Indianapolis, IN
How Blake Shelton became an Ole Red business mogul: Exclusive
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.
Indianapolis, IN
When is 60th annual Indianapolis Strawberry Festival? Date, time, strawberry shortcake prices
This is the holy sanctuary of strawberry shortcake
Ice cream, whipped cream and strawberries top 20,000 homemade shortcakes at the annual Strawberry Festival on Indianapolis’ Monument Circle.
Indianapolis Star
Strawberry shortcake lovers should grab their forks and head to Downtown Indianapolis for the 60th annual Indy Strawberry Festival Thursday.
Strawberry Festival Indiana 2026: When is Indy Strawberry Festival in Downtown Indianapolis?
The Indy Strawberry Festival runs from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. June 11 or until supplies run out.
Indianapolis Strawberry Festival 2026: Where is the Indy Strawberry Festival?
The Indy Strawberry Festival is held on Monument Circle in Downtown Indianapolis.
2026 Indy Strawberry Festival prices: How much does strawberry shortcake cost at Indianapolis Strawberry Festival?
An Indy Strawberry Festival shortcake costs $10 for “The Works,” a container packed with strawberries, ice cream, homemade shortcakes and whipped topping. Cash and credit cards are accepted. Be prepared to wait in line.
Indy Strawberry Festival origin: How did Indianapolis Strawberry Festival start at Christ Church Cathedral?
Christ Church Cathedral Women will make nearly 20,000 homemade shortcakes, and use 12,000 pounds of strawberries during the festival, where sellouts are not uncommon for the 300-plus volunteers.
According to the festival website, the book “The Little Church on the Circle,” written by Eli Lilly, spoke of Christ Church Cathedral using strawberries to raise money since 1864.
The first official Indy Strawberry Festival began with 100 homemade shortcakes sold on the lawn in 1965.
The women set up their stand on Thursday to make the most of J.C. Penney department store hours. Two hours later, the women had sold every last shortcake.
The event − held annually on the second Thursday in June − helps Christ Church Cathedral raise more than $70,000 each year, where 95% of the profits benefit local, national and international nonprofit outreach groups.
Chris Sims is a trending reporter at Midwest Connect Gannett. Follow him on Twitter: @ChrisFSims.
Indianapolis, IN
Katie Ledecky, Gretchen Walsh, Jack Alexy Highlight Strong Lineup For Indianapolis (Psych Sheets)
2026 Indianapolis Pro Series
The Indianapolis Pro Series stop next weekend will serve as the final stop of the Pro Series before the 2026 Pan Pac Championships that will take place in Irvine in August. Pre-scratch psych sheets revealed a star-studded lineup including Katie Ledecky, Gretchen Walsh, Ryan Murphy, and Jack Alexy.
The meet will serve as the first competition since both Ledecky and Walsh competed at the 2026 Fort Lauderdale Open at the end of April and into May. Ledecky won the 800 and 1500 freestyles in Fort Lauderdale. Walsh swam to another World Record, lowering her own record in the long course 100 fly as she touched in a 54.33.
Ledecky trains at the University of Florida and much of her training group will be in attendance as Bobby Finke, Emma Weyant, and Kieran Smith. Walsh trains at Virginia, and much of the Virginia group will be in attendance as Kate Douglass, Alex Walsh, Isabelle Stadden, Anna Moesch, and Claire Curzan highlight the psych sheets as well. Cal training partners Jack Alexy and Ryan Murphy highlight the group from Cal that also includes names such as Lucas Henveaux, Gabe Jett, and Ryan Erisman.
Notably not on the psych sheets is the large training group out of Texas under Bob Bowman that includes names such as Regan Smith, Shaine Casas, Chris Guiliano, Luke Hobson, and Carson Foster. Erin Gemmell will be in attendance for Longhorn Aquatics.
Katie Ledecky‘s Lineup:
- 200 free: #1 seed
- 400 free: #1 seed
- 800 free: #1 seed
- 1500 free: #1 seed
Gretchen Walsh‘s Lineup:
- 100 fly: #1 seed
- 50 back: #7 seed
- 50 free: #1 seed
Ryan Murphy‘s Lineup:
- 100 back: #1 seed
- 50 back: #42 seed (seeded with a 100 back time)
Jack Alexy‘s Lineup:
- 200 free: #14 seed
- 50 back: #16 seed
- 50 free: #1 seed
- 100 free: #1 seed
U.S. Pan Pac Roster Set To Compete In Indianapolis:
Almost all of the US women’s roster for Pan Pacs will be in Indianapolis as 21 out of 26 women on the roster are on the pre-scratch psych sheets. The men’s side includes 16/26 members of the Pan Pac roster, with most of the “no’s” coming from the Texas men.
INDIANAPOLIS — A person was fatally shot on the north side of Indianapolis Wednesday morning, according to police.
The Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department says officers were dispatched to investigate a shots fired incident in the 6700 block of Woodmere Circle in the Delaware Trails area, west of Hoover Road, around 5:41 a.m.
They arrived and located a person suffering a gunshot wound.
IMPD originally reported their condition as “awake and breathing,” though the person died sometime after arriving at a hospital.
According to Public Information Officer Drew Brown, the person who called police was the shooter in the incident.
He told police that two masked individuals approached him before shots were fired. The shooter is cooperating with law enforcement, police said.
Another person was detained on scene; IMPD did not identify or state their role in the incident.
This is a developing story.
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