Helene’s remnants prompt delays and closures around Indiana

INDIANAPOLIS – As the remnants of Helene work their way into Indiana, many events are being postponed or canceled outright.

Helene hit Florida as a Category 4 hurricane late Thursday night . As of 6:30 a.m. Friday, it was a tropical storm over Georgia.

Remnants of the storm are expected to bring significant rain and strong winds to central Indiana. Meteorologists expect wind gusts to peak at 60 mph Friday night. The National Weather Service projects sustained winds between 30 and 35 mph.

A High Wind Warning goes into effect at 12 p.m. for central Indiana and will last as late as 1 a.m. in some areas.

Some cancellations were already trickling in.

Organizers with the Circle City Classic said the pep rally planned for Friday outside Lucas Oil Stadium is canceled. The event had been scheduled to last from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m.

Organizers cited weather conditions as the reason behind the decision.

Indianapolis Public Schools postponed its 26 ^th Annual Spirit of Freedom. The event had been scheduled for Friday but will be held on Oct. 4 instead.

Indianapolis International Airport reported a few delays and cancellations for arrivals and departures .

As of 10 a.m., more than 3,600 customers throughout Indiana were without power, according to this website .

In southern Indiana, some school districts opted for e-learning days, including Greater Clark County Schools and Jennings County School Corporation . Others, like Madison Consolidated Schools , decided to close because of the weather.

A number of schools have canceled respective homecoming events. Sheridan Schools said that their homecoming parade scheduled for Friday is canceled because of the high wind warning and forecasted rain. The parade will be replaced with a pep session in the varsity gym.

Noblesville schools have also canceled its homecoming parade because of high wind gusts and steady rain.

“While bad weather may have impacted our parade this year, nothing can dampen our homecoming spirit and love for our schools,” a Facebook post from the district read.

The Purdue Student Union Board at Purdue University also announced that its homecoming parade, originally scheduled for Friday evening, has been canceled. Officials said in a news release that the decision was made in collaboration with Purdue emergency management partners because of the anticipated severe weather conditions.

Officials with North Central High School also said that this evening’s football game, as well as all other outdoor events, have been canceled because of weather. Brownsburg High School also canceled its respective homecoming parade and postponed the game against Westfield until Saturday. The time of that game is TBD.

The Avon Invitational band competition has been canceled because of the severe weather, according to the Avon High School Bands account. Avon High School also postponed their homecoming football game, but a specific time for when that will be held next is to be determined.

The Speedway Hometown Parade has been canceled because of the severe weather, according to organizers. Speedway High School’s homecoming football game against Monrovia has also been postponed and will occur at 10 a.m. on Saturday.

Officials with Conner Prairie also announced that they closed its grounds on Friday because of high winds.

Additionally, the Monument Circle Oktoberfest has been canceled due to inclement weather. Next year’s event is scheduled for Sept. 12, 2025.

Viernes Cultural has been canceled as well, but is currently rescheduled for Saturday, Oct. 12 from 6-9 p.m. at Lugar Plaza. All RSVPs and existing table reservations will still be valid.

Puppies and Ponies at Sunset was canceled. In a Facebook post , ICAN said “The safety of our guests, whether they have two legs or four, is our top priority.”

Officials with the Indianapolis Public Schools announced that because of high winds and heavy rain on Friday, all IPS after-school events, along with sports practices and competitions, have been canceled.

SWING at Victory Field, the fundraiser event for the Indianapolis Indians charities and its grant recipients, has been postponed until next year. For more information, click here .

Center Grove High School and Noblesville High School also announced that their homecoming football games have been postponed until tomorrow. CGHS’s game will take place Saturday, Sept. 28 at noon, with gates opening at 10:30 a.m. Their homecoming dance is still planned for 7 p.m. on Saturday. Meanwhile, Noblesville’s homecoming game will take place Saturday at 10 a.m. NHS said the tickets purchased will still be valid.

A similar situation also applies to Decatur Central High School. In an email, they wrote that their game at Plainfield has been postponed until Saturday at 3:30 p.m.

On Friday night, Everwise Amphitheater announced that the Yacht Rock Revue concert scheduled for 8 p.m. had been postponed. Initially, officials indicated they intended to delay the opening time for gates. About an hour and a half after officials announced the delay, they reported that the concert needed to be postponed.

According to a post on X , the makeup show is scheduled for Aug. 16, 2025.

Saturday morning, Vision Corner announced that their Hispanic Heritage Month Fiesta Event has been canceled due to inclement weather.

BC39 at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway has been postponed as well. According to a press release from IMS, the event has been postponed until 3 p.m. on Sunday. Public gates will open at 1:30 p.m., and the event will conclude with a 30-lap feature at 5 p.m.

“Right now, the track surface is sealed over,” said  IMS President J. Douglas Boles. “If we open the track up to begin to prepare it, and the rain that is forecasted today happens to fall during that process, water will get deep in the track and cause a significant challenge to get it prepped in the near future. Postponing to Sunday gives us the best chance for a successful event.”

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