Arts and cultural practices bring beauty and meaning to our waterways
The Near Eastside is full of hidden public art surprising people at every turn. Neighborhood entrances are marked with artistic signage and over 40 pieces of art line the Pogue's Run from Highland Park to the Art & Nature Park.
Three Rest Stops were developed in 2015 through Reconnecting to Our Waterways. One each in the Cottage Home neighborhood, Spades Park, and at Paramount School in Brookside. These Rest Stops give people a reason to pause and connect with the waterway through the use of public art.
In both 2018 and 2022 Reconnecting to Our Waterways received grant funding to place interpretive signs along the Pogue's Run. These signs highlight such subjects as invasive plants, types of wildlife, and cultural events along the waterway.
Started in the early 1980's as a small gathering for the locals this annual Halloween themed party has grown into Indy's most enduring events. Live music on 2 stages, vendors, food trucks, beer tents, and fun for all ages can be found every second weekend in October.
The Feast of Lanterns is a historic festival held in Spades Park. Its earliest incarnations in the late 1800s were of small gatherings and decorated front porches in nearby neighborhoods like Woodruff Place. By 1909 these neighborhood events had morphed into a single, larger festival where neighbors came out to hang paper lanterns—lit first by candles and later by electric lights.
In the early 2000s local neighbors from Windsor Park and Springdale were looking to begin an outdoor music festival and re-discovered the historic Feast of Lanterns festival. The theme of colorful lanterns lit throughout the park was incorporated with local music, craft vendors, and neighborhood booths. The annual Feast of Lanterns is hosted by Lanterns Foundation and brings a refocus on the origins of the event, local neighbors and neighborhoods working together to not only put on a festival but also to build community.
This annual festival is a vibrant summer celebration of community, flavor, and fun in the heart of Indianapolis. Held on the Sturm Avenue Esplanade, the festival features wine and cheese tastings, local vendors, live music, Cheese Wars, a guided Somm Experience, a Kid's Zone, and more.
