The end of May and the beginning of June bring some of the best family traditions in Central Indiana. Strawberry picking season begins, Memorial Day allows families to honor those who served, and summer weekends start filling up with inexpensive adventures that feel extra special when you experience them through your kids’ eyes.
Katy Mann, founder of Indy with Kids, joined FOX59’s Indy Now to share several of the local events and activities families should add to their calendars as summer begins.
Things to do in Indianapolis with Kids
As a weekly family fun expert on Indy Now, Katy helps parents find memorable things to do with kids in Indianapolis and throughout Central Indiana. During this appearance, she highlighted a mix of classic summer traditions and unexpected adventures, including miniature train rides, strawberry picking, Memorial Day observances, Mud Day, the Broad Ripple Duck Race, and Indiana Free Fishing Days.
Indiana Live Steamers Offers Tiny Train Rides With Big Memories
Katy started the segment with one of her favorite hidden-gem family experiences: Indiana Live Steamers at Johnson County Park.
On scheduled public run days, families can climb aboard miniature ride-on trains that travel over bridges and through open and wooded areas of the park. These are real working miniature trains running on real tracks, making the experience especially exciting for kids who love trains.
Indiana Live Steamers’ public rides are typically offered on the third Saturday of each month from May through October, along with a few special event dates. Rides generally take place from noon to 4 p.m., weather permitting, and tickets are $4 per person.
Katy called the experience “tiny train rides with big memories,” and it is easy to see why. A ride lasts about 25 minutes, which makes this an especially great value for families looking for an affordable summer outing.
Parents should know that riders need closed-toe shoes. Katy also reminded viewers that the train cars do not have seat backs, so younger children may lean against their parents during the ride.
For train-loving kids, grandparents looking for an outing with the grandkids, or families hoping to try something new this summer, Indiana Live Steamers is a charming adventure worth putting on the calendar.
Strawberry Picking Season Has Arrived Near Indianapolis
Katy also shared that strawberry picking season has already started at some Central Indiana farms, a little earlier than families may expect.
U-pick strawberry outings are one of those simple summer experiences that kids remember. There is something special about handing a child a bucket and sending them into a strawberry field, even when half the berries may disappear before the family makes it back to the car.
Because strawberry availability changes quickly, Katy encouraged families to check before heading to a farm. Early in the season, a farm may have berries available one day and be picked out by the next. Some farms that have traditionally offered strawberry picking may also take a season off for crop rotation.
Indy with Kids maintains an updated list of strawberry-picking locations near Indianapolis as well as strawberry festivals, helping families find farms currently offering u-pick opportunities and plan their visit before they make the drive.
Whether the strawberries become shortcake, jam, a summer dessert, or simply a snack eaten in the field, strawberry picking is a sweet way to kick off summer with kids.
Teaching Children the Meaning of Memorial Day at Crown Hill
While summer often brings pools, barbecues, vacations, and neighborhood celebrations, Katy also encouraged families to make space for the meaning behind Memorial Day.
During the segment, she discussed attending the Memorial Day service at Crown Hill National Cemetery in Indianapolis. For Katy and Indy Now show host Ryan, this observance is especially meaningful because she comes from a family with military service on both sides.
Memorial Day services can give children a meaningful introduction to gratitude, remembrance, and the sacrifices made by military service members and their families. Attending a ceremony can help kids understand that the holiday weekend is about more than the unofficial start of summer.
Katy also gave parents an important practical reminder: ceremonial salutes can be very loud. Families attending with younger children or children who are sensitive to loud noises may want to bring hearing protection.
For families looking for a meaningful way to begin Memorial Day before the picnics and pool days, a local ceremony can be a powerful experience.
Greenwood Mud Day Lets Kids Get Completely Messy
Some summer activities are lovely and picturesque. Greenwood Mud Day is not one of them, and that is exactly why kids love it.
Katy described this free event at Freedom Park in Greenwood as similar to a spa day, except parents should plan on doing a lot of laundry afterward.
During Mud Day, kids ages 2 to 10 are invited to jump, squish, slide, and play in the mud during scheduled one-hour sessions. The event takes place on Friday, May 29, 2026, with sessions offered from 10 to 11 a.m. and noon to 1 p.m.
Families should send children in clothing that can get completely filthy. Katy also warned that shoes may be difficult to keep on once kids are playing in the mud. At the end of the experience, the Greenwood Fire Department helps rinse off muddy participants before they head home.
This is one of those unforgettable childhood activities that is both incredibly simple and ridiculously fun. Kids get permission to get as dirty as possible, and parents get the photos and memories to prove it happened.
Cheer for Thousands of Rubber Ducks at the Broad Ripple Duck Race
For a family event that is a little more unexpected, Katy recommended the Broad Ripple Duck Race.
On Saturday, June 6, 2026, families can gather in Broad Ripple to watch thousands of bright yellow rubber ducks race down the Central Canal. The community celebration also includes a 5K and a fun run, along with festival activities before the ducks hit the water.
As Katy pointed out during the segment, there is something wonderfully funny about a crowd of families gathering to cheer for thousands of rubber ducks floating down a canal.
The Broad Ripple Duck Race is colorful, silly, community-focused fun, and it is exactly the kind of event that makes summer in Indianapolis feel special. Kids will love choosing a duck to cheer for, and parents will love having an outing that feels different from the usual weekend plans.
Indiana Free Fishing Days Make It Easy for Families to Try Fishing
Katy finished her list by sharing Indiana Free Fishing Days, a great opportunity for families to introduce children to fishing without making a big commitment first.
Indiana residents can fish public waters without a fishing license or trout and salmon stamp on designated Free Fishing Days. The next dates are Saturday, June 6, and Sunday, June 7, 2026.
Katy noted that some local parks and communities host fishing events or derbies during Free Fishing Days. At certain events, fishing equipment may even be available for families to borrow, making this a particularly approachable outing for kids who are curious about fishing but do not already own gear.
Fishing can be a calm, screen-free way to spend time outside together. Whether kids catch anything or simply enjoy casting a line, spotting wildlife, and spending time near the water, Free Fishing Days are an easy reason to try a new family activity.
Find More Summer Family Fun With Indy with Kids
Katy’s FOX59 Indy Now appearance highlighted just a few of the events happening as summer begins in Central Indiana. From miniature train rides and muddy play to strawberry fields, duck races, fishing days, and meaningful Memorial Day traditions, families have plenty of ways to make memories close to home.
Katy Mann is the founder of Indy with Kids and a trusted family fun expert for Indianapolis-area parents. She appears weekly on FOX59’s Indy Now, sharing local events, seasonal activities, new attractions, affordable outings, and ideas that help families create their own best days together.
Katy is also the author of two Indianapolis-focused books, Indianapolis Scavenger and her newest book, Where to Take the Kids: Indianapolis. Both books help families explore Indianapolis, discover local places and stories, and turn an ordinary day out into an adventure.
For family-friendly events, summer guides, local attractions, free activities, and more things to do with kids around Central Indiana, visit IndywithKids.com and check out the list of 101 Days of Summer in Indianapolis with Kids
