Downtown Indianapolis offers visitors a wide variety of food, music and outdoor entertainment options...why not enjoy all three with the Indiana Historical Society's weekly Concerts on the Canal? On Thursday evenings this summer, the IHS will host some of the area's best performers. The Eugene and Marilyn Glick Indiana History Center, home of the IHS, is located at 450 W. Ohio St. in downtown Indianapolis, along the picturesque, historic Central Canal.
The concert lineup includes a diverse selection of musical styles, from jazz, blues and Latin to cabaret and the Great American Songbook. Local and regional favorites like Cool City Swing with Shannon Forsell and Jimmy Guilford, Everett Greene, Indianapolis Jazz Orchestra, and Peace Train and the Flower Power Brass are just a few of the acts on this season's schedule.
Concerts take place from 6 to 8 p.m. on Thursdays from May 27 to Aug. 26, with the exception of the annual Independence Day Bash that is scheduled for Sunday, July 4 (instead of July 1). That patriotic day will kick off at 4:30 p.m. and feature blues and soul singer Tad Robinson as well as the Indianapolis Municipal Band.
Guests are welcome to bring their own non-alcoholic food and beverage to Concerts on the Canal, but food service is also provided in the History Center's Stardust Terrace Café and at an outdoor grill, both operated by Hoaglin To Go. All alcohol must be purchased on-site, and a cash bar will be offered. Parking is available on a first-come, first-served basis in the History Center's parking lot.
Seating can be purchased on the Kruse Family Stardust Terrace in tables of eight ($45/$40 IHS members) or four ($35/$30 IHS members), and the IHS is now offering a limited number of single-seat options for $8. Free seating is available across the canal on a grassy knoll that acts as a natural amphitheater.
To reserve a table in advance or more information, call the IHS at (317) 232-1882 or visit www.indianahistory.org. The 2010 Concerts on the Canal series is presented by Marsh and Lewis Wagner, in partnership with IUPUI Department of Music and Arts Technology, and supported by the Arts Council of Indianapolis and City of Indianapolis.
The IHS will also extend the History Center's operating hours to 6 p.m. on concert nights. The new Indiana Experience includes a set of several interactive opportunities that connect visitors with the state's history in exciting and meaningful ways. IHS members and children younger than five receive free admission to the Indiana Experience. Regular admission cost is $7 for adults, $6.50 for seniors (60 and older) and $5 per child (ages five to 17).
Since 1830, the Indiana Historical Society has been Indiana's StorytellerTM, connecting people to the past by collecting, preserving, interpreting and sharing the state's history. A private, nonprofit membership organization, IHS maintains the nation's premier research library and archives on the history of Indiana and the Old Northwest. IHS also provides support and assistance to local museums and historical groups, publishes books and periodicals; sponsors teacher workshops; and provides youth, adult and family programming.
Indiana Historical Society's 2010 Concerts on the Canal Schedule
Thursday, May 27
Cool City Swing with Shannon Forsell and Jimmy Guilford
Revisit the era of swing and soul music
Thursday, June 3
Actors Theatre of Indiana - "An Evening With Ol' Blue Eyes"
The memorable music of Frank Sinatra
Thursday, June 10
IUPUI Faculty Jazz Combo
Classic and contemporary jazz standards
Thursday, June 17
IUPUI Jazz Ensemble 1
Big band classics
Thursday, June 24
Peace Train and the Flower Power Brass
Favorite hits from the late 1960s and 1970s
Sunday, July 4
Tad Robinson
Popular blend of blues, soul and rock ‘n' roll
Indianapolis Municipal Band
Patriotic tunes and marches
Thursday, July 8
Carmel Brass "Red, White and Blue in Brass"
Large brass ensemble's renditions of popular tunes and patriotic melodies
Thursday, July 15
Cathy Morris
Unique blend of Latin, jazz and rock on electric violin
Thursday, July 22
Debra Mullins "Can't Live Without It"
Cabaret with a mix of standards, bluesy jazz and pop
Thursday, July 29
Indianapolis Jazz Orchestra "Big Band on Broadway"
A big band salute to the best songs of the musical theatre
Thursday, Aug. 5
Everett Greene
Distinctive baritone sings love songs and standards from the Great American Songbook
Thursday, Aug. 12
Tom Wright "Radio Nights"
Hits from the golden era of radio by lead singer of the Wright Brothers Band
Thursday, Aug. 19
John Vander Gheynst Jazz Orchestra
Contemporary works for jazz orchestra
Thursday, Aug. 26
Orquesta Bravo!
Lively salsa and Latin jazz orchestra