In September, we’ll be saying goodbye (some of us unwillingly) to summer and ushering in autumn. For this “things to do” list, I sprinkled a little bit of everything regardless of price point.
Spend a Saturday at one of the many local fairs and festivals, including BUTTER Fine Art Fair, Rice and Beans Fest, Oktoberfest and Garfield Park Arts and Music Fest.
Swing and sing to your favorite jazz numbers at Indy Jazz Fest.
If you’re looking for something that might pull on your heart strings, head to Butler University’s Shelton Auditorium to watch “Fun Home.”
Use this list to find fun in the city all month long.
Sept. 1-6
Fix Your Face Tour
🗓️ 8 p.m. Tuesday, Sept. 1
📍 Old National Centre, 502 N. New Jersey St.
🎟️ $41+
In July, Masego released his latest album, “Fix Your Face,” featuring Keyshia Cole, Leon Thomas and Musiq Soulchild. Expect the Grammy Award nominee and multi-instrumentalist to bring his own musical genre and movement — TrapHouseJazz — to Naptown.
Summers in the Garden
🗓️ Sept. 2 and 9
📍 Soul Food Project Farm, 2436 Sheldon St.
🎟️ Free, but RSVP
Join a series of interactive workshops focused on gardening, wellness, financial education, healthy living and community connection with Martindale Brightwood Community Development Corporation and The Soul Food Project. These all-levels sessions focus on stretching, breathing, flexibility and stress reduction.
Meal Planning Made Simple
🗓️ 1-2 p.m. Thursday, Sept. 3
📍 West Indianapolis library, 1216 Kappes St.
🎟️ Free, but must register
Don’t know where to start with meal planning? Learn from the Marion County Public Health Department’s Nutrition Services team about time-saving strategies and how to create balanced, practical meals for the week for your family.
BUTTER Fine Art Fair
🗓️ Sept. 3-6
📍 The Stutz, 1060 N. Capitol Ave.
🎟️ $44.52-$81.88; free for kids 18 and under
BUTTER Fine Art Fair celebrates six years featuring artworks by more than 50 Black painters and sculptors from Indiana to Iowa.
New this year: the fair is expanding Education Day into Camp BUTTER, a new education and professional development initiative designed to help young creatives build sustainable careers in the arts. Thirteen Indiana-based college students will debut their artwork in a new exhibition alongside established contemporary artists.
First Friday: Eiteljorg Museum
🗓️ 3-7 p.m. Friday, Sept. 4
📍 Eiteljorg Museum, 500 W. Washington St.
🎟️ Free
Meet local printmaking artists and purchase original art. Bring out your competitive side and play games on the lawn or groove to the mixes brought to you by DJs both inside and outside the museum.
First Friday: IndyEast Art Walk
🗓️ 5-9 p.m. Friday, Sept. 4
📍 Various locations on the east side
🎟️ Free
Celebrate the official opening of Art in Unexpected Places, a public art initiative that brings visual art and poetry into everyday spaces across Indy’s near east side. You’ll start at Factory Arts District; then Arts For Learning and 1000 Words Gallery; and stop at the end of Tuxedo Street. There will be vendors, live art demonstrations, food and activities.
Anywhere, Everywhere
🗓️ 9 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 5
📍 The Vogue, 6259 N. College Ave.
🎟️ $15
This music-forward event series, founded by DJ Ferris, introduces audiences to fresh new sounds and classics. Dance to sets by DJs Bern, Solo and Ferris. Make memories at a photo booth with complimentary prints and a video portrait station.
Rokh Reading Rave
🗓️ Noon-2 p.m. Sunday, Sept. 6
📍 Highland Park, 1100 E. New York St.
🎟️ Free
Grab a blanket, a book and a friend and head over to read at the park in honor of National Read a Book Day.
AfroFest
🗓️ 6-10 p.m. Sunday, Sept. 6
📍 Morris Bicentennial Plaza, 125 S. Pennsylvania St.
🎟️ $7.18-$23.18
This outdoor event centers African culture through music, global cuisine and local vendors.
Sept. 7-13
Collaborative Collage Book
🗓️ 5:30-7:30 p.m. Tuesday, Sept. 8
📍 East 38th Street library, 5420 E. 38th St.
🎟️ Free
Guests will contribute to pages of a collaborative collage book in honor of the 250th anniversary of the founding of the United States. The finished art book will be exhibited and included in the library’s permanent collection. Artists Vanessa Monfreda and Gina Lee Robbins will lead the event.
All materials will be provided, but participants are welcome to contribute photos, magazines and personal records to explore themes like community, freedom and their American experience.
Indy Parks Ride Series
🗓️ 6-7:30 p.m. Thursday, Sept. 10
📍 Riverside Adventure Park, 3502 N. White River Parkway
🎟️ Free, but must register; must be 18+
Ride through one of the largest public parks in the US with the staff of Central Indiana Cycling. The program is designed for cyclists at all levels.
Oktoberfest
🗓️ Sept. 10-12
📍 German American Klub, 8602 S. Meridian St.
🎟️ $5; kids 12 and under are free
The 52nd annual south side festival puts German heritage on full display featuring brass bands, polka music, bratwurst and a ceremonial beer tapping.
Inside the Publishing and Agenting Part of Books
🗓️ 6:30 p.m. Friday, Sept. 11
📍 Virtual
🎟️ Free, but must RSVP
Have a project you’ve been meaning to get published? Kima Jones, a Los Angeles-based writer, book agent, marketer and publicist, will share her advice and give tips on how to navigate the industry. You can watch from the comfort of your home.
Poppin’ Buttons
🗓️ Sept. 11-12
📍 Market Vintage, 9 Johnson Ave.
🎟️ Free
Bring your bags and carts to the size-inclusive secondhand clothing market. Poppin’ Buttons aims to flip the script on traditional markets. All vendors will carry clothing in sizes L to 4X+.
The event, created by Final Girl Vintage owner Vern Jensen and Kitschcraft owner Clare Cummings, celebrates and centers plus‑size bodies and small businesses.
Upcycling Workshop
🗓️ 1-3 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 12
📍 The Color Co., 3744 S. Meridian St.
🎟️ $25
Bedazzle, block print and turn your drawings into an iron-on to refresh your wardrobe. Supplies and refreshments will be provided.
The Summit
🗓️ 4-8 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 12
📍 Indianapolis Liberation Center, 1619 Prospect St.
🎟️ $11.99
Every month, Heal Indy and the Indianapolis Liberation Center facilitate gatherings to inspire conversation and collaboration. The Summit isn’t a networking mixer. No elevator pitches. No business-card energy. It’s a monthly home for artists, healers, business owners, creators and everyone who is trying to improve the city.
Sept. 14-20
Phoebe Bridgers: The Lost Tour
🗓️ 7:30 p.m. Monday, Sept. 14
📍 Gainbridge Fieldhouse, 125 S. Pennsylvania St.
🎟️ $82+
Phoebe Bridgers released her third solo album, “Lost Weekend,” on Aug. 14. She’s kicking off the arena run with opener Alex G and a strict phone-free policy. Your phone will not be confiscated, but you will be required to lock it in a Yondr pouch for the duration of the show.
‘Fun Home’
🗓️ Sept. 17-27
📍 Shelton Auditorium, 1000 W. 42nd St.
🎟️ $24.70-$30.90
This original musical is about seeing your parents through grown-up eyes. Graphic novelist Alison dives deep into her past to tell the story of her father, a volatile, brilliant man whose secrets molded her family and her own life.
Content advisory: suicide and sexual content
Barkitecture
🗓️ 10:30-11:30 a.m. Friday, Sept. 18
📍 West Perry library, 6650 S. Harding St.
🎟️ Free, but must register
Join garden expert Jo Ellen Meyers Sharp to learn about which plants are toxic to dogs and how to keep them out of flower and vegetable beds. She will also share what plants can withstand a little trampling.
Foodees Fest
🗓️ Sept. 18-20
📍 Castleton Square, 6020 E. 82nd St.
🎟️ Free
The traveling three-day festival features over 40 local artisans, vendors and food trucks offering sweet treats, beverages and handmade crafts. Attendees can enter into a raffle for a free meal.
‘Pippin’
🗓️ Sept. 18-Oct. 4
📍 Footlite Musicals, 1847 Alabama St.
🎟️ $17-$27
Young prince Pippin is in search of the secret to true happiness. He’s looking for it on the battlefield, through lovers and his search for political power after disposing of his father, King Charlemagne the Great. Be prepared for the fourth wall to be broken numerous times during the musical.
‘Giants’
🗓️ Sept. 19-Feb. 28, 2027
📍 Newfields, 4000 N. Michigan Road
🎟️ $15-$23; kids under 5 are free; members are free
The personal art collection of singer and musician Alicia Keys and music producer Swizz Beatz is making its way to Indianapolis. The celebrity power couple, who married in 2010, began collecting art in 2014.
Now, the Dean Collection contains over 1,000 artworks by Black contemporary artists such as Jean-Michel Basquiat, Civil Rights Movement photographer Gordon Parks, and painters Amy Sherald and Kehinde Wiley, who are known for their portraits of former President Barack Obama and former first lady Michelle Obama.
Related
Alicia Keys and Swizz Beatz art exhibition to stop at Newfields
“Giants,” which opens Sept. 19, features artworks from celebrated Black contemporary artists — plus, the couple’s piano and drum machine.
Art Squared
🗓️ 11 a.m.-5 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 19
📍 Virgina Avenue in Fountain Square neighborhood
🎟️ Free
Spend your Saturday at the art fair, watching street performers and artists who create art for the Masterpiece in a Day competition.
Rice & Beans Festival
🗓️ Noon-4 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 19
📍 Behind Fonseca Theatre Co., 2508 W. Michigan St.
🎟️ Free
Across Latin America, the Caribbean, Africa and Asia, rice and beans are more than a meal. They are transformed culturally with different spices, stories and names. Taste the versatility in this dish along with live music and family-friendly fun.
American Piano 2027 Awards Kickoff Concert
🗓️ 3:30 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 19
📍 Madam Walker Legacy Center, 617 Indiana Ave.
🎟️ Free
Five emerging jazz pianists will showcase their style and musicianship to usher in the 2027 awards season. This is a rare opportunity to hear all five artists before they return to Indianapolis for judged performances at The Jazz Kitchen.
Sing It Forward
🗓️ 3 p.m. Sunday, Sept. 20
📍 Blind Owl Brewery, 5014 E. 62nd St.
🎟️ Free
Sing along at The Indianapolis Symphonic Choir’s annual Community Sing. They’ll be offering the crowd easy-to-learn choral selections so you can join.
Sept. 21-27
Erykah Badu x The Alchemist
🗓️ 8 p.m. Tuesday, Sept. 22
📍 Everwise Amphitheater at White River State Park, 801 W. Washington St.
🎟️ $67.20+
The queen of neo-soul a.k.a. Fat Belly Bella a.k.a. Erykah Badu is touching down in Naptown on tour with The Alchemist. Last year, they released the single “Next to You” to preview their long-awaited album that hasn’t been released yet.
Indy Jazz Fest
🗓️ Sept. 22-26
📍 The Jazz Kitchen, 5377 N. College Ave.; The Vogue, 6259 N. College Ave.; The Cabaret, 924 N. Pennsylvania St.; Indy Art Center, 820 E. 67th St.
🎟️ Tickets start at $29.43
Indy has birthed many jazz legends, such as the late Wes Montgomery, the Hampton Sisters and Freddie Hubbard. Get ready to dance and sing to some of your favorite and soon-to-be favorite jazz performers from across the country.
Indiana Animals for Toddlers
🗓️ 11-11:45 a.m. Wednesday, Sept. 23
📍 Haughville library, 2121 W. Michigan St.
🎟️ Free, but must register
Bring your little scientist to investigate the many animals native to Indiana that you might encounter in your own backyard.
Music Industry Seminar
🗓️ 7 p.m. Friday, Sept. 25
📍 Black Circle, 2201 E. 46th St.
🎟️ Free, but must RSVP
Get marketing and advertising advice from Matt Bacon that could help develop your rock band. Bacon is a music industry professional and manager who founded Dropout Media in 2015.
Poetry in Transit
🗓️ 1-4 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 26
📍 Indiana Humanities, 1500 N. Delaware St.
🎟️ Free
Hop on the IndyGo bus and listen to poems submitted to People We Meet on the Bus, a zine that celebrates modes of transportation. Attendees can also participate in art activities and shop from local vendors.
Garfield Park Art & Music Fest
🗓️ 4-9 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 26
📍 MacAllister Amphitheater at Garfield Park, 2425 Conservatory Drive
🎟️ Free
The festival will feature Indianapolis-based musicians and bands performing their original music. Over 50 local artists will have fine art and handmade wares for sale as part of a curated art fair. Families can check out the kids zone.
Rewind Book Fair
🗓️ Sept. 26-27
📍 Indiana State Fairgrounds, 1202 E. 38th St.
🎟️ $11.95-$49.95
They’re bringing back the magic and a nostalgic feeling of childhood book fairs with a grown-up twist. Flip through the Scholastic catalog and circle back to your dream book haul.
Sept. 28-30
Curiosity Lab
🗓️ 4-5 p.m. Tuesday, Sept. 29
📍 Spades Park library, 1801 Nowland Ave.
🎟️ Free
Kids ages 3 to 8 can experiment and investigate science topics alongside a parent through hands-on workstations.
Popular Media Discussion Group
🗓️ 6:30-8 p.m. Tuesday, Sept. 29
📍 Macizo Restaurant, 6335 Intech Commons Drive
🎟️ Pay for your own meal
Bring your science fiction hot takes and favorite media to discuss with fellow sci-fi lovers over Mexican and Peruvian food.
Sparking Conversations
🗓️ 9-10:30 a.m. Sunday, Sept. 30
📍 Location announced after registration
🎟️ Free
Learn what’s in store for Brightlane Learning’s 25th annual discussion series surrounding childhood homelessness. The conversations look at programs designed to address student homelessness and housing instability.
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Mirror Indy reporter Mesgana Waiss covers arts and culture. Contact her at 317-667-2643 or mesgana.waiss@mirrorindy.org.
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