Completely exceeded my expectations! My mom and I stopped by Fastimes to check it out as we were…read moreplanning my nephew's 16th birthday party - what a cool spot for a celebration. We were immediately greeted with a big smile from a gentleman who proudly shared that he's been working there for 23 years. He took the time to explain everything, from the teen karts (which go up to 30 mph) to the adult karts (up to 40 mph). I was impressed to learn that licensed 16-year-olds can drive the adult karts..neat and a little scary! They offer a private room, though note that private events aren't booked on weekends and reservations aren't taken. However, if it's not busy, the private room is often available. Also, any racer under 18 needs a waiver signed by a guardian 24 hours in advance. The day of the party, we arrived early since it's first-come, first-served. The ladies at the counter were friendly and set us up in the private room, which was perfect for our group of twelve 16-year-olds. The space is roomy, has AV capabilities, and features a huge window overlooking the track. There's even an order window in the room for added convenience! The food options exceeded my expectations as well--the menu is larger than I expected, and the pizzas and tater tots we ordered were pretty tasty. We'll definitely be back. Such a great experience!

What a great place. They still use the old school gas go karts. The karts are super fast and they…read morehave a double decker course that is fun and challenging. They have an efficient operation so it was a lot of fun and reasonably priced. I would definitely go back again.

I feel like I'm at Gainbridge for some kind of cool event just about every other month now, because…read morethey have tons of cool stuff going on. Between the basketball games (Yes Cers! Fever Rising!) and other shows, there's always something going on and I have a great time with it. There's a lot of options for food and I've always had my food come out quickly. The Fieldhouse Favorites will cover your bases on the classics. Ben's Pretzels offers carbs galore. A recent fave of mine is The Shake Bar, a Steak 'n Shake brand that specializes in luscious, over-the-top milkshakes. I love to get the Oreo shake as a treat for my game or showtime experience. Some other tidbits - you're allowed to bring in a clear water bottle that's either factory sealed, or an empty reusable to fill up at a fountain. Another alternative is the DD program, where you can get a free soda with a voucher from guest services. You can't purchase any alcohol after that point because you get a wristband that would indicate as such. But if you're looking to stay sober for the evening, this is a great perk!

Absolutely unacceptable experience tonight at the Heat vs Pacers game. My sister and I were simply…read moretrying to move down a row to get Bam's autograph--something fans do all the time--and instead of handling it calmly or professionally, an usher immediately escalated the situation and put her hands on my sister. There was zero need for physical contact. No warning, no attempt to de-escalate, just straight to being aggressive. It completely ruined what was supposed to be a fun night. We paid good money to be there and ended up feeling disrespected and honestly shocked. And to make it worse, it already kind of sucks being Pacers fans all season during a rough year--then when the team we're actually excited to see comes to town, we get treated like trash by arena staff. That's not how you treat paying fans. Security and staff are supposed to ensure safety--not create uncomfortable or hostile situations. This was handled in the worst possible way, and it reflects terribly on the arena and its staff. Do better.

Legendary home of the Indianapolis 500. This is such a great venue 2 1/2 miles around, one of the…read moregreatest races of all. We were here for the first day of qualification, unfortunately it got rained out, but we still had a lot of fun. We were up in a Holman Terrace suites and they had lots of great food there and a couple bars. They had bourbon tasting as well as tons of places to grab different food and soft drinks, beer and wine. They had pork nachos, brisket, Asian food, hotdog and bratwurst, a whole lot of the other typical sports park things like pretzels, popcorn, ice cream, desserts. A beautiful place well taken care of recently went through lots of renovations just a great place to spend an afternoon, even if the cars aren't running.

I have been involved with both open wheel oval track racing and stock car oval track racing for 60…read moreyears. I've built, tuned, crewed on, and driven everything from street stock jalopies to late model stock cars, to supermodifieds and sprint cars. I've watched or driven close to 500,000 laps at various venues around the country, from 1/4 mile ovals to super speedways. IMS is perhaps the poorest place I've ever been to try to watch a race. I attended both the Indy 500 and the Brickyard 400 there last year. Whoever decided to build a 3 story grandstand on the INSIDE of the front straightaway and a museum in the infield was an idiot. There is not a seat in the house that can see more than about 1/4th of the track. What I mean is, at 220 mph a lap takes about 40 seconds. So every 40 seconds you get to see the cars go by for about 7-10 seconds at speeds so fast that you can't even read the numbers on them. If you are a race fan you'll be disappointed. If you're there primarily for the party, and the hip hop DJ blasting away in the infield you might have fun. I didn't. I would rather have paid to watch paint dry in a sauna. I live 4 miles from IMS. It took 4 hours to get home after the Indy 500. I paid for preferred parking and ended up a mile from the track. For the 500, the concession stands ran out of food at about 2 pm, or about halfway through the race. I'm not spending money to go to this venue in the foreseeable future.

Clean and fun place to be. Staff were pretty quick to take you in. We had to wait for one hour or…read moreso since no reservation was made. But fun place to be!!!

We just moved here to Indiana from Phoenix Arizona. Both of my boys are in the K1 leagues, and I…read morehave never been so disappointed with the wait times then ever! This is the largest track, you pay a ton of money to sit and wait around for races. We went to our first league night and we were there for almost 5hrs for 2 races. We missed a league night, so I said ok we can go on a Saturday, remembering it's a Saturday, coming from the city it's busy! But yet we waited 3 1/2 between the first race until the second race. This place needs staff, it needs organization and new cars that are not old and break all the time, also the when you have rain coming in from the ceiling, and have to block of most of the track for liability, you might want to shut down for a day to fix that.

First time and last time here! Racial profiling (check) bad customer service (check) jerks (check)…read morecame here about 2 AM as it's a 24 hour bowling alley. Walked in and immediately got the vibes hmm we're probably not welcome here mind you it's 4 of us and one of us were white. From the cop to the workers everyone was acting weird. I had some water in my purse it was Saratoga so I can see how someone unfamiliar with the brand would think it's something else he told me I can't drink outside drinks in the establishment I said it's just water and tried to show him he said again no outside beverages...I continued to drink it because it's WATER you can't tell me not to drink water. I spent over $20 on their version of a touch tunes music system and they kept turning all my songs down. TF is that about? All the music was edited and it's 2 in the morning with no music playing at a 24 hour bowling alley. The final straw was one of the workers coming over and telling one of my friends "the orange ball was for women and children only"...MIND YOU none of us ever grabbed this ball to bring to our lane it was already there! Literally was one thing after the other my friend who drove said let's go we didn't even play our entire hour.

After reserving lanes for a birthday at a different bowling spot just to show up and find out that…read morethey didn't have lanes available for us, we were super bummed. Found this place on google and drove right on over. We were helped by Clyde. He was super friendly and attentive! We had an amazing time. Will be returning, highly recommend. So happy we ended up at Beech Grove Bowl!

My husband is into D&D and painting miniatures, so in 2023, he wanted to attend Gen Con in…read moreIndianapolis. I had never heard of Gen Con before, but it is the biggest tabletop game convention in North America. Gen Con began in 1968 as the Lake Geneva Wargames Convention (hence the name "Gen Con") by Dungeons & Dragons co-creator Gary Gygax, and was first held in Lake Geneva, Wisconsin. It was then held in various locations in Wisconsin until it was fixed in Milwaukee, Wisconsin in 1985. In 2003 Gen Con was relocated to its current location, Indianapolis. Gen Con is HUGE. It's held in the Indiana Convention Center and when we went in 2023, there were over 70,000 people in attendance. The convention is held over four days at the end of July/beginning of August (Thursday to Sunday), and you can buy a pass for one specific day, the weekend, or the entire four days. You have to purchase your passes well in advance (they go on sale in February), and only if you have a pass can you enter the lottery to book a hotel. Pretty much all the hotels in Indianapolis are reserved for Gen Con attendees and you are given a random time slot to book your hotel. If you get a bad time slot, you're lucky if you can even book anything within a 50 mile radius of the convention. My husband and I both got horrible time slots (like 4pm), but thankfully my husband had an acquaintance with a 9am time slot who didn't need to book a hotel (he was staying with friends or something), so he generously gave us his time slot and we were able to book a prime hotel, the JW Marriott, which was not only near the convention center, but connected to it. (But we did pay a premium for it.) I didn't know what to expect, but I ended up loving it! While I am not into role playing games, D&D, miniatures, etc, I love boardgames and they have a lot of that -- both to play and to purchase. And purchase we did! There is a huge vendors' hall, and there is so much to see and buy. Dice, miniatures, boardgames, and anything tangentially related to gaming, you name it. There are also a ton of activities you can book in advance, such as game tournaments, casual game play (I signed up to play Balderdash), miniature painting lessons, dance lessons (we took one), evening ghost tours (unfortunately the ghost tour was booked up), and so much more. The options were dizzying. There are also rooms where you can play boardgames with other people, which I really enjoyed. I played Dominion, Settlers of Cattan, Carcassonne, Codenames, and more. In addition to the game rooms hosted by Gen Con, the hotels had rooms set up for people to play games and hang out. It was so much fun, and despite it being so crowded, people were really well behaved and friendly. Many were also dressed up in costumes, which was fun to see. With the price of the convention, hotel room, and all the games and things you buy, Gen Con is an expensive experience, but worth going at least once if you like games. My husband and I would love to go again, preferably with a few of our friends. [Yelp collections: Louisville/Indianapolis 2023; Indianapolis, IN 2023]

Gen Con has always been one of those bucket list things for me. Even though I work practically…read moreacross the street from the Convention Center, I've only made my way to Gen Con briefly a couple of times for film obligations and one panel that I appeared on one year. Since being diagnosed with cancer a few months ago, I've become more committed to really living into bucket list items. This weekend, that has included more time than usual at Gen Con. I doubt I'd ever fully immerse myself in it - the crowd is pretty huge and I'm more a dork than a nerd, but it's actually an environment I love with a really cool communal spirit on a pretty large scale. First off, the basics: From the Gen Con website, "For over 55 years Gen Con has been the largest and longest-running gaming convention in North America. Founded in 1967 by Dungeons and Dragons co-creator Gary Gygax, Gen Con now attracts tens of thousands of attendees from around the world to Indianapolis for The Best Four Days in Gaming™." Gen Con has both in-person and online activities. Obviously, the major emphasis is on the in-person experience. While I tend to be fairly asocial, even I prefer the in-person convention. Gen Con is almost worth attending for the Exhibit Hall alone. Entrepreneurs' Avenue Entrepreneurs' Avenue dedicates space in the Exhibit Hall for companies making their Gen Con debut. It's a great place to find new games, discover up-and-coming publishers, and find newbies within gaming. It's a must visit. Other programs include costume contest/cosplay (If you're in Indy and downtown during Gen Con, you WILL see costumes), auction and consignment store, trade day, a film festival (which I love), miniature hobby events, an always successful blood drive (gamers are actually notoriously kind and generous), and more. Gen Con is fantastic about correctly categorizing things. For example, parents should know that the schedule clearly indicate what age groups an event are appropriate for and also clearly identifies those that are more mature. Of course, there's gaming galore that unfolds and a variety of events for the Trekker, Whovian, or other sci-fi culture devotee - While there's certainly pop culture here, I've always felt like what separates Gen Con from something like Comic-Con is that it's less "pop" and more devoted to true hardcore gamers and such. Generally speaking, Gen Con does very well with accessibility. The Convention Center itself is pretty accessible, though it's a big facility and that's always a consideration. Gen Con is very inclusive and has a strong, published anti-harassment policy. I'm a wheelchair user and I really had no problem getting around. Curb cuts are all over the place here, the Convention Center has elevators and various accommodations including automated door options, and there's an abundance of gamers who seem to pop out of nowhere to assist if it's needed. I sometimes feel a little overwhelmed in this environment - one, I often feel less intelligent than some of these gamers. However, there's something and someplace for everyone. For those who do get overwhelmed, it's easy to take a time out here. Most of the surrounding hotels are pretty disability friendly (Marriott as a chain typically does VERY well). I do wish Gen Con better addressed accessibility on the website. It's pretty lame, to be honest. I'd recommend ensuring a disability liaison of sorts (this may exist, but I couldn't find it). There's so much more I could write, but I'll run out of room soon. Suffice it to say that I had a blast and hope to return in the future.

My fiancé loves racing and we always have a great time when we visit the Indianapolis Speedrome…read more They have a great variety of races. There isn't a bad seat in the house however I suggest bringing bleacher seats for the wooden bleachers. Hold off on eating dinner before you come as well. Their nachos are delicious and their tenderloins look pretty good. I LOVE the margaritas that they sell and the sugar rim tops it off perfectly. For the kids or kids at heart, they have snow cones, cotton candy, and dippin dots! The biggest complaint I have for this place is that many fans smoke in the stands and it's hard to get away from the smell. I wish they would ban smoking. Also be prepared to hear some foul language as the fans are really invested into the races. If you can handle those few bad things, come on out for family fun at the Indianapolis Speedrome

I have been going to speedrome for about 54 years and I still love it as much as I used to. Great…read moreimprovements have been done and I appreciate it! Speedrome strong

Was in Indy and randomly decided to stop here to see what they had. A good change from the usual…read morespots and what's online. Interesting place, for sure. There's a carpet track front and center. There's an okay selection of parts, trucks, and various other related things. They are very clearly a Traxxas dealer, and they had all the models Traxxas makes. A good chunk of Traxxas parts and accessories, too. So, if you run Traxxas you'd be all set. Kid working was nice enough, but when I asked about non-Traxxas stuff he seemed out of his element. Is what it is. They had everything I wanted (a black Bronco Trx4m and some paint) so I left a happy customer.

My boyfriend and I stopped in Saturday night and were so disappointed that we were the only ones…read morewith masks on. No one was social distancing and no one even had a mask around their neck or mouth as if to pretend to follow the mandate. No one approached us to see if they could help or even offered a hello. We had to squeeze through a group of people to exit. We really like to support small, local businesses. We won't support this one after this experience, but obviously they aren't looking to serve all of their community.

The CNO Financial Indianapolis Monumental Half Marathon became my excuse to return to Indianapolis…read moreIndiana in the fall. As part of the CNO Financial Indianapolis Monumental Marathon, the Half Marathon in my opinion is the perfect option if you do not have the desire to run the Marathon which I did not have after having ran Bank of America Chicago Marathon last month. I have always had an interest in running this event, being that I have family that lives in the city of Indianapolis. And other than that, running it gives me the chance to explore the city the best way I know how in the form of running. For the Monumental Health & Fitness Expo and Packet Pickup, we were required to pick up our bib number and t-shirt from the Indiana Convention Center. Though it isn't as big as Chicago Marathon Health & Fitness Expo and Packet Pickup, it has just enough vendors that will keep you there on-site looking around and purchasing, tehehe. The Health & Fitness Expo and Packet Pickup gave me the chance to explore run events that will capture my interest to travel around America. Most of the run events I picked up brochures for were in surrounding states ranging from Illinois, Michigan, Ohio, Kentucky, and Missouri. Some of the events I have participated in before and some I have had an interest in for years now. With this being my first year participating in CNO Financial Indianapolis Monumental Half Marathon, I had to navigate to get to the start, but once I got near the starting line, the signage further guided me. I was part of wave D, but I did not complain because I knew once the run started I would weave my way through the congestion of runners to obtain my actual pace and eventually finishing time. The run course was relatively flat, with an incline feel at times. The battle I dealt with mentally was telling myself to keep my pace underneath a 9:30-minute mile pace, even with an uneasy feeling in my right hamstring which was likely due to my bike ride the previous evening. My legs felt tired around mile 8, but I was able to keep my pace in check and not fall beyond a 9:00-minute mile pace. I had to remind myself to be patient and take it mile by mile because I will eventually get to that finish line at some point. In spite of my mental and physical struggles, I felt grateful to be part of this growing event which was established by Carlton Ray in 2008. Along the course, each mile was accurately marked and there were hydration stations featuring just water given by volunteers. The volunteers working those hydration stations were supportive of all runners. And I cannot remember any portion of the run course that did not have any spectators on it, even if it were just one or two spectators. Highlights for me along the course were running through downtown Indianapolis, seeing Lucas Oil Stadium, and running through the classy neighborhoods of Indianapolis which had spectators cheering us on along the course. I always love running through the neighborhoods during events because it allows me to see the character of the individuals that live in that particular area. As for the swag, the Indianapolis Monumental Half Marathon t-shirt was red, with the event name written in the center along with the logo of the event. After completing the run, I was given a cute beanie along with my finishers medal which I kissed after it was draped over my head by the volunteer. The finishers medal featured the CNO Financial Indianapolis Monumental Half Marathon on it, with the city's skyline below. I am so grateful to add yet another finishers medal to my run medal collection, a collection that goes back to 2007 when I initially started running. With my Garmin 235 GPS watch on my wrist, sparkle in my eye underneath my sunglasses, camouflage leggings by Nike on, I took on this half marathon.... and conquered it! Yes, I would surely consider running the CNO Financial Indianapolis Monumental Half Marathon again because it is yet another excuse to revisit Indianapolis, plus my mother and sister would love me being in town for it. ~Gonna run 'til I don't jiggle. ~ Thomas G

This was my first year doing the Indianapolis Half Marathon, but my 20th Half, and this race is…read morelikely to be a keeper in my annual rotation of races! It is a beautiful course winding through Fort Benjamin Harrison State Park, and most of the course is in the shade which was excellent given the sunny unseasonably warm day we had for the race this past weekend. The short sunny stretches emphasized this point! There are very few portions of the course that are in roads with traffic, and parts are even on a no-vehicles paved trail through the park. The course is a little hilly for those of us who have been training on totally flat terrain (for locals I'm talking about the Monon...). Let's just say if you've been doing no hill work, and maybe take the first few a little too ambitiously fast, you might be walking up some of those hills in the last miles of the course... The course was incredibly well marked, and support was great. Water stops were every 2 miles for much of the course and every mile near the end. Gatorade at every stop was much appreciated given the warm temperature. Volunteers were wonderful! The park restrooms were plentiful and open during the race giving a nice non-port-o-pot option for restroom needs along the course. The wave start was great. Just spacing groups out by 30 seconds helped a great deal! We had no bottlenecks anywhere along the course. This is also a relatively small race with only around 1600 finishers which was enough that no one ended up running alone, but small enough to avoid bottlenecks and general chaos. The post race cookout was a nice touch. A freshly cooked burger really hit the spot after crossing the finish line and chilling for a bit. Parking was easy and not far from the start/finish. Packet pick up was also quick and easy. No, there isn't entertainment along the course or cheering crowds, but there is a lot to be said for a smaller, very well organized, lower key race in a pretty setting. The medals are pretty nice too and mine is adding some much appreciated color variety to my collection!