INDIANAPOLIS — Tens of thousands of people are expected downtown Friday night, most of them attending the Downtown Indy Inc. Circle of Lights presented by IBEW 481 on Monument Circle.
Traffic and security are two of the many things the city has been preparing for all year. With construction on the north side of the circle, the stage will be on the south side again this year.
If you are walking in from the west side, enter on West Market or Meridian and Ohio streets. You'll enter in from East Market Street if you are coming in on the east side.
Circle of Lights is not the only event happening Friday, with the IHSAA football state championship games and an Indiana Pacers home game, Downtown Indy Inc. knows all of the people going downtown means lots of traffic.
"If they get stuck somewhere, there's bars, restaurants, coffee shops, places they can pop into and enjoy," Taylor Schaffer, president and CEO of Downtown Indy, Inc. said.
IMPD is focusing on security and safety this year. More officers will be patrolling the area and police encourage people to speak up if they see something suspicious. They want people to be aware of their surroundings from the time they park their cars to when they leave the city.
"Having all those preps taken care of can make everything so much easier for them," IMPD Commander Joshua Gisi said.
The city has spent all year preparing for this event, and Schaffer said this allows them to create memories and traditions with families.
"It's so exciting to be a part of central Indiana's family traditions," she said.
If you can't make it downtown, you can watch the Circle of Lights at 6 p.m. on Channel 13.