Enter an enchanting world where children dare not to wander in the woods for fear of witches who turn little girls and boys into gingerbread!  This timeless fairy tale by the Brothers Grimm comes to vivid life in this sparkling production by renowned children’s author and illustrator Maurice Sendak.  Sendak, who is known for such favorites as Where The Wild Things Are and the Little Bear stories, has created an astounding treat for the senses. Children of all ages will marvel at Sendak’s delicious designs and delight in Humperdinck’s rich melodies, awakening the child-like wonder in us all.

The Fourth Annual IndyFringe Festival is a big, bold and bodacious celebration of alternative theater and performance arts! IndyFringe Festival celebrates Outrageous Outbursts of Fun on Mass Ave over ten days of summer. Enjoy a big, bold and bodacious collection of 53 performers in 270 unique, cutting-edge shows on six stages featuring dance, drama, comedy, music and cabaret. Also featuring fine arts, a film festival, street performers and more.

Cost: $3 festival badge good for all ten days plus $10 cash per person per show at the door, 30 minutes before any show.

For complete details and showtimes visit the Event Website.

After a 33 year run at German Park on Indianapolis’ south side, Oktoberfest is moving to the Indiana State Fairgrounds. The event will be held at the fairgrounds’ Agriculture/Horticulture building and the adjacent parking lot from 4 p.m. to midnight Aug. 29 – 31 and Sept. 5 – 6. 

Produced by the German-American Klub of Indianapolis, Oktoberfest features authentic, traditional German cuisine like frikadellen (German hamburgers), bratwurst, knachwurst, sauerkraut and German-style potato salad. In addition, a wide variety of German and domestic beers will be available in the popular German Bier and Wein Garten. Visitors can also enjoy live music, dancing, carnival rides and games like Bingo and Monte Carlo.

Visitors can take the Oktoberfest Train from the Fishers Train Station to the State Fairgrounds. Indiana Transportation Museum officials will operate the train all five days of the event. Round-trip tickets are $14 for adults; $9 for children 3-12; and free for children 2 and younger.

The tradition of Oktoberfest dates back to the early 1800s when Crown Prince Ludwig married Princess Theresa Charlotte Louise of Saxe-Hildburghausen and the city of Munich celebrated for days in grand style. Indianapolis’ Oktoberfest is the largest such celebration in the state attracting 15,000 people annually.

Admission: $6 at the gate. $5 advance tickets available ; free for children 10 and under.  Advance tickets are available at the State Fairgrounds ticket office and the German-American Klub at 8602 South Meridian Street.  For more information, contact the German-American Klub at (317) 888-6940 or visit www.indyoktoberfest.com. 

After Hank’s Advantage Health SkyConcert, stick around for the Rib America! Enjoy barbeque, music, and much more at the 13th Annual Rib America Festival. Rib Fest will be in high gear starting August 29th through Sept 1st in Military park. Food, beverage & game tickets will be available for purchase upon arrival. For event hours & admission info log onto the Rib America website.

Complete Details are available at the HANK 97.1 Website.

Sponsored generously by Target, the first Thursday of August to November, The Children’s Museum opens free of charge from 4-8 p.m.

The Children’s Museum of Indianapolis is a nonprofit institution committed to enriching the lives of children. The Children’s Museum of Indianapolis is the largest children’s museum in the world, with more than 400,000-square-foot in the facility, housing eleven major galleries that explore the physical and natural sciences, history, world cultures and the arts.

Here is the 2008 daily schedule. Content is subject to change. 

The Fifth Annual Taste of Downtown event will be held on Saturday, August 9, 2008 from 4-10PM. Featuring a lot of food from your favorite local restaurants and great wines from Easley Winery.
Bands include Tastes Like Chicken, Toy Factory, and The Tides.
Visit Downtown, eat great food, enjoy FREE music, have a great time with friends – what more could you ask for.

What’s This All About?
It’s a weekend event
where women
Laugh . . .
Cry . . .
And realize that they’re
not alone
Heart-felt, hilarious messages
Gripping drama
Amazing music
An experience like no other

Click here to learn more

The first event every year is the ecumenical service. This exciting praise and worship service is a great way to start the Summer Celebration! This year’s keynote speaker is Rev. Jesse Jackson. INFORMATION HERE.

A ton of Black Expo information is available in an earlier posting. CLICK HERE.