Thursday, September 17th
Happy Thursday, Hoosiers. Harvest is nearing and football stadium lights are shining every Friday night. The signs of fall are here… and it officially starts next Tuesday.
This Week in Indiana History: Abraham Lincoln Comes Home (1859)
TradeUp Fest on Saturday in Noblesville
Indiana High School Mascots Guessing Game
Attention South Bend and Fishers Readers
Concerts, Festivals, and Game Day
Purdue Football Falls in 2OT
The Indiana Woman Who Fought for Justice
Rapid Fire
Hidden Gems: Tinker Coffee (The Firehouse) and Corridor
Indiana Events
Get IN. with Nate Spangle: Why Poverty Is Indiana’s Biggest Problem
This issue is 1,806 words, a 7-minute read.
Kick off Colts Sunday with a pre-game stop at St. Elmo Steak House or Harry & Izzy’s. Both downtown favorites open early for Colts home games, serving special pre-game menus filled with game-day favorites, breakfast bites, signature sliders and more.
Colts Tailgate Menus | Regular Season Home Games
Harry & Izzy’s: Doors Open at 10 a.m.
St. Elmo Steak House: Doors Open at 10:30 a.m.
Enjoy:
St. Elmo Shrimp Cocktail
Filet Mignon & Wagyu Sliders
Prime Rib Chili
Breakfast Filet Sliders
Mimosas, Bloody Marys & Espresso Martinis
Fuel up before kickoff and make your Colts Sunday a Huse Culinary tradition.
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📜 This Week in Indiana History 📜
Abraham Lincoln Comes Home (1859)
In 1859, Abraham Lincoln returned home to give a speech at Indianapolis' Masonic Hall. Lincoln, with his wife Mary, arrived by train from Cincinnati as he gave a speech about Stephen Douglas and the Democratic Party.
The speech was not given as a campaign speech, but more or less is believed to be done as Lincoln explored a run for president. He also talked about the idea that America would not survive a split from free states and slave states, along with his Hoosier roots and growing up in Spencer County.
The speech helped establish Midwest backing for Lincoln as he eventually sought (and received) the Republican nomination for the presidency in 1860. He became one of the most respected presidents to ever live.
📰 Hoosier Headlines 📰
TradeUp Fest on Saturday in Noblesville
Tickets are moving fast for TradeUp Fest, which is this Saturday, Sept. 19, at the Riverview Health Arena at Innovation Mile in Noblesville. It features a full day of free music on two outdoor stages, food trucks, an interactive Trades Village where attendees can "try-a-trade" and learn more about career opportunities in the Skilled Trades, plus a ticketed evening concert inside the Arena featuring Larry Fleet, The Wilder Blue, and Nora Reese. (Get Indiana)
Nate Spangle also caught up with the founder of TradeUp Fest, Josh Cecil, on the Get IN. Podcast, to learn about the inspiration behind the festival, Hamilton County’s live music scene, and more. (Listen)
Indiana High School Mascots Guessing Game
The new game you didn’t know you needed to play? Guessing Indiana high school mascots. See how Get IN. Sports’ Dom Miranda and Nate did. Try the daily version where you’re given five schools, largest enrollment to smallest. Or try the tourney run where you’re given a school and have 10 seconds to guess correctly. How many can you get in a row? Play here!
Attention South Bend and Fishers Readers
If you live, work, or play in the South Bend/Mishawaka area or Indianapolis metro, then we’ve got two localized newsletters for you to subscribe to so you can stay in the know with the latest news, events, and happenings.
Concerts, Festivals, and Game Day
Looking for something to do this weekend and into early next week? Here’s a rundown of upcoming concerts, festivals, and big games in the Hoosier State. (Get Indiana)
Purdue Football Falls in 2OT
Purdue came up short in a 38-36 double-overtime loss to Wake Forest last Saturday at Ross-Ade Stadium, meaning the Boilermakers’ search for their first win over a Power Four program since 2023 continues. Their Big Ten slate begins this weekend with a tough test (and 11 p.m. ET kick!) on the West Coast. (Get Indiana)
The Indiana Woman Who Fought for Justice
Katherine “Flossie” Bailey was an Indiana civil rights leader who spent much of her life fighting racial injustice. Born in Kokomo in 1895, Bailey moved to Marion after marrying Dr. Walter T. Bailey. Learn more about how she became one of Indiana’s most determined advocates for equality. (Get Indiana)
Rapid Fire
What are the five biggest festivals and fairs in Indiana? WATCH
What are the five smallest high schools in Indiana? WATCH
Which counties in Indiana have the highest percentage of college graduates? WATCH
Cooler mornings, football nights, fall festivals, trail rides, and weekends outside — fall in Indiana is here.
Cowpokes Work & Western has new fall arrivals landing now, including boots, denim, flannels, jackets, and everyday layers built for the season.
And you don’t have to be western to shop there. Their mix of trusted brands and casual styles makes it easy to find something for work, weekends, or just everyday wear.
Shop in Anderson, Cloverdale, or online at cowpokesonline.com.
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Tinker Coffee - The Firehouse
Tinker Coffee has many Indianapolis locations, including in the airport, IU Methodist Hospital and IU Health University Hospital, The AMP @ 16 Tech, and on Market Street downtown, but its firehouse location in the Butler-Tarkington neighborhood is the most unique of them all. Here’s why ⬇️
Corridor
Fresh pasta. Norwegian Brown Trout. Falafel sandwich. Lemon pepper linguine. Cannoli. Corridor is a Mediterranean restaurant and market in Indianapolis you can’t miss. They’re open for lunch Tuesday through Saturday from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. (Get Indiana)
You can also enter the lottery to win a Chef’s Table Dinner reservation at Corridor for 2027. The deadline to enter is this Saturday, Sept. 19!
What’s your Hidden Gem? Submit here to have it featured!
Events This Week in Indiana
Downtown Columbus Food Truck Festival – Downtown Columbus (Bartholomew County) – Thursday, Sept. 17 from 11 a.m. – 8 p.m. - Southeast Indiana's beloved food truck rally rolls into downtown Columbus with dozens of trucks, live music, craft beer, and family activities. Details
50th Annual Nappanee Apple Festival – Downtown Nappanee (Elkhart County) – Thursday–Sunday, Sept. 17–20 - Indiana's iconic Amish country apple celebration draws 80,000+ people for the world-famous 7-foot baked apple pie, apple-inspired eats, live music, craft vendors, and Sunday's parade. Details
Quaker Day Weekend – Downtown Plainfield (Hendricks County) – Thursday–Sunday, Sept. 17–20 - Plainfield's beloved fall tradition honors the town's Quaker heritage with a parade, live music, food vendors, kids' activities, and outdoor movies. Details
Circle City Irish Fest – Fletcher Place (across from Holy Rosary Church) in Indianapolis – Friday–Saturday, Sept. 18–19 - Indy's premier Irish festival features high-energy Celtic music, Irish dancing, sheepdog demos, authentic Irish food, cold Guinness, artisan vendors, and cultural showcases. Tickets
St. Malachy Country Fair & Hog Roast – Brownsburg (Hendricks County) – Friday–Saturday, Sept. 18–19 - Weekend Catholic parish festival features the Hog Jog 5K, live entertainment, carnival rides, homemade fair food, and Saturday hog roast. Details
Tree City Fall Festival – 150 Courthouse Square in Greensburg (Decatur County) – Friday–Saturday, Sept. 18–19 - Southeast Indiana's celebration around the famous "Tree City" courthouse (with a tree growing out of its tower) features a parade, live music, food, kids' zone, and craft vendors. Details
Block Bash at French Lick – Downtown French Lick (Orange County) – Friday–Sunday, Sept. 18–20 - Southern Indiana's block party features live music on multiple stages, food vendors, craft beer, family activities, and Indiana Roof Ballroom performances in Larry Bird's hometown. Details
58th Annual Francesville Fall Festival – Downtown Francesville (Pulaski County) – Friday–Sunday, Sept. 18–20 - Northwest Indiana's small-town fall festival with a parade, carnival rides, live music, craft show, food booths, and family activities. Details
Frankton Heritage Days Festival – Downtown Frankton (Madison County) – Friday–Sunday, Sept. 18–20 - Central Indiana's community festival honors Frankton's heritage with a parade, carnival rides, tractor pulls, food vendors, and live entertainment. Details
Holland Community Fest – Holland (Dubois County) – Friday–Sunday, Sept. 18–20 - Southwest Indiana's community festival features live music, food booths, craft vendors, a parade, beer garden, 5K, BBQ contest, cornhole tournament, and more. Details
Wabash Valley Pepper Fest & Hot Sauce Expo – Terre Haute (Meadows Shopping Center Complex) – Saturday, Sept. 19 from 11 a.m. – 8 p.m. - Come for the burn, stay for the fun. Stop by food vendors while watching the hot tacos eating contest, hot wings eating contest, spicy Bloody Mary contest, professional pepper-eating championships, and cajun and chili cook-offs, plus live music in the evening. Details
Michigan State vs. Notre Dame – Notre Dame Stadium in South Bend – Saturday, Sept. 19 at 6:30 p.m. - The No. 3-ranked Fighting Irish host Big Ten rival Michigan State under the shadow of Touchdown Jesus. Tickets
51st Annual Johnny Appleseed Festival – Johnny Appleseed Park in Fort Wayne – Saturday–Sunday, Sept. 19–20 - Fort Wayne's beloved historical festival takes visitors back to the 1800s with period reenactors, primitive crafts, apple butter demonstrations, kettle corn, sassafras tea, and living history near the actual gravesite of Johnny Appleseed. Free admission. Details
🎙 On today's show I sat down with Fred Payne, President and CEO of United Way of Central Indiana, about his path from Louisiana to Indiana, meeting his wife in Bloomington, and his career spanning labor law, nearly a decade at Honda's plant in Greensburg, and serving almost five years as Indiana's Commissioner of Workforce Development.
Payne explains the Department of Workforce Development's training role and its administration of unemployment insurance, highlighting COVID's surge that saw $10.2 billion paid to 900,000 Hoosiers over about two years.
He then became President and CEO of United Way of Central Indiana in 2022 and describes a five-year strategy targeting basic needs, early learning, housing, and economic mobility, aiming to distance 10,000 households from poverty, using partner accreditation, data tools like the Impact United dashboard and ALICE report, and volunteer pathways such as Volunpair and ReadUP.
If you like this episode and want to hear more Get IN. episodes where I interview Hoosiers making a difference, visit getindiana.com/podcast.
You are going to learn about:
- Fred Payne's Path to United Way of Central Indiana
- United Way's Five-Year Strategy
- What an ALICE Report Is
- Volunteer Opportunities Via Volunpair and ReadUP
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