As a Hoosier native, it’s been an absolute to joy to see how much this city has evolved over the past couple of decades. Regardless of the changes and improvements Indianapolis has made, residents still have our habits that will never die. Here are 11 of them:
1. Corn on the cob at every barbecue.
Indiana sweet corn is a staple throughout the state and you’ll never find a family barbecue without it. If you do, then it’s probably not hosted by a Hoosier!
2. Calling soda "pop."
Okay, sure, other Midwestern cities call it pop as well, but outside of this region, you’ll get a lot of strange looks if you don’t call it soda. But since you’re an Indianapolis resident, what’s soda?
3. Spending "Blackout Wednesday" in Broad Ripple.
You know it’s the night before Thanksgiving when your friends from high school and college are texting you about a trip to Broad Ripple for Blackout Wednesday. I don’t think we need to spell out what this night is about.
4. Keeping the ice scraper in the car year-round.
Maybe not "year-round," but from November through May, you’re keeping the ice scraper in your trunk because the chances of coming outside to a frosty car in the mornings are pretty high. I bet if you looked in most Hoosiers’ cars in the summer, that scraper is still there… you know, just in case.
5. Kicking off the holiday season with the Circle of Lights.
Indy has had this tradition for a long, long time. The lighting of the Christmas lights on the Indiana Soldiers and Sailors Monument, known as "the Circle of Lights" is a major city tradition, one that sees thousands and thousands of residents and visitors head to Monument Circle for the event.
6. If it’s over 40 degrees, the flip-flops are coming out.
You’d think Hoosiers would understand that cold weather doesn’t equate to flip-flop weather. However, we get few opportunities from December-April to expose our feet, so we’ll take advantage of those 40-plus degrees days.
7. The understanding that the summer begins with the Indianapolis 500, not in the middle of June.
The first official day of the summer season isn’t June 19th or 20th… or whatever the "calendar" says. Hoosiers know that summer kicks off with Race Weekend — otherwise known as Memorial Day Weekend — when the majority of the city is down at Indianapolis Motor Speedway for the iconic Indy 500.
8. Avoiding the summer humidity at all costs.
June’s a great month to hang outside in Indy. But once July hits, we'll do anything to stay out of the humidity during the day. Reading books? Absolutely. Working? Sure, why not. Anything to stay away from that gross, sticky feeling and those mosquitos. Pools are a go-to as well.
9. Arguing over who’s better: Indiana University or Purdue University.
That famous Indiana-Purdue rivalry will live on for as long as Indianapolis is a city. If you’re like this author and have family/friends who went to both schools, you’ve heard the unending arguments about which one is better.
10. Finding any excuse to drink good beer.
Anniversary? We drink beer. Birthday? We definitely drink beer. Colts or Pacers win? You guessed it: beer. It’s hard NOT to celebrate an occasion with beer when your city’s full of fantastic local breweries.
11. Anytime Tom Brady’s name is said, it’s said with contempt.
We’re the home of the Colts. Enough said, right?
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