Indianapolis, IN
Summer camp registration is open. Here are some options for your kids in central Indiana
While it may be hard to think about the end of the school year before spring arrives, summer break is right around the corner.
The Indianapolis Public Schools will host a summer activities resource fair on Saturday, March 9 from 10:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. at Arsenal Tech High School. Families can come and explore different summer opportunities for little children and job opportunities for teens.
If you prefer to do your research online, here is a look at some summer camp options for kids in the central Indiana area. f you’re searching for ways to amuse your children once school lets out.
Camps with multiple locations
Indy Parks Camps
Parks around the city offer summer options for children of all ages. The weeklong camps focus on a range of topics, from trail stomping to mural painting to theatre to good old-fashioned summer camp.
YMCA Summer Day Camps
The YMCA of Greater Indianapolis has 14 summer day camp locations across central Indiana. These camps include traditional camp or Discovery camp, held at schools or churches across the city for kids to participate in STEAM activities.
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Downtown camps
Girls Rock! Indy
Girls Rock is a day camp for girls, non-binary and trans youth ages 9-16. Campers attend a week-long crash course in instrument instruction, songwriting, and musical collaboration as well as interactive workshops and lessons focused on building confidence, personal empowerment, and leadership skills through the lens of music education. The camp culminates in a Saturday showcase.
The camp has two weeklong options in July and applications close on March 18.
Indiana Repertory Theatre Camp
The IRT offers sessions for students ages 8-15, as well as mini camps for students ages 5-7. The IRT also offers half-day or full-day workshops for high school students.
Indiana State Museum Camps
While some of these popular camps have already sold out, the museum still has openings for some of its weeklong programs, which focus on topics ranging from time travel to 3-D art to animals and more.
IUPUI Jaguar summer day camps
IUPUI offers day camp options for kids ages 5-12 that let kids explore activities like sports, non-competitive games and other activities involving movement along with swim lessons.
Indianapolis Zoo summer camp
The Indianapolis Zoo offers three and five-day camps for kids ages 5-14. Kids will learn about wild animals and what it takes to have a career in conservation. Prices vary for members and nonmembers.
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Northside and Hamilton County Camps
Arts for Lawrence, Summer Art Camp
Arts for Lawrence runs four weeks of day camps for kids ages 6-12. Each day, kids will get to participate in visual arts classes, including painting and pottery as well as performing arts classes in the afternoon.
Butler University Summer Arts Camps
Butler University has a variety of day camps for ages 7-18 and even some 18 and older camps for adults. Most of the camps focus on performing arts like music, theatre or dance with half or full-day options.
Butler University Soccer Camps
Butler University offers day soccer camps for kids aged 8-14 of various ability levels. Some of the weeks are already sold out but there are spaces available for the co-ed sessions.
Hamilton County Parks
Hamilton County Parks offers day camps, some with overnight stays for kids ages 6 – 13. Kids can enjoy outdoor activities, such as fishing, aerial adventures, archery and canoeing as part of the Strawtown Koteewi camp. Registration begins March 16 at 10 a.m.
JCC Indianapolis Day Camps
The JCC Indianapolis has day camps for kids in grades K-9 and a counselor-in-training program for 10th graders. Camp days last from around 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. and kids do activities like games, nature studies, arts and crafts and swimming. Non-JCC members can participate in the camps.
Indy Hoops Academy
The Indy Hoops Academy, located in Fishers has half-or full-day camps for kids in grades K-8. Kids participate in sports like basketball, soccer, flag football, whiffle ball, kickball, dodgeball and other physical activities.
Park Tudor Summer Experience
Park Tudor, a private school on the north side of Indianapolis, offers summer camp options for preschoolers all the way up to high schoolers. The programs offered range from arts and crafts, sports, performing arts, and various other subjects.
White Pine Wilderness Academy
The White Pine Wilderness Academy offers day camp options for two weeks in the summer where kids ages 4-17 can experience activities like fire-making, wood splitting, plant ID, foraging, crafting, scouting, tracking, and storytelling.
Is there a summer camp in central Indiana that we forgot to add? Let us know by emailing cbeck@gannett.com.
Contact IndyStar reporter Caroline Beck at 317-618-5807 or CBeck@gannett.com. Follow her on Twitter: @CarolineB_Indy.
Caroline’s reporting is made possible by Report for America and the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation. Report for America is a program of The GroundTruth Project, a nonpartisan, nonprofit organization dedicated to strengthening local newsrooms. Report for America provides funding for up to half of the reporter’s salary during their time with us, and IndyStar is fundraising the remainder. To learn more about how you can support IndyStar’s partnership with Report for America and to make a donation, visit indystar.com/RFA.
Indianapolis, IN
The Zone Extra | April 18, 2026
INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) — It was another busy week in high school sports in central Indiana and ‘The Zone Extra’ has it all covered.
Athlete of the week and Guerin Catholic senior outfielder Ian Taylor is off to a scorching hot start to the young season. Check out his interview as well as Guerin Catholic head coach Dave Schrage talk about Taylor’s success.
The Johnson County baseball tournament came to a close. See highlights from Center Grove’s tournament victory.
The 4A baseball coaches poll was released as well as the 3A softball coaches poll.
The former Columbus North gymnastics coach, John Hinds, passed away at 88 years old.
Center Grove head softball coach Alyssa Coleman joins the show for a coaches corner conversation.
See highlights from the Colts Local Pro Day, featuring several former Hoosiers and Purdue’s Devin Mockobee.
Girls lacrosse is in the first season as an IHSAA emerging sport.
All of that, and more, can be found in the full The Zone Extra show above.
Indianapolis, IN
Tornado watches issued for counties north and west of Indianapolis
(WISH) — A tornado watch was issued until 3 a.m. EDT Saturday for counties northwest and west of Indianapolis, and into Illinois.
Indiana counties in the watch area are Boone, Carroll, Cass, Clay, Clinton, Elkhart, Fountain, Fulton, Howard, Kosciusko, La Porte, Marshall, Miami, Montgomery, Parke, Pulaski, Putnam, St. Joseph, Starke, Tippecanoe, Vermillion, Vigo, Wabash, Warren and White. The watch area includes the cities of Crawfordsville, Elkhart, Lafayette, Lebanon, South Bend, Terre Haute, and West Lafayette.
The National Weather Service Storm Prediction Center has issued two watches in Indiana. The other one until midnight EDT Friday includes the Indiana counties of Benton, Jasper, Lake, Newton and Porter. That includes the city of Gary. That watch also extends into Illinois.
Storms on Friday night in central Illinois, Iowa, Missouri and Minnesota led to dozens of confirmed tornado warnings. The storms in central Illinois has gusts up to 80 mph, and tornadoes embedded in heavy rain.
An alert issued after 10:30 p.m. Friday from the National Weather Service at Indianapolis said, “A line of strong thunderstorms is nearing the state line with a history of widespread damaging winds and tornadoes. The line is expected to continue to produce damaging winds as it moves into Indiana with the potential for additional tornadoes. The line is then expected to gradually weaken as it moves further into the state.”
Indianapolis, IN
St. Benno Fest returns to the Athenaeum
INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) — The Athenaeum in downtown Indianapolis is getting ready to welcome spring with its annual St. Benno Festival this Saturday.
Organizers say it’s one of the longest-running cultural festivals in Indianapolis.
St. Benno Festival is based on the German tradition of “Frühlingsfest,” the springtime version of Oktoberfest, Athenaeum Foundation President Craig Mince says.
“It would always be the festival that would open up the beer garden,” Mince said. “So that was kind of their kickoff of the spring and that warmer season. “
The Athenaeum’s celebration focuses on St. Benno, the patron saint of anglers and the city of Munich, Germany.
There’s a lot of folklore surrounding St. Benno. He’s said to have created Bach beer. He also had a sidekick, “Einbeck,” which means “billy goat” in German.
Legend has it that when the invaders were coming to Munich, he threw the key to a church into a body of water. Years later, he caught a fish that had eaten the key and retrieved it.
“When the German immigrants came here to central Indiana, Indianapolis in particular, they started to organize,” Mince said. “They celebrated Benno. They celebrated Bach beer. So that was kind of the beginning of this institution.”
St. Benno Fest will include lots of beer, pretzels, and Gomez BBQ’s doner kebab.
Francene Thomas, the Athenaeum’s event and festivals manager, says there’s a lot of thought that goes into the menu.
“We want to definitely bring the tradition of this festival and continue that, but also, just bring some fresh flavor to it, too.”
The celebration serves as a fundraiser for the Athenaeum. Money raised will go back into maintenance and other events that promote German culture.
Tickets are $25 and can be bought in advance on the Athenaeum website. St. Benno Fest is a 21+ event and runs from 7 p.m. to 10 p.m.
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