Indianapolis weekend events: Feast of Lanterns, Greek Fest, The Black Keys and more
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The Feast of Lanterns is a summer highlight on the east side. Photo: Lindsey Erdody/Axios
The Near Eastside's most colorful annual celebration returns Saturday.
Driving the news: Feast of Lanterns 2025 invites the entire city to Spades Park for an afternoon of live music, local vendors and — of course — lanterns.
- The highlight of the free and family-friendly fest is seeing hundreds of colorful paper lanterns strung from tree to tree, glowing throughout the park at dusk.
- Bring a lawn chair or blanket to get cozy during the lantern lighting.
Flashback: According to organizers, the earliest incarnations of the event were small gatherings and decorated front porches in nearby neighborhoods like Woodruff Place in the late 1800s.
- These separate neighborhood events became a unified festival in Spades Park in 1909. By the 1940s, the event was held only sporadically before eventually fading out.
- Neighbors looking to begin an outdoor musical festival resurrected it in the early 2000s.
If you go: 4-11pm at Spades Park.
- See a festival map here.
Here are the rest of our picks for the weekend:
🇬🇷 Immerse yourself in Greek Culture during the free Indy Greek Fest at Holy Trinity Greek Orthodox Cathedral in Carmel.
- 4-10pm Friday, 11am-10pm Saturday.
🇲🇽 Take part in a celebration of Mexican culture at the free Indianapolis Mariachi and Folklore Festival, 10am-5pm Saturday at the Indiana State Museum.
🍛 Embark on a global culinary journey during the 18th annual Taste the Difference Festival at Indy's Global Village Welcome Center, 1pm Saturday.
- Tickets start at $34.
🕺 Dance to free live music in historic downtown Noblesville during the Noblesville Front Porch Music Festival, 1-7pm Saturday on Logan Street.
🎨 Witness the unveiling of five new art exhibits during Indy Art Center's free Fall Exhibition Series Opening Reception, 5-8pm Saturday.
🍔 Spend an evening with Phil Rosenthal of "Somebody Feed Phil," 7pm Saturday at Old National Centre.
- Tickets start at $50.
🎸 Rock out with The Black Keys at Everwise Amphitheatre, 7:30pm Sunday.
- Tickets start at $57.
😂 Laugh with comedian Tatiana Frank when she plays five sets at Helium Comedy Club. 7:30 and 9:45pm Saturday; 7:30 and 10pm Saturday; and 7:30pm Sunday.
- Tickets start at $30.
🎭 Experience something unexpected during the final weekend of IndyFringe.
- Tickets start at $12.