, I’m pretty used to that, and I would prefer that. I do overheat a lot. It’s great for me, I’m looking for a cool day.”
There are also lots of first-timers running the half-marathon, including Wabash Middle-High School wrestler James Day. “We’re just excited about the experience. They actually talked me into it. I didn’t want to do it originally. I ran one day this week. We’ll see how this goes. I just came back from a wrestling season, though, so I should be in a decent shape.”
At the end of the 13.1 miles, runners will receive a golden medal to mark their accomplishment.
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.
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