• Matthew Ball, the Boogie Woogie Kid, will be featured in the Indianapolis Public Library’s ongoing Circulating Sound Concert Series on Sunday, May 12 from 2-3 p.m. at the Central Library, 40 E. St. Clair. Matthew is an accomplished performer who specializes in New Orleans jazz. Admission is free and open to all ages.
• Weather permitting, the Opening Day of Indianapolis 500 Practice will be Tuesday, May 14 from 8 a.m.-6 p.m. at the Speedway, 4790 W. 16th. Tickets are $20 and available online at indianapolismotorspeedway.com under “Events.”
• The Letter Carriers’ Stamp Out Hunger Food Drive will take place on Saturday, May 11. Leave a bag of non-perishable food in a bag by your mailbox on May 11 and that food goes directly back to food pantries in your area. For instance, food collected from the Cumberland USPO is designated to help the Community Outreach Ministry in Cumberland, located at Cumberland First Baptist Church, 116 S. Muessing. This a great program that brings in literal tons of food to underserved communities.
• Friends of Irving Circle encourage everyone to volunteer to clean up Irving Circle Park and get ready for the fountain season! The cleanup will be held Saturday, May 11 at 9 a.m.-noon Tasks include weeding, picking up sticks, and much more. Just show up for the coffee and donuts to help fuel the work. Irving Circle Park is located on South Audubon in Irvington.
• The Indiana Drama Club is working with Arts for Lawrence at the Fort to bring monthly drama classes for youth in grades 6-12 on the third Wednesday of the month. This month’s class is with Ephraim Owens, an Indy native, on Wednesday, May 15 from 6-7 p.m. The meeting is free. Theatre at the Fort is located at 8920 Otis Ave. in Lawrence.
• Looks like Garfield Park will be getting some upgrades and new features, including a new playground and shelter. Garfield Park is one of the hidden gems of the south side, with a beautiful Conservatory, Sunken Garden, and great programming for everyone. The park is located off Shelby St. and Southern Ave., just south of Fountain Square.
• If you thought April was a soggy mess of a month, you’re not wrong. The National Weather Service Indianapolis announced that April of 2024 was the 8th wettest April on record. We had 3.43 more inches of rain than normal, which doesn’t sound like much, but it came down in buckets in Indy from the 13th to the 15th and the 20th to 22nd.
• The farmer’s market season has begun. The Binford Market is outdoors at 65th and Binford on Saturday from 8 a.m.-noon. Broad Ripple market is on Saturday from 8 a.m.-noon at Glendale Town Center, 6001 N. Rural St. The Cumberland market is on Saturdays from 8 a.m.-noon at 11501 E. Washington St. The Wednesday Fresh Market is on Wednesdays from 4-7 p.m. in the parking lot behind the Irving Theatre on Johnson Ave.
Happy Mother’s Day!