• Indy Parks recently opened a brand new park serving the south east side of town. Wildwood Park at 8100 Southeastern Ave., is the result of $1 million of public and private funds. The park has a water spray ground, playground, and restrooms. Go check it out!
• Check out Fridays at the Fort on July 29 as the Governor Davis Band rocks out to celebrate the first event of the season. Things start off at 6 p.m. with music, food trucks, a beer tent and Mobile Vino Truck. The whole thing is at the Lawrence Civic Plaza, 9230 Memorial Park Dr. This is a family-friendly, free event.
• We can’t believe we have to remind people of this, but . . . IPL is warning gamers to stay away from utility equipment while playing Pokemon Go. Because the application uses actual buildings and landmarks during the game, some players may mistakenly believe they can catch electric types of Pokémon near substations or transformers. Instead, they may endanger their personal safety. Electric equipment is very dangerous. Trespassing on property containing substations or other equipment is dangerous and illegal.
• Instead of chasing imaginary creatures throughout the city, how about chasing down some actual art created by real, live, local artists? First Friday will be Aug. 5 from 6-9ish at many galleries around Indy. Head on down to Fountain Square to IMOCA, take in a short film at Heartland Film Festival’s headquarters, or check out the galleries in the Murphy Building. The Harrison Center at 1505 N. Delaware will feature their annual book art exhibit and lots of gallery spaces to explore. In Irvington, head over to 5547 Bonna Ave. for local arts and neighborhood vibe. Events are free.
• Broad Ripple Carnival at Broad Ripple Park (1550 Broad Ripple Ave.) will be held Aug. 11-14. The carnival will feature rides, games, food and drink, a craft beer garden, live entertainment, pet adoptions, and community booths. Find out about the history of the village, and where it’s going. Hours are 4-9 p.m. the 11th and 12th, 11 a.m.-9 a.m. on the 13th, and 11 a.m.-4 p.m. on the 14th.
• Worried about Zika? To ease fears, local doctors with American Family Care have put together a Zika Prevention Kit folks can use to protect themselves from mosquitoes this summer. The kit includes bug spray (use EPA registered insect repellents with one of these ingredients: DEET, picaridin or oil of eucalyptus), protective clothing (treated with permathrin), yellow bug lights outdoors, and disinfectant wipes. While there have been no reported cases of Zika in Indiana, there have already been cases of West Nile virus, another mosquito-borne problem.
• $200 cash, plus a place in history, are the prizes offered by Indiana Daughters of the American Revolution in their “Salute Indiana!” competition for the creation of a “salute” or “pledge” to the Indiana state flag. Any Indiana resident, aged 13 years or older, is permitted to apply. Entries are being accepted now at www.SaluteIndiana.org, until Sept. 2. The winning submission will be brought before the Indiana General Assembly for approval.