INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) — Many restaurants are closed Christmas Eve and Christmas Day, but Indianapolis staple Asian Harbor has been in the city for 10 years, serving hungry customers during the holidays.

The restaurant was packed Wednesday night for Christmas Eve. The takeout line was no different. One customer after another poured in.

General Manager Tim Bay said, “I think it’s almost like an unwritten tradition to have Chinese (food) on Christmas Day. Believe it or not, Christmas Day and Christmas Eve are our busiest days.”

Bay said they fill 150 orders each on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day. His uncle, who was dressed Wednesday in a red hoodie, owns the restaurant. Both he and Bay are immigrants from Mongolia and they now call Indianapolis home.

Bay said, “It’s like a blank slate, and we are adding our own culture to make it even richer.”

The back kitchen is where the magic happens. Cooks boiled noodles and vegetables, and fried up the crab rangoon.

Tim said Mongolian food has Chinese influences, and they’re leaning heavily toward that.

Monica Morrison picked up food for her grandma and herself, a tradition every Christmas Eve. “There’s nothing specific that we get, but we always have to get the crab rangoon. That’s the top thing. But we just try different dishes, different combos.”

Greg Moser on Wednesday brought his entire family, all three generations. He said its tradition that’s been passed down from Grandma. “The holidays can all be stressful, but when we can all come down and sit on a table it’s a sigh of relief. This is the last meal before the craziness of tomorrow morning when suddenly we’re opening all the presents and going to different places all at once. And we can sit down here, relax and have a meal together.”

A sticker on the front door reads “Proud Asian Owned.” Tim and his uncle also are proud Asian Americans giving back to their community. Bay said Indianapolis helped them reach their American dream. “You just have to give us a chance to prove that we’re all here for the American dream, we’re also American. We’re working toward one goal: to enrich this beautiful country to carry on and give more opportunity to the less fortunate.”

TODAY

Christmas morning starts gray with widespread dense fog, and visibility can drop quickly on highways and ramps, especially before sunrise. A little patchy drizzle is possible late morning into early afternoon, otherwise it stays cloudy with temperatures slipping into the lower 50s. Winds stay light early, then turn north northeast around 5 mph, so travel is mainly fine once the fog lifts, just keep extra stopping distance on damp roads. 

TONIGHT

Clouds stay locked in and rain becomes likely late, mainly after 1am. Lows settle in the mid 40s, with an east breeze around 5 to 10 mph. If you are driving home late from Christmas gatherings, plan for wet pavement and a few pockets of fog in the usual low spots. 

TOMORROW

Rain is likely in the morning, then becomes more scattered midday and afternoon, with patchy fog possible into early afternoon. Highs jump into the low to mid 60s, with a southeast wind around 10 mph shifting west later, gusts up to 20 mph. It is a mild day for late December, but the morning commute and airport runs could be slow with low clouds, wet roads, and reduced visibility at times. 

TOMORROW NIGHT

Mostly cloudy and mild, lows in the low to mid 40s, with a light west northwest breeze around 5 mph becoming nearly calm at times. Roads stay mainly wet to dry depending on where the showers linger, and travel remains manageable. 

SATURDAY

Patchy fog is possible early, then mostly cloudy with some brighter breaks. Highs reach the mid 50s, with a light east southeast breeze around 5 mph. This is a solid travel day, no winter problems, just occasional low visibility early and a lot of cloud cover. 

SATURDAY NIGHT

Mostly cloudy with a small rain chance late, lows near 50, with a southeast wind around 5 to 10 mph. If you are heading back home overnight, expect a few damp stretches, but nothing icy. 

SUNDAY

A wetter day, with rain becoming more likely into the afternoon and a few rumbles of thunder possible later. Highs land in the mid 60s, with a southwest wind around 10 mph, gusts up to 20 mph. Plan extra time for holiday return travel, heavier rain bands can slow traffic and reduce visibility. 

SUNDAY NIGHT

Rain tapers late, then colder air rushes in and a few snowflakes are possible toward daybreak. Temperatures fall into the low 20s, with a west northwest wind around 10 to 15 mph, gusts up to 25 mph. Watch for a few slick spots developing late if roads stay wet as temperatures drop. 

7 DAY OUTLOOK

The holiday stretch stays unusually mild and mostly wet rather than snowy, with fog and drizzle concerns first, then warmer air pushing highs into the 50s and 60s through the weekend. The bigger pattern change arrives right after, with a strong turn back to colder, more typical late December weather early next week, including a blustery, much colder Monday and the potential for periodic light snow chances in northwest flow beyond that. Confidence is high on the fog Christmas morning, the mild weekend, and the sharp cooldown after Sunday night, with lower confidence on exactly how quickly rain ends and any brief snow chance flips on late Sunday night.  

Stop the presses: Taylor Swift talked about Indianapolis.

Yes, little old us! From the biggest artist in the world’s lips to millions of TV screens across the world, a major Indianapolis moment. We’re even on a nickname basis: She said “Indy.” She likes us, she really likes us!  

The Circle City gets a shoutout from Swift and some serious screen time in the fourth episode of “The End of an Era,” the new Disney+ documentary series chronicling Swift’s record-smashing Eras Tour. The six-episode series features behind-the-scenes footage of Swift, her family and friends and the Eras Tour crew throughout her two-year globetrot that clocked 149 shows in 51 cities, including three shows in Indianapolis in November 2024.

Several notable names pop up in the series — Kansas City Chiefs tight end and Swift’s fiancé Travis Kelce, for one, along with her pop protégés Sabrina Carpenter and Gracie Abrams. But the real star of the show in episode four, “Thank You for the Lovely Bouquet”? The downtown Indianapolis JW Marriott, of course.

The hotel is known for plastering graphics of the people, teams and events du jour on the side of its 376-foot building, and Swift got more than a casual nod when Indianapolis relished in the Taylor Treatment. In case you missed it, a so-much-larger-than-life image of Swift — classic red lips, body suit and boots, pink acoustic guitar in hand — graced the building.

Abrams, who opened for Swift in Indianapolis during her Nov. 1, 2 and 3, 2024 shows, spotted the graphic first and texted Swift about it while she was in transit.

“Gracie texted me and she was like, ‘I knew you were tall, but check this out,’” Swift, who stands 5-foot-10, said in the documentary. “I’m on the side of the hotel, like a million feet tall.”

The tribute struck a chord with Swift. Remember that unfortunate “sexy baby” line from “Anti-Hero,” the lead single off her 2022 album “Midnights”? The one where she envisions herself as this colossal omen “slowly lurching toward your favorite city”?

Turns out, being emblazoned on one of Indianapolis’ most notable structures isn’t all that dissimilar.