It’s almost festival season in Indianapolis, which means the return of clear blue, sunny skies, live music and makers markets — like those found at the Harrison Center’s annual Bloombox Festival.
For the last 25 years, Bloombox Festival has been a staple of the Old Northside Historic District during the summer. Featuring two stages with 10 bands that play throughout the day and an artisan market, the festival is a free event designed to bring the community together around local talent.
Each year, a local high school student is selected to be the Bloombox intern, coordinating the festival as part of the cultural and entrepreneurship program. This year, Herron High School student Kieron Bishop stepped up to the plate.
“For a while, I played in a local band in Indianapolis’ music scene, and I got to see so many amazing bands play during that time,” Bishop said. “I really just want to be able to foster and curate a space where more local bands are able to just showcase what they’ve got and put on an amazing show for everyone.”
The mission of Bloombox is built around the idea of generating local support by giving Indy-based creatives a platform. People could go to just about any festival and see artists from anywhere, but Bloombox invites residents to experience art made by their own community — and maybe even find their new favorite artists, Isabelle Torokwa, Bloombox Festival Supervisor, told the Recorder.
Bloombox also aligns with the Harrison Center’s bigger mission to cultivate the art scene in Indianapolis. Hosting a free day-long festival with food, music and art made by Hoosiers strengthens the overall health of a community that values the arts and opens minds for bigger thought and worldviews people may not otherwise experience in their own bubbles, Torokwa added.
“With this initiative specifically, a lot of high school interns that we have go off to college, go to different places,” Torokwa said. “Hopefully they’ll stay here as well and work with us more, but I think it’s a good way to teach them and show them this is how you work with your neighbor, this is how you cultivate community, and this is how you cultivate the arts.”
Prior to organizing the festival, Bishop’s experience with Bloombox stems from attending in 2024 to support a friend’s band. He said he “still so vividly remembers” walking down Delaware Street and seeing how much fun everyone was having interacting with different artisans, food vendors and musicians.
“I think that was really just cool to see in my community, and I think that’s the type of energy I’d like to emulate this year,” Bishop said.
A lot of what Bishop does as festival coordinator involves management work, including meeting deadlines and maintaining communication with partner organizations and bands. As supervisor, Torokwa is thinking of the big picture, making sure they meet all the criteria and logistics — such as reaching out to food trucks, coordinating security and meeting with sponsors — which help keep the festival on track and free.
Bishop and Torokwa also coordinate with Bethany Warner on the development team, Mallory Kornelis, who’s in charge of the artisan market, Erica Blue in marketing and the design firm Innovatemap.
“I think one of the biggest surprises is it can get to be quite a lot because you’re working towards trying to complete a lot of deadlines, focusing on a lot of different tasks at once,” Bishop added. “Sometimes it’s not immediately clear, ‘Oh, this is the exact thing that needs to be done,’ but that’s also kind of what I love about it as well, is the more creative aspects of the job, and working toward that end goal one step at a time.”
Torokwa was also the festival supervisor in 2025, when Leilani Whitsey was the Bloombox intern, and said they worked really well together. When looking for an intern for this year’s festival, Torokwa said Bishop was “an obvious choice” as he’s consistent, diligent and “really, really loves music.”
“I just think Bloombox is really amazing because of that dynamic, and also just teaching the next generation how to become a curator of a local culture, because it’s this generation that’s going to be leading the next wave of artists, of bands, of musicians,” Bishop said. “Because Bloombox is more connected to that, it’s just a big push forward, and getting these people to make a bigger impact in that space.”
As Bloombox celebrates 25 years this summer, Bishop said guests can expect something similar to years past, but with a refreshed, diverse musical lineup — to be announced.
Bloombox doesn’t typically have a theme, and this year is no different. However, Torokwa said they worked with Harrison Center artist Eric Lubrick to incorporate more florals into the event’s overall visuals, since “bloom” is part of the summer festival’s name and core identity.
Otherwise, changes to this year’s festival are subtle. Those who’ve attended the festival for the last 25 years will still feel a sense of familiarity in the diverse line-up of bands and artists, food offerings, good energy and fun t-shirts, and new visitors will be able to experience all of that for the first time, Torokwa said.
Bloombox Festival takes place from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. on June 20 at the Harrison Center, 1505 N. Delaware St. The festival is open to the community and free to attend, and the Harrison Center will be open to guests to explore.
Guests may park alongside the Harrison Center premises and the surrounding streets. There are no VIP ticketing options, and seating is first-come, first-served.
For more information about the festival or updates on the artist lineup, visit harrisoncenter.org.
This story has been updated.
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 has a bachelor's in journalism from The Ohio State University. She is a former IndyStar Pulliam Fellow, and has previously worked for Indy Maven, The Lantern, and CityScene Media Group. In her free time, Chloe enjoys live theatre, reading, baking and keeping her plants alive.
