So now that I have ventured south and summer is just about here, I am anxious to explore the cultural happenings of Indianapolis this summer. I’ve turned to my ever trustworthy colleagues, who know the city better than I, to find out what it is that I should not miss.

Charlie & Phil – Both agree that the Indy 500 (May 24), The Brickyard (July 26) and the Rib America Festival (Sept. 4-7) are some of the summer’s best. I think I’ll skip the actual consumption of ribs, but for $5 and tons of live music, Ribfest sounds like a good choice.

Kate – The Indy Jazz Festival (Sept. 21-27) is Kate’s favorite. I didn’t know this was a week-long event – and with Rob Dixon on board as one of its leaders this is definitely going on my list.

Daniel & Ed – Called “The Best Four Days in Gaming”, Daniel and Ed both like Gen Con Indy (Aug. 13-16). I’ll be honest and say that I had never heard of this before, but it sounds like a pretty big deal. Daniel shared some photos and it looks like these people seriously know how to party.

Gen Con 2008

Noelle – Another IndyCar Series race fan, Noelle’s second pick for summer is the annual Independent Music + Art Festival (June 13). Local musicians, visual artists and other “independents” come together for an all day outdoor festival. I’m all for enjoying free, original live music and shopping for art.

Matt G – Matt’s favorite Indy event is actually in the Winter, The Indiana Microbrewers Winterfest. (For those who like wheat beers better than winter ales, Kate informed me that there is a Summer equivelent to this event on July 18, in Broadripple). Another event Matt likes is Oranje, a contemporary art and music event focused on creating a stimulating and interactive art and music experience. With the tagline “Indulge Your Senses”, this event might take the Gold for an absolute must check out. The website hasn’t been updated with the 2009 schedule, but hopefully it will be soon!

And last, but certainly not least, a couple of my colleagues mentioned the IMA’s Summer Nights as an essential part of their Indianapolis summer experience. With films like The Goonies (July 3) and The Rocky Horror Picture Show (July 24), how could it not be?

As this Saturday’s graduation marks the completion of my Masters degree and thereby the end of my internship here at the IMA, this will be my last blog post. But I do hope to see all of you at some of these great summer events! Who knows, maybe I’ll even show up in costume.

Rocky Horror