Dearest PlayListers,

Last Friday night, I stayed home to work on a jigsaw puzzle. Don’t get me wrong, puzzles are the best. But here I am, writing this newsletter, telling you to get out and experience the world.

So, in honor of the impulse to curl up, I’m telling you about Booth. It’s a literary magazine curated and produced by folks from Butler University’s Master of Fine Arts in Creative Writing program that specializes in short stories, personal essays and poetry. Much of Booth is quirky. All of it is a marvel. And the Winter 2026 digital issue is now available to read online for free.

As a current editor for Booth, I’m compelled to call attention to a few other local literary magazines you might like: The Flying Island, The Indianapolis Review and Belt Magazine. (Belt is more regional, but I think you’ll love it.) This is not an exhaustive list, but it’ll get you started!

In this episode:

• 12 ways to celebrate MLK Day Jan. 19
• Ciara Myst reps the Indiana drag scene on "RuPaul's Drag Race"
• Healing, renewal and recovery at the Harrison Center this month
• Jazz musician Brandon Meeks got a $10,000 grant to honor Indiana jazz greats

Get more Indianapolis arts and culture coverage at MirrorIndy.org/Arts.

You can also subscribe to get the Play List email newsletter.

When I pitched the idea to write about thrift and vintage stores in Indianapolis, I didn’t think it would take six months to complete.

The main challenge was getting realistic about how many stores I would include. There are over 30 “thrift” shops in Naptown. So narrowing the list was a battle.

In the end, I focused on three vintage store owners and their most prized possessions. Some of them were scored from hoarder houses (yes, you read that right), dumpsters or even the side of the road.

I wanted this story to be accessible, even if you’re not an avid thrifter; that’s why you’ll find a vocab list and a shortlist of 14 stores to check out if you find my life’s work too long.

My most ambitious project to date is not just for the fashion gurus. Thrifting can be for everyone — no matter where you fall in the aisle.

In this episode:

• 31 things to do in January in Indianapolis
• Shop the records that inspire tastemakers of Indy’s music scene
• The Kut Gallery trims hair, but grows community and storytelling
• REVERB interview and performance featuring Nathan Graham

Get more Indianapolis arts and culture coverage at MirrorIndy.org/Arts.

You can also subscribe to get the Play List email newsletter.

Dearest PlayListers,

As the final days of 2025 slip through our sugar-coated fingers, many of us are looking back — perhaps a bit astounded by all that we’ve lived through. A lot of life can happen in 365 days.

And all that life is easy to lose track of when you’re doing the same things. Eating at the same places. Sitting on the same couch, gazing at the same screens. Not that there’s anything wrong with a routine, but much of the value arts and culture brings to our lives is distinguishing one day from another.

The same can be said about a news article. The visual parts of a story are often what catch our attention. They have a way of sticking with us far longer, too.

So, in the spirit of reflection, the Mirror Indy team has pulled together a collection of our favorite photos and original artwork from 2025. We hope you enjoy them!

In this episode:

• Our Lady of Guadalupe sights and sound
• Kitchen of Culture on the south side
• Four local game designers to know
• Listen: "O Holy Night" a cappella
• How to celebrate Kwanzaa
• The Christmas House
• Your New Year "sound oracle"

Get more Indianapolis arts and culture coverage at MirrorIndy.org/Arts.

You can also subscribe to get the Play List email newsletter.

Dearest PlayListers,

IU beat Ohio State in the Big Ten championship on Saturday at Lucas Oil. Now, before you take me for a football fan, let me clarify: I am simply in love with one. My football fan is an IU alum. His name is Aaron. And I want to tell you about watching the game at Sahm’s Tavern in Irvington.

Aaron and I don’t regularly go out for games, but this one felt special. We didn’t know what to expect, but we hoped Sahm’s would have the game on at least a couple of TVs.

My friends, Sahm’s had the game on every single TV. The bar was filled with IU fans — and a few brave Ohio State stans.

Even for less-than-enthusastic me, it was impossible not to be swept up into the drama of the game and the sense of community established so quickly among the surrounding tables. When we finally left to walk home, we were practically glowing.

I tell you this because the wonder of a collective experience never gets old for me. This week, I hope you’re able to go out and find the same.

In this episode:

• CAMi opens in May 2026
• Give your neighborhood signal box a makeover
• Top nine plays to catch by May 2026
• Mirror Indy's ’90s-sitcom themed birthday video
• Neighbors gathering to pack winter survival kits
• Protest rave video and playlist

Get more Indianapolis arts and culture coverage at MirrorIndy.org/Arts.

You can also subscribe to get the Play List email newsletter.

What’s up PlayListers,

I hope your Thanksgiving weekend was splendid. Mine started off rough. It took my family and me six hours to drive to Indy from Michigan during the snowstorm. Nothing like a whiteout on I-69 in a small compact car.

On the same day, I hit the road again, this time to Ohio to bask in the music of R&B phenom and multi-instrumentalist Leon Thomas. He’s part Prince and part Musiq Soulchild. After almost every song, he shredded on the guitar, switched to his bass then ad libbed his favorite vocal riffs and runs.

I was so determined to let loose at the concert that I refused to wear a coat to the venue. Don’t be like me — wear all that you need to stay warm.

Now that we’re back home for the holidays, we have 45 ideas in this list to stay busy and cheerful in the city all December long.

And it might be the best one yet. I found jingles and reindeers, parties with loud music and quiet church tours.

Get more Indianapolis arts and culture coverage at MirrorIndy.org.

Fellow PlayListers, hello!

I’m Jenny Walton — not to be confused with your regular host Jennifer Delgadillo. I’m in your inbox because I’m constantly asking friends how I can help, and Delgadillo took me up on it. So, here we are. For the next few months you’ll see me most Wednesdays, with an occasional appearance from Mesgana Waiss.

And what luck that we start this new friendship right as we swing into the wonders (and stress) of holiday festivities!

Thanks to the wit and wisdom of Brent Aldrich, I’m contributing corn and green beans to my family’s Thanksgiving this year.

And someone please send my undying love to the crew that compiled Mirror Indy’s holiday gift guide. My. Undying. Love.

Striking the balance between shopping local and finding perfect, affordable gifts . . . well, it’s enough to make me look forward to those dark days of January. Dare I suggest this guide might make shopping fun for me this year?

I dare say, I do.

Get more Indianapolis arts and culture coverage at MirrorIndy.org.

Greetings PlayListers,

Last Saturday, I went to the Los Tigres del Norte concert at Clowes Hall. The regional Mexican band that started in the late ‘60s has a large following with the Mexican and Latin American diaspora.

It was an event filled with parents and their children, grandparents and friends. Some of us were on dates. We all danced at some point.

Los Tigres del Norte perform songs about immigration, life and love. They are the only band to record at Folsom Prison in California since Johnny Cash did in 1968!

My personal favorites are “Golpes en el Corazon” and “La Carta.” When they sang “America (América),” dancers came out with flags from El Salvador, Mexico, Guatemala, Colombia and other Latin American countries, reminding the audience that when someone says, “I’m American,” that can include far more than just the U.S.

With this in mind, I’m kicking off the holiday season feeling grateful that I can enjoy a little bit of “back home” here in Indianapolis, where I’ve lived for longer than I ever did in Mexico.

Where calling myself a Hoosier is just as complex as it is true.

Get more Indianapolis arts and culture coverage at MirrorIndy.org.

What’s up PlayListers,

I’m writing our beloved arts & culture newsletter this week while Jennifer Delgadillo is out.

Are you enjoying the snow? I’m not! I’m kinda upset because it’s been on my to-do list to buy some stylish accessories for the season. I’m talking leather gloves, striped balaclavas and a mean fur ushanka.

Hopefully, I can source some of these much-needed pieces for my winter wardrobe at the Totally Rad Vintage Fest this weekend. It’s an event you won't want to miss.

While on the topic of shopping, my long-awaited thrift crawl will be published soon. And there’s still time to add to my enormous list. If you have some recs for more lowkey spots, hit me up!

Get more Indianapolis arts and culture coverage at MirrorIndy.org.