‘Party like it’s 1399’: Karneval returns to the Athenaeum after 5-year hiatus
INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) — A medieval masquerade ball celebrating German heritage will return to a popular downtown cultural center downtown on Saturday night.
The Athenaeum will host a Karneval celebration on Saturday in the Basile Theater. It’s a tradition organizers are bringing for the first time since the COVID-19 pandemic.
President of the Athenaeum Foundation Craig Mince says it’s good to be back after such a long wait.
“It’s good to have it back,” Mince said. “It’s one of those long-lost traditions, that whenever you can kind of break it out of the closet, it’s always fun.”
On Saturday night, the theater will be taken over by the ball, live music, and jesters to fit the medieval theme of the holiday.
The tradition started during medieval times as a way to welcome springtime, driving out winter and the evil spirits that were believed to come with the season. Eventually, the church adopted the celebration as a way to enjoy food and drink — one last hurrah before Lent.
Mince says they’re looking to “party like it’s 1399.”
“Nobody really knows how those parties would go,” Mince said. “It’s really meant to be a fun evening of debauchery before the … fasting of Lent. What you’ll find is good food, good friends, good drinks, good music, all in one location, and just a good time to kind of drive the light back into the season.”
The Athenaeum models their celebration after Cologne, Germany’s celebrations, which happens to be a sister city to Indianapolis.
According to Mince, Cologne hosts one of the biggest Karneval celebrations in the world. He says many different cultures also have similar events like Carnival in Brazil or Mardi Gras in New Orleans.
“They all kind of have this very similar concept of kind of debauchery before the season of fasting,” Mince said. “It’s really interesting to see each different culture and how they celebrate it
The return of the celebration also marks the Athenaeum’s 125th anniversary.
The party starts at 7 p.m. and runs to 11 p.m. Tickets are $50 and can be purchased on The Athenaeum’s website.