July 23-August 5, 2025

Hail and well met, Angie!

Welcome to the latest issue of the Ball State Public Media Arts & Rec Newsletter! We’re thrilled you’re here and hope to inspire your next artistic adventure!

Each issue of Arts & Rec brings you a curated roundup of standout arts, culture, and entertainment event recommendations across East Central Indiana, so you always know what’s worth checking out. Whether it’s indie concerts, fairs and festivals, local theater, or family-friendly happenings, we’ve got your cultural calendar covered.

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Subscribe to Arts & Rec by August 29, 2025, and you'll be automatically entered to win a $100 gift card to 1925 Pub House!

Once subscribed, you’ll receive this newsletter every other Wednesday, packed with fresh ideas and direct links to the top events in the area. It’s a quick, easy read, and we think you’ll love it.

Top Recs for July 25-27:

The Big 80's

Come out and enjoy this tribute band with their big hair and big sound, dance on the Civic Green in downtown Yorktown, bring your lawn chair and your dancing shoes!

Yorktown Civic Green, Yorktown, IN

July 25 at 7:30 p.m. to 9 p.m.

More Info Here

New Castle Renaissance Faire

Hear ye! Hear ye! Lords and Ladies of the realm! A whimsical day full of fun adventures, live music, and great food at this free, annual Renaissance Festival in Henry County, Indiana.

1400 Plaza and the Arts Park

New Castle, IN

July 26 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.

More Info Here

Faeries, Sprites, & Lights

During this multi-day event, children are encouraged to come dressed in their best magical faerie attire as they imagine and play in a magical faerie wonderland. Families can enjoy games, crafts, savory snacks, a theatre show, live music and dancing, a bubble garden, and much more throughout our enchanted Oakhurst Gardens.

Oakhurst Gardens, Muncie, IN

July 27 from 12 p.m. to 5 p.m.

More Info Here

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This issue was edited by our Membership Manager, Margaret Reeder and edited by Multimedia Content Producer August Wilde. Thanks for reading—and we’ll see you out there!

—The Ball State Public Media Team

P.S. Don't forget to hit that subscribe image below!

Top Recs for August 1-3:

Fire Up DWNTWN

Packed with engaging activities and attractions for the whole family, Fire Up DWNTWN is the can’t-miss, over-the-top-hot event of the season! With a mixture of hot air balloons, spicy foods, smokin’ ribs, live music, games, contests, and more!

Downtown Muncie, IN

Saturday, August 2 from 1 p.m. to 10 p.m.

More Info Here

Twilight Rail Ride

A twilight 7-mile round trip rail bike ride starting at Hobbs Station in Forest Park. Take an evening rail bike ride and enjoy the sights and sounds of twilight. Bikes will depart from Hobbs Station in Noblesville for a 7-mile round trip ride. At the turnaround enjoy a s’mores and a fire. Smore’s including graham crackers, marshmallows and chocolate included!

825 Forest Park Dr, Noblesville, IN

July 24, 25, 31 and August 1 starting at 6:30 p.m.

More Info Here

Pop Up Yoga at the Park

Get ready to loosen up and do your body a favor with Pop Up Yoga at the Park, hosted by Zokawa with Emily Hayes.

Morrows Meadows Park, Yorktown, IN

July 25 and August 1 at 6 p.m.

More Info Here

Staff Rec: The Lincoln Highway by Amor Towles

If your summer includes a road trip—or if you just wish it did—The Lincoln Highway is the perfect companion.

Set over ten days in 1954, this coming-of-age adventure follows 18-year-old Emmett Watson and an unlikely band of travelers as they set out on a journey that keeps veering wildly off course. What begins as a straightforward plan westward quickly becomes a sweeping and unexpected detour through the heart of America, filled with unforgettable characters, big questions, and moments of surprising grace.

Towles’ vivid storytelling captures the thrill and uncertainty of the open road—and of growing up. The audio book makes a perfect companion on the road. Pack this one in your bag—it’s a trip worth taking.

—Margaret

Get to know Margaret

Margaret Reeder joined the IPR/WIPB team as Membership and Individual Giving Manager in June 2019, bringing with her a deep love for public media—and a flair for the dramatic.

A proud graduate of Ball State’s Department of Theatre and Dance, Margaret has spent most of her career in the nonprofit arts and culture world, where her passion for storytelling, community building, and creativity shines. She's a longtime fan of public media, with This American Life, Radiolab, PBS Masterpiece, America’s Test Kitchen, and Travel with Rick Steves always queued up.

When she's not championing public media, Margaret can be found baking elaborate desserts, crafting with glitter and glue guns, performing at Muncie Civic Theatre, or slipping into her favorite role: Tour Guide Barbie on trips to Chicago. She also moonlights as a chanteuse, serenading friends and audiences alike with sultry French lounge music—just for the joie de vivre.

✨🥘 Margaret's Kitchen Corner 🍪✨

🍒Cherry Clafoutis🍒

Somewhere between a custard and a cake, clafoutis is the understated star of summer desserts.

Traditionally made with cherries, this rustic French dish is the perfect way to showcase whatever fruit you have on hand—peaches, berries, plums, you name it. The batter comes together in minutes, bakes up golden and gently puffed, and serves beautifully warm or chilled.

Cherry clafoutis is a no-fuss recipe that celebrates the season’s abundance. Enjoy!

How To Make:

Preheat the oven to 375ºF. Grease 2-quart shallow baking dish liberally with butter.
Stem and pit the cherries. Lay them in a single layer in the baking dish.
In a standard blender, or using an immersion blender and a bowl, mix the eggs, flour, vanilla and almond extracts, ½ cup sugar, and milk together until smooth.
Pour the batter over the cherries and sprinkle the fruit and batter with the reserved 3 tablespoons of sugar.
Bake the clafoutis until the custard is just set; a knife poked in the center should emerge relatively clean. It’ll take about 45 minutes. Allow to cool before serving. Dust with a little powdered sugar to feel fancy.

But that's STILL not all! Check out this related content from

Pop of Culture | We Work from a Tiny Desk

With Margaret as our writer for the week, what better time to revisit Pop of Culture's 50th episode! Join our hosts as they peek behind the Tiny Desk: NPR producer Bobby Carter gives them details on the 2025 Tiny Desk Contest. And our hosts speak with Margaret Reeder herself, a star from Muncie Civic Theatre’s production of “Waitress: The Musical”! You can listen to this and any episode of Pop of Culture on indianapublicradio.org, the Ball State Public Media App, and anywhere you find podcasts.

Check it out now!

The Great American Recipe Season 4

The latest season of The Great American Recipe has begun! Don't worry, you haven't missed it, we're only 2 episodes in so far and you can find the first full episode of season 4 on PBS's YouTube channel. Follow talented home cooks from different regions of the country as they compete weekly with their most memorable recipes. In the final week, the top three home cooks vie for a chance to win The Great American Recipe. Available on the PBS Food YouTube channel and through Ball State PBS Passport.

Drawing disclaimer: No purchase necessary; Ball State Public Media staff are excluded.