The holidays are just beginning.
November has a lot in store for Indianapolis, from Taylor Swift-themed events, the World Food Championships, Spirit & Place and more. The Recorder has put together a short list of family-friendly fall events to check out in our Community Arts Calendar before the holiday season.
Can’t find a specific event on the Community Arts Calendar? Check out our NEW Events Page!
Friday, Nov. 1
Indianapolis Zoo’s Wildest Era
Indianapolis Zoo, 1200 W. Washington St.
2-6 p.m. (Ongoing through Nov. 3)
$19.89; included with zoo admission, free for members.
All weekend long, the Indianapolis Zoo is hosting a public party for Swifties of all ages, complete with face painting, bracelet making and other activities, themed food and drinks and specialty apparel.
indianapoliszoo.com/zoo-events/taylor-swift-event
29th Annual Spirit & Place Festival – In Gratitude: An Opening Celebration
Garfield Park Arts Center, Main Gallery, 2432 Conservatory Dr.
11 a.m. to 1 p.m.
Free; registration required
The annual Spirit & Place Festival kicks off with a storytelling performance by Sally Perkins with ASL interpretation and live music from Alexo Cazares and Eric Salaza. The celebration will also include artmaking activities led by the Ivy Tech Fine Arts Department with art supplies and food provided while supplies last.
Mozart and the Misfits
Hilbert Circle Theatre,
7 p.m.
$15-$83
The ISO will blend funk beats, jazz, wit and classicism with a program featuring principal cellist Austin Huntington in Gulda’s cello concerto and Schnittke’s “Moz-Art a la Haydn” led by assistant conductor Su-Han Yang.
indianapolissymphony.org/event/mozart-and-the-misfits
Saturday, Nov. 2
The Best Family Day (Newfields’ Version)
Newfields, 4000 N. Michigan Road
Noon to 2:30 p.m.
$13-$20; free for members and children under 5
In honor of her three-day run in Indy, Newfields is hosting a Taylor Swift party complete with friendship bracelet making, poetry writing, live DJs, a costume contest, themed scavenger hunt, specialty mocktails and more.
discovernewfields.org/calendar/best-family-day
Friday, Nov. 8
World Food Championships
Indiana State Fair commission, 1202 E. 38th St.
9 a.m. to 9 p.m. (Ongoing through Nov. 12)
Tickets start at $15; free for children under 5; military discounts available
Opening day of the World Food Championships welcomes competitors and judges to register for the five-day competition in addition to pre-competition events such as Biscuits and Jampionship, WFC JR., Food Champ University and the Last Chance Qualifier.
La Vida Loca: Latin Pops Hits of the 1990s and 2000s
Hilbert Circle Theatre, 45 Monument Circle
11 a.m. to 1 p.m.
$15-$76
Celebrating some of the greatest hits of the ’90s and ‘00s, “La Vida Loca” is an 11 a.m. Coffee Pops concert featuring the music of Enrique Iglesias, Gloria Estefan, Santana, Ricky Martin and more under the direction of conductor Enrico Lopez-Yañez.
indianapolissymphony.org/event/latin-pops-hits-2/
IU Soul Revue: A Taste of Soul
The Cabaret, 924 N. Pennsylvania St.
7:30 p.m.
$15-$25
The Cabaret’s newest partner, the IU Soul Revue, is one of America’s “first and finest collegiate Black popular music ensembles” and is performing an evening set on the mainstage as part of The Cabaret’s Next Generation Series.
Saturday, Nov. 9
Spirit & Place Festival — Having Our Story Told: Preserving LGBTQ+ History
Indiana Historical Society, 450 W. Ohio St.
2-4 p.m.
Free
The 2024 Spirit & Place Festival presents an afternoon of gratitude in partnership with IYG, Indy Pride, Indiana Pride of Color and Sylvia Thomas. History professionals and members of the LBGTQ+ community invite guests to tour the Indiana Historical Society’s LGBTQ+ collection and engage in small group conversations to honor and reflect on themes of queer recognition, forgetting, agency and storytelling.
indianahistory.org/events/having-our-story-told-preserving-lgbtq-history/
6th Annual Indy Brew Battle
Guggman Haus Brewing Co., 1701 Gent Ave.
4-7 p.m.
$20; free for designated drivers
The 6th annual Indy Brew Battle promises three hours of unlimited beer sampling from Indiana’s homebrewers. The event is 21+ and 100% of the proceeds go directory to Helping Veterans and Families charities.
Tuesday, Nov. 12
Tiffany Jewell at IU Indianapolis
Madam Walker Legacy Center, 617 Indiana Ave.
6-8 p.m.
Free
Anti-bias antiracist writer Tiffany Jewell will speak at the Walker Legacy Center as part of IU Indianapolis Chancellor’s Diversity Speaker Series. Jewell is the New York Times Bestselling Author of “This Book Is Anti-Racist.” The event is open to the public and will include free parking and food. ASL interpreters are available on request.
eventbrite.com/e/tiffany-jewell-at-iu-indianapolis-tickets-966509705547
Friday, Nov. 15
Theatre Unchained Presents: “Funny, Like an Abortion” by Rachel Bublitz
The Blackbox at IF Theatre, 719 E. St. Clair St.
7:30-9 p.m.
$22
Written by Rachel Bublitz and directed by Megan Ann Jacobs Monroe, “Funny, like an Abortion” is a serious comedy about Monroe, a young woman who finds herself pregnant in a U.S. where abortions are illegal. Featuring juggling, tap dancing and more, Monroe throws a surprise abortion party with her best friend Jade where they sort through 20 at-home abortion options.
indyfringe.org/performance/unchained-2024-funny/
Saturday Nov. 16
“A Christmas Carol”
Indiana Repertory Theatre. 140 W. Washington St.
2 p.m. (ongoing through Dec. 24; times vary)
Tickets start at $25
IRT’s annual holiday tradition is back to shine a light on the power of kindness this winter. Directed by cara hihn, “Charles Dickens’ A Christmas Carol” is recommended for third grade audiences and up and features student matinee options, ASL-interpreters, open caption performances and more.
“Elf” in Concert
Hilbert Circle Theatre. 45 Monument Circle
7-9 p.m.
$15-$146
Presented by CineConcerts, the Indianapolis Symphony Orchestra will celebrate the holidays this season by playing the live score of “Elf” during a screening of the film at Hilbert Circle Theatre.
indianapolissymphony.org/event/saturday-elf-in-concert
America the Beautiful
The Palladium, 1 Carter Green, Carmel
7:30 p.m.
$79
Angela Brown will join the Carmel Symphony Orchestra during its performance of “America the Beautiful” to narrate the centerpiece of the program, Aaron Copland’s “Lincoln Portrait.”
Saturday, Nov. 23
Sounds of Motown with a Snippet of Motown Christmas
Basile Theatre at the Athenaeum, 401 E. Michigan St.
$35-$45
Brought back by popular demand, Urban Theatre and Kaidydid Productions present the dazzling choreography and unforgettable harmonies of Motown’s greatest hits with holiday-themed twist.
Please note: Admission and ticket prices listed are general and before taxes/fees.
Contact Arts & Culture Reporter Chloe McGowan at 317-762-7848. Follow her on X @chloe_mcgowanxx.