Downtown Indy’s Fourth Fest returns

INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) — The Fourth Fest in downtown Indianapolis will be bigger for its second year.

Organizers have promised an expanded street party on the Fourth of July before the main fireworks show. Kicking off at 6 p.m. Thursday, the festival will bring food trucks, ice cream stands, beverages, and even a new kids zone.

Taylor Schaffer, president and chief executive officer of Downtown Indy Inc. , said Tuesday, “Last year, we saw more than 23,000 attendees in the event footprint, and so many of those were families.”

This year’s Fourth Fest will feature 10 food trucks, which will close St. Clair Street from 5-11 p.m. “We’ll have more than double the amount of food trucks as last year, just based on attendance and demand. We really saw people wanting to enjoy those throughout the evening,” Schaffer said.

“We will have inflatables out here, a rock climbing wall. We will have face painting, and a variety of other entertainment and activations to really ensure that this is a free family-friendly event,” Shaffer said.

The highlight of the evening, the fireworks, were set to begin at 10:15 p.m. from the top of the 500 North Meridian building, near Veterans Memorial Plaza just north of the Indiana War Memorial.

Organizers suggested visitors set up blankets and chairs on the Indiana War Memorial grounds and American Legion Mall for the best view.

Michael Beard, division fire marshal chief for Indianapolis Fire Department, said, “You can view the pyrotechnics from the west, north, and east for at least a mile. So, please set yourself up for those locations. From the south, it’s a little complicated.”

Safety remained a top priority, with local authorities promising what they called a robust police presence to help control juvenile activity.

Tanya Terry, deputy chief of operations for Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department, said Tuesday, “Curfew is always a tool that we have. It’s not a tool that we want to use. We want to rely on our community members, parents, guardians, friends and family to make sure they are supervising our kids.”

From street parking to garage spots, over 73,000 parking spots will be available. People were encouraged to arrive early, stay late, and to plan their parking strategies ahead of time.

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Here are some notes and a map of the road closing situation:

• St. Clair Street will be closed from 5 p.m. to 11 p.m. for food trucks.
• Ohio, New York, and Vermont streets will remain open.