Coming this spring: Levitt VIBE Indianapolis Season 2!
After a very successful seven-week series in 2024, Big Car Collaborative, Arte Mexicano en Indiana are excited to, once again, be part of a national program of the Los Angeles-based Levitt Foundation!
This time, we’ll bring FREE, family-friendly, live concerts to the Tube Factory campus in 2025 — and as part of the new Levitt VIBE Indianapolis series!
When: Noon to 3 pm on the second Sunday of each month (*except in May to avoid Mother’s Day) from April through October of 2025. Dates are April 13, May 18*, June 8, July 13, Aug. 10, Sept. 14, Oct. 12.
Where: Join us outdoors on our Tube Factory campus in Terri Sisson Park located at 1125 Cruft Street. Concerts will be moved inside Tube Factory artspace in the case of bad weather (rain, storms, extreme heat). We’ll announce this change on the morning of the concert. But the shows will always happen — just outside or in.
What: Free multi-genre outdoor concerts and creative community gatherings April through October.
Why: To bring additional liveliness to our neighborhood with free outdoor music experiences and fun, and creative social gatherings.
Who: Arte Mexicano en Indiana and Big Car are collaborating as well as teaming up with local and national musicians, local vendors, artists, poets and our neighborhood partners. And we’re super grateful for very generous sponsorship support from the Levitt Foundation and others.
What else will be happening? We’re excited to continue sharing opportunities for people of all ages and backgrounds (kids, adults and families) to get creative, learn about art and nature, and connect with others. This will happen through activities we’ll offer at all events designed and facilitated by artists (visual, music, dance); writers; and teachers. These activities may be linked to the public art in the park on our campus where VIBE happens. Some of these sculptures are functional and nature-based like the Indianapolis Bee Sanctuary, our Chicken Palace chicken coop, and Sam Van Aken’s Tree of 40 Fruit. Other projects in the park explore cultural aspects of humanity and nature like shrines, myth, haiku, and the history of utopian experiments. Get ready to have fun, make a poem and some art, move a little, make some music, and learn along the way.
Want to help? We’re seeking volunteers. Reach out to us via this Google form. And we’re seeking additional sponsors to help meet our match from The Levitt Foundation! Check out our sponsorship info here.
Want to support Levitt VIBE Indianapolis with a donation? Click here to donate and select “Levitt VIBE 2025” as the cause!
Who is playing on what date? We’re working on the schedule now. Performers will include a wide range of local, regional, national and international acts.
Genres represented
- Jazz, Latin, ambient and electronic, soul and rock, folk and old-style country, spoken word and poetry
These free events also include:
- Spoken word and poetry along with haiku and and poetry activities for audience members
- Postcard coloring and other creative activities — including interactive art making
- A food truck and select local vendors. Let us know if you’d like to join as an artist vendor here.
- Open picnicking (people can bring their own food and drink)
- Some provided seating (attendees encouraged to bring lawn chairs or blankets)
Event Partners + Organizational Information
Arte Mexicano en Indiana: Nonprofit partner & co-producer
- Mission: Arte Mexicano en Indiana (AMI) is a non-profit organization that encourages and promotes Mexican art, music and culture in Indiana through collaborations and by organizing and promoting public events.
- Website: facebook.com/artemexicanoenindiana
Big Car Collaborative: Nonprofit partner & co-producer
- Mission: We bring art to people and people to art, sparking creativity in lives to support communities.
WQRT FM: Art and community radio station found at 99.1 FM in Indianapolis and streaming at wqrt.org
Levitt Foundation: Funder & Partner (provides match dollars)
- Mission: The Levitt Foundation exists to strengthen the social fabric of America. We partner with communities to activate underused outdoor spaces, creating welcoming, inclusive destinations where the power of free, live music brings people together of all ages and backgrounds and invigorates community life.
- Location: Headquartered in Los Angeles; Projects across the U.S.
- Website: levitt.org
The Levitt VIBE Indianapolis Music Series is supported in part by the Mortimer & Mimi Levitt Foundation, which partners with changemakers and nonprofits across the country to activate underused outdoor spaces through the power of free, live music—bringing people together, fostering belonging, and invigorating community life. Presenting high- caliber talent and a broad array of music genres and cultural programming, Levitt concerts are welcoming and inclusive destinations where people of all ages and backgrounds come together.
Levitt VIBE Indianapolis – 2024
In 2024, we hosted seven concerts across seven Sundays with a diverse range of performances in September and October. The series happened at Garfield Park in Indianapolis, on the near southside of the city, specifically in front of the Garfield Park Arts Center and near the park’s historic pagoda pavilion.
Click here to see pictures from some of last year’s VIBE concerts.
We partnered with Arte Mexicano en Indiana to help bring in a diverse Spanish-speaking audience to our VIBE concerts. Arte Mexicano played a key role in booking at least one Latine artist per event, as well as promoting the concerts to their Spanish-speaking community. And we partnered with IndyParks and the City of Indianapolis for use of the public space. Garfield Park Neighbors Association, Bean Creek neighborhood, and the Friends of Garfield Park also supported the series by promoting it in our community.
Some artists from 2024 included: Girl Ultra, Bitchin Bajas, Elisa Harkins, Mina and the Wondrous Flying Machine, Native Sun and Lasana Kazembe, Allison Victoria, Eli Winter Trio, and more. You can hear some of their music in the playlist below.
Special thanks to Levitt VIBE Indianapolis’ 2024 sponsors! | ¡Un agradecimiento especial a los patrocinadores de Levitt VIBE Indianapolis!
And, special thanks to Levitt VIBE donors through the “Feel the VIBE” campaign on the Patronicity platform through the Indiana Housing and Community Development Authority through their CreatINg Places program!
