12 Free Days of Christmas 2013

I love finding new free things to do in Indianapolis (and other cities), especially at Chrismtas time. Guests are in town, kids are on school break and you want to check out something holiday-themed. Here are 12 places in downtown Indy, opening up for free this year and compiled by IndyDowntown.

Friday, Dec. 13

Kurt Vonnegut Memorial Library, open noon – 6 p.m.

Get a glimpse into Kurt Vonnegut’s personal items and artwork or pull a book off the library shelves and relax with it in a comfy chair. All guests will receive a FREE bumper sticker.

Saturday, Dec. 14

Pan Am Pavilion, open noon – 8 p.m.

Skate for FREE in the same arena where the Indiana Ice play! Note: skate rental is extra or you can bring your own. Enjoy the festivities on Georgia Street during the FREE City Sidewalks.

Sunday, Dec. 15

Elevator rides to the top of the Soldiers and Sailors Monument on Monument Circle and Colonel Eli Lilly Civil War Museum, open 10:30 a.m. – 5:30 p.m. 

 Take an elevator ride to the top of the Monument. The observatory at the top offers views of Downtown Indianapolis. Also visit the Colonel Eli Lilly Civil War Museum in the basement of the Monument.

Monday, Dec. 16

Indiana State Museum, open 10 a.m. – 5 p.m.

Experience Celebration Crossing and the L.S. Ayres Santa Claus Express train. Santa and Mrs. Claus will entertain visitors in their home on level 3 of the museum.

Tuesday, Dec. 17

James Whitcomb Riley Museum, open 10 a.m. – 3:30 p.m.

 Step back to the beginning of the 20th century – just as the Hoosier poet James Whitcomb Riley experienced it for 23 years of his life.

Wednesday, Dec. 18

Morris-Butler House, open noon – 3 p.m.

This beautiful restored 1865 home showcases the architecture, history and culture. The home also houses a collection of nineteenth-century sculptures, paintings and lithographs from all over the world.

Thursday, Dec. 19

The Indianapolis Museum of Art, open 5 – 8:30 p.m.

Grab some ideas for holiday décor during the IMA’s annual Winter Solstice. In celebration of the 100th anniversary of Oldfields, the IMA will be looking to the 1900s and 1910s for decor inspiration. Warm up in the Lilly House with historic holiday decorations and music, then shop at the greenhouse and museum.

Friday, Dec. 20

Indianapolis Motor Speedway Hall of Fame Museum, open 10 a.m. – 4 p.m.

Check out the impressive display of 75 vehicles, including The Marmon "Wasp," which won the inaugural Indy 500 in 1911 and an exhibit honoring Parnelli Jones, 1963 Indy 500 winner.

Saturday, Dec. 21

Indiana Historical Society, open 10 a.m. – 5 p.m.

Spend the day enjoying the latest offerings – especially Destination Indiana and You Are There. Grab a family photo next to the leg lamp from A Christmas Story.

Sunday, Dec. 22

Benjamin Harrison Presidential Site, open 12:30 – 3:30 p.m.

Holiday season at the authentically-restored 1875 Italianate home of President Benjamin Harrison features Victorian holiday adornment. 

Monday, Dec. 23

National Institute of Fitness and Sport (NIFS), open 5:15 a.m. – 10 p.m.

Put in a little time on a treadmill or in a group fitness class and enjoy that holiday eggnog without the guilt. NIFS offers an indoor NBA regulation-sized basketball court, Pilates studio, group fitness studio, 200-meter indoor track, fully-equipped weight room and more than 100 pieces of cardio equipment. Parking is available directly across the facility in the Riverwalk Garage (NIFS will validate.) Children ages 11-17 must be accompanied by an adult. A nursery is available for children under age 11 (see hours on website).

Tuesday, Dec. 24

The Children’s Museum of Indianapolis, open 10 a.m. - 2 p.m.

Holidays sparkle at the world’s largest children’s museum. Visit Jolly Days Winter Wonderland and experience the giant Yule Slide. Take part in a number of seasonal favorites including skating in socks on an indoor “pond,” climbing and sliding on the Snow Castle, “ice” fishing and pretend-baking holiday goodies in the Tradition Kitchen.

Images Provided

Elizabeth J. Musgrave is a syndicated fine-living, travel, food, wine and spirits columnist, freelance writer and photographer, and performing arts and restaurant critic for Gotta Go. Read Infused, her spirits, wine & beer lifestyle column, at www.GottaGo.us and www.FoodDigital.com and catch her as Indy’s Personal Lifestyle Adviser on Indy Style, WISH8 (CBS). Gotta Go is published on www.Gottago.us, www.BroadwayWorld.com, and in print. Follow her on Twitter @GottaGo, LinkedIn and Facebook.

Day-by-Day Schedule for Brickyard 400 2013 Super Weekend at Indianapolis Motor Speedway

Day-by-Day Schedule for Brickyard 400 2013

Super Weekend at Indianapolis Motor Speedway

THURSDAY, July 25

On-Track Schedule

9-10:50 a.m. Continental Tire Sports Car Challenge Practice

11:05-11:30 a.m. Rolex Sports Car Series GT/GX Practice

11:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m. Rolex Sports Car Series Practice (all cars)

12:30-12:55 p.m. Rolex Sports Car Series DP Practice

1:10-1:55 p.m. Continental Tire Sports Car Challenge Practice

2:10-2:45 p.m. Rolex Sports Car Series Practice (all cars)

3:20-3:35 p.m. Continental Tire Sports Car Challenge ST Qualifying

3:45-4 p.m. Continental Tire Sports Car Challenge GS Qualifying

4:15-4:30 p.m. Rolex Sports Car Series GT/GX Qualifying

4:35-4:50 p.m. Rolex Sports Car Series Daytona Prototype Qualifying

Total Track Activity Time: Six hours

Off-Track Activities

•Social Media Garage: Free social media hub, driver visits, tweet-ups, 8 a.m.-6 p.m., under Tower Terrace grandstand

•Fifth Annual Hauler Parade (Free, Main Street, Speedway)

5-6 p.m.: Live Music, Main Street Stage

6 p.m.: NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Haulers Arrive

6:30-7:30 p.m.: Hauler Hustle 4K run/walk (Indianapolis Motor Speedway. Registration fee required to participate; visit iwant2run.com)

6:45-7:45 p.m.: Pit Stop Challenge (selected fans will perform simulated pit stops on stock cars) 

8-9 p.m.: Live Music, Main Street Stage

Note: Various NASCAR and GRAND-AM drivers and personalities will be interviewed periodically on the Main Street Stage. GRAND-AM race cars also will be on display.

Tickets

•General admission: $10. Children 12 and under admitted free with adult general admission ticket-holder.

•Super Weekend Ticket: Four-day general admission, $80. Children 12 and under admitted free with adult general admission ticket-holder.

Buy: www.ims.com/tickets

Gates Open

8 a.m.-6 p.m.

FRIDAY, July 26

On-Track Schedule

8:30-10 a.m. NASCAR Nationwide Series Practice

10:30-11:25 a.m. NASCAR Nationwide Series Practice

11:35 a.m.-1 p.m. NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Practice

2-4:30 p.m. Brickyard Sports Car Challenge (CTSCC) Race (Timed, 2.5 hours)

5:30-8:30 p.m. Brickyard Grand Prix (Rolex Series) Race (Timed, three hours)

Total Track Activity Time: Nine hours, 20 minutes

Off-Track Activities (Chevy Day at the Brickyard)

•Chevy Driver Autograph Sessions (all in East Chalet, Pagoda Plaza): 8:30 a.m., Jeff Burton, Ryan Newman, Juan Pablo Montoya, Jamie McMurray, Danica Patrick. 2:05 p.m., Paul Menard, Austin Dillon, Tony Stewart, Kasey Kahne, Jimmie Johnson, Dale Earnhardt Jr., Kevin Harvick. All participating fans must have a wristband for each session, one autograph per person. Wristband distribution for both sessions starts at 8 a.m. in the Pagoda Plaza, with 125 wristbands available per session. All participants - adults and children - must have a wristband.

•Team Chevy Driver Q&A (all on Chevy Stage, Museum Lot): 10:05 a.m., Team Chevy Drivers; 1:15 p.m., Johanna Long; 1:45 p.m., Team Chevy Drivers; 4:15 p.m., Jamie McMurray; 4:30 p.m., Paul Menard.

•GRAND-AM Fan Fest: GRAND-AM Rolex Sports Car Series and Continental Tire Sports Car Challenge race cars on display, drivers available for fan interaction, 11:30 a.m.-12:45 p.m., Hulman Boulevard (back straightaway of road course)

•Brickyard Sports Car Challenge Pre-Race Ceremonies: Driver introductions, command to start engines, 1:30-1:50 p.m.

•Brickyard Grand Prix Pre-Race Ceremonies: Driver introductions, patriotic songs, command to start engines,5-5:30 p.m.

•Kids Zone: Free games, bounce houses, face painting and more, 8 a.m.-6 p.m., infield

•Hero Zone: Military-themed competitions, obstacle courses and more, 8 a.m.-6 p.m., infield

•Social Media Garage: Free social media hub, driver visits, tweet-ups, 8 a.m.-6 p.m., under Tower Terrace grandstand

Tickets

•General admission: $30/Children 12 and under admitted free with adult GA ticket-holder.

•Buy: www.ims.com/tickets

Gates Open

•6:30 a.m.-8:30 p.m.

SATURDAY, July 27

On-Track Schedule

9-11 a.m. NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Practice

12:05-1:45 p.m. NASCAR Nationwide Series Qualifying

2:10-3:45 p.m. NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Qualifying

4:30-7 p.m. Indiana 250 NASCAR Nationwide Series Race (100 laps)

Total Track Activity Time: Approximately seven hours, 45 minutes

Off-Track Activities

•NASCAR Nationwide Series Driver Autograph Session: Autographs with Travis Pastrana, Elliott Sadler and other selected Nationwide Series drivers, 10-11 a.m., East Chalet, Pagoda Plaza. All participating fans must have a wristband, with one item to be signed per driver. Wristband distribution for both sessions starts at 8 a.m. in the Pagoda Plaza, with limited availability.

•NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Driver Autograph Session: Autographs with Jimmie Johnson, Casey Mears, Clint Bowyer, Greg Biffle, noon-12:45 p.m., East Chalet, Pagoda Plaza. All participating fans must have a wristband, with one item to be signed per driver. Wristband distribution for both sessions starts at 8 a.m. in the Pagoda Plaza, with limited availability.

•Cimorelli Concert: 11 a.m., IMS Kids Zone, just north of Pagoda Plaza.

•IMS Kids Club Event: Noon-2 p.m., North Chalet 6A, Pagoda Plaza. For IMS Kids Club Members and their families only. www.ims.com/kidsclub

•Team Chevy Driver Q&A (all on Chevy Stage, Museum Lot): 1 p.m., Danica Patrick; 1:15 p.m., J.J. Yeley, Dave Blaney; 2:15 p.m., Justin Allgaier, Nelson Piquet Jr., Kyle Larson.

•Pre-Race Ceremonies: Driver introductions, military salute, patriotic songs, invocation, command to start engines, 4-4:20 p.m.

•Brickfest Music Festival (Free with admission, Pagoda Plaza Stage)

7:30-8 p.m.: The Cadillac Three

8:15-9:45 p.m.: Justin Moore

•Kids Zone: Free games, bounce houses, face painting and more, 8 a.m.-6 p.m., infield

•Hero Zone: Military-themed competitions, obstacle courses and more, 8 a.m.-6 p.m., infield

•Social Media Garage: Free social media hub, driver visits, tweet-ups, 8 a.m.-6 p.m., under Tower Terrace grandstand

Tickets

•Reserved seats: Range from $50-65.

•General admission: $25/Children 12 and under admitted free with adult general admission ticket-holder.

•Buy: www.ims.com/tickets

Gates Open

•7 a.m.-8:30 p.m.

SUNDAY, July 28

On-Track Schedule

1-4 p.m. Crown Royal Presents the "Your Hero's Name Here" 400 at the Brickyard Powered by BigMachineRecords.com

Total Track Activity Time: Approximately three hours

Off-Track Activities

•Team Chevy Driver Q&A (all on Chevy Stage, Museum Lot): 9:10 a.m., Jeff Burton, Austin Dillon; 9:30 a.m., Ryan Newman; 9:45 a.m., Juan Pablo Montoya; 10 a.m., Kevin Harvick; 10:15 a.m., Jimmie Johnson, Kasey Kahne; 10:30 a.m., Dale Earnhardt Jr.; 10:45 a.m. - Jamie McMurray pit crew autograph session.

•Brickfest Music Festival (Free with admission, Infield Stage behind Hall of Fame Museum)

9-9:30 a.m.: The Cadillac Three

9:45-10:15 a.m.: Laura Bell Bundy

10:30-11 a.m.: Dustin Lynch

11:15-11:45 a.m.: Cassadee Pope

Note: Fans also can enjoy a zip line, pool tables, corn hole games, inflatable darts, volleyball, a huge slide, games and more in the Brickfest area.

•Track Walk: Fans who purchased Reserved Seats for Saturday, July 27 and Sunday, July 28 can take a complimentary walk on IMS oval from 9:15-10:30 a.m.

•Brickwalk: Fans can watch drivers walk down Yard of Bricks in Pagoda Plaza to Pagoda for driver introductions, noon-12:25 p.m.

•Pre-Race Music Performances (Trackside Stage, Yard of Bricks)

Noon-12:30 p.m.: Justin Moore

12:30-1 p.m.: National anthem, Cassadee Pope; "America the Beautiful," Laura Bell Bundy

•Pre-Race Ceremonies: Driver introductions, military salute, patriotic songs, invocation, command to start engines, 12:30-1:08 p.m.

•Kids Zone: Free games, bounce houses, face painting and more, 8 a.m.-Lap 80 of race, infield

•Social Media Garage: Free social media hub, driver visits, tweet-ups, 8 a.m.-Lap 80 of race, under Tower Terrace grandstand

Tickets

•Reserved seats: Range from $40-150.

•General admission: $30/Children 12 and under admitted free with adult GA ticket-holder.

•Turn 3 Infield Public Parking: $25. Must be purchased in advance from IMS Ticket Office or www.ims.com/tickets. Parking in other IMS lots outside of track available for $20.

•Buy: www.ims.com/tickets

Gates Open

•6 a.m.-6 p.m.

IMS ONLINE

•Web: www.ims.com

•Facebook: www.facebook.com/IndianapolisMotorSpeedway

•Twitter: www.twitter.com/IMS or @IMS

•YouTube: www.youtube.com/IndyMotorSpeedway33

•Mobile app: Search for Brickyard Mobile at iTunes, the Android Market or Google Play

***

2013 Kroger Super Weekend tickets: Ticket orders for the 2013 Kroger Super Weekend at the Brickyard can be made at www.ims.com/tickets and through the IMS Ticket Office at (317) 492-6700, or (800) 822-INDY outside the Indianapolis area, or by visiting the ticket office at the IMS Administration Building at the corner of Georgetown Road and 16th Street between 8 a.m.-5 p.m. (ET) Monday-Friday.

Images by: Chris Owens

Elizabeth J. Musgrave is a syndicated fine-living, travel columnist, freelance writer and photographer, and performing arts and restaurant critic for Gotta Go. Read Infused, her spirits, wine & beer lifestyle column, at www.GottaGo.us and www.FoodDigital.com and catch her as Indy’s Entertainment Adviser on 93 WIBC. Gotta Go is published on www.Gottago.us, www.BroadwayWorld.com, an in print. Follow her on Twitter @GottaGo, LinkedIn and Facebook.

U.S. MILITARY TO BE HONORED AT INDIANAPOLIS MOTOR SPEEDWAY

Wish For Our Heroes Program to provide Indianapolis 500 tickets to soldiers, veterans

INDIANAPOLIS, Friday, May 18, 2012 - The Indianapolis Motor Speedway will pay homage to the men and women of the United States military during Armed Forces Day on Sunday, May 20, which also is the final day of qualifying for the 96th Indianapolis 500.

"The Greatest Spectacle in Racing" has paid tribute to the troops since its inception in 1911. Activities on Sunday will begin when the gates open at 7:30 a.m., as all active members of the military will be admitted free who are in uniform or show their military I.D. at the gate.

Wish For Our Heroes (W4OH), the Indianapolis Motor Speedway and Indiana National Guard have teamed up this year to provide fans with an opportunity to help send active United States military or veterans to the Indianapolis 500, Super Weekend at the Brickyard or Red Bull Indianapolis GP in 2012. Wish For Our Heroes, a national, non-profit organization based in Noblesville, Ind., will coordinate purchase and delivery of all tickets to service members and veterans.

A special W4OH ticket giveaway for active duty soldiers for the 2012 Indianapolis 500 will take place on Armed Forces Day at 3 p.m. on the Coca-Cola Stage in the Pagoda Plaza.

The tickets will be presented by Melissa Jarboe, who was engaged to her husband, Jamie, on Feb. 13, 2010 at the IMS Hall of Fame Museum and were married that same day. A Frankfort (Ind.) Senior High School graduate in 2003, Sgt. Jamie Jarboe was deployed overseas later that month.

A huge fan of the Indianapolis 500, Jarboe was shot by a sniper April 10, 2011, while serving in Operation Enduring Freedom in Kandahar, Afghanistan, and died March 21, 2012, at age 27. Since that day, Melissa has maintained her husband's Indianapolis 500 room at their home in Topeka, Kan., and she has amassed 18,000 Facebook followers who monitor her as she continues to express her feelings about her loss, helping many other family members of fallen soldiers.

Jarboe and her daughters, Celestial and Alexa, will attend the 96th Indianapolis 500 on Sunday, May 27 as guests of Wish For Our Heroes.

The Wish For Our Heroes Fund program gives fans three ways to salute American service members through contributions or donations at www.indianapolismotorspeedway.com/wish4ourheroes or www.wish4ourheroes.org.

Other activities on Armed Forces Day at IMS:

•Enlistment ceremony: At 11:15 a.m., an Armed Forces Enlistment Ceremony led by Indiana Senator Richard Lugar will take place for new members entering all branches of the U.S. military. The event will take place at the base of the Pagoda on the Yard of Bricks. Melissa Jarboe also will appear at the Enlistment Ceremony.

•Military vehicle display: An extraordinary collection of military vehicles and equipment will be showcased on the Pagoda Plaza, and on Turns 7 and 9 of the IMS Moto GP course located just north of the IMS Hall of Fame Museum when the gates open at 7:30 a.m.

Aerial exhibits will include a UH-60 Black Hawk four-bladed, twin-engine, medium-lift utility helicopter that first entered service in 1979. Also on display will be a Bell OH-58 Kiowa single-engine, single-rotor helicopter used for observation, utility and direct fire support.

Ground displays will include a M777 Howitzer, which is a 155mm caliber, artillery piece, that's combined with a new GPS-guided munition that allows accurate fire for up to 25 miles.

Vehicles on display will include a Heavy Expanded Mobility Tactical Truck, a High Mobility Multipurpose Wheeled Vehicle (Hummer) and an M1083 Military Truck. Also on hand will be an M1088 Medium Tactical On and Off Road Vehicle, a 40-Ton Transporter Trailer, a Palletized Load System, an M577 Command Post, an Armed Security Vehicle and an RG33 Mine-Resistant Ambush Protected Vehicle.

The horses, caisson and limber of the Indiana National Guard Ceremonial Unit will also be on display during Armed Forces Day. Used during official funerals, the Indiana National Guard has the only caisson unit in the nation aside from the "Old Guard," which is famous for guarding the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier at Arlington National Cemetery.

•Fans encouraged to thank military members via Twitter: As a way to salute our active military throughout the day, IMS has encouraged fans to provide Twitter handles of friends or family currently serving in the military to the IMS Facebook page, www.facebook.com/IndianapolisMotorSpeedway. IMS then will put some of those handles on the large screen video boards on the track Sunday, May 20 and encourage fans at the track to tweet to those military members with a "thank you" message including the hashtag #500salutes.

"The Indianapolis Motor Speedway has always made celebrating and honoring our troops a priority at all our events, but especially the Indianapolis 500," said Indianapolis Motor Speedway Corporation President and CEO Jeff Belskus. "In this day of instant communication, we wanted to encourage our fans to pass along their thanks to those troops stationed all over the globe for the sacrifices they make every day for this country."

Admission for Armed Forces Day at IMS on Sunday, May 20 is $15, with children 12 and under free.





***



2012 Indianapolis 500 tickets: Tickets are on sale for the 96th Indianapolis 500 Mile Race on Sunday, May 27, 2012 at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway.

Race Day ticket prices start at just $30. Fans can buy tickets online at www.imstix.com, by calling the IMS ticket office at (317) 492-6700, or (800) 822-INDY outside the Indianapolis area, or by visiting the ticket office at the IMS Administration Building at the corner of Georgetown Road and 16th Street between 8 a.m.-5 p.m. (ET) Monday-Friday.

Children 12 and under will receive free general admission to any IMS event in 2012 when accompanied by an adult general admission ticket holder.

Tickets for groups of 20 or more also are on sale. Contact the IMS Group Sales Department at (866) 221-8775 for more information.Elizabeth J. Musgrave is a syndicated columnist, travel writer, performing arts and restaurant critic. Catch her as Indy’s Entertainment Adviser on 93 WIBC, and follow her on Twitter @GottaGo and Facebook. Gotta Go is published on www.BroadwayWorld.com and in M magazine and the following newspapers: South Sider Voice, Indiana Weekender, New Palestine Reporter, Pendleton Times Reporter and Fortville-McCordsville Reporter.

Firestone Freedom 100 Firestone Indy Lights Results 2011

From the Indianapolis Motor Speedway

INDIANAPOLIS - Results Friday of the Firestone Freedom 100 Firestone Indy Lights event on the 2.5 mile Indianapolis Motor Speedway, with order of finish, starting position in parentheses, driver, laps complete and reason out (if any):

1.  (2) Josef Newgarden,  40, Running
2.  (5) Esteban Guerrieri,  40, Running
3.  (4) Victor Garcia,  40, Running
4.  (3) Stefan Wilson,  40, Running
5.  (1) Bryan Clauson,  40, Running

6.  (6) Peter Dempsey,  40, Running
7.  (16) Rusty Mitchell,  40, Running
8.  (9) David Ostella,  40, Running
9.  (17) Chase Austin,  40, Running
10.  (7) Mikael Grenier,  40, Running

11.  (10) Jorge Goncalvez,  34, Contact
12.  (8) Anders Krohn,  34, Contact

13.  (14) Duarte Ferreira,  29, Contact

14.  (18) Brandon Wagner,  28, Contact
15.  (12) Gustavo Yacaman,  20, Contact 

16.  (15) Juan Pablo Garcia,  20, Contact
17.  (11) James Winslow,  20, Contact
18.  (13) Victor Carbone,  7, Contact

Race Statistics

Winner's Average Speed: 107.817

Time of Race: 55:38.9881

Margin of victory: Under caution

Cautions: 4 for 22 laps

Lead changes: 6 among 4 drivers

Lap Leaders: Newgarden 1-2, Wilson 3, Newgarden 4, Krohn 5-11, Newgarden 12, Guerrieri 13-14, Newgarden 15-40.

Point Standings: Newgarden 149, Guerrieri 125, V. Garcia 121, Wilson 121, Dempsey 111, Conor Daly 109, Grenier 102, Ostella 95, Krohn 94, Goncalvez 90.

Elizabeth J. Musgrave is a syndicated columnist, travel writer, music, restaurant and performing arts critic. Catch her as Indy’s Arts & Entertainment Adviser on 93 WIBC and follow her on Twitter @ejmusgrave1 and Facebook.
Gotta Go is published in the following newspapers: South Sider Voice, Indiana Weekender, New Palestine Reporter, Pendleton Times Reporter and Fortville-McCordsville Reporter.

Brickyard 400 2010

I've always been one to learn from my mistakes. Okay, not always.

But I did learn from my O'Reilly Raceway Park incident and I did not wear my 4-inch heels to my first outing to the Brickyard 400 at Indianapolis Motor Speedway.

Smart move.

If you've never been to the NASCAR race at the famous track in Speedway, Indiana, take my advice. You should. At least once.

Since you probably have already heard who won the race, not my guy No. 33 Clint Bowyer, who won the most money and who crashed, I'm going to tell you about the other activities.

With a family friendly game area for kids and a beach area for kids of all ages, the racetrack has made it an all-day event. Coolers full of food and cold drinks, shorts, sandals, beach balls and sunscreen kept everyone in a festive mood throughout the hot, humid day.

Besides the normal fair-style food, live music and events over by Turn 3, there was something I've never seen before or even heard about. It's one of those you've-gotta-see-it-to-believe-it kind of things.

People kissing bricks.

Seriously.

No, not the winner's obligatory lipsmacking session at the winning line.

Regular people, bending over and playing kissey-face with the brick line outside the Pagoda. Quite a popular past-time it seems. Local and out-of-towners were getting their pictures taken bent over, tush in the air (ZZ Top would have been delighted) getting friendly with the walkway.

So, I took a few photos of my own, including John Davidson and soon-to-be son-in-law Jim Cooper.

Did I kiss the bricks? Well, I always did like trying out new experiences.

So.....

Maybe next year...if Clint Bowyer wins.

Elizabeth J. Musgrave is a syndicated columnist, travel writer and theater critic. You can catch her on WIBC Saturday mornings as Indy's Arts & Entertainment Adviser and follow her on Facebook, Twitter and at gottago.us. Comments can be sent to elizabeth@gottago.us.

Gotta Go is published in the following newspapers: South Sider Voice, West Side Community News, West Indianapolis News, Pendleton Times-Reporter, New Palestine Reporter and Fortville Reporter.