LOCAL EVENTS

BY CHRISTIA WOODFORD

NOTE: Don’t forget to apply for the Access Pass! The Access Pass Program allows families that meet the specific requirements listed below to visit The Children’s Museum of Indianapolis and all participating locations for $2 per family member per visit for up to two adults and all dependent youths living in the household. You qualify if you receive:

• Hoosier Healthwise Insurance (Indiana’s health care program for low-income families, pregnant women and children)

• SNAP (Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program)

• TANF (Temporary Assistance for Needy Families)

Apply here: https://www. childrensmuseum.org/visit/hours/ access-pass.

MUSEUMS

THE CHILDREN’S MUSEUM OF INDIANAPOLIS

FIRST THURSDAY NIGHTS

The first Thursday of every month, 4:00 PM-8:00 PM.

Go back in time to the Age of the Dinosaurs and explore the basics of science through fun, hands-on activities in Dinosaur Train: The Traveling Exhibition

Travel to Greece without leaving Indiana in Take Me There®: Greece

Uncover ancient artifacts in National Geographic Treasures of the Earth

https://www.childrensmuseum.org/ visit/calendar/event/273/2023-04-06

VARIOUS EVENTS

May1-May 31

Opens at 10 AM 3000 N. Meridian St. Indianapolis, IN 46208 317-334-4000

https://www.childrensmuseum.org

CONNER PRAIRIE — INDIANA’S LIVING HISTORY MUSEUM

WE CAN CAMP!

May 6 - May 7, 2023 - Overnight, Saturday 1 PM - Sunday 10 AM

Join us as you learn basic camping skills, enjoy fun outdoor experiences, and spend the night on our grounds in a tent! This program is perfect for first-time campers or anyone looking for a refresher. We provide all the camping gear you’ll need, along with modern restrooms and overnight security. Learn more at https://www. connerprairie.org/we-can-camp/

MOTHER’S DAY BRUNCH

May 14, 2023

Celebrate the mother in your life by joining us for our Mother’s Day brunch. Relax, let us do the cooking, and make the day special with a delicious variety of items to choose from. Reserve your tickets today and celebrate that special person in your life. Our first seating is at 10 a.m. and the second seating is at 12:30 p.m. Choose from a wide variety of menu items where there is something for everyone.

After brunch enjoy a springtime stroll on the Prairie. Mother’s Day Brunch registrants will receive $3 off same-day general admission tickets. https://www.connerprairie.org/ explore/things-to-do/ mothers-day-brunch/

MOTHER’S DAY TEA PARTY

May 14, 2023

Join Mrs. Campbell and her daughter Lillian, as well as other Prairietown Folks for a Mother’s Day Tea Party! Event will be in the afternoon but all day the Campbells and other folks will be getting ready for the Tea Party. With a Taste of the Past included.

SENSORY-FRIENDLY HOURS

The second Sunday of every month, from 10 AM to noon, are sensoryfriendly hours at Conner Prairie! Enjoy a calm environment.

Check-in with Guest Relations, stating that you are here for sensoryfriendly hours. You will get free admission and may stay as long as you wish.

VARIOUS EVENTS

May 1- May 31

13400 Allisonville Road, Fishers, IN 46038

Phone: 317-776-6000 or 800-966-1836

https://www.connerprairie.org/ events/list

SPORTS

INDIANAPOLIS INDIANS

May 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 29, 30

Victory Field, 501 W. Maryland St., Indianapolis, IN 46225

https://www.milb.com/indianapolis

INDY ELEVEN

May 20, 27

IU Michael A. Carroll Track and Soccer Stadium

1001 W New York St Indianapolis IN 46202. 317-274-9749

http://www.indyeleven.com

FAMILY FUN INDIANAPOLIS ZOO ZOOPOLIS 500

May 24 10:00am-12:30pm

TORTOISES, START YOUR ENGINES!

This unique annual event and race-fan favorite includes a morning of familyfriendly festivities leading up to the “Greatest Spectacle in Tortoise Racing.”

As you come in, meet 500 Festival Princesses and snap photos with a 500 Festival pace car and the giant milk jug, then head to the Bicentennial Pavilion for the prerace festivities. Plus, the American Dairy Association Indiana will be handing out free TruMoo chocolate milk (while supplies last). Make sure to arrive early to meet a snake at the Snake Pit.

Race fans can enjoy Zoopolis 500 analysis starting at 11:15am with our race emcee alongside the Zoo’s tortoise experts. At 11:30am, the “racing” radiated tortoises and their animal care team will take center stage for a parade lap, joined by the 500 Festival Princesses and American Dairy Association mascot, Buttercup. When the green flag drops at 11:30am, cheer on the tortoises as they race up, down and around the straight track! But these natives of Madagascar don’t race for a trophy. Instead, they’re after the delicious fruits waiting at the finish line.

After the race, a “pit crew” member will join American Dairy Association Indiana in the Winner’s Circle to drink a glass of milk on behalf of the winning tortoise. After the race, come up for a closer look at our tortoises and their beautifully marked shells, which have starpatterned stripes radiating from the center (hence their name). Our Deserts team will also be there to answer any tortoise-related questions and tell you all about the Zoo’s efforts to help these endangered animals. Zoopolis 500 is one of the Zoo’s oldest and most popular events! Come out and see what makes the Greatest Spectacle in Tortoise Racing such a beloved Zoo event.

https://www.indianapoliszoo.com/ events/zoopolis-500/

VARIOUS EVENTS ARE SCHEDULED DAILY

Check the calendar for events. https://www.indianapoliszoo.com/ visit/daily-schedule/

1200 W. Washington St., Indianapolis, IN 46222

317-630-2001

9 AM - 5 PM, Mon. - Thur., and 9 AM7 PM, Fri.-Sun. and holidays

DON’T LET THE PIGEON DRIVE THE BUS! THE MUSICAL!

May 14, 2023, 4:00pm -5:00pm Waldron Arts Center

122 S Walnut St, Bloomington, IN 47404

Constellation for Kids presents Don’t Let the Pigeon Drive the Bus! The Musical!, based on the book by Mo Willems, on stage April 28 - May 14 at the newly renovated Waldron Arts Center! Join us on Sunday, May 14 at 4:00pm for a special sensory friendly performance.

About the show: Whatever you do, don’t let the Pigeon star in his own musical production! It’s not easy being the Pigeon – you never get to do ANYTHING! But when the Bus Driver has a crisis that threatens to make her passengers (gasp!) late, maybe that wily bird CAN do something. Featuring an innovative mix of songs, and feathers, Don’t Let the Pigeon Drive the Bus! The Musical! is sure to get everyone’s wings flapping.

About the sensory-friendly performance: This special performance is designed to create a theater experience that is welcoming to all families with children with autism or other sensory sensitivities. (Sponsored by Unlocking the Spectrum.) Accommodations for these performances include:

• Lower sound level, especially for startling or loud sounds

• Lights remain on at a low level in the theater during the performance

• Elimination of any strobe or flashing light sequences

• Patrons are free to talk and leave their seats during the performance

• More space in theater seating area for standing and movement

• Fidgets and noise canceling headphones welcome

• Resource materials available online and at performances, so families know what to expect at the theater and during the show

• To learn more about the show, and sensory-friendly accommodations, and to find tickets, visit our website https:// seeconstellation.org/

KIDS/PIGEON/

MADAGASCAR THE MUSICAL

May 14, 2023 6:00pm

Clowes Memorial Hall of Butler University

4602 Sunset Ave.Indianapolis, IN 46208

Join Alex ,Marty, Melman and Gloria as they bound out of the zoo and onto the stage in this live musical spectacular. This smash hit musical features all of your favorite crack-a-lackin’ friends as they escape from their home in New York’s Central Park Zoo and find themselves on an unexpected journey to the madcap world of King Julien’s Madagascar. This brand new musical from Dreamworks (Shrek The Musical) will leave audiences with no choice but to “Move It, Move It!”! https://www. visitindy.com/event/madagascar-themusical/122851/

THE STUDIO MOVIE GRILL

3535 W. 86th St., Indianapolis, IN 46268

317-315-8113

Sensory-friendly screenings of movies! Check the website for movies and times. https://www.studiomoviegrill.com/ movie/special-needs-screenings

THE ARTS

BEEF AND BOARDS

AN AMERICAN IN PARIS

March 30 - May 14, 2023

BEAUTY AND THE BEAST

May 18 - July 9, 2023

9301 Michigan Road, Indianapolis, IN 46268

317-872-9664

https://www.beefandboards.com/ Online/default.asp

JUBILATE CHOIR

Butler University, Lilly Hall, Room 133

Wednesdays, 6:45-7:30 PM

The Jubilate Choir is for singers with special needs in grades 3-9. Singers with varying abilities meet each week to grow musically. This tuition-free choir focuses on proper singing techniques, music theory and sight-reading, partsinging, and social skills involved in being a member of a musical ensemble.

Though Jubilate has, at its core, the same goals as other choirs in the Indianapolis Children’s Choir (ICC), singers in Jubilate engage in additional activities like visual and tactile experiences that are catered specifically to the current members of the choir.

Director: Lauren Southard

For more information, contact Lauren Southard at 317-940-8065 or lsouthar@icchoir.org. https://icchoir.org/special-needs/

IN HARMONY: UNITY CONCERT

May 6, 2023 - 3:00pm

St. Luke’s United Methodist Church

100 West 86th Street

Indianapolis, IN 46260

Music teaches, heals, and unifies us as a community. Join the ICC for a special performance of Unity as singers showcase how music connects us all. We are excited to welcome the Director’s Jazz Orchestra and the full ICC family of choirs, as our singers share their message of hope and joy. Neighborhood Choir Academy, Foundations Choir, AACC Preparatory Choir, ICC Preparatory Choirs, CICC Preparatory Choir, Jubilate Choir, Beginning Level Choirs, CICC Descant, AACC Concert Choir, CICC Concert Choir, Chamber, Lyric, Kantorei, Indy Voice 1, and Indy Voice 2 https:// icchoir.org/tickets/

CELEBRATIONS CONCERT

May 21, 2023 - 4:00pm

Indianapolis Hebrew Congregation

6501 North Meridian Street

Indianapolis, IN 46260

The ICC’s Master Chorale joins the Anderson Area Youth Chorale to present two uplifting major choral works accompanied by an orchestra. Vincent Persichetti’s Celebrations sets Walt Whitman’s poetry to music as it explores the resilience and optimism of the human spirit. Leonard Bernstein’s Chichester Psalms is an exciting composition based on text from the Hebrew Psalms. This concert also honors our graduating seniors as the choir dedicates and performs some of their favorite choral pieces to celebrate the fun, friendships, and experiences that the ICC offers its singers over the years. ICC’s Master Chorale and Anderson Area Youth Chorale https:// icchoir.org/tickets/

GIGI’S PLAYHOUSE

Various classes during the week. 5909 E. 86th St. Indianapolis, IN 46250 317-288-8235

indy@gigisplayhouse.org

EVENTS

BEST BUDDIES FRIENDSHIP WALK: LAKE COUNTY

May 13, 2023 - 9:00 AM - 1:00 PM

Lake County Fairgrounds

889 S Court St

Crown Point, IN 46307

Event Contact: NatalieSeibert@bestbuddies.org

The Best Buddies Friendship Walk is the leading walk in the country supporting inclusion for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities (also known as IDD). Join 40,000 walkers across the country to support the Best Buddies programs in your schools, workplaces

and communities. You’ll be making the world more welcoming to people with intellectual and developmental disabilities – one friendship, one job, and one life-changing connection at a time. https://www. bestbuddiesfriendshipwalk.org/ lakecounty/

CARMEL PARKS AND RECREATION ADAPTIVE 5K RACE

Saturday, May 13, 2023, at 10:00 a.m. We will be using our beautiful and accessible Central Park Trails! 1235 Central Park Drive East Carmel, IN 317.848.7275

Pre-registration is required

Enrollment opens Apr 1, 2023, 12:00 AM

$25.00

40 openings remaining

We will provide each participant with support throughout the race if needed. Any profits from the race will go towards our continued effort to keep adaptive programs at a low cost for participants. *Program designed for individuals with disabilities. https:// anc.apm.activecommunities.com/ carmelclayparks/activity/search/ detail/23858?onlineSiteId=0&from_ original_cui=true

IRCA FAMILY AUTISM SUPPORT WEBINAR (ONLINE)

May 15 6:30pm-7:30pm

Parenting and Partnerships: How to Navigate Your Autistic Child’s School Needs

Presented from a parent’s perspective, this session will focus on the challenges and successes while navigating the changing needs of your school aged autistic child.

Presented by: Kathryn Orvis

Follow this link to register. https:// iu.zoom.us/webinar/register/ WN_1mjA3ZliQimD1NP6E2dQOQ

Is there a local event for the special needs community you would like us to promote in an upcoming issue? Email us at SpecialNeedsIndy@n2pub.com.