Speedway hosts ‘Light the Night,’ highlights town improvements

INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) — Speedway officials and businesses welcome hundreds of people and even Santa Claus himself to the town for “Light the Night.”

The holiday event is set for 6 p.m. until 8 p.m. on Wednesday, Dec. 2.

It’s an opportunity for Speedway to show off everything that’s changed over the last six years. That’s when the $10 million in improvements to Main Street began.

In 2011, Speedway announced the coming of the Dallara IndyCar factory and since then there has been a constant stream of projects with more to come. Some of the most recent include Daredevil Brewing, which opened just this summer in Speedway, and the huge new round-about just west of the Indianapolis Motor Speedway.

And speaking of IMS, the Light the Night event will fittingly include a nod to racing. Santa will arrive just before 6 p.m. in an IndyCar driven by Ed Carpenter. After that, kids can visit and take pictures with St. Nick at Dallara until 8 p.m.

Families can ride the holiday tram and visit Main Street businesses which will have special promotions and giveaways. Also, the Speedway High School and Junior High School choirs will perform at Daredevil Brewing Co. at 6:15 p.m. and 7 p.m.

The event is free.

According to a release, police say Main Street between 10th and 15th streets, Gilman Street and Allison Way, and Ford Street from 10th Street to Main Street will be closed to traffic starting at 4:30 Wednesday afternoon and will reopen after the event. That might affect your evening commute, so you might want to avoid the area.

Parking for the event is available on the street and in the parking lot at the corner of 11th Street and Main Street, 15th Street and Main Street and behind Community Westview.