KidsOutAndAbout Weekly Newsletter |
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Fri, Jun 12: 2026 Holy Rosary Italian Street Festival - With Holy Rosary Catholic Church
Fri, Jun 12: Apple Blossom Market - At Wea Creek Orchard
Sat, Jun 13: Indy Pride Parade - With Indy Pride
Tue, Jun 16: Art in the Park: Latino Culture Night - With Laffyette Parks & Recreation
Thu, Jun 18: Outdoor Movie Night: National Treasure -
At Celebration Plaza
Sat, Jun 20: 2026 FREE DAY! Juneteenth - At Indiana State Museum
Sat, Jun 27: America’s 250th Outdoor Summer Celebration - at Indiana State Museum Sun, Jun 28: 34th Indian Market and Festival - With Eiteljorg Museum of American Indians and Western Art
Sun, Jun 28: 2026 Marion County Fair
Sun, Jun 28: 2026 Wanamaker Street Fair / Old Settler's Days & Classic Car Show
Sun, Jun 28: 2026 Carmel Pride Festival
Mon, Jun 29: 2026 Brownsburg Lions Club Fourth of July Extravaganza - With
Brownsburg Lions Club Thu, Jul 2: $6 First Thursdays at The Children's Museum of Indianapolis
Thu, Jul 2: 2026 Star Spangled Symphony - At Conner Prairie - Featuring The Indianapolis Symphony Orchestra Fri, Jul 3: 2026 CarmelFest
Sat, Jul 4:
2026 July 4th Fest in Lawrence Sat, Jul 4: 2026 Edinburgh Firecracker Festival - With Edinburgh Parks
and Recreation
Sat, Jul 4: 2026 July 4th Fireworks Festival - Noblesville
Tue, Jul 7: Art in the
Park: PICKLEPALOOZA - With Laffyette Parks & Recreation
Wed, Jul 8: Flavors of the Heartland – July: Japanese. - at Indiana Historical Society
Fri, Jul 10: The Music of Star Wars - With The ISO
Sat, Jul 11: Momentum Indy Cycling Festival
Sat, Jul 11: Open Barn Event & Sanctuary Tour - At Jenkins Forever Farm
Fri, Jul 17: IBE Music Heritage
Festival - At IU Michael A. Carroll Track & Soccer Stadium- Indiana Black Expo, Inc.
Sat, Jul 18: Family Discovery Day: Space - Indiana State Museum and Historic Sites
Sat, Jul 25: RecFest - At Johnson County Park Amphitheater - With Johnson County Parks & Recreation Sun, Aug 2: 2026 Gen Con Indy
Tue, Aug 11: 2026 Creek Week - With Zionsville Nature Center
Fri, Aug 14: SausageFest 2026 - St. Thomas Aquinas School
Sat, Aug
15: 30th Annual Car Show - At Johnson County Park - With Johnson County Parks & Recreation Sat, Aug 15: SausageFest 2026 - St. Thomas Aquinas School Fri, Aug 21: GREEKFEST 2026: THE 52nd INDIANAPOLIS GREEK FESTIVAL
Sat, Sep 19: America's 250th Tinkerfest - at Indiana State Museum |
Dear KidsOutAndAbout readers: When I was homeschooling Madison and Ella, one of my favorite sanity-saving tools was the Theme of the Week. If the theme was "Birds," then yes, we'd go on a bird walk. But we'd also read my favorite-ever children's book, talk about the physics of flying and of colors, and probably also do some math and logic involving eggs and
baskets. The theme made ordinary learning feel like an adventure, but more important, it gave us a focusing tool: It helped the girls connect with what they were seeing and doing, and it helped me feel that we weren’t wandering randomly through our days. Summer planning can benefit from that same kind of gentle structure. Last week, I wrote about how summer is not supposed to be a guilt-inducing race to cram in every concert, splash pad, festival, hike,
camp, road trip, library program, ice cream stand, and sunset before the school buses roll again. Trying to grab everything is a good way to miss the point; instead, to plan the summer without overstuffing it, we need to consider the kinds of experiences that make our family feel more awake, connected, and alive. The five summer lenses I keep coming back to are: music, motion, making,
nature, and food. Music helps kids hear the world differently and live what they love. Motion lets bodies teach what words cannot. Making reminds us that we can bring something new into the universe. Nature offers perspective and wonder. And food connects us to place, culture, and each other. Over the next
few weeks, I’ll address these one at a time—not as assignments, but as invitations. Even as the days fly by, a summer seen through some useful lenses can still be lazy, loose, spontaneous, and wonderfully imperfect.
—Debra Ross, publisher of KidsOutAndAbout.com, co-author of The Eclipse Effect: How to Seize Extraordinary Moments to Build Strong
Communities
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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. |
Please click through to our 2026 survey to vote for your top 3 places to take kids... it will be used to compile our 2026 Top 20 Places to Take Kids in the Indy area. Voting is live through June 20; believe me, winning a place on the Top 20 list matters to the people who
create amazing family-friendly experiences. Take 3 minutes to choose your favorites as your way of saying thank you... and use the list to build your summer bucket list at the same time! |
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This enchanting Broadway musical brings the classic fairy tale to life with the romance, magic, and humor that only Rodgers & Hammerstein can deliver. Follow Cinderella as she dares to dream beyond her humble circumstances, with the help of a Fairy Godmother who reminds us that anything is possible. Featuring beloved songs like “In My Own Little Corner” and “Ten Minutes Ago,” this timeless tale sparkles with wit, warmth, and wonder—captivating audiences of all ages with its message of hope, kind
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The 2025 Brownsburg Farmers Market, presented by IU Health West Hospital, and is on Thursdays from 4 to 7 PM from Thursday, June 4 through Thursday, August 27 at the Brownsburg Town Hall Green (61 N. Green Street). You'll find local growers, producers, and artisans that provide access to affordable, healthy, fresh food and handcrafted goods. Plus, stop by the Brownsburg Public Library booth for a fun kid's activity each week!
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The Cathedral Women of Christ Church Cathedral are thrilled to announce the 60th Indy Strawberry Festival returns to Monument Circle on Thursday, June 11, 2026 from 9 a.m.-4 p.m. (or until supplies last!).
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June 12 & 13, 2026: This year’s theme: Dangerous Ideas and Intrigue! The Colonial Fair is a free family friendly interactive cultural event aimed at entertaining and educating the public about life in the American colonies in the late 18th century. The event brings people from all backgrounds together for an immersive experience, offering hands-on crafts, prizes, spy missions, munitions, education, textiles, demonstrations, a mercantile and tavern. 4635 North Illinois Street, Indianapolis.
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Indy's much-loved festival is back for another year! Come and enjoy delicious Italian food, beer, wine, and live music!
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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! 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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Get ready for the biggest event of the year in our very own downtown Indianapolis! Come celebrate love, identity, and community at the Indianapolis Pride Parade. Join thousands of attendees as vibrant floats, local organizations, performers, and community leaders take over downtown in a joyful, high-energy march of visibility and pride. Whether you're walking, riding, or cheering from the sidelines, this is a can't-miss celebration of LGBTQ+ culture, resilience, and unity. Bring your friends, your flags, and your loudest cheers- everyone is welcome!
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Join us for Art in the Park: Latino Culture Night! This year, we are honored to be highlighting our local Latino community - celebrating culture through music, dance, art, and shared experiences while fostering connection, increasing visibility, and creating an inclusive and welcoming environment for all. We are partnering with the Latino Center for Wellness & Education (LCWE) to support the Tippecanoe Latino Fest in September. Get ready for a number of local art vendors, food trucks, free kids' activities, and more!
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Bargersville Cultural Soundscapes, curated by 92.3 WTTS, is an exciting initiative designed to foster community engagement, celebrate local talent, and provide a platform for emerging artists in various live music genres. The series of concerts provide consistent entertainment for residents, promote cultural engagement, and offer valuable exposure for new talent. Performance dates are select Fridays from May through August at the Umbarger Plaza Amphitheater, located in downtown Bargersville.
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Join us all summer long for our FREE Friday night concerts at Main Street Park (4286 S. Main Street)! Gates open at 6 p.m. with live music beginning at 7 p.m. The Summer Concert Series has an incredible lineup of bands performing from a variety of genres. With each Friday bringing new performances, it promises something special for music lovers of all tastes. Please note we will NOT be hosting a concert on Friday, June 19th and Friday, July 3rd. We invite you to join us again this summer for our Theme Nights, happening on select Fridays throughout the summer! Satisfy your sweet tooth during Summer is Sweet, channel your inner cowboy at Rodeo Night, and take a trip back in time with 80’s Night. Each themed evening will bring new treats, fun activities, and great entertainment that you won’t want to miss!
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Click here to discover Birthday party locations in the Indianapolis area. From Arcades to Ziplines our Big List will help you think outside the box and plan the party of your kids' dreams! KidsOutAndAbout has dozens of ideas!
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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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It's almost time for fruit picking! Fruit picking is a great activity to do together as a family. It helps little ones understand where their food actually comes from, and it's a fun tradition to share every year right through the teens.
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Have a great weekend!
Debra Ross
Publisher, KidsOutAndAbout.com
Mom of Madison and Ella |
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