Indianapolis, IN
Enjoy your artsy side with these 8 free things to do in Indianapolis
Tickets that cost zero dollars are always popular, and Indianapolis artists are generous enough to share their talent for free at several events throughout the fall.
Museums will welcome crowds to see their collections and engage in hands-on activities. Monument Circle will continue to invite everyone to a pop-up mini-park to check out a mobile art museum, play ping-pong and other games, and eat snacks. And world-class musicians will regale listeners at concerts full of music they’ve spent years perfecting.
Here are eight free events you won’t want to miss. Make sure to register in advance for those that request it and donate if you can to keep the art coming.
PlayFest Indy
Sept. 9 to 15 at multiple venues. Tickets and more information at newharmonyproject.org/pfi
In this initiative by the New Harmony Project, eight playwrights will develop plays with Indianapolis theater companies. The public concert-style readings will take place from Sept. 13 to 15, and audiences can stay for a post-performance talk with the writer at each one.
Levitt Vibe Indianapolis Music Series
Several Sundays from Sept. 1-Oct. 20 on the lawn behind Garfield Park Art Center, 2432 Conservatory Drive. Schedule at bigcar.org/project/vibe
A group of creative folks — including Arte Mexicano en Indiana and Big Car Collaborative — are bringing in musicians, vendors, artists and poets for afternoon concerts that will fend off any Sunday scaries. The events aim to be family friendly and neighborly as they use a part of the park you might not have explored before.
Free museum days
Explore exhibits, gardens and activities as these Indianapolis museums offer free admission:
- The Children’s Museum of Indianapolis: 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sept. 15. 3000 N. Meridian St. Fiesta de la Familia is a celebration of Latin American cultures, with special programming throughout the museum. Reservation is required at childrensmuseum.org.
- Newfields: 4000 N. Michigan Road. Admission is free during regular operating hours on the first Thursday of every month, Sept. 5, Oct. 3, Nov. 7 and Dec. 5. Reservation is required at discovernewfields.org/visit. Bank of America, Merrill Lynch and U.S. Trust cardholders receive one free general admission ticket during the first weekend of every month. Learn more at discovernewfields.org/about/community.
- Eiteljorg Museum: 500 W. Washington St. On Oct. 14, the museum will mark Indigenous Peoples Day by featuring Native American performers and presentations. On Oct. 26, the museum will feature music, dancing, activities and a marketplace as part of its Día de Muertos Community Celebration. Admission is free both days. Learn more at eiteljorg.org.
Spark on the Circle
11 a.m. through dusk through Nov. 3 on Monument Circle. circlespark.org
Back in an expanded role for its second year, Spark temporarily transforms one quadrant of Monument Circle into an urban park — complete with turf, yard games and plenty of space to lounge and enjoy the city’s vibes. See a full schedule of artist workshops and special events at circlespark.org. (Swifties should keep an eye out for announcements regarding celebrations planned during Taylor Swift’s Nov. 1-3 stop in Indy!)
Jazz afterparty on First Fridays
9 p.m. on First Fridays at McGowan Hall, 1305 N. Delaware St. mcgowanhall.org
These jam sessions, led by pianist Christopher Pitts, have a vibe that mixes talented musicians, inventive experimentation and a speakeasy feel. They’re the perfect way to wrap your First Friday visual art explorations.
Can’t-miss exhibit: Mandela exhibit at Children’s Museum takes care to connect kids with his childhood
Indianapolis Chamber Orchestra
7:30 p.m. Sept. 4 at Garfield Park. 7:30 p.m. Sept. 5 at Riverside Park. 7 p.m. Sept. 6 at Holliday Park. Registration requested for the events at icomusic.org.
Enjoy classic programs from a stunning group of musicians who are trading the indoor concert hall for three verdant parks. Bring a picnic and blanket and let the music waft over you.
Opera in the Park
Sept. 7 at MacAllister Amphitheater at Garfield Park. Register at indyopera.org.
Renowned soprano Angela Brown, Maestro Alfred Savia, and more Indianapolis Opera stars and guests will perform in the annual event that will kick off the institution’s 50th anniversary season.
Indy Parks Free Concert Series
Through October at parks around the city. parks.indy.gov/free-concert-series
Cathy Morris, the Indianapolis Jazz Orchestra, PsyWrn Simone and Premium Blend are among the performers who will lend soundtracks to breezy summer and fall evenings. Check the schedule often as Indy Parks adds more dates.
Contact IndyStar pop culture reporter Holly Hays at holly.hays@indystar.com.
Contact IndyStar reporter Domenica Bongiovanni at 317-444-7339 or d.bongiovanni@indystar.com.
Indianapolis, IN
Indianapolis Democrat Andrea Hunley to seek bid for mayor’s job in 2027
INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) — State Sen. Andrea Hunley, a Democrat representing Indianapolis, has announced her candidacy for a bid to run for mayor of Indianapolis in 2027.
Hunley, who had previously teased a mayoral run, has scheduled a launch event for May 8 as her official kickoff her campaign to lead the city, said her campaign website. The Assistant Minority Leader in the Senate announced in January that she would not seek another term in the Indiana Senate, to which she was elected in 2022.
Hunley’s website says, “Indianapolis is my city. Our city. As someone who knows this city, someone who has served this community as a public school teacher leading our children and supporting families, I am committed to the future of the people of Indianapolis.
“Indianapolis is the economic driver and a key cultural hub for our state. Our city boasts creative entrepreneurs and long-standing local businesses, vibrant neighborhoods and corporate headquarters, community-centered nonprofits and public schools. I aim to champion a better quality of life by listening to and working alongside the people, businesses and neighborhoods that make up our great city.”
Mayor Joe Hogsett has not disclosed if he’s seeking a fourth four-year term.
City-County Council Member Vop Osili in January announced his campaign for the Democratic nomination.
In the same month, Pike Township Trustee Annette Johnson announced her intention to seek the Democratic nomination to run for mayor. She’s running this year to continue in the trustee’s job, which she has held since 2019.
Marion County Prosecutor Ryan Mears, who had been mentioned as a possible Democratic candidate for mayor, announced in January he would seek another four-year term this year for his current job. However, he did not rule out running for the Democratic bid for mayor in 2027.
Indianapolis, IN
Louisville native set to make debut in Indianapolis 500
LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WAVE) – While Louisville is famous for one race in May, a Derby City native is set to make his first appearance in a different iconic May race.
Jacob Abel will be making his first appearance in the Indianapolis 500 on May 24, racing for Abel Motorsports, founded by his father, Bill Abel.
“I am excited and grateful to be able to return to the Indianapolis Motor Speedway to have a shot at the Indianapolis 500. It’s been a lifelong dream to compete in that race and to have the opportunity to do it with Abel Motorsports and Chevrolet makes it even more special,” Jacob said.
Both Abels, the driver and the team, had breakout years in 2024 with three pole positions and three wins in the INDY NXT drivers’ championship, propelling the 25-year-old driver to the NTT INDYCAR Series the following year.
Practice for the 110th Indianapolis 500 begins on Tuesday, May 12 with qualifying being held on May 16 and May 17. The race at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway goes green on May 24, coverage begins at 10 a.m.
Copyright 2026 WAVE. All rights reserved.
Indianapolis, IN
IMPD: Man stabbed in downtown Indianapolis
INDIANAPOLIS — A person was stabbed in downtown Indianapolis Sunday evening.
According to the Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department, officers were called to the intersection of East Market and North Delaware Streets around 8:28 p.m. to investigate a stabbing. When police arrived at the scene, they located an adult male victim with apparent stab wounds.
IMPD has confirmed that the victim was transported from the scene to a local hospital in critical but stable condition.
Investigators believe the stabbing “stemmed from a disturbance between multiple individuals and the victim.”
IMPD has reported that it has not identified or detained any suspects or persons of interest at this point in its investigation of the stabbing. Police have indicated that they are hoping witnesses come forward with information that can help them identify or locate the suspects.
“The officers now are doing a complete investigation,” IMPD Lieutenant Frank Wooten said during a media briefing Sunday night. “They’re going to investigate this to the best of their ability. We’re going to try to locate our suspect, arrest the suspect, prosecute the suspect and hold that suspect accountable for this heinous crime in Indianapolis. This is not an indication of what our city is about. This is not an indication of what we do downtown, and we hold this to be very serious. So, we will hold whoever did this responsible for their actions tonight.”
Sunday night’s stabbing represented a continuation of a violent weekend in downtown Indianapolis.
Early Sunday morning, two men were critically injured in a shooting near a White Castle on South Street. Before that shooting occurred, police arrested two juveniles on gun charges at Monument Circle.
Police also conducted a shooting investigation near the Hilton hotel located at 120 W. Market St. around 4 a.m. Sunday. Nobody was injured in that shooting.
Elsewhere in the city, a person was injured in a shooting in a CVS parking lot on Kentucky Avenue Saturday evening. Another individual was killed in a shooting outside a residence in the 2300 block of South Pennsylvania Street Saturday night.
Public police reporting systems indicate IMPD has investigated nine shootings that caused injuries since midnight Saturday. During that same timeframe, IMPD has investigated six shootings that did not result in any injuries and five stabbings.
Numbers available on shootings and stabbings in IMPD’s public reporting system may not be complete, as some reports on weekend shootings and stabbings may not have been entered yet.
“This is not what we want Indianapolis to be,” Wooten said. “This is not what we expect out of the citizens of Indianapolis. We expect them to be safe, come downtown and have a good time, and be able to go home the same way they came down here. So, we will hold these suspects, once located, accountable for this crime.”
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