Indiana
Pickles, pierogis and popcorn: These food-themed festivals are happening around Indiana
Sights and sounds of the AES 500 Festival Parade
The AES 500 Festival Parade marched through downtown Indianapolis on Saturday, May 25, 2024, on the eve of the 108th Running of the Indianapolis 500.
Summer is here, and if you’re looking for sweet or savory ways to spend the next few months, Indiana has an assortment of food-themed festivals that should serve up good memories.
Here’s what to know about summer food festivals happening around Indy.
Taste of Indy
Starting off our list is Indy’s largest food festival, Taste of Indy. There is a kids play area and bounce house, as well as performances, a video game truck, face painting and a rock climbing wall.
When: 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. July 6
Where: White River State Park 901 W. Washington Street, Indianapolis, IN 46204
Website: tasteofindy.org
Things to do: Taste of Indy fest returns with dozens of food vendors
Pickle Fest
The annual Pickle Fest in Saint Joe, a town north of Fort Wayne in DeKalb County, features a pickle juice contest, a pickle eating contest, pizza eating contest, a volleyball tournament, parade and more.
When: July 18-20
Where: Saint Joe, Indiana
Website: stjoeindiana.org/pickle-festival
Pierogi Fest
Indiana’s Pierogi Fest is celebrating 30 years this year. There will be live music, food vendors, arts and crafts, beer gardens and more. Visit the website to view the festival map and schedule of events.
When: July 26-28, Parade is at 7 p.m. on Friday
Where: 1417 119th St., Whiting, Indiana
Website: pierogifest.net
Juneteenth 2024: Indy has everything from jazz performances to boxing to celebrate the holiday
Hot Dog Festival
This annual festival takes place in Frankfurt and includes art and food vendors, a 5K race, Dock Dog diving, the Doxie Dash competition for daschunds, a classic car show and (of course) a hot dog eating contest.
When: July 26-28
Where: 62 N. Main Street, Frankfort, IN 46041
Website: frankfortmainstreet.org
Van Buren Popcorn Festival
The Van Buren Popcorn Festival is a free festival. This year marks the 51st anniversary of this event and this year’s theme is ‘Poppin’ Up Behind the Scenes Honoring the Blue Collar Worker.” There is music, parades, a 5K and more. Visit the website for the full 2024 schedule.
When: August 1-4
Where: 205 S. 1st Street, Van Buren, IN 46991
Website: popcornfestivalofvanburen.org
Chocolate Walk
Are you a lover of chocolate? Hancock County will host its 15th annual Chocolate Walk, a scavenger hunt type of event, where attendees pick up a punch card and stop by local business to receive samples of chocolate. Register to attend the event on their website, $20 per ticket.
When: Chocolate Walk is from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. Friday, Aug. 9
Where: One Courthouse Plaza, Greenfield, IN 46140
Website: greenfieldcc.org
More Indiana Festivals
For the full list of festivals across the state through the rest of the year, the Indiana Festival guide can be viewed here.
Katie Wiseman is a trending news intern at IndyStar. Contact her at klwiseman@gannett.com. Follow her on Twitter @itskatiewiseman.
Indiana
Suspect in custody after Muncie triple shooting leaves 1 woman dead, 2 men injured
MUNCIE, Ind. (WISH) — Police are investigating a triple shooting that took place on Muncie’s south side Sunday evening that left a woman dead and two men injured.
According to police, at approximately 5:27 p.m., Muncie Police Officers were dispatched to the 2700 block of South Walnut Street in reference to reports of several people being shot.
Officers arrived and located three gunshot victims: A 23-year-old female who died from “multiple wounds,” a 39-year-old male who is hospitalized in stable condition, and a 40-year-old male who was airlifted to an Indianapolis hospital in critical condition.
Police say a suspect is in custody, a 21-year-old man.
Police did not provide any additional information.
Anyone with information is encouraged to call the Muncie Police Detective Division at 765-747-4867 or dispatch at 765-747-4838.
Indiana
Indiana Pacers exec apologizes to fans after losing first-round pick
Candace Parker, Cynthia Cooper share thoughts on Knicks playoff run
USAT’s Sam Cardona-Norberg asks WNBA legends Candace Parker and Cynthia Cooper to give their thoughts on the Knicks hot playoff run.
Sports Seriously
The Indiana Pacers lost 63 games this season for a chance at a franchise-changing lottery pick. On Sunday, May 10, they lost that chance, too.
All Pacers president Kevin Pritchard could do was apologize for taking the risk.
Indiana’s pick landed at No. 5 in the 2026 NBA Draft Lottery, one spot outside the top four protections attached to a midseason trade. The selection now belongs to the Los Angeles Clippers .
Shortly after the results were announced, Pritchard took social media and apologized.
“I’m really sorry to all our fans,” Pritchard wrote. “I own taking this risk. Surprised it came up 5th after this year. I thought we were due some luck.”
The Pacers entered the lottery with a 52.1% chance of securing a top-four pick after finishing 19-63, the second-worst record in the NBA. It wasn’t enough.
Indiana sent Bennedict Mathurin, Isaiah Jackson, a 2028 second-round pick and a 2029 first-round pick to Los Angeles in the midseason deal for Ivica Zubac and Kobe Brown, along with the conditional 2026 first-rounder. The pick was theirs to keep only if it landed in the top four.
Zubac appeared in just five games for Indiana after the trade because of a fractured rib.
“This team deserved a starting center to compete with the best teams next year,” Pritchard wrote. “We have always been resillient.”
Pritchard will have to be resilient if he looks at the replies to his statement. About half of the Pacers fans’ comments were not happy, and fans of other teams called him out for “tanking.”
There were also a large number of fans who were supportive of Pritchard taking that risk.
Tyrese Haliburton is expected to return next season after tearing his Achilles in last year’s NBA Finals. The Pacers will have him Pascal Siakam and a roster they think is built to compete. They just won’t have that first-round pick to add to it.
The 2026 NBA Draft begins June 23 in Brooklyn.
Indiana
Why Caitlin Clark went back to Indiana Fever locker room in season opener
Caitlin Clark explains what she learned from injury in Indiana Fever season
Caitlin Clark spoke for seven minutes on the opening day of Indiana Fever training camp. Here’s what she learned from an up-and-down season, and more.
INDIANAPOLIS — Caitlin Clark has some new strategies to help keep her loose throughout games, and one garnered a lot of attention in the Indiana Fever’s season opener against the Dallas Wings.
Saturday was Clark’s first regular season WNBA game since July 2025, when she suffered a right groin injury against the Connecticut Sun. She was limited to just 13 games last season because of various injuries that compounded and lingered throughout the season, including to her left groin, right groin, left quad, and ankle.
Clark, who finished with 20 points, five rebounds and seven assists in 30 minutes, went back to the Fever’s tunnel twice throughout the 107-104 loss, and she said postgame it was just to get her back readjusted. It’s something new for the Fever star after she missed most of last season because of various injuries, but she didn’t report any major issues with her back.
“It gets out of line pretty quickly,” Clark said. “It’s just that, getting my back put back in place a little bit, but other than that, I feel great.”
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Clark also started wearing a heat therapy pad on her back as well when she’s on the bench, but that doesn’t automatically mean an injury, either. Former Fever player Natasha Howard wore one while sitting on the bench the entire 2025 season, and she did not miss a game.
These back issues, Fever coach Stephanie White said, shouldn’t keep her out of the game.
“We wouldn’t have played her 30 minutes if she wasn’t OK,” White said.
Clark’s response postgame came after ABC’s commentators reported in-game that trainers were working on Clark’s hip flexor and groin area — the same that kept her out of most of the 2025 season. When asked about ABC’s in-game report, White said: “That would be the first time I’ve heard that.”
Fever communications staff added that they did not provide an official update to ABC on why Clark left for the tunnel, so everything reported on the broadcast in-game was speculation.
“I think it’s just part of maintaining the body,” White added of the tunnel trips. “… I mean, look, when we’re all really young, we don’t learn proper mechanics, and then it doesn’t get exposed until something happens, and we’re trying to get her body mechanically the way it needs to go. This is gonna be an ongoing thing, and not just her. We’ve had multiple players who have gone back, and we don’t have a blue tent, right, but they’re gonna go back and get it adjusted and make sure that the body’s working.”
Chloe Peterson is the Indiana Fever beat reporter for IndyStar. Reach her at chloe.peterson@indystar.com or follow her on X at @chloepeterson67. Get IndyStar’s Indiana Fever and Caitlin Clark coverage sent directly to your inbox with our Caitlin Clark Fever newsletter. Subscribe to IndyStar TV: Fever for in-depth analysis, behind-the-scenes coverage and more.
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