Indianapolis is My Home

24
Jun

Jon McLaughlin Performing "Perfect" at Colts Fan Fest

Author: Jason Bean, Category: Concerts, Downtown, Indianapolis Colts, Local Musicians

Here’s a video of Jon McLaughlin performing "Perfect" as his opening song at the Indianapolis Colts Fan Fest event in Indianapolis this past Friday.

I’m not sure what happened to the audio a little ways in. We were right in front of the speakers, wonder if my camera’s mic couldn’t handle it?

Hmmmm

24
Jun

Public Tours of Lucas Oil Stadium

Author: Jason Bean, Category: Downtown, Indianapolis Colts, Lucas Oil Stadium, Real Estate

Here’s your chance to get a personal tour of Lucas Oil Stadium. Well, personal as in you and 19,999 other people you don’t know going with you.

The event is free, but people who want to go will have to get a ticket. Those will be made available starting July 14 on Ticketmaster’s Web site.

Officials said as many as 20,000 people can be accommodated on each of the tours and that more will be added if needed.

Regardless, I think I’ll be trying to get me a ticket for that little deal. Try to take my son too. You can get a video tour here or go straight to Ticketmaster and get your tickets for the live tour here.

Public Invited To Lucas Oil Stadium Tour - Indiana News Story - WRTV Indianapolis

20
Jun

Indianapolis Colts Fan Fest TONIGHT!

Author: Jason Bean, Category: Concerts, Downtown, Indianapolis Colts, Indy Pro Athletes, Local Musicians, Things To Do in Indy

If you want to meet some Colts players and cheerleaders and get their autographs you’ll want to be at the Indianapolis Colts FanFest event tonight. Jon McLaughlin will be performing as well. Great opportunity to hear him perform for free.

Here are the details:

The Colts Fan Fest will be in Indianapolis, Indiana on Friday, June 20th.

Location:
Downtown American Legion Mall
700 North Pennsylvania Street
Indianapolis, IN 46206
5:30pm - 7:30pm
Autograph session with Colts Players, Cheerleaders and Blue
7:30pm
Free Jon McLaughlin Concert

Fan Fest Elements include:
-Make It Personal with Colts players
-Meet Colts Cheerleaders
-FREE community concert by Jon McLaughlin
-Visit Blue the official team mascot
-"Colts City" inflatables
-Bring a new or gently used children’s book for "Books for Youth"
-Register for the Colts Kids Club
-Register to win tickets to a Colts pre-season game
-Pick-up free Colts giveaways
-Check out the re-designed Colts In Motion

Special notes:
The Colts would like to encourage all fans to arrive early.  The line for player and cheerleader autographs may be cut off at any time to ensure the players schedule remains on time.  Inclement weather or traffic may cause late arrival or early departure.  All Fan Fests will take place rain or shine.  Team practice schedule and meeting times may cause players to arrive late or depart early. Colts player names will not be announced prior to the arrival in each city.  Fans will be allowed one autograph per person, however, fans may get back in line for additional autographs.  All Colts Fan Fest times are local.

Stay tuned to www.Colts.com/FanFest for an up-to-date listing of locations.

18
Jun

Should Victory Field Always Be Victory Field

Author: Jason Bean, Category: Business, Downtown, Indianapolis Indians, Victory Field

I think one of the often overlooked features of our city is the Indianapolis Indians and Victory Field. I’ve not done a tour of all the minor league ballparks, but I can tell you that the ones I have seen don’t even come close to Victory Field.

The question up today though is whether or not naming rights to the field and stadium should be sold?

Earlier this year, at the team’s annual shareholder meeting, Schumacher was asked why the team doesn’t sell naming rights to Victory Field, which has been cited by several baseball publications as one of the finest minor league ballparks in the country.

What do you think? My opinion is that it should absolutely remain Victory Field. How about you?

IBJ.com - Indianapolis Business Journal - "The Score" Sports Blog

Image Source: Small Parks

10
Jun

Free Bowling This Summer

Author: Jason Bean, Category: Families, Sports, Things To Do in Indy

I received an e-mail from a friend awhile back letting me know about some free bowling that’s now available through a Kids Bowl Free program.

Available at our following centers:

• Woodland Bowl - 3421 E. 96th St. Indianapolis IN 46240     
• Western Bowl - 6441 W. Washington St. Indianapolis IN 46241     
• Southern Bowl - 1010 U.S. Highway 31 South Greenwood IN 46143
• Jubilee Bowl - 7420 N. Michigan Rd. Indianapolis IN 46268     
• Expo Bowl – 5261 Elmwood Drive, Indianapolis, IN 46203     

Two Free Games of bowling anytime lanes a re available (Open to Close).

Starts  Sunday, April 20, 2008 and ends Saturday, August 23, 2008.

Not to be used with  any other coupon offer. One coupon per person per day. Not valid during Cosmic  Bowling. Not to be used for field trips. Must be 18 years of age or younger. ID  may be required. Reservations recommended but not required.

Call (317)465-8484  to reserve your lanes

06
Jun

What’s the Big Deal About 5,405?

Author: Jason Bean, Category: Indianapolis Colts, Indy Pro Athletes

Unless I gave you some more context you probably wouldn’t have a clue as to the significance of that number. However, if I told you it involved the Indianapolis Colts and Peyton Manning you might get closer to the meaning.

And he said that’s particularly true when it comes to the part of his body that has thrown 5,405 regular-season passes over the last decade.

It’s challenging to start worrying about this stat compared to the other ones, but we all want to keep Peyton as healthy and as involved as we can. There’s got to be a way to balance it though and that’s what the coaches and trainers are all working on this season.

For more information on how and some insight into how recent off-season workouts have been going checkout this story on Colts.com.

AN ISSUE OF PRESERVATION

06
Jun

Divers and Dragons Event on Indy Cultural Trail

Author: Jason Bean, Category: Art, Competitions, Downtown, Indiananpolis Cultural Trail, Sports, Things To Do in Indy

A morning of fun for your entire family Cultural Trail Ribbon Cutting Ceremony,

Kids Fun Run, & Walking Tours

9:00 a.m. @ Alabama & Market Streets

Join Mayor Greg Ballard, Central Indiana Community Foundation President Brian Payne and other dignitaries for the official opening of the Alabama Street Corridor of the Indianapolis Cultural Trail:

A Legacy of Gene & Marilyn Glick. 

Following the Cultural Trail Opening Ceremony, there will be a one-block fun run for children and walking tours for all ages of the finished trail from Market St. to North St.

Divers & Dragons near the Indianapolis Cultural Trail

10:00 a.m. @ Alabama & North Street

On the English Foundation Building parking lot

Cap-off the morning enjoying a very unique, FREE, Olympic Diving Trials community event:

• Elite divers will “jump, twist & tuck” on trampolines demonstrating diving skills
• Indiana Association of Chinese American dancers will perform a Lion Dance
• Children will “climb, bounce and slide” through two inflatable obstacle courses
• Participate in painting a giant “paint-by-numbers” type Dragon Mural

30
May

Mid-East Classic Yo-Yo Contest

Author: Jason Bean, Category: Competitions, Downtown, Eiteljorg Museum, Special Events, Sports, Things To Do in Indy

Back when I was in high school I got the yo-yo craze going in two different high schools. I was a freshman at Adair County High School in Columbia, KY and my sophomore year I was at Butler County High School in Morgantown, KY.

For whatever reasons I decided to take a yo-yo to school and began playing with it in the hall between classes. A few people asked me where I learned how to do some of the tricks and I said I just practiced and taught them to myself.

For an extra credit project in French class I did the "Eiffel Tower" trick and got 100% for my efforts and originality. That turned out to be loads easier than baking authentic French bread the next semester (got 100% on that too though).

Pretty soon yo-yo’s could be seen by probably a few hundred or so students.

After moving to Morgantown, I repeated the fad there with more classmates.

All that leads me to the idea that I should really go check-out this yo-you competition at the Eiteljorg Museum this weekend.

The Eiteljorg Museum is proud to host the Indiana State Yo-Yo contest, spearheaded by Takeshi Kamisato (Ho Chunk).  This day will entail a gathering of 50+ yo-yo competitors showcasing their talents in one or more of five different class divisions. There will be free beginner’s workshops with Don Fisher, sales from yoyoguy.com on site, demonstrations throughout the day and a chance to learn about how yo-yoing has changed and where it’s going!

My son’s got two baseball games tomorrow, but maybe we can catch the freestyle competition on Sunday.

Mid-East Classic Yo-Yo Competition at the Eiteljorg

28
May

Celebrities at the Indy 500

Author: Jason Bean, Category: Celebrities, Indianapolis Motor Speedway, Indy 500, Speedway

I attended my first Indianapolis 500 this past weekend and had a great time. I have friends that come in from Vegas every year, they usually come for the F1, but since it’s not running they decided to continue the tradition and just switch it to the Indianapolis 500.

We had a blast. Had some good seats and got to see some celebrities. I’ll have to admit though, I didn’t know a lot of them, here are two that we had to ask who they were.

Whitney Thompson - Winner of "America’s Next Top Model"

Drew Lachey - from 98 Degrees and "Dancing with the Stars"

More pictures of other famous people that were at the race to come!

20
May

Indianapolis Wins Bid for Super Bowl 2012

Author: Jason Bean, Category: Business Entrepreneurs, Downtown, Indianapolis Colts, Indy Pro Athletes, Lucas Oil Stadium, News, Special Events

Great news for the city! Congratulations to everyone that participated and help secure this deal into reality. Can’t wait to see this thing come to the city and hopefully be a part of it in some way.

Indianapolis officials had gone to great lengths to secure the 25,000 hotel rooms required by league bid specifications. They also hammered home the city’s strengths, including downtown connectivity and history of hosting big events, from the 1987 Pan Am Games to the Indianapolis 500 and NCAA men’s basketball Final Fours.

Indianapolis also came up with $25 million in corporate and individual support to fund various Super Bowl operations, including event hosting, transportation and building a practice facility. NFL sources said Indianapolis has more money secured to host the 2012 Super Bowl than either Phoenix or Houston.

I still think that working as hard to get back and keep events like the F1 should also have the same importance.

What do you think?

Indianapolis lands Super Bowl