The holiday season is here and there is no better place to be this Saturday than Meet Me on Main with special activities throughout the Carmel Arts & Design District.
Enjoy a day of shopping and dining at the many stores on Main Street, Range Line Road and throughout the District, most of whom are offering holiday specials this weekend.
Ride the Holiday Trolley for a fun and easy trip across the District, including a special stop this Saturday for AAA Insurance Holiday PorchFest from 3 to 6 p.m. in the residential neighborhood north of Main Street and east of Range Line Road. Don’t forget the grand opening of the new Carmel Chocolate Café at 45 W. Main St.
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If you are looking for that special gift for a loved one or just looking for a night out with family and friends, Meet Me on Main features live music, face painting and caricatures, new exhibits and local art galleries and businesses staying open until 9 p.m. Join the Art Lab for a holiday themed snow globe make and take art project from 5 to 8:30 p.m. The Art Lab is located at 110 W. Main St., Suite 125, next to Highgarden Real Estate.
Meet Me on Main monthly drawing takes place once again. Each month, three $100 gift cards to businesses in the Arts & Design District will be given away. To enter, visit participating galleries and businesses to fill out an entry form. Only one can be filled out per location but the more businesses visited, the more you can increase your chances. There is no purchase necessary to participate.
Special gallery exhibits will be featured throughout Meet Me on Main including:
- When you’re ready for a break from the cold, stop in the Carmel Clay Historical Society for a reading of ‘The Polar Express’ from 7:30 to 8:30 p.m. This festive evening of storytelling and fun includes cookies, hot cocoa, special gifts and holiday art activities. Holiday attire and pajamas are encouraged. All ages welcome; $5 per child. (211 1st St. SW)
- Indiana Artisan Gifts & Gallery will be featuring two talented artists, Joe Krutulis and Kendall Reeves. Krutulis will be there to show you how he uncovers the hidden beauty in deadwood and creates beautiful wood pendants, earrings and mobiles. Reeves is a photographer who captures ghost towns, abandoned buildings and old trucks. (22 N. Range Line Road)
- All Things Carmel is set up for holiday shopping with specialty ornaments, candles, wooden wall art, clothing and more. Stop by and check them out for all your holiday needs and enjoy complementary dough balls and Christmas brew from Fork and Ale House. (110 W. Main St., No. 104)
- Carmel Art on Main Gallery is featuring specially priced art work and photography in the front room for gift giving, with many subjects from landscape and travel to abstracts and holiday. Need a gift for a teacher, family, friend or hostess? Art on Main has many options including glassware, pottery, jewelry, note cards, tote bags, zip bags, paintings, mosaics, books featuring artists, coasters, chocolate and more. (111 W. Main St., No. 140)
- CCA Gallery will showcase unique handmade ornaments from 36 artists, just in time to add a little something extra to your tree. The gallery will also feature Tiny Treasures and Mini Masterpieces collections. (111 W. Main St., No. 135)
- The Carmel Arts Council Children’s Art Gallery will showcase an all-school art exhibit from the Towne Meadow Elementary students entitled Making Faces. This exhibit will feature 11 groundbreaking student-created portraits inspired by the great masters of art, including The Girl with the Pearl Earrings by Johannes Vermeer and the Mona Lisa by Leonardo DaVinci. (40 W. Main St.)
- Magdalena Gallery will be featuring a new artist, Mary E Strack. For a unique gift for the holiday season, visit Magdalena Gallery to see the Santa Faces collection on canvas. These are oil on canvas pictures from Barbara Kennedy for $65 each. (27 E. Main St.)
- The Olive Mill is featuring olive oil, balsamic, olives, serving pieces, salts and spices. Perfect for holiday gifts or stocking stuffers. (10 S. Range Line Road)
- The Art Studio of Carmel will hold an open house featuring the work of the studio’s students, adults and instructors. (30 N. Range Line Road)
- Carmel Chocolate Café by the South Bend Chocolate Company will cut the ribbon on its new café on Friday and celebrate opening weekend. (45 W. Main St.).
Activities taking place during Meet Me on Main include:
- Free caricatures and face painting by Custom Eyes Designs inside of 110 W. Main St., Suite 125, near Highgarden Real Estate. (110 W. Main St., No. 104)
- Free musical entertainment throughout the district. Kassie King will play inside Indiana Artisan, Declan Nelligan will perform inside The Olive Mill and Low Key Jazz will perform inside Holder Mattress Co. at The Indiana Design Center.
- Make and Take Art Project will be located at 110 W. Main St., Suite 125, next to Highgarden Real Estate from 5 to 8:30 p.m.
A map of the gallery locations and more information about Meet Me on Main activities can be found at CarmelArtsAndDesign.com.
Public parking is available in the Carmel Lions Club lot (141 E. Main St.), Sophia Square parking garage (entrance off of 1st Avenue NW), Indiana Design Center parking garage (200 S. Range Line Road) or on-street. Click here to download the Arts & Design District parking map.
About the Carmel Arts & Design District
The Carmel Arts & Design District is the Midwest’s premier arts and design destination. Home to more than 200 businesses, including art galleries, restaurants, antique dealers, design showrooms, boutiques and creative service providers, the Carmel Arts & Design District promises to stimulate the senses. The Indiana Design Center is housed in the Carmel Arts & Design District. In addition, hundreds have taken advantage of the wide variety of housing opportunities and call the Carmel Arts & Design District home.