Carmel does a really nice job of offering up venues and events to get people out of the house. The…read morerink was busy today and a bit crowded. Despite the 20 degree weather and freezing drizzle. Everyone was having fun and I didn't see anyone fall while we were here. The Christmas market that surrounds the ice rink was already put away, but a few vendors were still set up selling hot drinks and light snacks. We decided to go inside for drinks to get out of the drizzle.

First time skating at Center Green. We had not skated in several years and stayed pretty close to…read morethe wall for the first several minutes. I was shocked they didn't have any stabilizers for kids or adults. People were falling left and right and I'm sure the EMT's are there frequently. Definitely recommend bring your own skates as the rentals were subpar.

Carmel Christkindlmarkt is a top-notch Indy bucket list attraction, drawing out the biggest and…read morebest of crowds, bundled up in coats and hats. Entry is free, and so is parking. Arrive as early as you can on your chosen day between Thanksgiving and Christmas. In the years I've gone to the Markt, the service is always friendly and the food stalls are usually pretty quick about it, or as best they can be with the given volume of foot traffic. There's tons of food, ranging from classic bratwursts to the more Americanized options like pizza and waffles and then to the more adventurous sauerkraut and mushrooms! There's plenty of vegetarian options too - I really like the hot noodles with cheese (casespaetzle) and the spiral-cut potato on a stick! Let me try to list out all the things I've tried at the Markt this past year, and just rate by a simple pick (yes, you should try it) or pitch (not really worth it if you want guaranteed flavor) - Doner kebab: PICK - Walking waffle: pitch - Belgian hot chocolate: pick (it's expensive though, $11 in 2025) - Peppermint hot chocolate: pick - Sautéed mushrooms and sauerkraut: pitch - Kielbasa: pick - Hot noodles with cheese: pick - Spiral potato on a stick: pick - Chimney cake: pitch It's all great food but can be slightly expensive. There are definitely plenty of things that are under $10 if you look, and usually the vegetarian options are around that price. The stalls/huts are all very scenic with a cabin-like design, so the market is very charming. Each hut also has a German trivia sign on it. My favorite huts are the loose leaf teas and the German candies/treats. There's also a ton of handmade stuff like beer steins that would make excellent Christmas gifts. Christkindlmarkt is hugely popular for many reasons: food, atmosphere, ice skating, and maybe even the collectible boot mugs! The design changes every year, and they're only $8 so it's also a nice souvenir.

If Carmel Christkindlmarkt was here year round.. you could find me there about every weekend! Okay…read morenot seriously but maybe serious. I love Christkindlmarkt. The vibe here is so unmatched. Music playing, people skating, vendors all set up (you'll definitely get in the Christmas spirit. I've come to the markt for the past two years now and always have to get the Belgium hot cocoa and always have to get the sausage from the stand right next to the hot cocoa. The walking waffle station is a must as well! Pro tip: go to dollar tree and get toe and hand warmers before coming here. You'll thank me later... especially if it's cold like it was this year.

Honestly this was a nice surprise to the middle of Carmel. The quality is very nice too since they…read morekeep things well maintained during a typical day. Noticed this when I was there as I saw someone cleaning up after people had left.

I have a friend who plays rec hockey and I wanted to come up and check it out, this is a nice…read morelocation, it appears clean and maintained! I was able to grab a seat in the stands for a bit before her family showed up, and then I moved to the lobby area, I was also hungry so I decided to get a pretzel with cheese, it hit the spot! Would come back if I had the chance!

Alan is the worst type of person imaginable. Sent a deposit for a office party and he completely…read moretook our deposit promised a service and then never heard from him again. AVOID THIS COMPANY AT ALL COST

Here are the facts. Hired for December 2024 office holiday party. Paid the first invoice by check…read moremid-October. Sent my contact an email in November REQUESTING the second invoice so we could get the check processed (their contract says checks need to be received five days prior to event). Sent a second email request and got the second invoice four days before my event. I received a call from Alan THREE HOURS before the start of the party stating he needed the final payment. I explained the events and he said he was sorry, but he would need a credit card payment now or he couldn't guarantee that the dealers would show up as they are W-9 employees. He also stated he was sorry that I didn't get the invoice earlier, but it was a busy time for them and any other month it wouldn't be a problem. I ended up having to put THOUSANDS of dollars on my personal credit card. Alan promised that I would receive an email receipt that night. It took a week and six emails/calls to get it. They charged me the administrative fee for using a credit card, which I did not think was right since this was their error, it was refunded when I sent proof of the email that I sent back in November requesting the invoice. He then has the nerve to ask me for a review and taken directly from his email, "We pride ourselves on our customer service and the quality of your overall experience." Well, here's my review. Would never recommend!

I brought my 4 1/2-year-old here today and initially thought I had found the perfect place. Within…read more30 minutes, I was at the register purchasing a $157 monthly pass (4 months) for the toddler area. I was impressed enough that I texted three friends photos, told my wife to start planning our son's birthday party here, and was actively asking managers about upgrading to full access because I had just discovered the larger "Adrenaline" area. For context: it's Indiana winter, it was cold, and I had a hooded sweatshirt on with the hood up because I was freezing. During my 2 1/2-hour stay, I spoke with two managers about memberships--neither said a word about my hood. While walking around trying to keep up my child, I heard someone off to the side say, "Take your hood off." I approached the man, who asked me politely. I politely asked why it was a rule. His response was shocking: "So I can see your entire face on my 50 cameras." This was 11:30 a.m. on a Friday, not a packed weekend night. I turned away to continue looking for my child, removed the hood, and muttered "whatever dude" under my breath. That's when the situation escalated wildly. He charged toward me, yelling: "I'm the owner--if you don't like it, leave!" I had already complied. That wasn't enough. He then shouted: "I'll give you your money back!" And finally said something that truly crossed a line: "If there are off-colored people with hoods up and we ask them to take it down, what would that look like?" I'm still trying to understand why race was brought into this at all. Let me be clear: * The facility is great for kids * The staff and managers were wonderful * We were not leaving anytime soon until this happened But the owner's behavior was aggressive, unnecessary, and completely inappropriate. A simple rule explanation would've sufficed. Instead, it turned into a power trip with racial commentary that had no place in the conversation. Rules are rules--but how you enforce them matters. I'll take the refund. And I'll take my business elsewhere.

Below average facility. Hand in your pocket from moment you…read moreenter. The location is in a business park.