Downtown is Fired Up
for the Fourth of July

Celebrate independence with fireworks, food, festivities and lots of fun - there's something for everyone in Downtown Indianapolis this July 4! With so much going on, you will want to stay Downtown for the entire patriotic experience.

July 3
The President Benjamin Harrison Home will host a Naturalization Ceremony at 10 a.m. on the south lawn of the property. Judge Sarah Evans Barker will preside over the ceremony, welcoming those who have become qualified U.S. citizens. Family and friends are welcome to attend. Tours of the President Benjamin Harrison Home are available after the ceremony. Visit www.presidentbenjaminharrison.org or call 631.1888 for more details.

July 4
Enjoy Indy's largest fireworks display at Regions Bank Freedom Blast beginning at approximately 9:45 p.m. Shooting from the top of the Regions Bank Tower, the fireworks can be seen from almost anywhere Downtown. The fireworks will be synchronized to patriotic music. For more information, call 221.6000.

The family can enjoy July 4 by exploring the Downtown Canal at the 7th Annual Canal FamilyFest from 5 p.m. to dusk. In the Ohio Basin area, enjoy face painters, balloon artists, jugglers and clowns. Food vendors will be scattered throughout the celebration selling ice cream, hotdogs, hamburgers, corn on the cob and soda. It's FREE Fourth fun for the family! Call 735.7960 for more details.

View from the water
Take a ride along the canal in a gondola this weekend! Old World Gondoliers is offering rides all weekend long, with a special on July 4- Kids are $5 from 4 - 10 p.m. Walk-ups or reservations are welcome. July 4 rides will start at the Ohio Street Basin. Call 491.4835 for details.

Buggs Temple will be hosting a 4th of July Bash in the Basin at the 11th Street Basin. Admission will be $5 per person. Families and children are welcome. The band Two Drink Minimum will be playing throughout the evening. Creations Café and Tavern at the Temple will ofeer a variety of grilled items for purchase. A cash bar will be available. Tavern at the Temple is offering a Lobster Bake buffet on the West side of the Basin compelte with Canal side VIP seating; $75 per person. $37.50 children 3 -12. Both restaurants are also open for business, So bring the family and enjoy an evening on the Canal. Please call 735.7960 for additional details.

The Indiana State Museum will host Independence in Indiana from 4:30 - 9 p.m. on July 4 from its scenic location on the Canal Walk. Museum visitors can enjoy a special celebration including fun, family-oriented activities before the annual Downtown fireworks. The price for this event is included in admission. Log on to www.indianamuseum.org for more information.

Celebrate Independence Day at the Eiteljorg Museum of American Indians & Western Art with FREE admission from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Enjoy family-focused activities from 4:30 - 9 p.m. along the Downtown Canal. Enjoy special performances and appearances including a mariachi band and black cowboy actor Michael Smith. A special buffet in the Sky City Café will be available. Stay for a great view of the Downtown fireworks. Log on to www.eiteljorg.org for additional information.

The Indianapolis Propylaeum will host a July 4th Celebration Brunch from 11 a.m. - 12:30 p.m. Enjoy a delightful brunch and family activities including a patriotic program, presentation of flag colors and symbols, a sing-along and patriotic games. Admission is $20; $5 age 12 and under. Call 638.7881 for more information.

Homerun Holiday at Victory Field
Celebrate the Fourth of July by cheering on your Indianapolis Indians as they face the Louisville Bats at 6 p.m. Fans can enjoy fireworks twice as much this year with a spectacular fireworks display after the game followed by the Regions Bank Freedom Blast. The first 10,000 fans will also receive a hand-held American flag. Get your tickets today at www.indyindians.com or call 269.3545.

Fourth Fest
Join WFMS on July 4 at the Indiana War Memorial for WFMS's Fourth Fest sponsored by Jiffy Lube. This FREE patriotic, family celebration begins at 6 p.m. and includes special guest speakers and military troops telling their heartfelt stories from Afghanistan and Iraq. Enjoy music from Phillip Steven and the Open Road and The United States Air Force Band of Flight from Wright-Patterson AFB in Dayton, OH. Bring a blanket or lawn chair and a picnic dinner and enjoy the fun. Food will also be available for sale. Write a special thank you to soldiers currently serving, visit and interact with military equipment and demonstrations, see a Blackhawk helicopter land and take off into the sunset and visit the Wal-Mart community area. Then, stay and celebrate with a great view of the Regions Bank Freedom Blast fireworks. For more information on this event log on to >www.wfms.com.

A Summer Delight
Celebrate July 4 the old-fashioned way with a scoop of refreshing ice cream at the 33rd Annual Old Fashioned Ice Cream Social at the President Benjamin Harrison Home. From 11:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m., enjoy this cool treat along with popular outdoor activities from the 1800s on the spacious lawn including a Thomas Jefferson re-enactor, live music, Silly Safaris' animals, a Victorian puppet show, juggler, magician, caricaturist, Indianapolis Fire Department fire fighters, a variety of Victorian games and historical treasure hunt for children. You can also tour the beautiful Victorian home. The day will culminate with a live reading of President Harrison's nomination acceptance speech, originally delivered on July 4, 1888. For more information, call 631.1888 or check out www.presidentbenjaminharrison.org. $8 adults; $4 kids ages 11 & under. In addition, there will be an Ice Cream Social at Roberts Park United Methodist Church on the Fourth of July. Bring your family and blankets and enjoy a moderately-priced dinner, dessert, free tours of our historic church, convenient parking and one of the best views of the fireworks from the church lawn.

A Night of Music
The Indiana Historical Society presents Concerts on the Canal on July 4. This Independence Day Bash will feature The Impalas- an American doo-wop group and the Indianapolis Municipal Band- a large concert band performing patriotic tunes and marches. Come out and celebrate with the sounds of freedom! 4:30 - 9:30 p.m.; FREE; Reserved seating available: Tables for 4 are $30; $25 IHS members. Tables for 8 are $40; $35 IHS members. Attendees may bring their own food and non-alcoholic beverages to the concert. No pets and no smoking allowed on Plaza. Café, cash bar and outdoor grill open from 5 to 7:30 p.m. Call 232.1882 for more details or log onto www.indianahistory.org.

The Indianapolis Museum of Art will show the movie Glory, as part of their Summer Nights Film Series. Glory is a 1989 war film documenting the history of the 54th Massachusetts Volunteer Regiment during the Civil War. The movie will start at dusk. The price is $8; $3 for members. Please call 923.1331 for more details.

Food, fun - and a good view
Party Independence Day away at the Athenaeum Biergarten July 4 celebration! Enjoy live music by Zanna Doo from 7 - 11 p.m. Stay for a great view of the Downtown fireworks. Call 655.2755 to make reservations today! Admission is $5 and is granted only to those over the age of 21. Log on to www.athenaeumfoundation.com for more details.

Be part of the Rooftop Party at Dunaway's Palazzo Ossigeno this July 4! The party includes a seven-course meal, a performance by a jazz band and a fabulous view for the night's fireworks. Make reservations today by calling 638.7663.

Don't miss the 7th Annual Rooftop 4th of July Celebration at the Fountain Square Theatre Building on July 4. Guests can enjoy dinner from the shelBi street caFe & Bistro and a spectacular view of the Downtown fireworks from the Rooftop Garden. The celebration will be from 7 - 11 p.m. and includes Duckpin Bowling. This year's dinner menu features a shrimp remoulade appetizer, choice of salad, choice of entrée, roasted red potatoes and an all- American apple cake. Beer, wine, margaritas and soft drinks are included with the package price. Tickets are $70 per guest (includes tax & gratuity) and all guests must be 21 years and older. Tickets are on sale now. Call 686.6010, ext. 2 for tickets.

Come to play, come to stay
Conrad Indianapolis is inviting all government employees to enjoy exclusive rates of $97 per night for stays June 22 - July 6. The "Government Appreciation" offer is a special invitation to active and veteran military men and women, firefighters, police officers, government employees and all other Indianapolis civil servants to enjoy premier accommodations at the Conrad. Guests will also receive a $10 complimentary gas card. Please use reference promotion code G3. Official government ID is required upon check-in. Reservations can be made by calling 713.5000 or reserve online at www.conradindianapolis.com.

Homewood Suite Indianapolis is offering a 4th of July rate including a Friday or Saturday night rate of $119 or both nights for $105 per night. All reservations must be made through the front desk at 636.7992, please mention the 4th of July promotion.

The Hilton Indianapolis is offering a package any weekend this summer, including July 4th weekend, featuring a $99 per night room rate (two night minimum). Guests will be upgraded to a Queen Suite and will be treated to a complimentary breakfast (for 2 adults and 2 children) for both days. Guests will also receive a $25 gas card. Call 972.0600 for reservations.

Reserve a room at the Embassy Suites Downtown and the hotel will donate $20 per suite, per night to the American Red Cross of Greater Indianapolis to help Central Indiana flood victims. Your stay will include deluxe two-room suite accommodations, complimentary cooked-to-order breakfast each morning, complimentary manager's reception with both non-alcoholic and alcoholic beverages and light snacks and proximity to various Downtown attractions and venues. To qualify, the stay must take place between now and July 23 and is based on availability. Please call 236.1806 to make reservations, please use the promotional code: L-AMR or book online at www.indianapolisdowntown.embassysuites.com

Celebrate our nation's birth at a Downtown historic inn. The Villa Inn, Stone Soup Inn and The Looking Glass Inn are offering a special package including luxurious accommodations, gourmet breakfast and dinner and spa treatments (two chair massages, two express manicures) and champagne to enjoy the fireworks. Packages range from $245 - $350. Call 916.8500 for details.

Downtown Parking and Traveling Tips:
Everyone can find parking, arrive at their destination on time and enjoy all the excitement if a few simple tips are followed.

Prepare:

• Plan your driving and walking route into and through Downtown ahead of time.
• Use interstates to travel to and leave Downtown.
• Enter Downtown from the side on which you plan to park.
• Allow plenty of extra travel time to Downtown.
• Be aware that travel through Downtown will be limited to streets away from the core area.
• Relax during peak exit times.
• Wear comfortable shoes, park once and enjoy the walk.
• Carpool or use IndyGo if possible. The following is the holiday schedule for IndyGo.
  • Friday, July 4, IndyGo will observe the Independence Day holiday. IndyGo's administrative offices and the Customer Service Center will be closed. All routes will adhere to the following schedule:
  • IndyGo Fixed Route Service: Sunday/Holiday Schedule
  • Open Door Paratransit Service: Sunday/Holiday Schedule
  • No service for Dial-A-Rides
  • No service for Late Night Flex
  • All Downtown routes could be affected by street closings near the Regions Bank Building for the July 4th Celebration, which begins at 9:45 p.m. Customers are encouraged to refer to individual route schedules for specific time points.
  • Routes and services will resume their regular weekend schedules on Saturday, July 5, 2008. The Customer Service Center will only have telephone hours on Saturday, July 5 from 9 a.m. to 12 noon. Kiosk services will not be available.
  • For information about IndyGo's routes and services, call the Customer Service Center at (317) 635-3344, or stop by the center at the Indianapolis City Market. You can also obtain information online at www.IndyGo.net.

Park:

• Downtown parking is abundant. There are more than 70,000 parking spaces Downtown.
• Log onto www.indydt.com for Downtown maps with attraction and parking information. Print out the map and bring it with you.
• Parking meters are free to the public on July 4 in honor of the holiday.
• Select a couple of parking alternatives before you leave home.
• Plan to use a garage or lot. Most meters near event sites are restricted during this time.
• Some parking facilities and lots may not be open to the public.