你好! (Nǐ Hǎo) Play Listers,

January dragged on per usual. I’m exhausted with the winter’s frigid temperatures and skies the color of spoiled milk. I can almost taste spring. According to Punxsutawney Phil, we have only six more weeks of winter.

If you’re feeling similar, let me lift your spirits with my February events guide that features 44 of the coolest things happening around town.

Did you know this year marks the 100th anniversary of Black History Month? In 1926, historian Carter G. Woodson created Negro History Week, which blossomed into a monthlong national celebration. Black History Month events are highlighted in green throughout the list.

Indy also delivers productions with heavy topics such as domestic violence in “Lorena: A Tabloid Epic”; infants “lent” from orphanages in “Borrowed Babies”; and gentrification in “St. Sebastian.” I packed in Valentine’s and Galentine’s day events, local music shows and film premieres.

Check out the full list.

In this episode:

• February First Friday at Factory Arts District
• Recipes and memories of Indian sweets payasam and kesari
• IYG gets $1 million grant from Audiochuck
• A data dashboard to make a case for arts funding

Get more Indianapolis arts and culture coverage at MirrorIndy.org/Arts.

You can also subscribe to get the Play List email newsletter.

Friends, I know I don’t have to tell you, but this cold is brutal.

As I write this, the space heater at my feet just shut off — reminding me (again) that it’s on the same circuit as the space heater that was running in the bedroom.

I’m taking the precautions I can, and I’m checking in on my neighbors. I’m sure you are, too. And I’m sure many of you are also feeling a little restless, wherever you are cooped up.

A bit further down, I’ll mention hoodox.tv, a streaming service that shares documentaries “that connect Hoosiers, spark conversations, and inspire positive change in Indiana.” That story made me think of Musical Family Tree, a searchable catalogue of Hoosier bands. And, of course, there’s the digital Encyclopedia of Indianapolis. Not to mention this list of free digital streaming services offered through the Indianapolis Public Library.

So, wherever you are this week, I hope you find something new to explore!

In this issue:

Valentine's Day on a budget

Can you make a 5-minute film for $5,000?

Warm up with a ‘soup crawl’ through Indy

Teresa Reynolds pays tribute to Babyface while building her own legacy

Get more Indianapolis arts and culture coverage at MirrorIndy.org/Arts.

You can also subscribe to get the Play List email newsletter.

Dearest PlayListers,

I don’t know about you, but writer Emily Worrell and I were just talking about how bummed out we feel. Winter — even when it’s not all that cold — makes it hard to catch all the sunlight we need to feel like decent versions of ourselves.

This is about the time of year I find myself sneaking off with a book to the Garfield Park Conservatory over lunch or in the cracks of my weekend. But I’ve found that a good dose of bright, cheerful art goes a long way, too.

Shea Stapley has pulled together a list of local artists who do just that, infusing their work with the color and whimsy that Indiana winters seem to so desperately lack. These artists are all over our city, from the Broad Ripple Flower Alley to the Children’s Museum to the CAMi Campus, and I suggest you take a look!

In this episode

• Indy Dance Film Fest at the Kan-Kan Jan. 27
• Gina Lee Robbins exhibit at Storage Space
• Art classes to learn a new creative skill
• Video: Ray Hutchins and The Palace on REVERB

Get more Indianapolis arts and culture coverage at MirrorIndy.org/Arts.

You can also subscribe to get the Play List email newsletter.

Dearest PlayListers,

Last Friday night, I stayed home to work on a jigsaw puzzle. Don’t get me wrong, puzzles are the best. But here I am, writing this newsletter, telling you to get out and experience the world.

So, in honor of the impulse to curl up, I’m telling you about Booth. It’s a literary magazine curated and produced by folks from Butler University’s Master of Fine Arts in Creative Writing program that specializes in short stories, personal essays and poetry. Much of Booth is quirky. All of it is a marvel. And the Winter 2026 digital issue is now available to read online for free.

As a current editor for Booth, I’m compelled to call attention to a few other local literary magazines you might like: The Flying Island, The Indianapolis Review and Belt Magazine. (Belt is more regional, but I think you’ll love it.) This is not an exhaustive list, but it’ll get you started!

In this episode:

• 12 ways to celebrate MLK Day Jan. 19
• Ciara Myst reps the Indiana drag scene on "RuPaul's Drag Race"
• Healing, renewal and recovery at the Harrison Center this month
• Jazz musician Brandon Meeks got a $10,000 grant to honor Indiana jazz greats

Get more Indianapolis arts and culture coverage at MirrorIndy.org/Arts.

You can also subscribe to get the Play List email newsletter.

When I pitched the idea to write about thrift and vintage stores in Indianapolis, I didn’t think it would take six months to complete.

The main challenge was getting realistic about how many stores I would include. There are over 30 “thrift” shops in Naptown. So narrowing the list was a battle.

In the end, I focused on three vintage store owners and their most prized possessions. Some of them were scored from hoarder houses (yes, you read that right), dumpsters or even the side of the road.

I wanted this story to be accessible, even if you’re not an avid thrifter; that’s why you’ll find a vocab list and a shortlist of 14 stores to check out if you find my life’s work too long.

My most ambitious project to date is not just for the fashion gurus. Thrifting can be for everyone — no matter where you fall in the aisle.

In this episode:

• 31 things to do in January in Indianapolis
• Shop the records that inspire tastemakers of Indy’s music scene
• The Kut Gallery trims hair, but grows community and storytelling
• REVERB interview and performance featuring Nathan Graham

Get more Indianapolis arts and culture coverage at MirrorIndy.org/Arts.

You can also subscribe to get the Play List email newsletter.

Dearest PlayListers,

As the final days of 2025 slip through our sugar-coated fingers, many of us are looking back — perhaps a bit astounded by all that we’ve lived through. A lot of life can happen in 365 days.

And all that life is easy to lose track of when you’re doing the same things. Eating at the same places. Sitting on the same couch, gazing at the same screens. Not that there’s anything wrong with a routine, but much of the value arts and culture brings to our lives is distinguishing one day from another.

The same can be said about a news article. The visual parts of a story are often what catch our attention. They have a way of sticking with us far longer, too.

So, in the spirit of reflection, the Mirror Indy team has pulled together a collection of our favorite photos and original artwork from 2025. We hope you enjoy them!

In this episode:

• Our Lady of Guadalupe sights and sound
• Kitchen of Culture on the south side
• Four local game designers to know
• Listen: "O Holy Night" a cappella
• How to celebrate Kwanzaa
• The Christmas House
• Your New Year "sound oracle"

Get more Indianapolis arts and culture coverage at MirrorIndy.org/Arts.

You can also subscribe to get the Play List email newsletter.

Dearest PlayListers,

IU beat Ohio State in the Big Ten championship on Saturday at Lucas Oil. Now, before you take me for a football fan, let me clarify: I am simply in love with one. My football fan is an IU alum. His name is Aaron. And I want to tell you about watching the game at Sahm’s Tavern in Irvington.

Aaron and I don’t regularly go out for games, but this one felt special. We didn’t know what to expect, but we hoped Sahm’s would have the game on at least a couple of TVs.

My friends, Sahm’s had the game on every single TV. The bar was filled with IU fans — and a few brave Ohio State stans.

Even for less-than-enthusastic me, it was impossible not to be swept up into the drama of the game and the sense of community established so quickly among the surrounding tables. When we finally left to walk home, we were practically glowing.

I tell you this because the wonder of a collective experience never gets old for me. This week, I hope you’re able to go out and find the same.

In this episode:

• CAMi opens in May 2026
• Give your neighborhood signal box a makeover
• Top nine plays to catch by May 2026
• Mirror Indy's ’90s-sitcom themed birthday video
• Neighbors gathering to pack winter survival kits
• Protest rave video and playlist

Get more Indianapolis arts and culture coverage at MirrorIndy.org/Arts.

You can also subscribe to get the Play List email newsletter.

What’s up PlayListers,

I hope your Thanksgiving weekend was splendid. Mine started off rough. It took my family and me six hours to drive to Indy from Michigan during the snowstorm. Nothing like a whiteout on I-69 in a small compact car.

On the same day, I hit the road again, this time to Ohio to bask in the music of R&B phenom and multi-instrumentalist Leon Thomas. He’s part Prince and part Musiq Soulchild. After almost every song, he shredded on the guitar, switched to his bass then ad libbed his favorite vocal riffs and runs.

I was so determined to let loose at the concert that I refused to wear a coat to the venue. Don’t be like me — wear all that you need to stay warm.

Now that we’re back home for the holidays, we have 45 ideas in this list to stay busy and cheerful in the city all December long.

And it might be the best one yet. I found jingles and reindeers, parties with loud music and quiet church tours.

Get more Indianapolis arts and culture coverage at MirrorIndy.org/Arts.

You can also subscribe to get the Play List email newsletter.