On today's Dopest we're covering:
A brand new contemporary art museum that just opened in Garfield Park
A tiny Irvington Irish pub throwing a whiskey festival you cannot miss
The hottest chicken in Fountain Square, open until 2am on weekends
Thanks for reading!
Via WFYI.org
Via bigcar.org
🎨 The Dopest Art — CAMi | Contemporary Art of Indianapolis
A 40,000-square-foot former industrial building. Nine galleries. Eighteen artist residences. An amphitheater. And something called The Chicken Chapel of Love. All of it just opened south of downtown Indianapolis in the heart of a historic neighborhood — and yes, we're talking about CAMi.
The Contemporary Art Museum Indianapolis is not a regular museum. It commissions work rather than collecting it, which means every visit is different. The full campus — run by the nonprofit Big Car Collaborative — also includes Tube (formerly Tube Factory artspace) and a public greenspace and art park that you are going to want to spend actual time in. It curates on the themes of community, memory, and mythology, which sounds lofty until you walk around and realize it just means everything here feels like it actually belongs to Indy.
This one is genuinely exciting. Go this week while the energy is fresh.
The Dopest Tip: Check camindy.org before you go and give yourself more time than you think you need. The campus has layers.
Via snugin.us
🥃 The Dopest Event — Snug Whiskey Fest
If you know Snug, you already understand why this is on the list. The tiny Irvington Irish pub is one of those rare neighborhood bars that feels like your somehow both still at home and transported on vacation at the same time — handmade everything, an Irish whiskey list that would make your grandfather weep, and bartenders who genuinely know what they're talking about. Plus it’s tiny, literally snug - living up to its name.
Now they're throwing a whole whiskey festival this weekend!. The details speak for themselves.
Snug is small — that's the charm, and also the reason you should not wait on this. Tickets will go. Eat something before you go. You know why.
The Dopest Tip: Grab tickets at snugwhiskeyfest.com before it sells out.
Via worldfamoushotboys.com
🍗 The Dopest Bite — World Famous Hot Boys
There's hot chicken, and then there's Hot Boys. The Fountain Square location has been quietly becoming one of the best quick bites in Indy, and the reviews are consistent: "painful, but in a good way." That is the highest compliment a hot chicken spot can receive.
The tenders are crispy. The heat levels are real and they mean it — first-timers, do not go straight to Hot. The mac and cheese is the kind of side dish that makes you rethink your entire relationship with side dishes. And they're open until 2am on weekends, which means this is also your best late-night answer in Fountain Square. The space is a vibe in and of itself. Music is pumpin’, making you feel young (or old) again.
📍 1004 Virginia Ave, Indianapolis, IN
The Dopest Tip: Medium to Medium Plus for the spice fans. Personal faves: Chicken and Waffles and the Loaded Fries
Indy is always up to something. So are we.
See you next week! — Indy's Dopest