April is like the Mexican expression ¡Órale! A versatile word that means “okay” but also “sounds good” and “let’s go.” You can use it to say “wow!” and “hurry up!”
¡Órale!
This month has drag shows, spring festivals, lots of basketball celebrations with live music and food. Don’t sleep on all the free concerts, library classes and gallery openings.
Nice spring weather means you can show off your toes in cute shoes and do outdoor stuff, like public art tours and an evening at the museum’s garden. But if it rains, see it as an excuse to join a fun new book club or watch an art film at the local cinema.
We have 42 ideas for you to squeeze every possible meaning out of this beautiful month.
April 1-5 🔝
Ready, Set, School! Kindergarten Readiness
🗓️ 10:30-11:15 a.m. Wednesday, April 1
📍 Eagle Branch public library, 3905 Moller Road
🎟️ Free
Get your kid ready for school and find out what they need for kindergarten in this workshop led by a former kindergarten teacher. Perfect for children ages 4-6.
Jordan College of the Arts Student Projects
🗓️ 7:30 p.m. Wednesday, April 1
📍 Eidson-Duckwall Recital Hall, 4600 Sunset Ave.
🎟️ Free
Butler University’s JCA Student Collaboration Projects are student-produced works that feature dance and live music. The show is free and weird and very delightful.
Sip & Support
🗓️ 4-9 p.m. Thursday, April 2
📍 8th Day Distillery, 1125 E. Brookside Ave., Suite D06
🎟️ Free
Drop in for a drink at 8th Day Distillery, where 20% of all proceeds support Arts For Learning.
Bar Exam Auditions
🗓️ 5:30-7:30 p.m. Friday, April 3
📍 Ujamaa Community Bookstore, 2424 Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. St.
🎟️ Free, but must register
Bar Exam is a live hip-hop theater experience which blends lyric debate, performance games and rap monologues. Founder Austin Dean Ashford is looking for bold performers, including rappers, actors and poets, to audition. Here are the rules: Bring a 90-second rap song to perform and a hip-hop lyric to debate for 3 minutes.
Not interested in auditioning? Pull up to witness the energy.
First Fridays: Future Friends
🗓️ 6-9 p.m. Friday, April 3
📍 The Murphy Art Center, 1043 Virginia Ave.
🎟️ Free
See live comedy and enjoy DJ music and art installations. The famous Future Friends Holographic Magic Club will also host an artist market you can shop from.
First Fridays: Harrison Center
🗓️ 6-9 p.m. Friday, April 3
📍 Harrison Center, 1505 N. Delaware St.
🎟️ Free
Walk the different floors to view art exhibits. Don’t miss the Harrison Gallery show “Reverie in Revolt,” featuring paintings of feminine energy and nature by Elise Howell.
In the City Gallery, see “Awaken Your City” by Emily Winslow, which features watercolor and oil paintings of Indianapolis in warm and soft light. The artwork is inspired by Winslow’s faith in God.
Slam Dunk & 3-Point championships
🗓️ 7 p.m. Friday, April 3
📍 Hinkle Fieldhouse, 510 W. 49th St.
🎟️ Tickets start at $29
Watch some of the best college basketball players take off the free throw line for a smashing dunk or from beyond the arch with unlimited distance for their 3-point shots. Chreece, Indy’s only hip-hop festival, will provide some entertainment with performances from rappers Zakiyah, P.S. Maldonna and 4200Kory.
Swish Arts & Culture Festival
🗓️ April 3-6
📍 Downtown Indianapolis
🎟️ Free
Local artists will take the stage while the crowds hit the courts. SWISH features all things local: music performances, Walk & Talks, dance, visual art and food trucks. All activities are free, family-friendly, open to the public, and part of a city-wide celebration of the NCAA Men’s Final Four.
March Madness Music Festival
🗓️ April 3-5
📍 American Legion Mall, 700 N. Pennsylvania St.
🎟️ Free
The three-day celebration of music, culture and college basketball will consist of a star-studded lineup including Post Malone, Twenty One Pilots, Ravyn Lenae and Dominic Fike.
Books & Basketball
🗓️ 10-11 a.m. Saturday, April 4
📍 Tea’s Me Community Cafe, 3967 N. Illinois St.
🎟️ Free, but must register
Grab free books for children and sip on some Tea’s Me tea with Tamika Catchings, the cafe’s owner and WNBA Hall of Famer.
MOkAO Coffee & Chocolate Festival
🗓️ 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday, April 4
📍 The Stutz, 1060 N. Capitol Ave.
🎟️ Free
MOKAO is a festival celebrating the global impact of coffee and chocolate through the lens of labor, sustainability and cultural heritage. Last year, the event featured over 40 vendors and 3,000 attendees.
The event will feature a chocolate exhibition and an Epicurean market packed with music, artisan coffee and art.
DIY raised bed workshop
🗓️ 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday, April 4
📍 Flanner Farms, 2424 Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. St.
🎟️ Free
Learn how to build your own raised vegetable bed without breaking the bank. Plus, learn the art of Hügelkultur, a German sustainable gardening method that involves using rotting wood and organic waste to build the raised beds.
Lunar New Year Festival
🗓️ Noon to 4 p.m. Saturday, April 4
📍 Indiana Historical Society, 450 W. Ohio St.
🎟️ Free
In the Chinese zodiac, 2026 is the year of the fire horse. Enjoy stage performances of traditional Chinese American-style lion dance, Chinese orchestra music and Tai Chi exercise presentations.
SethFest
🗓️ 9 p.m. Saturday, April 4
📍 State Street Pub, 243 N. State Ave.
🎟️ $10
Music journalist Seth Johnson is throwing a birthday party, and you’re invited. He’s got a stacked lineup of Indy hip-hop legends set to perform including Oreo Jones, Sirius Black, Angel-Maker and Hyper Tensions.
Final Four Dribble
🗓️ 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Sunday, April 5
📍 Carroll Stadium, 1001 W. New York St.
🎟️ Free, but must register
Do you have a little Harlem Globetrotter in the making? Kids under 18 can dribble their way through a one-mile course. The course winds its way through the streets of downtown Indy, leading the children and their guardians to the finish line at Victory Field.
Dribble participants (and their guardians) will receive complimentary access to the Fan Fest.
Rokh Public Art Tour
🗓️ Noon and 1:30 p.m. Sunday, April 5
📍 Downtown Indianapolis
🎟️ $10
This walking tour is designed for locals and visitors to see the most beautiful, artist-made sights in our city. Expect to walk approximately 1 mile (for 1.5 hours) through downtown Indianapolis. The location where the tour kicks off will be shared after you purchase your tickets.
HBCU All Star Game
🗓️ 1 p.m. Sunday, April 5
📍 Corteva Coliseum at the Indiana State Fairgrounds, 1202 E. 38th St.
🎟️ $35.95-169
Indiana is the land of hoops. The top HBCU (Historically Black College and Universities) men’s basketball players from across the country will compete against each other on Team Sam Jones and Team Bob Dandridge.
April 6-12 🔝
The Read In
🗓️ 6-8 p.m. Monday, April 6
📍 Re:Public, 2301 E. 10th St.
🎟️ Free, but must register.
This is the kickoff of a new book club dedicated to reading from Black authors. Come ready to discuss bell hook’s “Homeplace: A Site of Resistance.” The program will be facilitated by More of This: A Creative Learning Community with Mariah Ivey and Hallie Raikes, and supported by Artists At Work and the Center for Black Literature & Culture.
Delbrook Visiting Writers Series: Ruth Ozeki
🗓️ 7:30 p.m. Tuesday, April 7
📍 Shelton Auditorium, 1000 W. 42nd St.
🎟️ Free
Ruth Ozeki is a Pulitzer Prize and National Book Award finalist for poetry. She is a novelist, filmmaker and Zen Buddhist priest. Her new novel, “The Book of Form and Emptiness,” tells the story of a young boy who, after the death of his father, starts to hear voices and finds solace in the companionship of his very own book.
‘Come From Away’
🗓️ April 7-May 10
📍 Indiana Repertory Theatre, 140 W. Washington St.
🎟️ Tickets start at $27
Since its Broadway debut in 2017, this musical follows 7,000 passengers suddenly stranded in Gander, Newfoundland, after 9/11. It’s based on a true story. Neighbors in the small town opened their homes, shared what little they had, and fed and comforted strangers.
Guests can attend an opening reception April 10.
‘Father Johnny: I Swear to God’
🗓️ 7:30 p.m. Saturday, April 11
📍 The Blackbox at IF Theatre, 719 E. St. Clair St.
🎟️ $16-22, ages 17+
Laugh your way through a one-padre comedy show about a man who has spent decades hearing some of the most ridiculous confessions. Father Johnny transforms himself into colorful characters of his past and even delight audiences with some musical comedy.
Ahora Latino Art Fair
🗓️ 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday, April 11
📍 Eiteljorg Museum, 500 W. Washington St.
🎟️ Museum admission
This biennial showcase brings together Latino artists, designers and creatives. Visitors meet artists, purchase artwork and listen to an artist talk with muralist and gallery owner Joy Hernandez.
Trae Day
🗓️ 7-11 p.m. Saturday, April 11
📍 Midwest Leak, 5860 Michigan Road
🎟️ $20
Celebrate what would’ve been Traevion Pirtle’s 19th birthday. The 18-year-old was found dead near German Church Road on March 13. Trae Day, in partnership with Hit the Stage and Midwest Leak, will feature tribute interviews, artist performance, special content filming and a balloon release.
Furahi-Day: Indy Carnival
🗓️ 10 p.m. to 3 a.m. Saturday, April 11
📍 Black Circle, 2201 E. 46th St.
🎟️ $17.25-30
Bring your friends and your favorite dancing shoes to celebrate African and Caribbean dance culture. You’ll be sweating and dancing to dancehall, reggae, amapiano, afrobeats, soca and kompa spun by three DJs.
April 13-19 🔝
Trinket Swap: Birthday Edition
🗓️ 6-7 p.m. Wednesday, April 15
📍 The Stutz, 1060 N. Capitol Ave.
🎟️ $1
Trinket Club turns 1 year old in April. To celebrate, make mini party hats for your trinkets at the event.
Related
Vintage market owner opens trinket store in the Stutz
She’s creating a community of stuff-lovers who connect over nostalgia and nerdiness.
Delbrook Visiting Writers Series: Kali Fajardo-Anstine
🗓️ 7:30 p.m. Thursday, April 16
📍 Shelton Auditorium, 1000 W. 42nd St.
🎟️ Free
Kali Fajardo-Anstine is a National Book Award Finalist for her debut story collection, “Sabrina & Corina.” Fajardo-Anstine draws from her Colorado Chicana heritage and her books feature the Indigenous and Latino people of Colorado.
Indianapolis Rare Book Fair
🗓️ April 17-18
📍 Columbia Club, 121 Monument Circle
🎟️ $8-40
The fair will feature 20 book dealers from across the county who will bring thousands of rare books, prints and maps. Items run $10-10,000. Get first dibs on one-of-a-kind pieces, snacks and wine during preview night on April 17.
Arab American Festival
🗓️ Noon Saturday, April 18
📍 Indy Global Village Welcome Center, 4233 Lafayette Road.
🎟️ Free
April marks Arab American Heritage Month. Indy’s Global Market is hosting a bazaar featuring local vendors, poetry, music, art show and comedy. The festival will have food from the Arab world and folks can get on the dance floor for Dabke, a traditional Levantine folk line dance popular in Lebanon, Syria, Palestine, Jordan and Iraq.
Pours with Whores
🗓️ Noon to 2 p.m. Saturday, April 18
📍 Gold Leaf Savory & Sweet, 1901 E. 46th St., Suite 1
🎟️ Free, but must DM to register
A sex-positive coffee meetup for all genders. Slide in the DM to RSVP.
World Record Store Day
🗓️ April 18
📍 Various locations
🎟️ Free
Record Store Day happens around the world, but it’s different for everyone. Here in Indy, you can snag vinyl exclusives and win prizes. You can also grab a hot dog from a food truck and listen to live music. Check in with your favorite music dealer and ask them what’s up.
Unofficial Music Holiday Party
🗓️ 10 a.m. Saturday, April 18
📍 Take Care Records, 6215 Allisonville Road
🎟️ Free
Take Care Records said they can’t take part in the official Record Store Day for indie record shops, so they’re throwing a little something of their own. Listen to local beatmakers and DJs while shopping for your next vinyl records.
Flanner Farms: Defend the Forest
🗓️ 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday, April 18
📍 Flanner House, 2424 Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. St.
🎟️ Free
Grab free saplings of native trees and bushes to start your own garden or rewild your community. Available trees are persimmon, poplar, white pine, river birch, white oak, chokeberry and silky dogwood.
Birthday Party Bake Sale
🗓️ Noon to 3 p.m. Sunday, April 19
📍 Patina Gallery, 2201 E. Michigan St.
🎟️ Donations
Patina Gallery is turning one and you’re invited to the party. They’re hosting a bake sale where guests can donate baked goods to benefit the gallery.
April 20-26 🔝
Indy Film Fest
🗓️ April 22-26
📍 Kan-Kan Cinema and Bar, 1258 Windsor St. and Dance Kaleidoscope, 1125 E. Brookside Ave., Suite D5
🎟️ $100 for an all-access pass
Grab some popcorn and explore a variety of new cinema, from comedies to short documentaries and local movies. Many of the screenings include opportunities to meet the filmmakers and ask your burning questions — right after watching their films.
Author Talk: Nora Lange
🗓️ 7:30 p.m. Thursday, April 23
📍 Tomorrow Bookstore, 882 Massachusetts Ave.
🎟️ $6.24-20.89
Author Nora Lange will talk about her upcoming book of stories, “Day Care.” The book reflects on motherhood and marriage, economic strain, love and peeing your pants.
Soul & Citrus: A Hemp Day Party
🗓️ 1-6 p.m. Saturday, April 25
📍 Indianapolis Liberation Center, 1619 Prospect St.
🎟️ $5-10
This one’s for the folks who support hemp, CBD and holistic healing. The gathering will offer tacos, mimosas, wellness experiences, hemp education and music from local rappers and DJs.
Max Maneater’s Drag Science Theater
🗓️ 7-10 p.m. Saturday, April 25
📍 Garfield Park Arts Center, 2432 Conservatory Drive
🎟️ Free, ages 18+
Transport yourself back to the 1990s. Hop on a magic school bus and head over to Max Maneater’s Drag Science Theater. Drag performers will educate and entertain in a floor-show-meets-science-fair affair.
April 27-30 🔝
Ad Astra: Science Fiction Book Group
🗓️ 6-7 p.m. Monday, April 27
📍 Central Library, 40 E. St. Clair St.*
🎟️ Free
On the fifth floor at the beautiful Indianapolis Special Collections Room, you can join a cosmic adventure and discuss literature with like-minded people.
* Editor’s note: The Central Library is currently closed for repairs, with no date set for when it will reopen to the public. As of when this list was published, this event was not canceled. We suggest calling the library at 317-275-4100 closer to the event to see if the location has changed.
Freshly Brewed Spring Concert
🗓️ 7:30 p.m. Monday, April 27
📍 Schrott Center for the Arts, 610 W. 46th St.
🎟️ Free
Butler University’s upper-voices ensemble, Freshly Brewed, will sing a mix of modern hits and throwback favorites, all creatively arranged by current students and alumni.
Right in the Eye: Live Movie Concert
🗓️ 7:30 p.m. Thursday, April 30
📍 Irving Theater, 5505 E. Washington St.
🎟️ $25
Experience silent film classics by Georges Méliès accompanied by three musicians playing 50 rare instruments.
The Undergraduate Senior Showcase
🗓️ April 30-May 17
📍 Sidney and Lois Eskenazi Fine Art Center, 1374 Indiana Ave.
🎟️ Free
See art by graduating undergraduate students from Herron School of Art’s studio programs. The exhibition reflects the culmination of each student’s academic and creative development and includes projects in painting, sculpture, photography, printmaking, intermedia and design.
Spring Blooms: After Dark
🗓️ 7-9:30 p.m. Thursday, April 30
📍 The Garden at Newfields, 3940 Woodstock Drive
🎟️ $35 for members and $45 for public
This is a chance to celebrate spring in many ways: make paper flowers, get a garden tour or play croquet. Walk around sipping on something fruity and delicious while listening to live harp, hand pan and cello music performances.
Mirror Indy, a nonprofit newsroom, is funded through grants and donations from individuals, foundations and organizations.
Mirror Indy reporter Mesgana Waiss covers arts and culture. Contact her at 317-667-2643 or mesgana.waiss@mirrorindy.org.
Jennifer Delgadillo is Mirror Indy’s arts and culture editor. You can reach her at jennifer.delgadillo@mirrorindy.org.
Republish our articles for free, online or in print, under a Creative Commons license.
