A look at the crowd as I entered the Festival area
It did not rain on our parade Saturday as a large crowd gathered for the 2026 Spark!Fishers Festival.
The weather forecast had been a bit dicey, but in the end, nature cooperated and the rain stayed away from the Nickel Plate District.
As I made my rounds through the festival grounds in and around the Thomas A. Weaver Municipal Complex, I found families enjoying the many activities, attractions and entertainment the festival had to offer.
Here are some of the photos I took, providing just a flavor of what this year’s celebration was like.
The Fishers Freight saw their push for an Indoor Football League Eastern Conference playoff spot stall Saturday night, falling 83-50 to the Green Bay Blizzard in the teams’ third and final regular-season meeting.
The high-scoring affair never tilted the Freight’s way after the opening minutes, as Green Bay pulled away behind a relentless rushing attack and a flawless night from kicker Andrew Mevis. The loss leaves Fishers with ground to make up as the postseason picture comes into focus.
Fishers got off to the start it wanted. On the game’s opening drive, Josiah King punched in the first touchdown, and Calum Sutherland’s extra point gave the Freight a 7-0 lead.
The advantage was short-lived. Green Bay answered on its first possession when Kairee Robinson ran it in from two yards out, and Mevis followed the touchdown with a successful two-point conversion to put the Blizzard ahead 9-7. After Fishers turned the ball over on downs late in the first quarter, Green Bay tacked on another score and a second Mevis deuce to lead 16-7.
The second quarter brought more of the same. A Fishers fumble — recovered by Green Bay and upheld after a challenge from Freight head coach Dixie Wooten — set up an Isaac Ross touchdown that pushed the lead to 25-7. Fishers fought back through CJ Windham, who hauled in a pass from Harper and took it to the house to make it 25-13, but Green Bay quarterback Liam Thompson kept the pressure on with a rushing score of his own.
Windham found the end zone again to trim the deficit to 32-21, and Sutherland tried an onside kick, but the Blizzard recovered and Robinson quickly added another rushing touchdown for a 39-21 lead. Jordan Davis answered with a 17-yard touchdown for the Freight, and Sutherland’s extra point and two-point conversion cut it to 39-30. Robinson struck once more with six seconds left in the half, sending Green Bay into the break ahead 46-30.
The third quarter opened with a dagger. Fred Flavors took the kickoff back for a touchdown, and the Blizzard rolled from there — Robinson scored again, Mevis kept converting, and Green Bay built a 62-30 cushion. King answered with a rushing touchdown and Dominic Roberto added another in the closing seconds of the period, with Isaiah Coulter hauling in a two-point conversion to make it 69-44.
Green Bay closed it out in the fourth behind Cole Stenstrom, who scored twice to stretch the lead to 83-44. Coulter caught a late touchdown for the Freight inside the final minute, but a pair of failed two-point tries — including a penalty-forced redo — left the final at 83-50. The win was Green Bay’s eighth and final home game of the regular season, capping an undefeated record at home.
The Freight are now 7-7 and will look to regroup quickly. Fishers travels to face Quad City on the road July 11 before wrapping up the regular season at home July 27 against the Orlando Pirates.
Hamilton County Republicans have a candidate for Indiana House District 32 after all.
A caucus of GOP precinct committeemen and committeewomen, meeting Friday night, selected Fishers insurance man Paul G. Nix to carry the Republican banner against two-term Democratic incumbent Victoria Garcia Wilburn in the Nov. 3 general election, according to a member of the caucus.
The vote fills a ballot vacancy that had loomed over the district since spring. When the filing deadline for Indiana’s May primary passed, no Republican had stepped forward to run for the seat. Under Indiana law, when no candidate files in a primary, the county party may fill the opening by a caucus vote of its precinct officials — the same process the GOP has used to fill other unexpected openings. Hamilton County GOP Chair Mario Massillamany called the closed caucus for June 26 to settle the question.
District 32 takes in parts of Fishers, Carmel and a small slice of Indianapolis, spanning portions of both Hamilton and Marion counties.
A familiar name to District 32 voters
Nix is not new to this race. In 2022, when redistricting created the District 32 seat, he was the very first candidate to file, entering a three-way Republican primary. He finished third behind Fred Glynn and Suzie Jaworowski, taking 479 votes, or about 11.5 percent. Glynn edged Jaworowski by six votes in a result later confirmed by recount, then lost the general election to Garcia Wilburn.
Now, four years later, Nix gets the nomination not at the ballot box but by the choice of his fellow precinct officials.
A native of Fort Wayne, Nix and his wife, Ann, are longtime residents of the Fishers area; he has lived in Delaware Township for more than three decades. The couple have married for nearly five decades, raised seven children and, by his own count, have 22 grandchildren. He has spent more than 40 years in the insurance business, working largely with senior clients, and has served as a vice precinct committeeman.
Where he stands
Nix campaigned in 2022 as an unapologetic conservative, and his Ballotpedia “Candidate Connection” survey from that year offers the fullest public record of his views. He organized his platform around three words — “Faith, Family, Freedom.”
On faith, he emphasized “free exercise of our 1st Amendment Right to Religion.” On family, he pledged a strong parental role in schools, opposing the teaching of critical race theory, diversity-equity-and-inclusion programming and social-emotional learning, and opposing transgender girls competing in girls’ sports or using girls’ restrooms and locker rooms. On freedom, he praised Indiana’s move to constitutional carry, writing that “State Government should never interfere with our Rights Granted in the Constitution.”
He also stressed fiscal restraint, arguing that government “take[s] too much of our money,” objecting to public funding of abortion, and calling for the state to shift from pensions toward 401(k)-style retirement programs to reduce unfunded liabilities. He said he believes “we can do more to protect the unborn.” A self-described admirer of Ronald Reagan, Nix cited the line, “Government isn’t the answer to your problem, Government IS the problem,” and voiced support for term limits, writing that “Career Politicians are a problem.”
The incumbent
Garcia Wilburn, a Democrat first elected in 2022, is seeking a third term. A physical therapist and university faculty member by profession, she serves as the ranking minority member of the House Judiciary Committee and sits on the Public Health and the Employment, Labor and Pensions committees.
When the seat was first drawn, observers rated it competitive, with only slightly more Republican than Democratic voters. Garcia Wilburn has since won it twice, making her bid for a third term a test of whether the district has settled into Democratic hands or remains within Republican reach.
Spark Fishers is Saturday with the street fair, parade and fireworks display all creating road closures in the downtown Nickel Plate District of Fishers. Those visiting the festival are encouraged to use the Crosspoint parking lot (10475 Crosspoint Blvd) and take the shuttle in and out of the Spark area.
There is plenty of other road construction and other activity impacting local motorists in and around Fishers. Here is the full listing for the week beginning Sunday, June 28:
96th Street and Cyntheanne Road – Full Closure -Follow detour route
136th Street Widening – Southeastern Parkway to Prairie Baptist Road – Follow detour route
116th and Allisonville Intersection Improvements Project – Down to one lane in all directions
Lantern Road – Closure at Morgan Drive from June 8 – 19
Artificial intelligence, electric utility rates and helping seniors remain independent are all featured in this week’s edition of Fridays with Larry.
In the June 26 episode, I begin with commentary on the technology industry’s response to the federal government’s decision to pull back the Mythos and Fable5 artificial intelligence programs. The reaction raises questions about the future direction of AI development and the relationship between government policy and one of the fastest-growing sectors of the economy.
I also discuss recent developments in Indiana’s regulation of electric utility rates and what they could mean for consumers as utilities continue to seek approval for major infrastructure investments and the growing demand for electricity.
My guest this week is Stacey Williams, owner of Seniors Helping Seniors. She explains how her organization helps older adults remain in their own homes by matching them with fellow seniors who provide companionship and assistance. Williams discusses the growing need for in-home senior care and why the program benefits both those receiving services and those providing them.
The podcast concludes with a lighter story from Australia, where one man has earned recognition as the loudest person in the world.
Fridays With Larry is sponsored by Citizens State Bank.
You can listen to the June 26 edition of Fridays with Larry using these video or audio links, or the links below.
Logo for the Fishers Freedom Festival, the first summer festival
As Spark!Fishers returns this weekend, Fishers is again preparing for the kind of summer gathering that has been part of this community for nearly four decades. The name has changed. The location has changed. The event is now run by the city. But the roots go back to 1989, when the Fishers Freedom Festival began as a hometown Independence Day celebration at Holland Park.
When I moved to Fishers after marrying my wife Jane in May of 1991, the Freedom Festival was preparing for its third event. We lived in Sunblest, only a few blocks from Holland Park, and the festival quickly became one of those local traditions that helped define summer in Fishers.
The timing was always intentional. Fishers held its celebration just before the Fourth of July so it would not conflict with holiday events in nearby communities such as Carmel and Noblesville. That pattern started with the first festival in 1989 and continues today with Spark!Fishers.
According to a retrospective published for the Freedom Festival’s 25th year, the event began when founders of the Fishers Parade and Festival organized a one-day community picnic, parade and children’s games to celebrate the Fourth of July spirit, promote volunteerism and bring residents together. The response was strong enough that the festival soon grew into a two-day event.
Over the years, the Freedom Festival became one of the clearest symbols of Fishers’ identity during a period of massive population growth. By the early 2010s, reports described weekend crowds of about 50,000, with art and craft booths, business and food vendors, games, live entertainment, a 5K, fireworks and the annual parade. In 1998, the festival formally became a nonprofit, allowing it to accept tax-deductible donations.
But the festival’s success also masked a financial reality. As I reported in November 2017, trouble had been brewing for a couple of years. The city had been providing about $85,000 annually in direct cash support, along with in-kind help from city departments valued at about $45,000 each year. The Freedom Festival organization said its annual budget was about $325,000.
At the same time, Fishers officials were facing more requests from local nonprofit groups seeking city support. In earlier years, the Freedom Festival and Conner Prairie had received most, and in some years all, of the municipal money set aside for local nonprofits. Members of the Fishers City Council began pushing for more accountability, written agreements and a broader review of how public money was being distributed.
As part of the 2018 budget process, a City Council committee evaluated requests for nonprofit funding. The Freedom Festival applied, but in August 2017, the city announced its list of funded organizations and the festival was not included.
A city news release later said the Freedom Festival “was unable to demonstrate fiscal independence,” and that the nonprofit committee believed grant dollars should be spread among multiple organizations to benefit more residents. Among those receiving support were groups such as Cherish, the Hamilton Southeastern Schools Foundation and Nickel Plate Arts.
After the funding decision, I asked Freedom Festival officials whether they could stage the 2018 event without city cash and in-kind support. The board took time to deliberate. Late on the evening of November 8, 2017, the board announced the nonprofit no longer had the financial means to operate another festival.
That set off a difficult public moment for Fishers. I recorded podcast interviews with Freedom Festival Board President Don Dragoo and City Councilman Brad DeReamer, which revealed two very different perspectives on what had happened. Mayor Scott Fadness also pushed back strongly against language in the festival’s announcement suggesting the city did not see the festival partnership as part of its vision.
“We’ve had lots of dialogue with the Fishers Freedom Festival about maybe evolving their event, or continue to adapt just like our city continues to adapt,” Fadness told me at the time. “It was not in any way about ‘I don’t believe we should have festivals’ — nothing could be further from the truth.”
The basic disagreement was clear. The Freedom Festival board wanted to preserve the traditions of the event dating back to 1989. City officials believed the festival needed to evolve financially and operationally, while preserving major pieces such as the parade, fireworks and entertainment.
There were hurt feelings. Many long-time festival volunteers were not inclined to help with a city-run version of the event. DeReamer said at the time the city would welcome those volunteers. The city also had to deal with another practical matter: the Fishers Freedom Festival organization owned the rights to the name “Fishers Freedom Festival,” and Dragoo said the nonprofit intended to hold on to those naming rights.
That meant the city needed a new name.
The result was Spark!Fishers, launched in 2018. The celebration moved from Holland Park to the Nickel Plate District, but many familiar elements remained: a 5K, music, food, a parade and fireworks. Fishers budget records said more than 100 community members helped plan that first Spark!Fishers, which city leaders framed as both a fresh start and a continuation of community tradition.
Spark!Fishers did miss one year, 2020, when the city canceled the festival because of COVID-19. But the event returned, and this weekend’s celebration is another reminder that Fishers never really gave up its pre-Fourth of July gathering.
The old Freedom Festival ended after 29 years. Spark!Fishers is now the city-sponsored successor. For those of us who remember walking over to Holland Park in the early 1990s, the change was not always easy. But the tradition survived — just with a new name, a new location and a city-run structure.
Fishers Board of Zoning Appeals, meeting Thursday evening
Steve Ferrucci, chair of the Fishers Board of Zoning Appeals, said he could not recall ever seeing a short-term rental variance request receive unanimous and enthusiastic support from residents in the affected neighborhood.
But that is what happened at Thursday’s board meeting.
Lynda Pendleton and her sister inherited a home on Wakefield Place in the Harrison Green neighborhood. Their mother lived in the house for many years before moving into nursing home care. Pendleton told the board the income from operating the house as a short-term rental helped defray the cost of caring for their mother, who has since died.
The sisters continued the short-term rental arrangement until the city, during its rental registration process, informed them they would need a zoning variance to continue using the home for that purpose.
Pendleton gave board members a detailed presentation, explaining how she and her sister carefully screen renters and maintain the property. She also read a series of letters from nearby residents, all supporting the variance request. Two people spoke during the public hearing, both in favor of the request.
State law limits how much cities can regulate short-term rentals. However, because no one lives in the home as a primary residence, the city is allowed to review this particular short-term rental use.
The board voted unanimously to approve the zoning variance.
In one other item before the board, members unanimously approved a request from Mission Christian Academy, located on Publishers Drive near 131st Street east of State Road 37, to place two additional portable classrooms on its property through July 2028.
School officials told the board they are working with an architect on plans to either reconfigure the current building or construct an addition to provide more classroom space.
Fishers Parks has postponed Friday’s free Spark!Fishers concert and drone show, citing a forecast of rain throughout the day and possible storms into the evening.
The event, presented by Meijer, was set to feature P!NK’D — a tribute act to pop star Pink — followed by the festival’s popular drone show. Both have been rescheduled to Saturday, July 31, where the free P!NK’D concert will now close out the summer season.
Despite the postponement, the Spark!Fishers Festival is still set to kick off this Saturday at 4 p.m. The annual community celebration draws thousands to the Nickel Plate District for live music, food, family activities and entertainment.
Organizers encouraged attendees to follow Spark!Fishers on social media to stay up to date and to mark their calendars for the rescheduled concert. “We look forward to kicking off the Spark! festival this Saturday at 4 p.m.,” Fishers Parks said in its announcement.
For the latest information on festival programming and the rescheduled concert and drone show, visit the Fishers Parks website or follow Spark!Fishers on social media.
The Fishers Freight have spent the last two weeks doing exactly what a bubble team has to do: winning. Now comes the hard part.
Sitting at 7-6 with three games left, the Freight head to Ashwaubenon, Wisconsin on Saturday to face the Green Bay Blizzard, the runaway leaders of the Indoor Football League’s Eastern Conference. Kickoff at the Resch Center is set for 5 p.m. Eastern.
The math is unforgiving. Fishers is fifth in the East, a game back of the Orlando Pirates and Tulsa Oilers (both 7-5) for the conference’s final playoff spots. Every remaining game matters, and this one is the toughest on the slate. Green Bay enters at 10-2, has already locked up a top seed, and has been close to untouchable at home, where the Blizzard have not lost all season.
It’s also personal. Green Bay is the only team to beat the Freight twice in 2026. The first came back in March at the Resch Center. The second stung more — a 57-52 thriller in Fishers on May 2, when the two clubs met at 5-1 and tied for first. The Freight led 30-23 at the half before the Blizzard pulled away in the final minute, recovering a late Felix Harper fumble and then an onside kick to slam the door. Quarterback Liam Thompson’s four-yard touchdown run proved the difference.
Harper remains the engine of the Fishers offense, a dual threat who has carried the Freight through their best stretches with his arm and his legs. His favorite target, CJ Windham, has been a steady presence in the end zone since opening night. The questions are on the other side of the ball, where Fishers has struggled to slow the league’s top offenses — a problem Green Bay is uniquely equipped to expose.
The Blizzard are deep, balanced and battle-tested, the kind of team built for a long playoff run. They overcame the in-game loss of running back Demilon Brown in the May meeting and still found a way to win, which tells you plenty about their resilience.
For the Freight, the path forward is simple to describe and hard to execute: protect the football, finish drives, and find a way to make a stop when it counts — the exact things that slipped away in May. Win, and Fishers keeps real control of its postseason fate heading into the final two games. Lose, and the margin for error all but disappears.
The Freight have shown this season they can beat anyone on a given night, including a blowout of the Arizona Rattlers. To keep their playoff hopes alive, they’ll need that version of themselves on the road, against the best team in the conference, in a building where the Blizzard simply don’t lose.
Saturday’s game streams on the Yahoo Sports Network. First place isn’t on the line this time — but for Fishers, a season might be.
Hamilton County Commissioner Steve Dillinger, providing the State of the County Address
Steve Dillinger has served as a Hamilton County Commissioner since 1989, and after more than three decades in office he says one question follows him everywhere: why is there always road construction all around the county?
He offered a simple answer during his 2026 State of the County address Wednesday: growth.
In 1990, Hamilton County was home to about 110,000 people. Today, Dillinger said, that number has climbed past 394,000 — nearly a fourfold increase in roughly 35 years. More people mean more vehicles on the roads, and more vehicles mean more construction to keep traffic moving safely.
Dillinger delivered the address before a packed ballroom at the Noblesville Embassy Suites Conference Center, where the speech anchored a Noblesville Chamber of Commerce luncheon.
His theme for the morning was “Doing the right things for the right reasons.” Dillinger acknowledged that sticking to that motto isn’t always the smart political move, but said it is what’s best for the people who live in Hamilton County.
Roads and Interchanges
Much of the commissioner’s time was spent reviewing recent road improvements, several of which directly affect Fishers. Among them was the long-awaited completion of the State Road 37 project running from 126th Street to 146th Street, a years-long effort that converted a heavily traveled corridor into a free-flow series of interchanges. Dillinger also pointed to the new interchange at 146th Street and Allisonville Road, which opened to traffic a few months ago.
Safety improvements are next. The Hamilton County Sheriff’s Department has identified the county’s most dangerous intersections, and two of them sit along 146th Street — at Hazel Dell Road and at Gray Road. Both are slated for upgrades aimed at reducing crashes.
Courts, 911 and a New Day Care
Beyond the roads, Dillinger highlighted a wave of construction tied to the county’s growing population. The Indiana Supreme Court has authorized eight new courts in Hamilton County, and work is already underway to expand the Judicial Center in downtown Noblesville to make room for them.
The county is enlarging its 911 dispatch center to keep pace with rising call volume. In the same area, officials are planning a day care center for county employees. With staff working around the clock across multiple shifts, Dillinger said, on-site care would help parents match their hours to their jobs — and save them real money. A year of child care, he noted, can run as high as $20,000 for a single child.
Fairgrounds and a Patriotic Finale
Work also continues at the Hamilton County 4-H Fairgrounds, where several facilities are being designed for year-round, multipurpose use — everything from community events to wedding receptions.
These were only a few highlights of Dillinger’s presentation, which closed with a video montage and a medley of patriotic music in honor of America’s 250th birthday.
Noblesville Mayor Chris Jensen was on hand for the event.
