Indianapolis is set to host a week of elite swimming competition as the US Swimming Trials for the Paris Olympics kick off at Lucas Oil Stadium. Before the athletes dive into the pool, organizers are launching the event with a block party on George Street.

News 8’s Kyla Russell reports live from the scene, where excitement is building. “I am here on George Street in front of Indianapolis’s own Eiffel Tower. There’s food, music, and a perfect recipe for a good time,” he said.

Indiana Sports Corp’s Sarah Meyer provided more details on the festivities. “We’ve got our starting block party. It’s officially Olympic trials time. We wanted to start things off with a bang, so we’re hosting a block party here on George Street,” she said. The event features live music from DJ Space Fun starting at 5 p.m., followed by performances from The Main Squeeze and Midwest. “We’ll light the Eiffel Tower after it’s all over,” she added.

The block party is just the beginning of a series of events. “We have Georgia Street open all nine days, from June 15 to 23, from 1-7 p.m. It’s all free and open to the public,” Meyer explained. The Toyota Aqua Zone inside offers indoor fan activities, family-friendly activations, and a Team USA retail store.

Volunteer opportunities are also available. “For a nine-day event, we need a lot of people to put it on. We need to fill 6,000 shifts and we’re very close. If you want to help out, go to indianasportscorp.org/volunteer. Every volunteer will get their own commemorative gold medal,” Meyer said.