Holiday Weekend in Indianapolis this Winter
We went to Indianapolis for a weekend getaway to enjoy holiday entertainment
You can enjoy two packed days of fun in Indianapolis and it’s so wonderful that it’s not far away!
This German market in Carmel is very popular. We arrived about 15 minutes before it opened and the cars were streaming into the parking garage. We parked at the performing arts center garage. Parking was free, always a bonus. Also, this is not a ticketed event.
People travel to enjoy the food, entertainment, shopping, and ice skating. We also walked through a small cultural showcase in which I learned that so much of our traditions around Christmas come from Germany, such as advent calendars and the Christmas tree!
If you are going to go to Carmel Christkindlmarkt, I highly suggest you go right at the beginning. We visited on a sunny Saturday and it was packed. We regretted not getting out lunch right away because the lines got long, quickly. If you know what you want to try, head right there and get it!
I loved all of the smells and sounds. Everyone there was having so much fun. For families, there was ice skating, a stage with rotating entertainers, a craft, and a spot to visit Santa. There’s also a spot to put a sticker on your hometown and a wheel to spit for little prizes. We did not go for a ride, but there is also a trolley.
I chose to get some potato pancakes with sour cream, which were crunchy and salty ($9). Hit just right. My daughter wanted the Belgian hot chocolate ($11, with homemade whipped cream and a gingerbread cookie). There were multiple places to get hot chocolate, don’t know which is better but you can probably select based on who has the shortest line! Though we had to wait a bit, she said it was worth the wait. The mulled wine seems to be very popular with the adults.
Be sure to walk across the street for the bathrooms. Just about everyone thought the only bathroom was in the performing art center and the line was epic. But, per the map, we crossed the street to an area that was not a part of the festival and sure enough, there were bathrooms with no lines.
While many families were enjoying ice skating, we were there for some treats. We went into the sweet shop to pick up German chocolates and cookies to take home. There will be some unique things in some of our stockings this year! A popular destination for sure for many spending a holiday weekend in Indianapolis.
We were hosted to stay at this downtown hotel for a holiday weekend in Indianapolis. Recently renovated, the hotel has a gorgeous lobby with tons of seating. It is an impressive entrance that really adds an upscale feel to the holiday weekend getaway.
The hotel was decorated subtly for the holidays. It didn’t need much in terms of lights because of the sparkly chandelier. The tall tree near the front added just the right touch, especially in the evenings without light coming in through the windows.
Our room was on one of the upper floors, which I recommend because you get a a good view of the city. We had a suite that includes a small table for eating or playing games, a living area with so much space for spreading out and watching TV.
The living area had French doors to separate the bedroom. The bedroom had a soft king bed with luxurious sheets. The decor was very stylish and an all around clean look. It took me a minute to find the coffee maker because it was in one of the pieces of furniture. It was decorated nicely so it didn’t feel as much as a hotel.
I loved the vanity in the bathroom as well as the full tile shower. We were so comfortable throughout our trip.
We did not take advantage of the pool because I was not prepared for it, I was so focused on the other things we were doing I didn’t even look up that there was a pool! I wish I had because although it is not big, there wasn’t a soul in there so it would have been all ours to relax and swim. There was also a good-sized gym adjacent to the pool.
We had dinner and breakfast in the 8th Notch Cafe. This cafe is a more casual option than the restaurant. We saw people sitting in all spots throughout the hotel and the 8th Notch Cafe would take your food to anywhere you wished to sit, like around the bar area.
We chose to get out food to-go and eat in our room for dinner and watch TV. It was busy when we were there because of a big football game so the service was a tad slow and my daughter’s pizza was not hot when we got it, but I don’t think that would be typical. My food was piping hot and tasty, I think they were just a little off that night. We had breakfast in the morning at the cafe and it was quick and delicious.
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Not too far from downtown, Newfields is a destination for nature and art year-round but during the holiday season, it is a destination for lights. This ticketed event features lights all throughout their garden set to music.
When you enter, there is an opportunity to get something from a small quick-cafe inside and get bundled up be the outside. Walking through the path took us a little over and hour, we strolled and took our time. It wasn’t so cold that night that we felt like we wanted to rush!
The lights were so lovely. So many large trees were lit from root to tip, which I attempted to capture in pictures but honestly you cannot appreciate unless you are standing under them.
I would consider the main attraction to be the lawn in front of the historic Lilly house. (See Instagram video embedded above). There are light displays dispersed on the lawn and the lights dance in different colors to recorded music from the Indianapolis Symphony Orchestra. All of the songs are recognizable and the lights move in different patterns. I wanted to stand there for every song but my teenager got impatient with me!
We were through the Lilly house. It is decorated gorgeously with themed holiday rooms. I just love all things historic so I was so interested in this house. Again, I wanted to read all of the placards but my daughter wanted me to move with the line. Honestly though, you can take your time and read those and people move along behind you. You do you, which is what I did!
This aspect of the event was perfect for warming up a bit inside but also learning and admiring the decorations. You will wind up downstairs in the house where they have information about the history of the property and its owners, as well as period photos that give you a sense of how Newfields came to be. Very interesting!
We continued along the path to a spot where they sold hot drinks and smores kits. Families were by outdoor fireplaces roasting marshmallows or sitting for a break. Then, you continue along the paths under more impressive trees, through tunnels and lit orbs. There is an interactive area where kids can press buttons of different colors to change the lights in that area – many kids were enjoying that spot.
I asked my daughter which lights she preferred, local lights we saw recently at a Louisville theme park (wink) or Winterlights and she said Winterlights. Because she is not into ride that much, the music and strolling was more of her liking. Also, I think the height of the lit trees was just so “wow!” This was the highlight of our holiday weekend in Indianapolis.
We understand Winterlights is not right near home and therefore not something families can do conveniently. However, combined with a other activities in Indianapolis for a weekend (or even long, packed day trip with a caffeinated driver), we highly recommend it during the winter months when its open.
Other suggestions for a Holiday Weekend in Indianapolis:
Visit the Indy with Kids for tons of ideas. You could build a weekend of your own out of suggestions they have on their website. It’s run by a local mom, just like Louisville Family Fun! Absolutely the best information and people.
Athenaeum Indy Christkindlmrkt
See Monument Circle lit up. Drive by or park to walk around. Just pop it into your GPS. There are also horse-drawn carriage rides.
Looking for more holiday or winter fun? Check out our winter page!
