• Wow! The Historic Irvington Halloween Street Fair on Oct. 31 saw a massive turnout. It was wonderful to see all the costumes and the creativity of participants. The all volunteer staff kept everything moving along, emptying trash cans and keeping it organized. The organizers were outstanding! Can’t wait for next year.
• It’s not too early to think about Thanksgiving. The City of Lawrence is partnering with the Lawrence Police Department, Box Jobs, and the Indianapolis Office of Public Health & Safety to help local families prepare for Thanksgiving. No registration required. Food will be available on a first-come, first-served basis while supplies last on Monday, Nov. 23 from 4–6 p.m. Lawrence Community Center, 5301 N. Franklin Rd.
• The Irvington Community Advocacy Network (ICAN) serves a free Thanksgiving dinner on Thursday, Nov. 26 at the Our Lady of Lourdes cafeteria, 5333 E. Washington St. It is the work of volunteers and supporters that make it possible to give back to the neighborhood. To volunteer or donate to the cause, visit https://tinyurl.com/yhy3ueyt or to reserve a space or ask for delivery, visit https://tinyurl.com/5a5hakua
• The final Beech Grove Mayor’s Clean City Initiative recycling event will be held on Saturday, Nov. 7 at Beech Grove City Hall, 806 Main St. from 9 a.m.-noon. There will be paper shredding, metal and appliance drop-off, eyeglass and hearing aid recycling, and unused medicine and used syringe disposal.
• First Friday brings a lot of art studio open houses and a chance to see emerging artists’ work. The Factory Arts District, 1125 Brookside Ave. has lots of cool studios to explore. Irvington shops and galleries will be open, including Carpenter Realtors, Hampton & Co., Irving Theatre, Magpie Art Studio, the Snug, Market Vintage and Backlot Theater. The Harrison Center will feature works by Kyle Ragsdale, Justin Vining, and a juried member group exhibition with the Indiana Plein Air Painters Association. Events open at 6 p.m.
• According to Safe Streets Indy, there were 17 incidents of vehicle versus pedestrian or cyclist between Oct. 26-Nov. 1. Of those, 1 incident resulted in serious injury, and 1 resulted in a fatality. As we have switched over to “normal” time, and the days getting shorter, drivers need to be extra cautious driving, and pedestrians and cyclists need to be wearing high visibility clothing if out on the sidewalks.
• The Irvington Community Council will meet on Tuesday, Nov. 17 at 7 p.m. at Irvington Presbyterian Church, 55 Johnson Ave. The council meets monthly to discuss proposals and hear from Irvington citizens.
• Central Library will be closed on Saturday, Nov. 7 due to the Monumental Marathon in the area. Also, you might want to avoid downtown on Saturday as runners begin at 8 a.m. and there will be major detours and blocked streets.