Christkind essay contest — The Carmel Christkindlmarkt is holding an essay contest to select the Christkind for the holiday festival. The contest is open to female high school and college students who must submit a minimum 500-word essay, 2 to 3 photos and commit to making, at minimum, 20 two-hour appearances at the festival between Nov. 20 and Dec. 24. See contest details at carmelchristkindlmarkt.com/christkind-contest.
CCHS annual meeting — All are invited to attend Carmel Clay Historical Society’s annual meeting at noon Oct. 17 in the Wilfong Pavilion at Founders Park, 11675 Hazel Dell Pkwy. At the meeting, CCHS will share an update on the new museum. Executive Director Deb Gangstad will also present a Year in Review as well as what’s in store for 2022.
Car Free Day — Carmel Bikeshare is joining IndyGO and Pacers Bikeshare in offering free rides on Car Free Day, set for Sept. 22. For the annual event, all Central Indiana workers – even those working from home – are encouraged to take the online pledge to be car free or car lite on Car Free Day, and to fulfill that pledge by working from home or commuting to work by carpool, vanpool, bike, bus and walking. Visit the Bike Carmel Facebook page for a code for a free ride. A Car Free Day celebration is set for 7 to 9 a.m. and 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Sept. 22 in Carmel’s Midtown Plaza.
Republican interns — The Indiana Senate Republican Caucus is offering paid spring semester internships in its communications, information technology, legal, legislative and policy offices during the 2022 session of the Indiana General Assembly. Qualified candidates may be of any major and must be at least a college sophomore. Recent college graduates, as well as graduate and law school students, are also encouraged to apply. Interns earn a $750 biweekly stipend and benefit from scholarship and academic credit opportunities, professional development, community involvement and networking. Apply by Oct. 31 at IndianaSenateRepublicans.com/intern.
Ivy Tech enrollment — Ivy Tech Community College will host Express Enrollment starting Sept. 27 to Oct. 1 from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. daily. During the event, prospective students will complete their enrollment steps and sign up for classes that start Oct. 20. Walk-in’s are welcome and no appointment is needed. During their session, participants will receive assistance with assessment, meeting with an advisor, and registering for classes. Learn more at ivytech.edu/eeday.
Young Artist Contest — Junior Achievement is holding a Young Artist Contest for students in kindergarten through 12th grade to create a design illustrating the definition of “Love.” The winning artwork will be on the JA holiday ornament. Winners will be announced Nov. 1. Submit artwork through Oct. 15 at jaindy.formstack.com/forms/ja2nd_annual_art_contest.
Roundabout Ride — The City of Carmel and Bike Carmel will host the inaugural Roundabout Ride at 8 a.m. Sept. 25. The event will have two distance options, 25 miles and 50 miles, with the cost at $45 for the 25-mile option and $65 for the 50-mile option. The routes will be capped at 100 riders for the 25-mile ride and 50 for the 50-mile. The Roundabout Ride will begin and end in Midtown Plaza where a post-ride meal will be provided with music and a complimentary beer from Sun King Brewing Company. Register at rollfast.wufoo.com/forms/2021-bike-carmel-registration.
Teen muralist sought — The Carmel Clay Public Library is soliciting designs from teen artists for a mural for the new teens space at the renovated Main Library. Young people in grades 9 through 12 who live or attend school in Carmel are invited to submit their concepts to the library through Dec. 15. The winning artist will receive a $2,000 stipend and have their work transformed into a wallcovering that will become the bold focal point for the new space. Complete contest details are available at carmelclaylibrary.org/teens.
Pups & Pints — Clay Terrace is hosting the fifth annual Pups & Pints series from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. the third Friday of each month through October at the shopping center’s dog park, 14395 Clay Terrace Blvd. Participants can socialize with other dog owners at the free event and purchase beer from Bier Brewery. Water will be available for the pups.
Bike sharing — The Carmel Bike Share program has relaunched under a new vendor, Movatic. To access the bikes, users must download an app from Movatic. The bikes cost $1.50 per half hour to rent with a cap of $24 for up to a 24-hour period. A $30 annual fee includes unlimited rides under one hour, with additional hours being charged at $1.50 per half-hour to a maximum of $24 for up to a 24-hour period.
Pedal Perks — Hamilton County Tourism’s Pedal Perks promotion returned this month for its fourth year. The goal is to incentivize locals and visitors to explore Hamilton County by bicycle. From May 1 through Oct. 31, more than 30 participating Hamilton County businesses are offering deals and discounts redeemable on a smartphone. Visit PedalPerks.org to learn more and register.
Weed Wranglers — The Hamilton County Invasive Species Partnership will debut Weed Wranglers events this year to remove invasive species at various locations. Volunteers will learn how to manage a targeted invasive species and work as part of a collaborative effort to improve a natural area. Learn more at hcinvasives.org/weedwrangle. Registration is required.
Stretch Zone coming soon — Stretch Zone, which offers practitioner-assisted stretching, will open this fall at Carmel City Center. Stretch Zone, which is co-owned by former Purdue University and NFL quarterback Drew Brees, will be adjacent to Matt the Miller’s Tavern at 31 W. City Center Drive. Trained stretch practitioners guide participants through a series of dynamic stretches geared towards increasing mobility and muscle function. Stretch Zone will be open Monday through Friday from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. and Saturdays from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m.
President appointed — Carmel-based Milestone Home Lending, one of Newrez’s joint venture partners, has appointed Brittany Wineinger as president. Milestone Home Lending is a joint venture mortgage company formed in 2018 by Newrez and CENTURY 21 Scheetz. Wineinger joins Milestone Home Lending with more than 10 years of mortgage industry experience. For the past five years, she has worked at Farm Credit Mid-America, most recently serving as assistant vice president of customer experience. Learn more at milestonehl.com.
Bee-friendly grocer — Friends of the Earth, a nonprofit advocacy group, announced that Giant Eagle — the parent company of Market District — as the top bee-friendly U.S. grocery retailer for its efforts to protect pollinators from toxic pesticides. Learn more about the ranking foe.org/retailer-report-card.
Amanda’s Market — Amanda’s Exchange is hosting its second Amanda’s Market from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Sept. 25. More than 40 local artisan and vintage vendors will sell their wares in the large parking lot surrounding Amanda’s Exchange, 715 E. Carmel Dr. The event is free to attend and open to the public. There will be a giveaway and fundraiser benefiting Resource, a free, volunteer-run clothing pantry serving Hamilton County youth.
Vaccination clinics at businesses — The Hamilton County Health Dept. is offering on-site COVID-19 vaccination clinics to Hamilton County businesses. Businesses should consider hosting a workplace vaccination program only if they have enough space to stand up a clinic while maintaining social distancing through the entire process, from screening to post-vaccination observation. Businesses interested in setting up an on-site clinic can contact Chris Walker at [email protected] or by calling 317-776-8500.
Elective procedures suspended — IU Health has temporarily suspended all inpatient elective surgeries and procedures in response to increasing numbers of COVID-19 patients requiring hospitalization. The suspension will relieve pressure on care teams and free up space for critically ill patients. The hospital is notifying elective surgery patients of the suspension, which will be continuously monitored and extended as needed on a rolling basis for two-week periods.
Blood donations needed — Versiti Blood Center of Indiana is issuing an emergency appeal for blood donations. As the available blood supply has dropped to critically low levels, communities throughout the state face a potential crisis with less than a one-day supply of lifesaving blood available. Because of the continued impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, Versiti’s mobile blood collections are down more than 16,000 units of blood this year, with more than 4,500 units in Indiana alone. Versiti Blood Center has a location in Carmel at 726 Adams St. Suite 150. Schedule an appointment by calling 317-916-5150 or visit versiti.org/Indiana.
Walk to End Alzheimer’s — The Indianapolis Walk to End Alzheimer’s is set for 10:30 a.m. Oct. 2 at IUPUI’s Michael A. Carroll Stadium, 1001 W. New York St. in Indianapolis. An online participation option will also be available. As part of a partnership with Indy Eleven, each pre-registered participant will receive a ticket to the game that evening. Register for the 2-mile walk at alz.org/Indiana/walk.
