A Visitor's Guide to Indianapolis for the DCI Fan: 2023 Version, Part 1
An updated guide with some tips and tricks to your stay in Indy during DCI World Championships week from a local!
Part Two available now!
Good morning. We’re officially in the final week of the 2023 Drum Corps International season.
Like many fans, I’m always left wondering around this time of year where the season went. Every year, it feels like the season gets shorter and shorter, and the fact that the schedule is a week fewer than pre-pandemic seasons certainly doesn’t help things. Regardless, I’m looking forward to another World Championships season and the culmination of another fantastic summer.
Last year, I wrote a two-part visitor’s guide to Indianapolis for the drum corps fan. Having called Indy my home for the past decade, I thought a detailed piece from a local's perspective could be helpful for fans visiting for World Championships, especially the first-timers. Some of this will be a copy-paste from last year’s two pieces with updates where necessary, but regardless, I hope this updated series is helpful and beneficial for those who have never been. Let’s dive in.
A little bit about Indianapolis
Indianapolis is a unique city, affectionately named the “Crossroads of America,” given its location that makes it close to several other major midwestern cities such as Chicago, Detroit, Cincinnati, and St. Louis. Although the Indianapolis metro area is only the 33rd most populated area in the country by population, its geographic location combined with its downtown layout has turned it into a popular destination for large events and conferences.
A lot of this can be credited to Lucas Oil Stadium and its convenient location in the heart of downtown. Since its opening in late August 2008, beyond being the home stadium for the Indianapolis Colts, Lucas Oil has hosted a Super Bowl, three NCAA Men’s Basketball Final Four events, every Big Ten Football Championship game, and of course, every DCI World Championship and Bands of America Grand National Championships event. As a city, Indianapolis also hosts major annual conferences such as the NFL Draft Combine, the Gen Con gaming convention, the Future Farmers of America convention, and FDCI (a large conference for firefighters).
How has Indianapolis changed in the past year?
Like many major cities, Indianapolis took a while to bounce back following the pandemic. The downtown area, once host to thousands of employees on a typical workday, is still a bit sluggish - a study in May reported that the area has been seeing only 41% of daily visitors compared to 2019 according to cell phone usage. Last year, I reported that a number of restaurants and stores had closed down as a result, and unfortunately, few have taken their place since. The Circle Center Mall, the premier indoor shopping mall in the heart of downtown, continues to struggle, and retail spaces were only at 60.7% occupancy at the end of 2022. However, one silver lining is that crime and homelessness (an issue in 2022 that I shared last year) are trending downwards, and the downtown area continues to feel very safe.
Perhaps the most significant change has been the new “SPARK on the Circle,” which just opened at Monument Circle in the past month. For those less familiar with Indy, Monument Circle is the infamous landmark at the center of downtown and serves as the central “hub” for most of the city’s grid pattern street layout. The historic Soldier & Sailors Monument, built over 100 years ago, sits in the middle of the circle with a large traffic circle surrounding it. The circle has also been a popular spot for pedestrians due to the number of stores and office spaces on the circle. The new SPARK on the Circle aims to improve the area for pedestrians even further. As a result, the southern half of the circle is now closed to vehicles, with the space turned into a popular hangout spot with food and beer vendors, live music, and community events that are all free to the public. So far, SPARK on the Circle has gotten positive reviews and maybe a popular spot to visit during World Championships.
Circle City Transportation
Now that we talked about some of the bigger picture details let’s talk about how to get to Indianapolis and where to stay. With it being this close to World Championships, you likely have already figured out most of these details for yourself. Regardless, here is some information you may still find helpful.
If you are flying, fortunately for you, the Indianapolis Airport is an ease to fly in and out of and has consistently been named one of the top airports in North America. Everyone loves a short TSA line. It’s also convenient to the downtown area, a short 20-minute ride away. If you’re staying at a downtown hotel within walking distance of the stadium, consider using a rideshare to get to and from the airport and pass on a rental car.
If you’re driving to Indy or plan on renting a car to get around, know that the city is fairly easy to navigate. Another huge change from last year, particularly in regards to traffic, is that the massive construction project that took place on I-65 and I-70 the past few years was officially completed a few months ago. This has significantly improved traffic in the downtown area, as streets that once had a lot of rush hour congestion are now back to their normal patterns. However, one other major project is still taking place on the northeast corner of the I-465 loop, but this construction has had no impact on downtown traffic.
One final point I shared last year and will share again is that our public transportation is mediocre at best. Our bus system is fine, but it definitely takes longer than driving in nearly every instance. To help improve the bus system, a few years ago, the city built and launched the Red Line, a route for special electric buses that travel in their own designated lane. Those routes are significantly faster than a normal bus. However, the route is still very limited and only runs through a small portion of downtown - they won’t help you out a lot during World Championships. Fortunately, the downtown area has very high walkability, so if you’re staying close enough to the stadium, you won’t find a need for public transportation.
Where to hit the hay
Like transportation, you’ve probably already figured out where you’re staying at this point as well. But if not, here’s some information to help.
In all areas of the city, and especially downtown, there’s no shortage of hotel rooms. In just a mile radius of Lucas Oil Stadium, there are nearly 30 hotels, all within reasonable walking distance of the stadium. One location that is definitely worth looking into is the JW Marriott complex which is the home to four different Marriott properties. The complex is also a less than ten-minute walk up the road from Lucas Oil Stadium, making it one of the closest complexes to the stadium. However, note that many of the downtown hotels charge significantly higher prices when large events like World Championships are in town. If you’re looking to save some money, staying outside of the downtown area may easily save you at least $100 a night. If you do go that route, here are some areas with clusters of good hotels, all within a half-hour drive of the stadium:
The north side of Indy by the Keystone Fashion Mall
North Indy/south Carmel along SR 31
The northwest side of Indy by 465 and 71st Street
The suburb of Greenwood (south of the city)
Hotels near the airport, which could be a good option if you’re flying in
That’s all we have for part 1. In part 2, later this week, we’ll talk about more of the fun stuff - where to eat, what to do, and what to see while you’re in Indy. Some recommendations will be carryovers from last year’s guide (if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it), but there will definitely be some new suggestions you won’t want to miss. Keep an eye out for part 2 soon!
“bandScores” is a current staff writer and stats guru for General Effect Media. He has been involved in the marching arts activity for nearly two decades. bandscores.net is his passion project with the mission of being the primary source of statistical information for the marching arts community. You can follow more of his work at @bandscores on Instagram and @band_scores on Twitter.