Me with a major award.
Previously on Midlife Crisis Crossover:
Every year the Indiana Historical Society in downtown Indianapolis hosts a special Christmas exhibit called the Festival of Trees, for which dozens of local businesses and charities festoon a tree or tree-shaped object with decorations befitting their interests and colors. A few days after Thanksgiving this year, my coworkers and I decided to make that time and sauntered over there on our lunch break…
I took enough pics for two MCC entries’ worth of Christmas trees, plus a handful of non-tree Christmas decorations as well as a few glimpses at the Historical Society’s year-round environs. Sadly I overlooked their Elf on the Shelf that was round there somewhere, and our visit was too early to catch its pal the Mensch on a Bench (yes, really), who only shows up for Hanukkah.
Trees are identified by their makers and/or sponsors. Enjoy some more!
The YMCA turned their Christmas tree into Santa with reindeer.
The Shriners brought teddy bears and their trademark fezzes.
OneAmerica, a company with which I have ties.
I’m pretty sure Southside Harley Davidson had a tree, but my eye was drawn to their accessories, such as an entire Christmas motorcycle.
Citizens Energy Group, our water utility company.
Riley Children’s Hospital topped their tree with a Radio Flyer wagon.
I don’t drink, but Jackson Family Wines used lots of purple (for grapes, I presume), so they’re in.
Alcohol fans who prefer a man-on-the-street presence can enjoy the work of Payless Liquors, who invited the Grinch, which implies some undercurrents to his story that Dr. Seuss left out.
I nearly overlooked the Colonel Eli Lilly Civil War Museum tree until I noticed the Gone with the Wind still.
The Kelley School of Business at Indiana University boasts their school colors.
Heartland Film Festival, which I’ve posted about in the past. This year we even attended a screening, which I haven’t written about yet. It’s on MCC’s ever-lengthening to-do list.
Someday I’ll go check out the Kurt Vonnegut Museum & Library, and the twelve Vonnegut novels I read in high school will really pay off.
…and those were just the Christmas trees. Additional shots reveal other aspects of the museum beyond the holiday spirit.
A wider shot of the 30-foot tree from our previous gallery’s main photo reveals more of their rotunda.
Giant watches hang above the main tree, just as time keeps marching over our heads.
Alternate shot of those watches from the fourth floor.
The Christmas tree collection reached as high as the top (fourth) floor.
One hall is named after Colonel Eli Lilly, a Civil War veteran whose pharmaceutical empire is a longtime Society trustee.
One of the more recent additions is an exhibit celebrating the life of Eva Mozes Kor, the Holocaust survivor Anne and I met in 2015 at her Terre Haute museum before her passing in 2019.
One dark hallway ends with the current Wikipedia photo of the Apollo 1 crew, a reminder of that time we visited the Gus Grissom Museum in Mitchell.
Mandatory Santa in the lobby.
The replica leg lamp in our lead photo is part of a salute to the living room from A Christmas Story presented by the Booth Tarkington Civic Theatre.
…and that’s pretty much the conclusion of our special two-part visit to the Festival of Trees 2022. If you’re in the area, I also highly recommend their restaurant, the Stardust Terrace Cafe. Located along downtown Indy’s White River Canal Walk (which we’ve photographed a couple of times in years past), the Cafe is among the few restaurants open on the west side of downtown, and lately has proven itself among the best for all our lunchtime needs. Now we can testify the exhibits are nifty, too.
We close with a Christmas ornament selfie. Cheers!
Midlife Crisis Crossover! 