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Unique Things to do in Indy this Christmas

By: Daniel Williams | December 5, 2017, 10:40am
Celebrating the holidays in Indy is the best. If you need ideas of where to go to celebrate or where to see the best light set-up in town, check out our expansive list of holiday happenings around Indy.  

1. Santa's Mailbox - Carmel

Need to send Santa a letter? Check out this Carmel location where children can drop off letters to the man at the North Pole.
Santa’s Mailbox – Carmel
111 W Main St., Carmel, IN 46032

 

2. Santa's Mailbox - Greenfield

Need to send Santa a letter? Check out this Greenfield location where children can drop off letters to the man at the North Pole.
Santa’s Mailbox – Greenfield
280 Apple St., Greenfield, IN 46140

 

3. Santa's Mailbox - Fishers

Need to send Santa a letter? Check out this Fishers location where children can drop off letters to the man at the North Pole.
Santa’s Mailbox – Fishers
11565 Brooks School Rd., Fishers, IN 46037

 

4. Peewinkle's Holiday Cabaret

Check out this large puppet production will celebrate the many international winter festivals —Hanukkah, Kwanzaa, Diwali, Chinese New Year and Christmas.
Peewinkle’s Holiday Cabaret
650 W Washington St., Indianapolis, IN 46204

 

5. The Pint Cycle's Holiday Lights Tour

Try something a little different as you pedal a 16-passenger bike through a lit-up Fishers, with special holiday tour stops at Four Day Ray Brewery, Brixx, and Louvino. December 1 – 31, 2017
The Pint Cycle’s Holiday Lights Tour
9002 Technology Lane & Visionary Way, Fishers, IN 46038

 

6. Santa's Mailbox - Downtown Indianapolis

Need to send Santa a letter? Check out this Downtown Indy location where children can drop off letters to the man at the North Pole.
Santa’s Mailbox – Downtown Indianapolis
1 Monument Circle, Indianapolis, IN 46204

 

7. Indiana Chinese Lantern Festival

Explore both the ancient culture of China while learning about China today.
Indiana Chinese Lantern Festival
1202 E 38th St., Indianpolis, IN 46205

 

8. Carmel Christkindlmarkt

Experience the Old World charm of Christmas in Germany during Carmel’s Christkindlmarkt.
Carmel Christkindlmarkt
10 Center Green, Carmel, IN 46032

 

9. Conner Prairie by Candlelight

Have you ever wanted to go back in time?  Conner Prairie allows visitors to go back in time by roaming Prairietown, a living history outdoor museum featuring a town from 1836.  At Conner Prairie by Candlelight, visitors will go on 90-minute guided tour where they will meet a variety of characters going about their family holiday traditions.  Tickets can be purchased for this event from Conner Prairie’s website.
Conner Prairie by Candlelight
13400 Allisonville Rd., Fishers, IN 46038

 

10. Jolly Days

Of course, it would not be an Indy Christmas without a trip down the Children’s Museum of Indianapolis’ Yule Slide and Jolly Days exhibit.  Every year, the Children’s Museum transforms into a winter wonderland, adding a huge slide to their atrium and opening Jolly Days, a holiday-themed exhibit.  Visitors can do everything from participating in a snowball fight to meeting Santa.  You and your family will not want to miss this annual tradition!  Tickets are included with museum admission.
Jolly Days
3000 N Meridian St., Indianapolis, IN 46208

 

11. Jingle Rails

Do you have a child that loves trains?  Well boy, do I have an event for you! Every year the Eiteljorg Museum puts together an exhibit featuring model trains.  This year’s theme is “the Great American West” and accordingly this year’s track will feature everything from Indianapolis’ Soldiers and Sailors Monument to an actually exploding Old Faithful geyser. This exhibit is available with museum admission.
Jingle Rails
500 W Washington St., Indianapolis, IN 46204

 

12. Beef & Boards Christmas

An Indy tradition for more than 20 years, this show includes an assortment of your favorite holiday songs, dances, and stories.
Beef & Boards Christmas
9301 Michigan Rd., Indianapolis, IN 46268

 

13. Charlie Brown Christmas Live

Experience the animated classic as it comes live on stage!
Charlie Brown Christmas Live
4602 Sunset Ave., Indianapolis, IN 46208

 

14. IPL Yuletide Celebration

It would simply not be Christmas in Indianapolis without Yuletide, a show staring the Indianapolis Symphony Orchestra and Sandi Patty.  This 32-year-long tradition brings the holidays to life through Broadway-style dance routines and holiday classics.  This year Kyle Van Newkirk will even be performing, who formerly appeared on NBC’s World of Dance.  Get your tickets now on the ISO website for this holiday tradition!
IPL Yuletide Celebration
45 Monument Circle, Indianapolis, IN 46204

 

15. Lights at the Brickyard

Come see the drive-through holiday display this year with a longer route and over 2.5 million bright lights illuminating an expanded lineup of colorful displays.World-wide Indianapolis is known as the home of the Indy 500, an annual race challenging drivers to complete 200 2.5 mile laps.  At Christmas time, the track takes on a different role.  Last year the track debuted a new event, Lights at the Brickyard, and this year they are back.  This event is a drive-through holiday display featuring over 2.5 million lights over a 2 mile stretch.  Drivers even get to cross the world-famous Yard of Bricks start-finish line.  Standard tickets are purchased at the gates and cannot be purchased in advance.
Lights at the Brickyard
4790 W 16th St., Indianapolis, IN 46222

 

16. Reynolds Farm Christmas Light Display

In its 25th year, this drive-through display will also support donations to benefit a local food bank.
Reynolds Farm Christmas Light Display
12501 Reynolds Dr., Fishers, IN 46038

 

17. A Christmas Story - The Musical

What would Christmas be without seeing A Christmas Carol?  Every year, the Indiana Reparatory Theatre puts on A Christmas Carol, the classic story of Ebenezer Scrooge originally written by Charles Dickens.  To complement the production, the Indiana Reparatory Theatre hosts several special events throughout the show’s run such as “Fezziwig Tea & Cast Autographs” where guests can take photos with the cast after the show. These events are limited and tickets are selling fast, so pick up your ticket soon!
A Christmas Story – The Musical
502 N New Jersey St., Indianapolis, IN 46204

 

18. Circle of Lights

It simply would not be Christmas in Indianapolis without the Soldiers and Sailor’s Monument on Monument Circle decorated to look like a Christmas tree. Though the formal event for this display has already passed, it is certainly worth a drive to look at this stunning holiday Indianapolis tradition!
Circle of Lights
1 Monument Circle, Indianapolis, IN 46204

 

19. Christmas at the Zoo

In 1967, the Indianapolis Zoo was the first zoo in the US to put on a holiday lights event. Forty-nine years later, this holiday tradition is still going strong.  Visitors can venture through the zoo, marveling at light displays, visiting Santa’s Village, and perhaps even seeing a few of the Zoo’s main stars, the animals.  Christmas at the Zoo is included with regular admission and visitors can save one dollar off admission by donating a new hat, scarf, or gloves to the Mitten Donation Tree.
Christmas at the Zoo
1200 W Washington St., Indianapolis, IN 46222

 

20. Winterlights

The Indianapolis Museum of Art calls Winterlights, “Art that plugs in.”  This event features beautiful light displays surrounding the Lilly House and stunning holiday themed decorations within the Lilly House.  Visitors are invited to walk the grounds with cider or cocoa and are encouraged to stop and make s’mores at several s’mores stations.  This event is simply magical so grab your tickets soon!
Winterlights
4000 Michigan Rd., Indianapolis, IN 46208

 

21. Festival of Trees

Every year, the Indiana History Center opens its doors to host a magical dazzling Christmas tree competition.  This year 80 themed trees will be displayed and visitors will have the opportunity select their favorites on a scoring sheet provided.  Each tree is decorated by a different organization or group and most have a specific theme.  Get your tickets now for this heart-warming event.
Festival of Trees
450 W Ohio St., Indianapolis, IN 46202

 
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