Best Jerseys
Plenty of Hoosier teams wowed fans last year. Doing it in style made cheering for the home team all the more aesthetically pleasing. The Fever brought back the Rebel edition Stranger Things uni, an ode to the Netflix series that takes place in Indiana, while the Butler men’s basketball team paid homage to the Racing Capital of the World with its Checker Out alternate—the classic home jersey with a checkered flag print along the sides. The Indianapolis Colts donned Indiana Nights uniforms, subtly speckled electric blue with black helmets boasting a stripe and horseshoes in the same hue.
Local History Podcast
Yesterday’s Indianapolis is a must-listen for anyone who loves to relax to deeply researched, locally grounded history. Host Ed Fujawa is a historian and attorney who has spent years researching the city’s past—many of his findings meticulously documented on his companion blog, Class 900: Indianapolis. Focused on information gleaned from primary sources like court records, city archives, and interviews with experts, each episode is a deep dive into a very specific (and often forgotten) corner of the city’s past, such as the 1892 fire at the National Surgical Institute where St. Elmo Steak House stands today and the Murder on the Canal case investigated by one of the first attorneys to practice in Indianapolis, Calvin Fletcher.
Art House Movies
True to the idea of its namesake—a metaphysical instrument that brings people together from Hoosier author Kurt Vonnegut’s Cat’s Cradle—Kan-Kan Cinema draws moviegoers who are less impressed by big Hollywood blockbusters than they are by the simple act of sitting in a dark room with like-minded folks as a story unfolds on the big screen. An anchor business in its Windsor Park neighborhood, Kan-Kan offers annual memberships (with special discounts to those who live on the surrounding eastside blocks) as well as a calendar packed with movie geekdom, from vintage film series (a Robert Redford retrospective), to award-winning documentaries (A Life Among Elephants with a live Q&A), to cinematic think pieces (a Book-to-Film Club viewing of Brokeback Mountain).
1258 Windsor St., 317-800-7099
Sports Analyst
From the doldrums of the 2010s to the Pacers’ recent winning season, Caitlin Cooper, host of the Basketball, She Wrote YouTube series and blog, has been through it all and is exactly the no-nonsense analyst you want in your team’s corner.
Listening Room
The intimate layout of Turntable, Broad Ripple’s 18-and-up music venue that opened next door to The Vogue in 2024, appeals to audiences who like to actually listen to a live performance. Once home to Crackers Comedy Club (and run by the same production company that oversees The Vogue and Rock the Ruins), Turntable hosts both local and touring acts on their way up. Fittingly, the 400-capacity room feels like an underground speakeasy, complete with exposed-brick walls and neon signage.
6281 N. College Ave.
Museum Upgrade
The Indianapolis Motor Speedway Museum’s $60.5 million revamp crossed the finish line in April, bringing the already-essential attraction into the sensory age with interactive exhibits.
4750 W. 16th St., 463-244-2680
In-House Art Gallery
Arranged inside a 100-year-old home in Mapleton-Fall Creek, Companion is part-salon, part-sanctuary, part–conversation starter. Curated by Braydee Euliss, co-architect of Indy’s wildly successful Butter art fair, the gallery invites guests (“by event, by appointment, and by chance”) to experience contemporary Indiana art in a deeply personal way. Exhibitions spill into stairwells and the dining room and are sometimes paired with artist dinners and other intimate gatherings.
3715 Washington Blvd.
Emcee
Hold on to your popcorn. Olivia West, who has called games for the Indiana Fever and Pacers, the Indy Ignite, and NCAA basketball, combines passion, energy, and motivation, making her the perfect scene-setter in any sports venue.
Street Photographer
A rain-slicked downtown street at night. A bird’s eye view of the Artsgarden during the golden hour. Stein-swinging GermanFest revelers in the glow of the Athenaeum. The Indy scenes photographer Chandu Prem shares on his Instagram account beautifully depict the Midwest in all its gritty, romantic glory and earned him a Downtown Indy Arts & Culture Visionary Award in 2025.
Plein Air Artist
A one-time law student at Valparaiso who traded the courtroom for the canvas, Justin Vining has become a fixture at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, Hinkle Fieldhouse, and the Indiana State Fair, where he sets up his portable easel and paints live amid the hustle and bustle. Produced in real time, his work depicts fleeting moments of Hoosier life with all the grandeur of a European landscape. In 2020, he opened Vining Gallery on the east side, hosting workshops, shows, and other events that celebrate creativity and community.
2620 E. 10th St.
Street Artist
Mural artist Kwazar Martin brings color, pride, and purpose to his large-scale outdoor work. From his pop culture masterpiece on the side of The Toy Pit at 38th Street and College Avenue to his wall-size portraits of Tyrese Haliburton and Caitlin Clark on West 18th Street south of Riverside Park, Martin’s dynamic storytelling captures Indy’s spirit.
Fitcheck
The WNBA pregame tunnel walks, during which paparazzi capture players as they trek to their locker rooms dressed in their civvies, are the sport’s unofficial fashion runway. What better way to be sartorially wowed by the Fever’s Lexie Hull in a Reformation mini-suit reminiscent of Clueless, Natasha Howard sporting a Louis Vuitton varsity jacket, Kelsey Mitchell modeling a custom corset made of Nike tennis shoes by designer Kellie Ford, or Sydney Colson looking dapper in a Canadian tuxedo by Ryoko Rain?
Grown-Up Story Time
If you love having stories read to you, but you’ve outgrown Grimms’ Fairy Tales and Dr. Seuss, drop in every few months at Golden Hour Books for Naptown Story Hour, the brainchild of Butler University professor and novelist Dan Barden and longtime magazine editor and freelance writer Casey Patrick. A talented cast of local stage stars brings literary fiction to life in a cheery, casual atmosphere geared toward fun and making new bookish friends.
5208 N. College Ave., 317-450-9894
Best Year In Women’s Sports
Following up 2024, when the Indiana Fever stepped onto the scene with a core comprised of Aliyah Boston, Caitlin Clark, and Kelsey Mitchell, the franchise’s 2025 came with even more wins, including an encore in the postseason. The organization hosted its first-ever WNBA All-Star weekend, selling out both nights of competition while also hosting fan festivities throughout the city. The Indy Ignite completed its inaugural season by making an indelible mark in the professional volleyball world, advancing to the Professional Volleyball Federation Championship. And women’s professional football came to the Hoosier state this year when the Indiana Valor joined the Women’s Football Alliance, a league of over 50 teams.
Sports Comeback
It originated in the heat of the 1994 Eastern Conference Finals when the already-legendary Reggie Miller helped orchestrate a massive comeback win against the New York Knicks and famously clutched his throat with both hands to mock Knicks superfan Spike Lee. At that moment, The Choke etched itself into Pacers and professional sports lore—a statement of defiance and swagger, ribbing an opponent who choked under pressure. The gesture resurfaced in Game 1 of the 2025 Eastern Conference Finals, when Indiana guard Tyrese Haliburton hit a dramatic shot to tie the game and flashed the choke sign at the Knicks bench, a true IYKYK rallying cry for hometown fans.
Home Movies
While Hoosier stories have been expertly told by Hollywood for years, there’s something to be said for a homegrown movie crew. That’s where Noblesville’s 12 Stars Media comes in, a documentary-focused production company that for two decades has made nonfiction films that deal with local issues like family farming and gun violence, as well as less weighty topics like growing up in the 1990s. Cofounder Rocky Walls says every movie made is intended to bring positive change to the viewer—something that’s in far too short a supply these days.
Thing to Write Home About
Observing its 50th anniversary in 2025, the Indianapolis Postcard Club celebrates the history and value of the medium through monthly gatherings (often at Shapiro’s Delicatessen). Each meeting features a different theme, such as vintage military, comic, or theater postcards; an informative presentation by a club enthusiast; and the opportunity to buy, sell, and trade collectible postcards. Membership is $15 and includes admission to the group’s biannual postcard shows in the spring and fall.
Renaissance Theater Artist
You never know quite what to expect from Paige Scott. She acts, writes plays, composes musicals, and directs—one month creating a hilarious parody (such as her IndyFringe hit Ship of Dreams), another month setting literature to music (J. Eyre). On stage, she’s played everyone from Annie’s Miss Hannigan to Rocky Horror’s Eddie. This year, she had roles in both The Importance of Being Earnest and The Crucible while also writing songs for the Phoenix Theatre’s holiday show.
Best Indiana-based Documentaries
This year brought a bumper crop of documentary projects on topics dear to Hoosiers’ hearts. Here are some favorites to seek out.
Beyond El Barrio
This film takes a look at the 1960s in Indy’s El Barrio neighborhood, a center for the city’s Latino community before it was displaced by urban development and freeway construction.
Capturing Their Killer: The Girls on the High Bridge
This competent introduction to the 2017 slayings of Delphi eighth graders Abigail “Abby” Williams and Liberty “Libby” German is from ABC News Studios. Hulu
The Fish Thief: A Great Lakes Mystery
Oscar-winner J.K. Simmons narrates this documentary about the sudden decrease of marine life across the Great Lakes. The film features 90-year-old Indy treasure Joe King, founder of Outdoor Youth Exploration Academy. Amazon Prime
The Fox Hollow Murders: Playground of a Serial Killer
This docuseries demonstrates a thoughtful, non-sensationalized approach to alleged serial killer Herb Baumeister, with a focus on efforts to identify remains found at his Westfield home. Hulu
A Generation at War: The Civil War Era in a Northern Community
An adaptation of Ball State professor Nicole Etcheson’s book about the impact of the Civil War on Putnam County, this documentary illustrates how Hoosier families were torn between opposition to the Civil War and a moral obligation to ensure freedom for enslaved people. PBS
