Kroger Symphony on the Prairie has been a summer tradition for the Indianapolis Symphony Orchestra and Conner Prairie since the 90s, maybe even the late 80s, according to Marcus Mizelle, director of venue operations for the ISO.
The summer concert series has changed significantly over the years to adapt to the community’s music tastes, performance preferences and artists’ schedules. Today, however, Symphony on the Prairie has fallen into a strong routine, featuring an eclectic collection of performances showcasing the ISO’s versatility and ability to bring different communities together through music, Mizelle said.
“It’s bringing music that people know, people want to sing along to and dance with,” Mizelle said. “We’re bringing that to the orchestra to really try and merge those audiences and introduce people to things they know, while also giving them something new.”
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Symphony on the Prairie presents 21 concerts across 10 weekends. The first 11 shows feature the ISO with a guest conductor or soloist with Broadway, Pops or Classics and the last 10 shows are usually a cover band or artist tribute — such as Face2Face: A Tribute to Billy Joel and Elton John and Let’s Sing Taylor (An unofficial live tribute band).
Star-Spangled Symphony
Star-Spangled Symphony is an annual favorite over the Fourth of July Weekend. Before the concert, guests are invited to watch and take pictures with a historical reenactors group, who will walk the grounds and participate during the production, Mizelle said.
Conductor Alfred Savia and guest jazz trumpeter Byron Stripling will join the ISO for a patriotic performance with a fireworks finale to Tchaikovsky’s “1812 Overture.”
“We have the National Guard stationed with essentially cannons because the original work by Tchaikovsky called for a cannon to be fired off stage,” Mizelle said. “Well, we took it a step beyond that, and we have four modern artillery cannons that are going off in tandem with the performance. … It’s a great thing for people to watch.”
‘Greatest Love of All’
The Greatest Love of All: A Tribute to Whitney Houston will join the ISO on July 25 with vocalist Belinda Davids, led by Principal Guest Conductor of Pops Enrico Lopez-Yañez. The tribute concert, which was created in 2012, has traveled all over the world, featuring a rotating selection of the late singer’s 20-21 greatest hits and six costume changes “exactly the way Whitney did it on stage,” Davids told the Recorder.
Davids grew up on Houston’s music and started singing her music professionally at 14. She auditioned for The Greatest Love of All in Cape Town 12 years ago and has been touring with it ever since. The show is a “labor of love,” and Davids said anyone who loves Whitney Houston will enjoy the performance they bring to Symphony on the Prairie.
“I want people to, when they come to the show, I want them to feel nostalgia. I want them to take back some good memories away from it,” Davids said. “I want them to feel like they have the freedom to get up and dance and get up and sing and have a good time.”
However, The Greatest Love of All doesn’t always perform with an orchestra, and Davids said that she’s excited to be partnering with the ISO for the upcoming show due to the way a live orchestra elevates the music.
2025 Symphony on the Prairie line-up
*featuring the Indianapolis Symphony Orchestra
- July 3-5 — Star-Spangled Symphony*
- July 11-12 — Disney in Concert: Once Upon a Time*
- A Teddy Bear Series performance for children concludes the July 12 concert.
- July 18-19 — John Williams + Friends*
- July 25 — The Greatest Love of All: A Tribute to Whitney Houston*
- July 26 — EagleMania*
- Aug.1-2 — Let’s Sing Taylor (An unofficial live tribute band)
- Aug. 8 — Dark Star Orchestra (Grateful Dead Tribute)
- Aug. 9 — Face2Face: A Tribute to Billy Joel and Elton John
- Aug. 15 — One Night of Queen
- Aug. 18 — The Fab Four: The Ultimate Tribute
- Aug. 22 — Neil Forever: The Music of Neil Diamond
- Aug. 23 — A1A: The Official and Original Jimmy Buffett Tribute Show
- Aug. 29 — Invincible: The Ultimate Michael Jackson Tribute Show
- Aug. 30 — Voyage: Celebrating the Music of Journey
Know if you go
Symphony on the Prairie is a BYO venue, Mizelle said. Although refreshments and spirits are available onsite, guests are encouraged to bring a cooler with drinks and pack snacks or a picnic.
There are reserved seating areas in front of the dance floor with rental tables or VIP seating in the Huntington National Bank Sunset Lounge, but guests can also pick a spot out on the lawn and bring chairs or blankets.
Symphony on the Prairie takes place at Conner Prairie, 13400 Allisonville Road, Fishers, IN. Gates open at 6 p.m. and concerts begin at 8 p.m. Lawn tickets start at $12.29 and are available at indianapolissymphony.org, the Hilbert Circle Theatre Box Office and most Central Indiana Kroger stores.
Contact Arts & Culture Reporter Chloe McGowan at 317-762-7848. Follow her on X @chloe_mcgowanxx.
Chloe McGowan is the Arts & Culture Reporter for the Indianapolis Recorder Newspaper. Originally from Columbus, OH, Chloe graduated with a degree in journalism from The Ohio State University. She is a former IndyStar Pulliam Fellow, and her previous work includes freelancing for Indy Maven, Assistant Arts & Life Editor for The Lantern, and editorial assistant at CityScene Media Group. Chloe enjoys covering all things arts and culture — from local music, visual art, dance, theater and film, as well as minority-owned businesses. In her free time, Chloe enjoys reading, cooking and keeping her plants alive.
