Top 8 things to do in Indy this weekend: Aug. 18-20
INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) — Gen Con, IndyFringe and the Indiana State Fair’s final weekend make up this week’s list, plus a preview of the eclipse on Monday.
GenCon 50th anniversary
It’s the longest-running and best-attended gaming convention in the world … and it takes place right here in Indianapolis. Head over to the Indiana Convention Center this weekend for nonstop gaming action, 5,000-plus events and world-class exhibits. The event is sold-out, but there will be other unofficial events taking place around town including a Brew and Board meetup at the Tomlinson Tap Room at 7 p.m. Friday among many others. Click here for details.
IndyFringe
This annual festival celebrating the bold, bodacious and outrageous theatrical and performance arts is this weekend! This year’s festival will feature 74 acts and over 200 performances with the new festival hub/office located at the Indianapolis Professional Firefighters Local 416 union hall, 748 Massachusetts Ave. There, you can purchase tickets for all venues, grab refreshments and check out the VisualFringe gallery. Click here for more.
Indy Pizza Week
Hand-tossed, deep dish and all other things pizza will be celebrated this week at over 20 different Indy establishments with half-price pizza! Head somewhere new and catch a pie you’ve yet to taste and support Second Helpings at the same time. If you tweet out your pizza prize or post a photo to Instagram, use the hashtag #IndyPizzaWeek! Click here for more.
WISH-TV’s IndyStyle presented some of the pizzerias this week (click to watch): BoomBozz, Sidekicks, Union Jack Pub Broad Ripple and Nook.
Indiana State Fair
The 160th running of the Indiana State Fair will wrap up this weekend with many large events you’ll want to see. Saturday will be Little Red Door’s Cancer Survivors Day with the Pepsi Indiana Music Festival featuring The Why Store, The Easthills, Bigfoot Yancey and Against the Clocks at the free stage. Sunday will be the final day to eat your favorite treats with the big demolition derby set to start at 4:30 p.m. Click here for details.
Music round-up
We’ve got a ton of music acts in the city again this weekend with a bit of something to please everyone. You can see Hank Williams Jr. and Lynyrd Skynyrd at the Klipsch Music Center in Noblesville on Friday with Kings of Leon set to take the stage in Noblesville on Saturday.
The Gospel Music Festival headlined by Anthony Brown & Kierra Sheard will be take place this Saturday at the Indiana State Fair.
Just outside of the Interstate 465 loop, the 14th Annual Kammy’s Kause will take place Friday and Saturday at the American Legion Post 391 in Fortville. Kammy’s Kause is a two-day music festival fundraiser that also includes Kammy’s KidZone, Kammy’s Ride, a petting zoo, pony rides, face painting, balloon artists, bounce houses, live art, food trucks, 27 local musicians and bands, a silent auction, merchandise and great people.
Finally, Hop Your Face at Fountain Square Brewing Co. has live music Saturday beginning at noon, with food trucks and plenty of beer to go around.
Augustravaganza and SausageFest
Two church festivals are taking place this weekend here in Indy.
The first is Augustravaganza at Nativity of Our Lord Jesus Christ Parish ,7225 Southeastern Ave., this Friday and Saturday. The event runs from 4 p.m. to midnight with fried chicken dinners Friday and prime rib on Saturday. The church will also have bingo in an air-conditioned hall, kids’ games, a raffle, a Monte Carlo game, a 5K or 1-mile walk-run Saturday morning, a baby crawl, live music, a beer garden and more.
SausageFest 2017 will take place this Friday from 6 p.m.-midnight and Saturday from 5:30 p.m.-midnight. It features sausage (of course). St. Thomas Aquinas Parish, 4625 N. Kenwood Ave., will also have other food vendors, inflatables, games, a cake walk, face painting, a teen area, live music, Sun King beer and a wine garden.
Hops & Flip Flops and Broad Ripple Seafood Boil
Two other big festivals are also taking place within the I-465 loop this weekend.
Daredevil Brewing Co. in Speedway is hosting its third annual Hops & Flip Flops Craft Beer Festival this Saturday. The festivities include an all-ages 5K fun run and walk at 9 a.m., a craft beer festival from 1 to 5 p.m. that is a ticketed event, and live music from 5 to 10 p.m. featuring local artist Craig Thurston and the very popular White Lightning Boys. Organizers said proceeds will benefit local charities and service organizations. Click here for more.
If you love a summer seafood boil, you’ll want to head to Broad Ripple for the summer seafood boil and block party at the Sangrita Saloon from 1-5 p.m. Sunday. For a $60 ticket, you can eat an unlimited amount of shrimp, crawfish, corn, potatoes and Turchetti’s Salumeria andouille sausage, all in a New Orleans-style atmosphere. VIP Tickets include Crab and Lobster + early admission.
WAMMfest in Greenwood
Just a short drive down I-65 will take you to WAMMfest in Greenwood to celebrate all things wine, art, music and microbrew! This charitable event will showcase the artistic, cultural and entertainment opportunities available within the Greenwood community with all net proceeds from the event distributed back to the community to support our youth, individuals and community organizations, organizers said.
Bonus: Great American Eclipse
While it isn’t this weekend, you might be preparing for or starting a journey to see the great American eclipse Monday. This is the first eclipse on U.S. soil since 1979 and the first visible from Indiana since 1970. While we won’t be in totality here in Indy (just 91.5 percent obstruction), you can drive a short four hours to southern Illinois or western Kentucky to view the maximum eclipse. Make sure to get there early and plan ahead with extra water and gas as millions will likely congregate to see this rare celestial show. If you’re skipping this year’s total eclipse, we’ll experience totality here in the Circle City in April of 2024!