The summer is upon us. While classes and finals have come to a close, and caps and gowns paraded across ceremonial crossways into a world beyond the university, the true pulse of the community is anything but stagnant. Explore the full scope of what the city has to offer this summer with these fifteen exciting entries:
- June 3 – The 2023 Earth Day Indiana Festival: Taking over Garfield Park on Saturday, June 3, enjoy a beautiful day in the park with over 110 exhibitors, live music, food trucks, and a beer garden. Learn more.
- June 5 – B&O Trail Ribbon Cutting Ceremony: The B&O Trail is one of the premier trails in the Indianapolis Metro Area, running west from Speedway through Brownsburg, organizers have stated their desire to take the B&O Trail West to the Indiana State Line. With recent grant funding through the Indiana Next Level Trails program, the trail’s Haughville/Fairfax connector to Speedway will officially have a ribbon-cutting ceremony on June 5 at 4:30pm. Learn more.
- June 8 – 57th The Strawberry Festival: Christ Church Cathedral has a long-standing tradition of raising money with sweet, summery berries. The First Annual Strawberry Festival was held in 1965 and has since become a staple in the community with more than 95 percent of its annual proceeds going directly to local, national, and international not-for-profit outreach groups. Learn more.
- June 10 – 2023 Indy Pride Parade: Lasting nearly two hours with over 140 floats, vehicles, and walking groups, the Indy Pride Parade has become one of the largest parades in Indianapolis and a testament to the hard work of the community to ensure our equality and celebrate Pride starting at 10 am on Mass Ave. Learn more.
- June 18 – Le Ball En Couleur: Indiana Pride of Color and Indy Pride bring back Indianapolis’ first Juneteenth celebration designed explicitly for LGBTQ+ Black/African Americans (and their allies) to affirm, celebrate, and reconcile their queer and black identities. La Ball En Couleur (The Ball in Color) is a celebration of the ballroom community that pays homage to its culture that started in the 1960s that happens at 7pm at The Vogue. Learn more.
- June 16-18 – Madam Walker Legacy Fest: Join the Madam Walker Legacy Center this summer for Legacy Fest! As a means to celebrate Black Excellence during Juneteenth weekend, scheduled events include a gala, a series of concerts, and the always exciting Block Party on the Ave. Learn more.
- June 17 – Juneteenth and Jazz Community Celebration at the Eiteljorg: Come celebrate Juneteenth at the Eiteljorg Museum with performances, activities, food, and more! The museum will host a free day in honor of Juneteenth starting at 11am that is in partnership with the Sankofa Movement group which teaches black history through live performances that portray famous African American men and women. Learn more.
- June 17 – 6th Annual Juneteenth Festival and Parade: The 6th Annual Indy Juneteenth Celebration will take place on June 17 at Military Park starting at 10 am. This will include a parade downtown that will lead to a large festival with over 200 vendors and 20 food trucks from all over Indiana as well as live performances by dance academies, theaters, and local bands. Learn more.
- June 17-18 – Talbot Street Art Fair: With over 200 artists from across the nation, this juried art fair continues to be ranked as one of the finest fairs in the country. The fair is located in the picturesque, historic Herron-Morton neighborhood on the near northside of Indianapolis between 16th & 20th on Talbot St. starting at 10am. Over 60,000 visitors come from near and as far, as 100 miles away, to view the artwork of artists from across the country. Learn more.
- July 8-16 – Indiana Black Expo Summer Celebration: Summer Celebration is Indiana Black Expo’s largest event that showcases Black Culture in Indiana. As a pillar of the state for over 50 years, IBE has gone on to cement Summer Celebration as one of the largest cultural events of its kind with an amazing array of entertainment, arts, dance, food, film, business, and more. Learn more.
- July 21 – Str8 Up Frederick Douglass: Rhythm, Rap, and Jazz: As hip-hop exploration of the life and legacy of this prophet and freedom fighter, Str8 Up Frederick Douglass features original content, music, and dance inspired by his words and determination. Six artists under the direction of Founder and Artistic Director Deborah Asante with the Asante Art Institute of Indianapolis use their creativity to campaign for a brighter future for all. Learn more.
- August 4 – Indianapolis Black Documentary Film Festival: Showcasing documentaries about the African American experience that inspire socially conscious cultural discourse. Now in its fourth year, the dynamic group of collaborators has proven its commitment to fostering an appreciation for documentary films by maintaining a platform for filmmakers to share their work as catalysts for meaningful dialogue. Learn more.
- August 19 – September 5 – IndyFringe Theatre Festival: The 2023 IndyFringe Theatre Festival is a three-week celebration of the arts in Downtown Indy. With 285 performances by over 400 performing artists across 6 stages, the IndyFringe Theatre Festival remains one of the most vibrant and vital arts events in the Midwest. Learn more.
- August 25 – IU Health Momentum Indy: A two-day cycling celebration of bike races, bike rides, food, music, and family festivities in downtown Indy starting at 3:30 pm at Chatterbox Jazz Club. Serving as the 9th stop of the American Criterium Cup, professional cyclists will give it their all to take the podium at the 13th annual Indy Crit. Learn more.
- August 30 – September 3 – BUTTER: A multi-day fine art fair that centers on the care and economic viability of Black visual artists nationwide. It commits to finding unrepresented artists nationally, keeping significant space for Indiana-based artists, and working with galleries at all layers of the industry. Learn more.
From major historic holidays like Juneteenth and Pride Month celebrations to vibrantly singular events only found here in Indy, you can’t go wrong participating in any or all of these wonderful community events. Visit IUPUI’s own events calendar for more at: events.iu.edu/iupui