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!

We were visiting friends in this area and read they have disco skating g on Friday. It was the…read moreperfect thing to do for 6 busy kids! There were first timers skating with stacked buckets, ( never seen that before?!), and families. There's music playing, dark and lights sparkling. It was open from 3:30-5:30pm. It was a blast!

This place is very beginner unfriendly, no first aid kits where injuries are common, bad condition…read moreof ice having many cracks, and no protection gear at all. The shoes suck and they expect you to buy equipment from other places, being named "#1" in Indiana and not even being able to take care of your rinks properly. Anyone who is new to skating do NOT come here, extremely unsafe.

The gentlemen working were super awesome. The last ice rink I went to (in Carmel) was not great at…read moreall so I have to give these employees props where they are due. They were super friendly and patient. One guy even anticipated my needs had had the next size up in skates ready for me when I came back to get ta bigger size of my kid. There was an instructor who was helping my son because it was his first time I've skating. Cosmic skate was pretty awesome. We'll definitely be back. *I do wish there was better food to purchase.

My husband and I just moved to the Indianapolis area and went ice skating at the Arctic Zone…read morerecently. We brought our own skates and were bummed to find out you had to pay to skate, even if you didn't need to rent skates! We paid $10 for each of us, which isn't bad. The night we went, they had "cosmic skate", where all the house lights are turned off and there are dim colored lights cast on the ice. It was a cool concept and something I never experienced before. The Arctic Zone has Sirius XM for their radio and the staff had the "coffee house" music station on. We were finally exhausted of the less than energetic music and asked if they could change it to something more upbeat. They did and things got more exciting! We will probably return sometime in the future, but will try out other rinks first.

My work place had rented Skateland out like they do every year so that the scholars can go skating…read more This year was different due to there being water coming on the skate floor so they had to put cones in that area so no one would go over there and fall. The customer service was great. Despite us having a very large group. The food and drinks were reasonably priced and it was delicious. I had got an icee and a slice of pizza. The atmosphere of the facility was okay especially since they kept us entertained.

This place has looked the exact same inside and out since I was 8. The only change is you have to…read morepay for lockers lol (which like...doesn't make sense since it looks how it does). I love this place because of the memories but it could use a renovation and more space. Either way I'll be there from time to time.

We saved an inordinate amount of money by going to the Fair on $2 Tuesday with our granddaughters…read more It was a foodie paradise. I admit that it has been a number of years since I've been to the Stare Fair, so I was surprised by all the updates and building expansion. The remodeled swine barn could be featured in House Beautiful. The building is spacious, immaculate and super functional. It's an amazing state of the art facility. My granddaughters loved seeing the mother and baby pigs. The $2 specials on Fair food gave us a chance to taste many different Fair delectable. The Key Lime shakes at the dairy barn were a big hit with us. The girls also had the mini funnel cakes, which they loved. We tried the hand cut fries, which were delicious. I wanted to try more foods, but there was so much to do and see, that we just didn't have time. The kids enjoyed petting and feeding the sheep and goats in the FFA building. There were many educational activities for them. We rode the Sky Ride that ran over the Midway. The relaxing ride offered great views of the fair. We purchased tickets for rides for the kids. There was special pricing for all the rides for $2 Tuesday. The kids rode about six rides for $30, and we all enjoyed the Ferris Wheel as a family. The day wasn't without a couple issues. The Midway lost power for 20 minutes, just as the rides were getting started. The kids were antsy, but we weathered the wait. My granddaughter also got injured on a large slide/ride. She came down the slide and went airborne a bit, bruising both elbows on landing. I think they should shut that ride down. I also would have liked to see more shaded seating. The afternoon got hot! I never did find restrooms. We always love taking a trip on the tractor train around the grounds. I loved that the hostess on the train pointed out features of each stop. We got in one trip before the Fair got too crowded that there were no seats. Entry was only $2 on Tuesday, compared to $16 for other days. A family should expect to spend well over $100 to visit the Fair, including $10 parking. We got there very early and got a great parking space. Getting through security was fast early in the morning. Exiting the parking lot was easy as well. While we didn't get to see everything we wanted, we had a memorable visit for our granddaughters. The facilities are top notch.

The Indiana State Fair this year was disappointing, if you ask me. Perhaps it was due to the fact…read morethat we attended on $2 Tuesday and the crowds were massive, but in the past, this hasn't been a problem. Inflation has $2 Tuesday feeling like less of a deal, and more like a scam! One stall's $2 deal was one potsticker! It was truly laughable. The $19 turkey legs was tough, dry and tasteless. This was the second year that I had to go home and "doctor it up" in order for my husband to enjoy it. The mini elephant ear for $2 was the perfect size for someone like me, who just wanted a little something sweet. You can't really need to a corndog, so those were good. I couldn't get an ear of corn because I have braces currently (that was a real bummer). But the jerk chicken and beef patties from Jamaican Breeze did not disappoint. Entry prices went way up this year. It was $16/ person unless you attended on one of the discounted days. The fair closed for a bit due to lightning strikes within 8 miles, and the tram was not in service. I'm guessing the shut it down due to the crowds, but that really changes the experience if you were counting on using it. I attended annually, as it is a long-running tradition in my family, but if the process keep going up and food quality keeps declining, I feel that it is a tradition that I can let go. Sidenote: I didn't see it interact with any animals this year, not did I ride any rides. There were just too many people. I was not enjoying weaving in and out of the crowds and therefore left after satisfying my fair food cravings.

Today, Tuesday, September 2nd, there was an issue with one of your employees named MATT. He came…read moreout and shouted aggressively and unnecessarily because I was standing next to his car and accidentally put my hand on it. He was quite rude in his way of complaining. It's worth noting that Mr. MATT was parked in a disabled parking space, and his car isn't marked as disabled, nor does he have any disability. I hope they do something about this guy.

My daughter and I had fantastic service from Amy on helping us to properly size my daughter. She…read morewas extremely knowledgeable, patient, and helpful. Definitely will be back for our hockey needs because of Amy!