For Immediate Release: July 02, 2024
Media Contact: Max Wing | max@downtownindy.org
Downtown Indy’s Fourth Fest presented by UA Local 440 returns with expanded street party and fireworks spectacle
Community to gather for annual Independence Day celebration in Downtown Indianapolis
INDIANAPOLIS - - This Thursday, July 4, Downtown Indy, Inc. (DII) will return with its annual Downtown Indy’s Fourth Fest presented by UA Local 440, the second year as a new and improved take on Downtown’s long-held Independence Day tradition. This year’s Fourth Fest will feature an expanded street festival presented by Donate Life Indiana and Indiana Donor Network beginning at 6 p.m. with food trucks, ice cream stands, beverages, and a brand-new Kids Zone presented by PNC Bank on St. Clair Street and American Legion Mall. DII’s festival stage on North Street will entertain fans with live musical performances in addition to pre-event programming from Indiana Donor Network and Donate Life Indiana. Fireworks begin at 10:15 p.m. from the top of the 500 N Meridian building, culminating with a grand finale presented by Indiana529. For the best view of the fireworks, attendees can set up blankets and chairs on the Indiana War Memorial Grounds and American Legion Mall.
“After an incredible year one, we are thrilled to bring back Fourth Fest for its second year. Attendees will see new programming, outstanding performances, and even more family-friendly entertainment – cementing Fourth Fest as a community-favorite Downtown Indy tradition,” said DII President & CEO Taylor Schaffer. “We’ve been intentional in driving foot traffic to Downtown with the introduction of the Fourth Fest street festival, showing great results with more than 23,000 attendees at last year’s event. We hope Central Indiana residents can join us again for a vibrant night combining arts and culture, food and drink, and the best seat in Downtown to watch the fireworks.”
UA Local 440, representing more than 2,800 workers in the mechanical piping industry across Central Indiana, returns as this year’s Fourth Fest presenting sponsor. Don Bough, Business Manager at UA Local 440, shared his enthusiasm for this year’s festival and ongoing partnership with DII, “UA Local 440 is thrilled to continue celebrating the 4th of July in Downtown Indianapolis with the second year of Fourth Fest. For 121 years, our members have and still work hard to ensure Indianapolis’ infrastructure and businesses, both Downtown and city-wide, have proper plumbing, heating and air conditioning, and process piping systems and services. We’re confident that this year’s Fourth Fest, in partnership with Downtown Indy, Inc., will exceed expectations!”
The Indiana Donor Network and Donate Life Indiana stage will encourage attendees to learn more about the lifesaving implications of becoming an organ and tissue donor and sign up to become a donor on-site from 6-10 p.m. with live entertainment and pre-event interviews emceed by Radio-One personalities. The eight-piece pop, R&B, dance band Living Proof is set to headline alongside Pavel & Direct Contact, drawing from Latin-jazz and salsa influences. “We are excited to partner with Downtown Indy for our city’s Fourth of July celebration this year,” said Indiana Donor Network President and CEO Kellie Tremain. “We honor the gifts of life that Hoosiers have given – and continue to give – by leveraging these unique opportunities to spread awareness of the importance of lifesaving donations. Indiana Donor Network is excited to support this wonderful community event, celebrate our nation and encourage attendees to say ‘yes’ to being an organ and tissue donor.”
Additional sponsors include the Capital Improvement Board, Visit Indy, Citizens Energy Group, Indiana529, and PNC Bank. Local outlet WXIN-TV Fox 59 will run an exclusive live featurette of the 21-minute fireworks display in addition to a countdown and pre-event programming from 10–10:40 p.m.
Fourth Fest will include a total of 10 food vendors, from returning participants Gordon’s Milkshakes and Las Tortugas to new offerings from coffee and baked goods provider Please & Thank You. Fireworks spectators can synchronize their fireworks viewing experience to popular patriotic and themed music aired on local Radio One radio stations including WTLC-FM, WIBC 93.1 FM, and Country 97.1 HANK FM. Downtown residents and Central Indiana Commuters are encouraged to arrive early, stay late, and have a parking plan in place for Fourth Fest. More than 73,000 affordable parking spots – from convenient street parking to garage spots – are viewable on DII’s website at www.downtownindy.org/explore/parking
Weather Updates: DII is working closely with its media and public safety partners and planning for scenarios in case of inclement weather. If necessary, Fourth Fest may be temporarily delayed on Thursday, July 4 if a storm is moving through, or could be rescheduled completely to Friday, July 5 and, weather permitting, would still include both the street festival and fireworks presentation. The safety of Fourth Fest attendees remains the upmost priority for DII and its partners. Updates will be made on DII’s social media pages and website.
For more information about Fourth Fest, visit:
www.downtownindy.org/events/fourth-fest
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IMPORTANT INFORMATION FOR MEDIA:
- To obtain a media credential, please contact Max Wing at 614-429-8623 upon arrival to Fourth Fest
- Fourth Fest is a rights-protected production, and although media is welcome to capture footage during the event, broadcasting live during the fireworks show is not permitted outside of sponsored agreements.
About Downtown Indy, Inc.
For more than three decades, Downtown Indy, Inc. (DII) has partnered with businesses, property owners, and Downtown stakeholders to ensure Downtown Indianapolis is the vibrant, welcoming, and fun heart of Indiana’s cultural and economic life. DII serves as Downtown’s primary place-based management organization, collaborating and executing on large-scale events, public space programming, cleanliness and beautification initiatives, and investments in public safety. www.downtownindy.org
About UA Local 440
Headquartered in Indianapolis, the men and women of UA Local 440 provide highly skilled tradesmen who fabricate, install and service piping systems. The members of UA Local 440 Plumbers, Steamfitters, & HVACR Service Technicians are proud of their union membership and community leadership and recognize the commitment of working men and women throughout their communities and the role they play in Indiana’s economic stability. UA Local 440 is proud to be an affiliate member of the Central Indiana Building and Construction Trades Council and the AFL-CIO.
About Indiana Donor Network
The decision to become an organ, tissue and eye donor is a decision to give the gift of life. Indiana Donor Network serves as the vital link between donors and patients waiting for lifesaving organ transplants, healing tissue and corneas to restore sight. The organization is a federally designated organ recovery organization and accredited tissue bank serving 85 of Indiana’s 92 counties. Its team of more than 285 dedicated professionals is committed to saving and healing lives through donation and transplantation, championing the cause through education and outreach and supporting donor families in their time of need. For more or to sign up as a donor, visit Indiana Donor Network online.
About Donate Life Indiana
Since 1998, Donate Life Indiana has been the state-authorized nonprofit organization responsible for managing the Indiana donor registry. Its mission is to save lives by creating opportunities for all Indiana citizens to sign up on the organization’s official state registry while striving to raise awareness for organ, eye and tissue donation and transplantation through public education. For more, visit Donate Life Indiana online.
About the Downtown fireworks launch location
In concert with the Indianapolis Fire Department, Downtown Indy, Inc., alongside other city officials and pyrotechnic professionals, will continue to safely launch fireworks from inside the Downtown Mile Square. Due to fire safety ordinances, a safe “fall-out” perimeter is required that is free of residences, hospitals and hotels and other similar spaces where overnight sleeping occurs, including homeless shelters and jails. Additionally, shooting off large scale, aerial fireworks should be a safe, audible distance from the Indianapolis Zoo. The 500 North Meridian building meets the necessary criteria. With new residences at its base, the Regions Tower no longer meets the necessary criteria for a safe perimeter as it did prior to 2021.