• Big weekend in Indy with the GP at the Brickyard Aug. 16-18, Gen Con from Aug. 15-18, and IndyFringe from Aug. 15-25. About 50,000 people are expected to gather downtown for Gen Con and the Motorcycles on Meridian Aug. 16 & 17 alone, so parking will be at a premium. The weather reports look great, so walking a ways to your destination shouldn’t be a hardship.
• The monthly Irvington Farmer’s Market has been a stunning success for many years, and a fixture in the community. Nowhere else in Indianapolis will you see so many wonderful produce stands, meat and cheese purveyors, craft and artisan booths, baked goods, icy treats, music, and people walking with their pets. The Irvington Garden Club sponsors and organizes the event the second Sunday of the month from noon to 3 p.m. The next market will be September 8 at Ellenberger.
• Irvingtonians clamored for even more farmer’s market goodness, so Dale Harkins, owner of the Irving Theatre building, has made the area in front of the former Lazy Daze coffeehouse available to local farmers on Wednesdays from 4-7 p.m. every week. The address is 10 Johnson Ave., right across from Bookmamas. Support local farmers by dropping some of your grocery shopping money on super-fresh fruits, vegetables, and other items.
• On August 17 at 1:30 p.m., come on out to celebrate Gene Stratton Porter’s 150th Birthday at the Irvington Library. Discussion led by Barbara Morrow, author of Nature’s Storyteller: The Life of Gene Stratton Porter and a screening of the film documentary, “Gene Stratton-Porter: Voice of the Limberlost.”
• Get ready for some traveling headaches as INDOT prepares to close I-65 and I-70 between the north and south splits on Sept. 3. Motorists will be diverted to other streets, including Pine St. and New York downtown. The split will be closed for about 60 days.
• Good news for IndyFringe fans who buy their tickets online. TicketWeb has reduced their online service fees for Fringe tickets throughout the festival. Adult tickets are $10; on Aug. 20 only, tickets are $5 each. Visit www.indyfringe.org for more information and a full schedule.
• The City of Lawrence will hold a special mid-month Common Council meeting on Aug. 21 at 6:30 p.m. at the Lawrence Government Center.
• The Feast of Lanterns group is looking for volunteers for the Aug. 24 event. If you’d like to help set up booths, put up lanterns, and get involved in the near-eastside community, visit www.volunteerspot.com/login/entry/595497876068
• Indiana Repertory Theatre will be hosting an open house on Sept. 5 from 5-8 p.m. It is a great chance to take a guided backstage tour and see how the magic happens at the IRT. The theatre is located at 140 W. Washington St. No reservations or tickets are necessary for the open house.