• The Neighborhood Food Collective will be holding a summer food giveaway on Saturday, May 18 from 2-3 p.m. in the Irvington Plaza parking lot, located at 6301 E. Washington St.
• On Tuesday, May 21 at 7 pm, the Perry Township and Franklin Township Historical Societies are holding a joint meeting at the Perry Township Education Center, 6548 Orinoco Ave. Come and meet Teddy Roosevelt, as portrayed by Gib Young. Enter through the center doors at the northwest corner of the building.
• Kevin Miller and Urban Restoration LLC just installed a third Big Red Box at 2015 S Arlington (in front of Good Shepherd United Methodist Church, Indy). The boxes hold non-perishable food for individuals in need. The Big Red Box project has two boxes in Irvington: 30 N. Audubon at the United Methodist Church, and at 400 S. Ritter Ave. in front of Coal Yard Coffee. They are looking for a fourth location.
• Little Flower neighbors are having a “walk with your neighbors” event on Saturday, May 25 at 10:30 a.m. Neighbors are invited to come out for a casual stroll around the neighborhood. They will have a free donut for all those in attendance. Meet up at the Little Flower School steps on Bosart, and 13th St. If you have questions, reach out to Manda at asjoseph629@gmail.com
• Half Liter BBQ hosted the first annual Pirate Cat 5K to a sell-out crowd over the Mother’s Day weekend. The event went to support FACE’s work. There were a handful of friendly pirates on the course, honoring the Monon Trail’s most notorious cat. Pirate Cat was a legend, hanging out on the Monon Trail at 96th St. and greeting runners and walkers. He passed away in April 2020 from kidney failure. His caretakers adopted him from FACE. You can visit his marker at 1310 E. 96th St. that tells his very interesting story.
• The grand opening and ribbon cutting on the new Frederick Douglass Family Center and playground will be held on Thursday, May 23 at 11 a.m. The public is invited to come by and check out the new facility, which has two full-sized basketball courts, an indoor walking track, and much more. The park is located at 1616 E.25th St. in the Martindale-Brightwood neighborhood.
• The Irvington Historical Society was recently awarded a grant to replace the flat roof section of the Bona Thompson Center and replace the HVAC systems. The grant is from the National Park Service Historic Preservation Fund. Other Indianapolis grants were awarded to the Indianapolis Propylaeum, the 1903 Meredith Nicholson House, and the Athenaeum.
• The Broad Ripple Art Fair will be held on Saturday, May 18 and Sunday, May 19 at the Indy Art Center, 820 E. 67th St. from 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Over 150 local and national artists and their works will be on hand, plus live music, food, and Bier Brewery offerings. Tickets are $20 for adults, $10 for kids, and $30 for a weekend pass for both days. You can buy tickets in advance on Eventbrite.com or at the gate. This year, all sales will be cashless, so be prepared!