"Work was actually ahead of schedule, and we had just taken down the construction fencing and reinstalled most of the sculptures after having them restored and cleaned." Mark Williams, president of the Indy Art Center, said that in late August, a few days after the White River came over the banks behind 67th Street and College Avenue, according to Fox59.
The September grand reopening of ARTSPARK was canceled. The new date is Saturday, October 17, which falls during Locally Made: Indy's Fall Fest and Autumntidings. The delay put the biggest reopening in the Village this year on the same afternoon as the Art Center's largest free fall event. It also means the Art Center campus hosts the first and last big gatherings of Broad Ripple's October, while the businesses on Broad Ripple Avenue go through a turnover that began in July.
What the Flood Undid, and What It Missed
ARTSPARK first opened in 2005, but budget cuts left it unfinished. The restoration that was supposed to finish it took two years and cost $3.7 million. When it opens, visitors can see more than 20 sculptures, walk a new boardwalk, and take in new views of the White River. The project was designed to tie the Art Center to both the river and the Monon Trail.
That riverside work took most of the damage. Floodwater got into ARTSPARK and the basement of the Basile Cultural Complex, but it did not reach the Center's main building. Many of the new trees and plantings died. The sculptures needed cleaning again, and crews had to clear mud off the new metal railings, the limestone plazas, and the wooden boardwalk. The Art Center's executive director told WTHR the damage would total at least $500,000, counting artwork, art supplies, landscaping, trees, and cleanup.
Because the main building stayed dry, the indoor side of the campus has kept running all fall. The fall 2026 class term started August 17 and runs through December 7, with classes held on site. The eight galleries are free and open to the public, and the current fall exhibition series is up from September 28 through December 13. Until the 17th, the outdoor park is the only part of the campus that's off limits. The ARTSPARK page still posts a closure notice.
October, Date by Date
With the indoor campus open and the park on a firm date, the Village's October calendar is clustered at the north end of the neighborhood. Here are the dates still ahead:
- Wednesday, October 7, 5–7 p.m.: The Longest Table. The Broad Ripple Village Association is moving its monthly neighborhood meetup outdoors to the Art Center gardens for a large picnic-style dinner, with live music from Joshua Bucy. Bring your own dinner or a dish to share, plus a folding chair or blanket. Broad Ripple Brewpub will sell beer and wine, and BRVA members get one free beer. The event is free, kids are welcome, and BRVA asks for an RSVP.
- Saturday, October 10, 4–10 p.m.: Broad Ripple's Oktoberfest. Presented by the Eight Eleven Foundation in the Vogue parking lot, with local food, a Kids Zone, and live music.
- Thursday, October 15, 6–9 p.m.: The last Third Thursday of 2026. Village merchants and artists close out the monthly series.
- Saturday, October 17, noon–5 p.m.: Locally Made: Indy's Fall Fest and the ARTSPARK reopening. Admission is free. The Art Center lists more than 50 artists, pumpkin painting, art activities, and food and drinks, with an ARTSPARK Reopening Celebration during the festival.
- Wednesday, November 4: BRVA Annual Meeting. BRVA will announce the first winner of its new Broad Ripple Art & Place Award, which recognizes murals, gardens, and other publicly visible creative projects in the Village. Nominations closed September 30, and the community will help choose from the finalists.
Two of October's four events are on the Art Center campus, and that pattern goes back to September. Indy Jazz Fest scheduled its 2026 Grand Finale for September 26 at the Indianapolis Art Center and OptiPark at 67th and College, with two stages, food trucks, and a free Jazz 101 session at the Art Center on September 20. The flood hit the campus hard, yet it has still become the gathering place for the Village's biggest fall events.
Down on the Avenue, a Different Kind of Storefront
Further south in the Village core, the summer's changes ran in a different direction. Two well-known names closed. Condado Tacos shut its restaurant at 838 Broad Ripple Ave. on July 5 after nearly eight years. Brick House Dueling Pianos at 6235 Guilford Ave. opened in 2014 and played its last weekend August 21–23 as its owner retired.
The businesses opening since then lean toward groceries, climbing, dessert, and secondhand shopping:
- Eve's Garden Deli, 916 E. Westfield Blvd., opened in June.
- Ripple Boulder, a bouldering gym at 5255 Winthrop Ave., was reported open by mid-August.
- Vintage Spoon Ice Cream Social, 6528 Cornell Ave., was listed among September's openings.
- Red Dragon Modern Hibachi Grains took over the former 'Za space at 801 Broad Ripple Ave. Its grand opening was announced for October 2, after an earlier target of August 31.
- Fernando's has a new location at 6320 Ferguson St., where BRVA held its September meetup.
Two more are scheduled before the end of the year. Moody's Butcher Shop is leaving its Nora shop on 86th Street for a bigger storefront at 6434 N. College Ave., Suite C, and is aiming to open the last weekend of October. The Broad Ripple shop will be the first in the four-store chain to offer hot-food takeout. The Salvation Army plans a "higher end" thrift store, Sally's Station Store & Donation Center, at 1021 Broad Ripple Ave., the former Sun King space. IBJ reported in late August that it was expected to open later this year. By September 10, its sign was on the building.
Taken together, a deli, a climbing gym, an ice cream parlor, a butcher with takeout, and a thrift store with a donation center serve a weekday afternoon as much as a Saturday night. The Moody's move stands out. A business with three other locations picked Broad Ripple for its largest change in format.
The Next Round Is Already in Motion
Several bigger projects will shape the Village after this October ends.
Keystone Group is adding an 8,000-square-foot Hamilton Walker's steakhouse to its Marko on the Canal development, in the former HopCat space at the base of the Broad Ripple parking garage. The restaurant is aiming to open in early 2027 at the corner of Broad Ripple and College avenues.
In August, the city requested proposals to redevelop the former Broad Ripple fire station, a 104-year-old building. The proposed uses include offices, retail, personal and professional services, artisan manufacturing, and food production. That building is the Old Firehouse at 6330 Guilford Ave., which BRVA already uses as a meeting point for Village volunteer cleanups.
Separately, a local developer working on a mixed-use project with almost 100 apartments gave itself until late October to address residents' concerns before moving forward. So the same weeks that bring ARTSPARK's reopening and the Moody's opening also bring a decision point on that proposal.
For the rest of this month, the dates to know are October 7 in the Art Center gardens, October 10 in the Vogue lot, October 15 across the Village, and October 17 at noon, when the ARTSPARK boardwalk reopens to the public almost two months after the water receded.
If the Village's changes have you wondering how new openings and redevelopment along College and Broad Ripple avenues show up in values on your own street, The Home Experts can walk you through it with local sales data. Request a free market valuation, and we'll show you what nearby homes are selling for this fall.
