Tuesday, July 15, 2025
LIFE IN THE FAST LANE
Indianapolis 500 winner Alex Palou honored in Zionsville / P13
Zionsville Plan Commission approves Lincoln Park plan / P2
Development plan approved for Kroger marketplace / P4
Zionsville hotel feasibility study to move ahead / P5
Zionsville ready to ‘mingle’ in the village / P7
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Founded March 20 2012, at Zionsville, IN Vol. XIV, No. 16
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Plan commission approves Lincoln Park plan
By Marney Simon marney@youarecurrent.com
Plans to refresh Lincoln Park were approved last month by the Zionsville Plan Commission.
RECREATION
The commission approved a development plan for improvements to the existing park, including a new gazebo, fountain, monument sign and ADA accessible walks.
“The goal of this project is not to reinvent this park, but simply refurbish and bring up to date many of the characteristics within the park, bringing it up to ADA compliance, creating enough space for our growing community, as well as opening up some of the vegetation to improve sight lines and welcome in visitors to our urban core,” Zionsville Superintendent of Parks and Recreation Jarod Logsdon said.
Ralph Stacy has lived across from the park for 79 years. Stacy said he is in favor of the refresh but has several concerns, including drainage on First Street and the planned removal of fencing on Oak Street.
“I remember back in 1999 when the park was kind of refurbished, they had an understanding of the importance of crosswalks and safety,” he said. “I’m telling you, if you open that whole block up and you go into that park, you’re going to have some real problems. Every day when there’s traffic backed up, cars run the stop sign there at First and Oak streets about every four seconds. There is a lot of traffic.
A lot of traffic on Oak Street.”
Stacy also said he’d like to see additional signage paying homage to Abraham Lincoln — the park’s namesake — and retaining the period lighting around the park. He also expressed a desire to have more park personnel taking care of the property.
Logsdon said the town is working with Rundell Ernstberger Associates on design of the park, including drainage.
“Drainage was something we wanted to improve. There are parts of the park that retain water in the northwest corner,” he said. “So, working with both stormwater, (the Zionsville Department of Public Works) and REA, we believe we have a solution that will appropriately tie in the stormwater across the site and into the existing drainage pipes.”
Regarding fencing, Logsdon said the landscape design will specifically address access to the park.
“We believe that the landscaping will help deter any foot traffic and not require
the fence any longer,” he said. “In addition, the fence is not rated to withstand any vehicular impact as it is today being split rail, so that wouldn’t mitigate that. But we do feel that the landscape plan of various heights would deter most of that foot traffic and direct it to the areas we want.”
Logsdon said bollards are planned around the property, but additional planters — potentially holding the town flower, dahlias — will be considered.
The town recently launched the “Love for Lincoln” campaign — a collaborative initiative between the town and the community to celebrate the legacy of Lincoln
Park while raising funds for renovations. Pieces of the old gazebo will be made available for a $25 donation. A limited number of decorative corbels can be reserved for $200 on a first-come, firstserved basis.
Throughout summer, park staff will attend HOA events and the Zionsville Farmers’ Market to discuss the redesign and engage with the community on the project. A “Pull-a-Brick” volunteer day is scheduled from 1 to 4 p.m. Sept. 13. Engraved bricks also will be offered for purchase. Learn more at zionsville-in.gov/779/ Love-for-Lincoln.
A new gazebo is one of the upgrades planned for Lincoln Park. (Image scourtesy of Town of Zionsville)
Zionsville Parks and Recreation will refresh Lincoln Park in the Village.
STAR Bank welcomes commercial bankers
FINANCE news@youarecurrent.com
Indiana-based STAR Bank recently announced the hiring of Dee Lindsay of Zionsville and Tim Risen of Bloomington as senior commercial bankers for the bank’s south region, based in Indianapolis, providing customized commercial banking solutions across central Indiana.
Lindsay has 16 years of commercial banking experience. She will serve businesses throughout Indianapolis and the surrounding areas, offering financial solutions to optimize capital structures and streamline cash management operations. Besides her experience in banking, Lindsay has served for six years as treasurer of the Zionsville Chamber of Commerce and three years as a volunteer with the Community Foundation of Boone County.
Risen joins STAR with more than two decades of commercial banking experience. He will focus on commercial real estate lending. He has served as treasurer for the Boys & Girls Clubs of Monroe County and is a supporter of the Salvation Army, volunteering as a bell ringer each December.
“We’re very excited to add Dee and Tim to our already well-experienced team of commercial bankers here in Indy,” stated Tim Oliver, regional president of STAR Bank. “They have both been well established in the central Indiana market for several years, and we’re really looking forward to the contributions they will make.”
STAR Financial Bank is headquartered in Fort Wayne. Learn more at starfinancial. com.
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Development plan approved for Kroger marketplace
By Marney Simon marney@youarecurrent.com
The development plan for a new Kroger in Zionsville was approved last month by the Zionsville Plan Commission.
RETAIL
The 118,300-square-foot grocery store is proposed for the south side of Whitestown Parkway east of I-65. In March, the Zionsville Board of Zoning Appeals approved variances for the project regarding the loading bays and outdoor storage.
Anne McBride, a zoning consultant for Kroger, said the 12.9-acre site will house a marketplace store — Kroger’s largest store model — and 560 parking spaces.
Plan commission members questioned the parking lot plans for the site. As proposed, most parking spaces will be directly in front of the store. A smaller, secondary lot — about 100 spaces — will be built across the private roadway that leads to Tom Wood Toyota. Commissioners said they are concerned for the safety of shoppers walking across the roadway with their purchases.
“I would love to see this come in as a (planned unit development) and possibly a redesign there, but I’m not sure if that’s even in the cards,” commissioner Brad Johnson said. “I love the idea of a store there. I love the improvements. It’s just that one piece there is the only thing that really jumps out to me as not making good sense from a planning perspective.”
McBride said the intention for the separate parking lots is to avoid relocation of the roadway.
“What Kroger anticipates is that it would
The development plan for a new Kroger on Whitestown Parkway was approved last month by the Zionsville Plan Commission. (Image courtesy of Town of Zionsville)
be primarily employee parking, so that you’re not going to get a lot of folks going back and forth across with shopping carts and that (road),” she said. “We are showing a pedestrian crossing marked on there. Whether all of those parking spaces actually get used — the Town of Zionsville has a pretty high parking requirement for a store this size. Kroger operates over 2,000 stores across the country, so they have a pretty good idea how many parking spaces they need. So, I can’t tell you that they’re going to use all 100 of those spaces for
employees. The intent is that they are going to encourage their employees to park over there versus customers.”
McBride said the main parking lot in front of the store would have the ideal number of spaces for Kroger’s needs.
The store will have expanded departments over older Kroger stores, including floral, deli, bakery, meats and produce, as well as online shopping, a pharmacy drive-through, Murray’s Cheese shop and a Starbucks. A fuel center in Whitestown also will be built.
McBride said signage and lighting changes were added to the original proposal at the request of staff.
“(The development plan) represents a $35 million investment by Kroger into the community,” she said. “We would be anticipating hiring 325 new associates.”
McBride said Kroger has no plans to close the Boone Village location.
The primary plat was approved unanimously by the plan commission. The development plan was approved 5-1, with Johnson voting no.
A construction timeline has not been announced.
Zionsville hotel feasibility study to move ahead
By Marney Simon marney@youarecurrent.com
The Town of Zionsville will move ahead with a study to determine the feasibility of hotel development.
DEVELOPMENT
Zionsville Deputy Mayor Justin Hage told the Zionsville Redevelopment Commission last month the town has received proposals from numerous vendors and is in the process of putting together a review committee to score proposals and set up interviews.
Hage said responses at a recent economic summit showed a desire to add hotels to the town. Zionsville only has one hotel — Brick Street Inn in the Village. The feasibility study will help determine the areas where hotels would benefit the town. The study also will determine if there are any opportunities for the town to participate in public-private partnerships for hotel construction.
“(The study) will look at Zionsville from a
feasibility perspective in terms of, what is the current supply — which I can answer that question, is eight hotel rooms in Zionsville — and then what are the various drivers of demand and what is the supply in nearby areas,” Hage said. “So, understanding what types of people are coming for hotels; what types of amenities might they be looking for; what types of hotels could be supported in Zionsville; what types of locations those hotels could be in; and then look at some various specific sites in terms of what the construction costs will be, what the operational costs will be, what the revenue will look like, and then help identify perhaps some gaps in the operational costs and construction costs.”
Hage said the study will be developed in three phases: Understanding supply and demand; finding opportunities for development; and developing financial projections.
Hage said the RDC will consider fund approval to hire a vendor this month. The study is expected to take six to eight weeks to complete.
Free Family Concerts in Lions Park
Zionsville ready to ‘mingle’
By Marney Simon marney@youarecurrent.com
Main Street Zionsville kicked off its inaugural Mingle on Main community event last month, with plans to return to the Village once monthly through September. The event brings people together in the heart of Zionsville’s historic downtown for an openair experience with community dining, family-friendly fun and extended hours for local shops and restaurants.
EVENT
Mayor John Stehr said the event will be similar to outdoor dining events held in the Village during the COVID-19 pandemic. Attendees can purchase refreshments from participating restaurants and enjoy them throughout the DORA.
“This event is a shining example of how Main Street can be both a cultural hub and an economic driver,” stated Zionsville Town Council President Jason Plunkett. “By activating our public spaces and supporting our small businesses, we’re investing in the long-term vitality of Zionsville.”
Established in 2024 and launched in spring 2025, Main Street Zionsville’s mis-
sion is “to cultivate a vibrant, inclusive Main Street area through strategic partnerships and engaging events.”
“By celebrating community and supporting local enterprise, Mingle on Main serves as a great foundation for future events and continued economic vitality in the district,” stated Main Street Zionsville President Erica Carpenter.
Mingle on Main is sponsored by Cobblestone Zionsville and Angstadt & Lindsay Real Estate Partners. The event returns to the Village from 5 to 8 p.m. July 15, Aug. 19 and Sept. 16.
Learn more at MainStreetZionsville.org.
DISPATCHES
Indiana Chamber offers ‘Quit Now’ tool — Indiana’s $2 tobacco tax increase went into effect July 1, raising the average cost of a pack of cigarettes in the Hoosier state to $11. To assist individuals who plan to use the tax increase as a reason to kick the habit, the Indiana Chamber’s Wellness Council of Indiana released an enhanced version of its Quit Now Tool, an online platform that offers modernized, ready-to-use modules for tobacco users, non-users and employers. Updates include printable course completion certificates, streamlined access for company managers to view employee progress, a simplified employee invitation process and inclusive features to ensure accessibility for users with impairments or disabilities. The Quit Now Tool was introduced in 2012 and built as a complement to the services of 1-800-QUITNOW, Indiana’s Tobacco Quitline. The program is free for WCI members.
Family Fun Day at Lions Park — The Zionsville Lions Club will host Family Fun Day for Diabetes Awareness from 1 to 4 p.m. July 20 at the Lions Club Park, 11053 Sycamore St. The free event includes bounce houses, games and crafts. Free screenings for Type 2 diabetes will be available. According to the Lions, more than one-third of Americans have pre-diabetes, and often do not know. Learn more at zionsvillelions.com.
Nonprofit plans Race Away From Domestic Violence — The Indiana Coalition Against Domestic Violence is hosting its 22nd annual Race Away From Domestic Violence 8 a.m. Aug. 16 at IU Michael A. Carroll Stadium. The 5K race raises awareness of domestic violence in Indiana and shows support for Hoosier survivors. This year, participants can double their impact — every dollar raised will be matched up to $7,000. For more, visit icadvinc.org.
Indiana Energy Saver Program open for applications — The Indiana Office of Energy Development Indiana Saver Program has $182 million in federal funding to provide Indiana residents with utility bill energy savings while enhancing home comfort and energy efficiency throughout the state. The measures aim to reduce energy consumption and lower costs for Hoosier families. Eligible residents will receive a free home energy audit to identify potential improvements. For more or to apply, visit IndianaEnergySaver.com.
LIONS RECOGNIZED FOR SERVICE TO MISS INDIANA PAGEANT
Zionsville Lions Tom and Gail Robbins were recognized during the Miss Indiana Finals Night for 20 years of service to the Miss Indiana State Scholarship Pageant. The club and the pageant have partnered for the past two decades to host the pageant in Zionsville, which took place June 1821. The ZLC hosted a welcome to town dinner with 120 guests and helped secure 68 convertibles and drivers for the contestant parade. The Robbins were presented with a recognition plaque by emcee Brad Brown, right. Learn more about the Zionsville Lions Club at zionsvillelions.com. (Photo courtesy of Zionsville Lions Club)
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IDOH: Tobacco use on the decline among youth
By Marney Simon marney@youarecurrent.com
The Indiana Department of Health recently released the results of the 2024 Indiana Youth Tobacco Survey, indicating that tobacco use among teens is at its lowest level in two decades.
VAPING
The survey — conducted anonymously at participating public school districts every two years — collected data from more than 63,000 Hoosier students in grades six through 12 on tobacco use, secondhand smoke exposure, access to tobacco products, advertising and cessation efforts.
co product among youth. Nearly half of students who reported using e-cigarettes said they had vaped 20 or more days within a 30-day period.
According to the results, 5 percent of respondents reported using e-cigarettes/ vapes, down from 18.5 percent in 2018. According to IDOH, despite progress in curbing tobacco and vape use among teens, the availability of flavored tobacco products and the rising popularity of oral nicotine pouches are cause for concern. E-cigarettes remain the most used tobac-
“We are encouraged by the continued decline in youth tobacco and e-cigarette use, yet we remain vigilant in addressing nicotine addiction and the appeal of flavored products,” Indiana State Health Commissioner Dr. Lindsay Weaver stated. “I am thankful for the tobacco prevention team and many coalitions who have been addressing tobacco prevention for decades. This last year they have had the added assistance of addressing vaping prevention in schools with the local health departments’ school health liaisons, made possible by Health First Indiana.”
policies and partners with schools and youth-serving organizations to provide prevention education and access to cessation resources.
Stacy Collins, executive director of Breathe Easy Hamilton County, said one reason more youth are staying away from tobacco use is awareness.
Breathe Easy Hamilton County is among the local coalitions that support youth, families and schools through a comprehensive approach to tobacco cessation. The organization works with local school districts to strengthen campus tobacco
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“They’re more aware of the health risks and are making smarter choices for their future,” she said. “Education, strong role models and policies like age restrictions and zero-tolerance have helped shift the culture. But we’re also seeing some youth turn to smokeless products like nicotine pouches, which are cheap, inconspicuous and give the illusion that they aren’t as harmful. However, they are, and it’s important for parents and educators to stay informed and keep those conversations going.”
Collins said the organization anticipates the new $2 per pack cigarette tax increase — which went into effect July 1 — will help reduce smoking in Indiana.
“We’ve had the lowest tobacco tax in
the region for over 25 years, which has made cigarettes more affordable and accessible for far too long,” she said. “Higher prices have been proven to discourage tobacco use, especially among youth, and this change comes at a time when families are already reevaluating their spending habits. Raising the tax brings us closer to national standards and helps deter use, especially among young people. This is an important step toward protecting public health — and we hope future efforts will continue to build on that progress.”
Besides tobacco cessation programs, Breathe Easy Hamilton County also provides a “Hidden in Plain Sight” trailer through a partnership with the Hamilton County Health Department. The trailer is a traveling educational exhibit that helps parents, educators and youth workers recognize discreet nicotine products and better understand the realities of youth addiction.
Learn more at breatheeasyhamiltoncounty.com. View the results of the Indiana Youth Tobacco Survey at in.gov/ health.
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COVER STORY
LIFE IN THE FAST LANE
Indianapolis 500 winner Alex Palou honored in Zionsville
By Marney Simon marney@youarecurrent.com
Zionsville Town Hall was a makeshift winners podium July 7 as the Zionsville Town Council welcomed 2025 Indianapolis 500 winner Alex Palou to meet with fans.
Palou, who has driven the No. 10 car for Chip Ganassi Racing since 2021, secured his first Indianapolis 500 win May 25. The IndyCar Series’ hottest driver in 2025, Palou had won six of the first 10 races heading into the June 12-13 races at Iowa Speedway and is the current points leader by a wide margin. He won series championships in 2021, 2023 and 2024 and is on the fast track for another title.
Palou also is a Zionsville resident.
A native of Spain, Paulou moved to Zionsville in 2024 with his wife Esther Valle and daughter Lucia. The Town of Zionsville welcomed the Palou family and members of the Chip Ganassi Racing team July 7 to the town council meeting to recognize his achievements.
Hundreds of fans lined up for autographs and had a chance to take pictures with Palou’s winning No. 10 car.
“I don’t know about you, but my rule of thumb has always been if somebody lives here for six months, we claim him as a Hoosier,” Mayor John Stehr said. “In this case, he’s lived here for six months, he’s not only a Hoosier, he’s from Zionsville. The first person from Zionsville to win the Indy 500.”
Palou said moving to Zionsville made sense logistically. Chip Ganassi Racing is headquartered in Indianapolis at 79th Street and Zionsville Road, with easy access to Indianapolis International Airport.
“I like the quiet,” Palou said. “We were living in Carmel for a couple years in an apartment, but then when we had the baby, we wanted to buy a house and Zionsville is just 15 minutes from our shop and 20 minutes from the airport, which, that’s the two places that I visit the most.”
Besides the town’s geographic advantages, Palou said he and his family fell in love with its atmosphere.
“You have everything that you need, but it’s not too crowded,” he said. “Where I come from in Spain, we’re in the middle
of the woods — about 40 minutes from Barcelona. So, I’m not really used to living in a city. So, that’s why (we’re) not downtown or any big city like that. And then we just like that there’s lots of nature. We fell in love with the parks. We like the downtown area here in Zionsville where you can just walk. It was a very small town. It was easy to fall in love with and we found a place that we could build our house and that worked for us.”
Palou also lauded his Ganassi Racing teammate Scott Dixon, who edged out
Palou by .4201 of a second to win the Honda Indy 200 at Mid-Ohio July 6.
“He’s still winning races every year, 21 straight years,” he said. “When I first started watching IndyCar when I was in Spain as a kid, he was already winning. And it’s just amazing.”
Stehr presented Palou with a 150-yearold original brick from Zionsville’s Main Street engraved with “Zionsville celebrates the Indy 500 champion Alex Palou 2025.”
Stehr also issued a proclamation marking July 7 “Alex Palou Day” in Zionsville.
WINNING RUN
Alex Palou, driving the No. 10 car for Chip Ganassi Racing, led the last 14 laps of the May 25 Indianapolis 500, securing the win with an average speed of 168.883 mph to claim his first Borg-Warner Trophy.
Palou said the experience was more emotional than he expected.
“(The Indianapolis) 500 was great,” he said. “I won many races, but obviously
the 500 is the biggest one, and the emotion and how hard it is to win it, it was amazing. I think it took a couple of weeks to understand what it meant, especially seeing the people, the fans, and the team, how big of a deal it was for everybody, and how much it meant for everybody to win it. It’s amazing.”
Follow Alex Palou at chipganassiracing.com.
“Alex Palou has been a role model in our community and on the IndyCar racing circuit by consistently displaying the attributes of integrity, sportsmanship and excellence,” Stehr said. “I urge all residents to join me in celebrating and honoring Alex for his unselfishness, his accomplishments and contributions to the racing community, and for being a positive ambassador for our town.”
Palou was humbled by the honor.
“When they told me that you guys were going to celebrate my 500 win, I was like, ‘Yeah, let’s do it. I’m living in Zionsville now, so it’ll be fun.’ But I expected just a picture,” he said. “I didn’t expect all of this. So thank you for preparing this for me, for our team, for my family. It’s really special. Thank you to all the fans and everybody that has made it here today for me. But it’s amazing. It’s more than a dream. I never thought that I would be in the position I am today and I couldn’t be happier.”
ON THE COVER: Mayor John Stehr and Indianapolis 500 winner Alex Palou at “Alex Palou Day” July 7 in Zionsville. (Photo by Marney Simon)
Members of the Zionsville Fire Department with Indianapolis 500 winner Alex Palou and the Chuck Ganassi Racing No. 10 car. (Photo by Marney Simon)
Alex Palou signs autographs July 7 at Zionsville Town Hall.
Toto lead singer still enjoying life on the road
By Mark Ambrogi mark@youarecurrent.com
Joseph Williams is best known as the lead singer for the rock band Toto off and on since the mid-1980s.
Yet Williams has lent his voice to other projects, including “The Lion King,” and has written scores for TV shows and movies. He learned from one of the best as his father is legendary film composer John Williams, who has won five Academy Awards for his film scores.
For the moment, Joseph Williams’ focus is on Toto’s summer tour, which has an Aug. 6 stop at Ruoff Music Center in Noblesville. Toto will be joined by Christopher Cross and Men at Work in a 6:45 p.m. concert. Guitarist Steve Lukather is the sole continuous founding member of Toto.
“We just have so much fun, so that keeps us going, and the audiences have been growing over the years,” Williams said. “We did the three years with Journey and (that) actually helped us a lot with ticket sales and all that stuff. So, it’s been a great run and it just keeps getting better. Speaking for Luke (Lukather) and myself, we love to be on the road, and the audiences seem to really be digging it. So, that keeps me motivated.”
Williams said the group changes up the setlist whenever it can.
“Obviously, the hits are there, but there are a handful of other songs that are different (from last tour),” Williams said. “We love to pull out some deep cuts from some of the albums. Diehard fans will obviously know some of these more than the casual fans. We rock really well and groove really strongly. It’s a good set. I think people are going to be pleased.”
Among the band’s biggest hits are “Hold the Line,” “Rosanna” and “Africa.”
“The audience response is great and gives us a kick in the pants,’ Williams said of “Africa.” “David Paich isn’t really touring with us anymore and I get to sing his parts in the verse, and that’s a lot of fun because it’s down on a slightly
different range for me. It’s great to see the younger generations loving it, knowing that song with the help of all the covers over the years.”
Williams said “Africa” has surpassed 2 billion streams on Spotify.
Williams, 64, served as the lead vocalist from 1986 to 1988 before he returned full-time in 2010. In between, he performed occasionally with Toto.
“I was primarily writing scores for TV shows,” he said. “It was perfect timing because I could work at home and be with my kids when they were growing up, which was great.”
Williams’ father is still active.
‘“He’s an amazing specimen,” Williams said. “He’s going strong and currently working on something for the Vienna Philharmonic. He’s 93 and sharp as a tack. I’m not going to speculate I’ll be as sharp as he is at that age, but I’m going to try.”
The first time he worked with his father was in 1975 when he was 15 years old.
“He would never have me working on something if he didn’t know I could do it,” he said. “I was very fortunate I got to work on a couple of ‘Star Wars’ films and a few others.”
Williams said it’s hard to choose which of his father’s scores is his favorite.
“One that is really high on my list is the first Indiana Jones, ‘Raiders of the Lost Ark,’” Williams said. “I think that’s a brilliant score. He’s got so many. ‘Schindler’s List’ is incredible. I love all the ‘Star Wars’ stuff.”
Williams provided the singing voice of Simba in the 1994 animated version of “The Lion King.”
“I’m very proud of that. It’s great to be part of the Disney legacy,” he said. Toto is known for its versatile musicianship.
“It’s a band of excellent musicians who have careers working with other artists,” Williams said. “That was true when the band formed and we try to keep to that idea.”
For tickets, visit, ruoffmusiccenter.net.
‘WAITRESS’
“Waitress” runs July 17 to Aug. 31 at Beef & Boards Dinner Theatre in Indianapolis. For more, visit beefandboards.com.
‘XANADU’
Red Barn Summer Theatre presents “Xanadu” July 16-20 at the Frankfort venue. For more, visit redbarntheatre.net.
SONGBOOK ACADEMY
Songbook Showcase is set for 7 p.m. July 17 and Songbook Academy in Concert is set for 7 p.m. July 19 at the Payne and Mencias Palladium at Allied Solutions Center for the Performing Arts in Carmel. For more, visit thecenterpresents.org.
FEINSTEIN’S CABARET
“I Want My ‘80s! A Totally Tubular Party!” is set for July 17, followed by vocalist Melissa Sondhi July 18 and Dueling Pianos July 19 at Feinstein’s at Hotel Carmichael in Carmel. All three performances are at 7:30 p.m. For more, visit feinsteinshc.com.
‘PUFFS’
Main Street Productions presents “Puffs,” a youth production, July 17-27 at Basile Westfield Playhouse. For more, visit westfieldplayhouse.org.
DISPATCH
Potter to perform in Fishers — Singer-songwriter Grace Potter will perform at 8 p.m. Sept. 5 at the Nickel Plate District Amphitheater in Fishers. Tickets are on sale at npdamp.com and mokbpresents.com. Potter burst onto the scene in the early 2000s both as a solo artist and with her band the Nocturnals. She disbanded the Nocturnals in 2013, teaming with producer Eric Valentine for the 2015 album “Midnight.” In 2025, Potter released “Medicine,” produced by T-Bone Burnett. For ticketed shows, the venue is an all-ages facility, and children 2 and under are admitted free. Guests can bring their own lawn chair and blankets. For more, visit gracepotter.com and fisherslive.com. The new date for Band of Horses is 7:30 p.m. Aug. 5 at Nickel Plate District. It was previously postponed by severe weather and high winds.
Toto members Steve Lukather, left, and Joseph Williams will play Aug. 6 at Ruoff Music Center. (Photo courtesy of Toto)
Opera event returns to roots
By Mark Ambrogi mark@youarecurrent.com
Indianapolis Opera General Director
David Starkey sees it as only fitting that Lobster Palooza is back at its original Meridian-Kessler roots for its 15th anniversary.
FUNDRAISER
The event returned to the Basile Opera Center in 2023 after two years at Daniel’s Vineyard in McCordsville during renovation of Basile Opera Center. Lobster Palooza is set for 6 p.m. July 26 at 4011 N. Pennsylvania St., Indianapolis.
in December of 2016 and I thought this is one of the weirdest, exciting events I’ve ever heard of in nonprofit fundraising,” he said. “Whoever thought of in the heat of July, Larry Bird, opera and lobster. I just thought that it was the craziest combination I’d ever heard.”
Bird, the NBA legend and former Indiana Pacers head coach and executive, and his wife, Dinah, served as honorary chairs of Lobster Palooza for a few years.
Starkey said they can use the entire property because Indianapolis Opera owns the building now.
“Meridian-Kessler is historically synonymous with long-running events,” Starkey said. “One of them is this particular building and campus (that) used to host GreekFest when the Greek Orthodox Church was here and that grew from a one-day event to three.”
Starkey said the event started on the property in a circus tent with an idea of legacy board members.
“I remember coming to the company
“We’re not sure anybody else does anything like this on any level,” Starkey said. “You still get the fresh Maine boiled lobster that we fly in the day before, and on top of that, you get a fundraising event with opera singing, an incredible array of mixed drinks and refreshment of Fork and Ale beer, Tito’s and exquisite wines.”
A cigar bar has been added this year.
The event helps support the Indianapolis Opera’s music education programs. For more, visit indyopera.org.
Starkey
ZCHS grad to make B&B debut
By Mark Ambrogi mark@youarecurrent.com
Izzy Casciani has attended Beef & Boards Dinner Theatre shows for years.
MUSICAL
Now, the 2024 Zionsville Community High School graduate will make her Beef & Boards debut in the ensemble of “Waitress,” set for July 17 to Aug. 31 at the Indianapolis venue.
“I saw many Beef & Boards shows as a teenager and I always admired the quality and professionalism happening so close to my hometown,” said Casciani, who attends New York University School of Arts. “I feel very lucky to be up there myself now. I am most looking forward to working as an understudy for the first time, and I’m very excited to meet and work with all of the talented people involved in Beef & Boards.”
Casciani said she loves the music in “Waitress.”
“I went through a big phase of listening to it nonstop in middle school,” she said. “I like that (‘Waitress’ composer) Sara Bareilles’ music easily connects with people, whether they like musical theater or not,
Zionsville Community High School graduate Izzy Casciani will perform in “Waitress.” (Photo courtesy of
and I also love the underlying theme of the importance of feminine relationships, whether that’s friendship or motherhood. I’m very excited to perform in the wedding scene in Act II. It’s so joyful and fun.”
Casciani attended the Songbook Academy, the Great American Songbook Foundation’s summer intensive summer program, in 2022 and 2024.
“My time at Songbook gave me a beautiful foundation for my work as both an actor and singer, but also just as a human,” she said. “It has been such a privilege going to school in New York City, and aside from the incredible training, I love that I can have one foot in that hub of music and theater and one foot here, where the talent is no less abundant but much more accessible.”
For more, visit beefandboards.com.
Izzy Casciani)
July 26, 2025
Join us to celebrate summer, connect with friends, and make new memories in the heart of the historic Meridian-Kessler neighborhood. Featuring live singers, dancing, an open bar, and a delicious lobster and/or beef tenderloin dinner, this fun-filled summer event will be an evening to remember!
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