KidsOutAndAbout Weekly Newsletter |
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Fri, May 29: Once in a Blue Moon - Moon Market - At Strawtown Koteewi Park - With Hamilton County Parks and Recreation
Fri, May 29: Wild Kratts Live 2.0 Activate Creature Feature - At Embassy Theatre
Sat, May 30: The Great Noblesville Duck Race - Noblesville
Square
Fri, Jun 5: Indiana Comic Convention 2026
Sat, Jun 13: Indy Pride Parade - With Indy Pride
Sat, Jun 13: 2026 Indy Pride Festival - At Military Park at White River State Park - With Indy Pride
Sat, Jun 27: America’s 250th Outdoor Summer Celebration - at Indiana State Museum
Sat, Jul 25: RecFest - At Johnson County Park Amphitheater - With Johnson County Parks & Recreation
Sat, Sep 19: America's 250th Tinkerfest - at Indiana State Museum
Sat, Oct 24: Carni-Fall - At Independence Park - With Johnson County
Parks & Recreation
Sat, Nov 21: Wildlife Workshops: The Feasts of Beasts - Columbian Park Zoo (AGES: 8-11) |
Dear KidsOutAndAbout readers:
For 25 years, one of my core missions with KidsOutAndAbout has been to make invisible things visible, to celebrate what local communities offer families. Everyone is busy, and local treasures are easy to miss. Our job is to point, spotlight, nudge, and say Look here. Try this. Bring the kids. But there’s another kind of invisibility worth fixing:
The people who create these experiences rarely get to see their full impact. They track tickets sold and kids enrolled, but may never hear that your child talked about their field trip for six months, found courage on their stage, or simply felt welcome exactly when they needed it. That’s why our annual Top 20 Places to Take Kids survey matters. Each summer, we ask readers to vote for their favorite local places to take kids.
The results help families see what other families love. The ranking and comments help local organizations see that their work matters. So your three minutes becomes both a recommendation and a thank-you. The survey is simple: Click on your three favorite local destinations. Then also, optionally, nominate favorites in special categories—like arts, sports, and STEM education—and leave comments that we’ll pass along to the people who make these experiences
happen. So please click here to vote in the 2026 edition of the survey. Help families find the places they’ll love, and help the people behind those places know they’re making a difference. The survey will be open until June 20.
—Debra Ross, publisher of KidsOutAndAbout.com, co-author of The Eclipse Effect: How to Seize Extraordinary Moments to Build Strong Communities
P.S. If you're interested, check out the 2025 list here to
see who won last year. |
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KidsOutAndAbout.com: Discover more. Do more. Connect more. If you like my publisher's column, you can easily scroll through past columns in the "Notes from Deb" section of our site. |
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Make unforgettable memories with your little ones at Elmo's Got the Moves: the all-new Sesame Street Live show! This exciting experience brings Elmo and his Sesame Street friends to the stage with singing, dancing and favorite songs like "Sunny Days," "Elmo's Got the Moves," and "Letter of the Day." Families will laugh, learn and play together in a heartwarming celebration that you'll treasure long after the final song.
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Mark your calendars! The festival is FREE and open to the public! We have a variety of additional events happening during Festival weekend. From Brunch and Blooms to Peonies in the Park, there’s something for everyone and we invite you to join us and experience it all!
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Marvel Studios’ Infinity Saga Concert Experience is a new film concert that takes fans on an epic on-screen cinematic journey covering twenty-three films in one momentous concert event. Revisit the earliest days of Iron Man, Captain America, and Thor as they discover their place in the Marvel Cinematic Universe – each accompanied by their own unforgettable heroic music. Recapture the thrill as Earth’s mightiest heroes join forces for the first time, opening the door to the next wave of Avengers: Black Panther, Doctor Strange, Captain Marvel, and more. The Guardians of the Galaxy don’t miss this party either, dropping in to deliver a taste of their iconic mixtape backed by a live orchestra. Marvel Studios’ Infinity Saga Concert Experience showcases scores by acclaimed composers, including Alan Silvestri, Christophe Beck, Danny Elfman, Henry Jackman, Lorne Balfe, Ludwig Göransson, Mark Mothersbaugh, Michael Giacchino, Patrick Doyle, Pinar Toprak, Ramin Djawadi, and Tyler Bates.…
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Shop locally raised or grown food, flowers, and handcrafted goods, enjoy live music, and more at the Shelbyville Public Square each Saturday from May 9 to Sept. 26, 8 a.m. to noon. Meet your local farmers, buy healthy foods, collect local art! You won't be disappointed! Farmers Markets are a great way to teach your kids about the farm to table experience. They can learn to eat healthful foods grown locally, as well as experience local flavor from around Indiana. Fresh air, fresh food & good old fashioned family fun! Come support local artisans, listen to live music and create cherished memories. We can't wait to welcome you and your family to this vibrant gathering of community, culture and flavor. See you there!
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Kick off your summer fun at the Indy Art Center's largest fundraiser, the OneAmerica Financial Foundation Broad Ripple Art Fair May 16 + 17! We invite you to join us and celebrate the 54th annual OneAmerica Financial Foundation Broad Ripple Art Fair! Support the arts and shop from 180+ local, regional, and national artists. The OneAmerica Financial Foundation Broad Ripple Art Fair is a nationally ranked, highly selective, juried art fair that benefits the Indy Art Center as its largest annual fundraiser. The Indy Art Center's mission is to provide accessible and inclusive art experiences that inspire creativity, educate, engage, and enrich our community. This is Everybody's Art Fair! Patrons can enjoy incredible one-of-a-kind art, live music, fantastic food, Bier Brewery and Ash & Elm products, artist demonstrations, and interactive art activities for people of all ages! Celebrate the richness of the Indianapolis arts community with us!
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Join us at Wea Creek Orchard for our first event of the season! There will be local vendor shopping, food, kids activities and more! Take a stroll around the orchard while taking in the beautiful view of the apple blossoms...just don't pick them please! Our Apple Blossom Market is FREE to attend and is our first event of our 2026 season!! Enjoy shopping local vendors, food, kids activities and more while walking amongst the beautiful apple blossoms! We can't wait to have you out!
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Panda fest is an outdoor Asian food festival with experiential activities, tastings, and market fairs. Panda fest is one of the biggest outdoor Asian food festivals in the US with experiential activities, tastings, and market fairs that showcases the vibrant food, art and cultural traditions from Asia. We will decorate the festival with a lot of Panda decorations. And we will have Panda inflatables, Panda Dough Figurine, Panda Painting DIY, Panda Face Painting, Panda themed food. Tickets required for ages 6 and up.
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Join Balance & Breath Yoga & Wellness Center this summer for FREE Yoga in the Park programs! Grab a beach towel or yoga mat, some water, and join us at the Bluegill Shelter at W.S. Gibbs Memorial Park! Our beginner-friendly series of classes are great for meeting those in the community and enjoying gentle movement outdoors in a beautiful park!
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- Free spring mini photo session with Shoott! - Indianapolis - Shoott, Broadway, New York, NY, USA, Saturday, May 16, 2026 to Sunday, May 17, 2026, See link for times
- 2026 Indiana Peony Festival - Indiana Peony Festival, Noblesville, IN, USA, Saturday, May 16, 2026, 10:00 am - 4:00 pm
- 2026 Noblesville Farmers
Market - 839 Conner Street, Noblesville, IN 46060, Saturday, May 16, 2026, 8:00 am - 12:00 pm
- 2026 Zionsville Farmers' Market - S Main St, Zionsville, IN 46077, Saturday, May 16, 2026, 8:00 am -11:30 am
- 2026 Carmel City Farmer’s Market - On Carter Green - 2 Carter Green, Carmel, IN 46032, Saturday, May 16, 2026, 8:00 am -11:30 am
- 2026 Summer Market - With Broad Ripple Farmers Market - 6001 North Rural Street, Indianapolis, IN 46220, Saturday, May 16, 2026, 9:00 am -12:00 pm
- Family Yoga in the Park - At W.S. Gibbs Memorial Park - With Hendricks County
Parks and Recreation - Hendricks County Parks & Recreation, 955 E Main St, Danville, IN 46122, Saturday, May 16, 2026, 9:00 am - 10:00 am
- 2026 Shelby County Farmers Market - 18 South Harrison Street, Shelbyville, IN 46176, Saturday, May 16, 2026, 8:00 am 12:00
pm
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The KidsOutAndAbout annual guide to summer camps in the Indianapolis area is back! You can search by date, age, or categories like day/overnight, sports, drama, music, theatre, arts & crafts, technology, robotics, horseback riding, preschool, &
more. Our guide puts summer fun right at your fingertips!
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Looking for a thrilling family-friendly adventure in the Indianapolis? Escape rooms are interactive, puzzle-packed experiences where you and your team work together to solve clues and complete your mission-all before time runs out! Whether you're escaping a
spooky cabin, cracking a high-stakes heist, or breaking a magical curse, escape rooms offer exciting, screen-free fun for kids, teens, and adults.
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Have a great weekend!
Debra Ross
Publisher, KidsOutAndAbout.com
Mom of Madison and Ella |
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