Week 20: The last Statehouse Market of 2018!

Chef Bricker’s Brick House Vinaigrettes — Five Questions

Limelight Coffee Roasters — Five Questions

Gluten Free Creations — This week’s items include cookies, brownies, sweet breads, scones, pecan tartlets, paleo items, yeast breads and more!

Food Trucks:

Edwards’ Dashboard Diner — Five Questions

BoxBurger — Five Questions

Serendipity — Five Questions

5280 Bistro

Chef Dan’s Southern Comfort — Five Questions

Der Pretzel Wagen

General American Donut Company — Five Questions

Market hosting ‘DNR Wildlife Science Day’ this Thursday!

posted by SPD Communications on September 24, 2018 DNR

Every Statehouse Market is something special, but we think Week 19 is especially, um, special.

You might say it’s “super special.” Or “ultra special.” Or “stupendously super-duper special.”

No matter what adjectives you choose to use to describe it, the second-to-last Statehouse Market of 2018 is packed with fun thanks to the good folks at the Indiana Department of Natural Resources!

Thursday, Sept. 27 is officially (drum roll, please) “DNR Wildlife Science Day” at the Statehouse Market!

Start the morning off right by stopping by conference room 19 of IGC-South for the series “Cookies, Coffee and Conservation.” The talks, which are conducted by DNR experts, run from 9 to 9:50 a.m. and will cover wildlife disease management, the Hoosier State’s diverse duck population, conservation funding, coyotes’ relocation to urban areas, an analysis of car-deer collisions from the past five years, and a peek at Indiana’s underwater salamanders.

When the market proper kicks off at 10:30 a.m., DNR staff will have informational booths set up on the plaza to help you “Find Your Next Adventure” this fall!

And speaking of critters that bear more than a passing resemblance to dinosaurs, visitors may get an up-close and personal look at a hellbender salamander — one of Indiana’s largest underwater lizard-like amphibians. Don’t worry! Although the name sounds like something you’d hope not to find in your swimming pool, hellbenders are entirely harmless.

Week 19 SHM

You can even commemorate the day by taking a selfie with “Herbie the Hellbender” — a costumed DNR staff member, not an actual salamander with a waterproof smartphone. Although, admittedly, that would be kind of neat too.

All this, plus the usual market goodness: the best produce around, artisan goods crafted with care, and delicious street food to suit every taste.

Don’t miss this Thursday’s Statehouse Market! Meet us on Robert D. Orr Plaza for food, fun and the opportunity to learn about Indiana’s truly “Great Outdoors.”

That’s definitely something special!

And we can’t wait to see you there!

Vendors:

Limelight Coffee Roasters — Five Questions

Chef Bricker’s Brick House Vinaigrettes — Five Questions

Simple Taste — This week’s items include paleo, sugar free, pies, chicken pot pies, muffins, cinnamon rolls, Simple Taste’s famous sandwich cookies, and vegan chocolate brownies.

Batch No. 2 — F ive Questions

Food Trucks:

Tommie’s Ooo Weee Chicken

Serendipity — Five Questions

The NY Slice

Gigi’s Cupcake Truck

Chomp’Z — Five Questions

Pierogi Love Indy

Johnson’s BBQ Shack

El Venezolano

Rolling Asian Delight

Chef Dan’s Southern Comfort — Five Questions

Week 18: Three more chances for lunch on the plaza!

posted by SPD Communications on September 17, 2018 Market Pumpkin Pic

With only three Statehouse Market days remaining, we’re finishing the 2018 season strong with an amazing lineup of food trucks, produce vendors and true artisans whose craftsmanship shines through in everything they sell.

That means the last few markets will be just as much fun as the dozen and a half we’ve already hosted this summer. Check us out this Thursday on Robert D. Orr Plaza to get a (literal) taste of some of the best food in the Indianapolis area.

We’ll be there from 10:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m.

Vendors:

Wildflower Ridge Honey — Five Questions — This is the LAST WEEK to visit Dave Barrickman’s Wildflower Ridge Honey stand at the Statehouse Market. He’s been “busy as a bee” all year and is hoping you’ll stock up on honey products this Thursday.

Uber Green Farms — Five Questions

Limelight Coffee — Five Questions

Gluten Free Creations — This week’s featured items include sweet breads, yeast breads, brownies, cookies, scone bites, pecan tartlets, paleo items and more!

Brick House Vinaigrettes — Five Questions

Food Trucks:

Citizen Hash

The Twisted Sicilian

Brozinni

General American Donut Company — Five Questions

Boxburger — Five Questions

Soul Sista On the Move — Five Questions

Las Tortugas — Five Questions

Da Blue Lagoon

Simply Divine Cupcakes — Five Questions

Calliope Sno-balls

Johnson’s BBQ Shack

Statehouse Market Week 17: Down to the ‘final four’

posted by SPD Communications on September 10, 2018 Statehouse Market Week 17

There are only four more Thursdays before the Statehouse Market closes for the 2018 season!

We’re not crying, YOU’RE crying!

Ahem.

That means only four more chances to visit some of the Hoosier State’s finest food trucks, a smattering of amazing Indiana farmers, and a group of entrepreneurs who grow, bake, roast and harvest top-shelf snacks, coffee, condiments, dairy products and much more.

We’re with you; we wish the market would never end too, but the good news is that there is still time to be part of the fun.

The Sept. 13 market is the 17th event of the season, and, like always, we’ll be set-up on Robert D. Orr Plaza with an array of food trucks and vendors representing all that is good about Hoosier entrepreneurship.

We’re looking forward to seeing you as the leaves start to turn, temperatures begin to cool and we bid adieu to another wonderful summer and welcome fall. But for now, it’s still summer and that means the Statehouse Market is still in season!

Check out this week’s lineup below and join us from 10:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. on the plaza!

Vendors:

Limelight Coffee Roasters — Five Questions

Jerk Chicken Bowl

Simple Taste

Food Trucks:

Tommie’s Ooo Weee Chicken

Rosie’s Riblets

Pi Indy — Five Questions

J & J – A Taste of Home Catering — Five Questions – This week’s featured menu item is a jerk chicken rice bowl for $10. Dish features cilantro lime rice, and mango salsa on jerk chicken, steak and shrimp.

The Legendary Kitchen — Five Questions

Pierogi Love Indy

Dashboard Diner — Five Questions

Gaucho’s Fire

Droopy’s BBQ – The featured item this week is barbecue nachos!

2018 SECC ‘kickoff party’ headlines Week 15 Market!

posted by SPD Communications on August 27, 2018

This week’s Statehouse Market is extra special as the myriad food trucks and produce vendors will be joined on Robert D. Orr Plaza by numerous dignitaries and state employees for the formal kickoff of one of the year’s most important — and most anticipated — programs.

Indiana Department of Revenue Commissioner Adam Krupp is heading that statewide initiative — the 2018-19 State Employees’ Community Campaign (SECC). The SECC is a charitable effort that sees thousands of state employees donate to nonprofit organizations each year.

Taking charge immediately, the dynamic and driven Krupp helped set a new goal for this year’s SECC that hopes to net at least $1.5 million dollars.

Krupp’s chosen charity is Project 44, a nonprofit that encourages bone marrow donor registration at Be the Match, the goal being to connect potential donors with compatible transplant recipients. Project 44, so named in honor of former Butler basketball star Andrew Smith who wore the jersey number during his collegiate career with the Bulldogs, hopes to save at least 44 lives.

During Smith’s tenure, the team reached back-to-back NCAA Basketball Championship games. The 6’11 center was instrumental in those tournament runs and was popular with students and fans. Tragically, the talented Zionsville native Butler faithful often called “Moose” died from an aggressive form of cancer in 2016. He was only 25-years-old.

After his passing, Andrew’s wife, Samantha, worked to create the charity that bears his number. Andrew Smith had received a bone marrow transplant in 2015 that family members believe extended his life.

The charity made news when one of the first matches facilitated through Project 44 led to a 2-year-old boy with leukemia receiving a needed bone marrow transplant. The donor? One of Smith’s Butler teammates.

That’s close to a storybook start for a nonprofit hoping to raise awareness of a life-saving process that organization members believe all-too-often goes “under the radar” of many Americans: the continual need for blood stem cell donors and recipients.

It’s truly an effort aimed at saving lives.

In addition to Project 44, dozens of other charities can be the recipients of donations from State of Indiana employees. The results of those donations are real, tangible and often come at just the right time for those in need. Read about the impact of last year’s campaign here.

INDOR Commissioner Adam Krupp (left) meets with IDEM Commissioner Bruno Pigott. Krupp is set to lead the 2018 SECC. Pigott headed the campaign last year.

With plenty of motivation to give back to organizations that fight everything from food insecurity to homelessness, it appears Krupp’s lofty goal is a reachable one.

Last year’s campaign, which was headed by Indiana Department of Environmental Management Commissioner Bruno Pigott, brought in about $1.4 million that was divided among more than 1,600 nonprofit agencies.

Those are the kinds of stories that inspire others to do good in the communities in which they live.

This year’s kickoff will continue to highlight that important point through a series of games and events that coincide with the already-fun and festive Statehouse Market. Indiana First Lady Janet Holcomb and First Dog Henry Holcomb are expected to appear at the event, which will feature a dunk tank, a pie-in-the face event and plenty of informational booths from several charities. Samantha Smith is also set to appear at Thursday’s SECC “kickoff party.”

What’s more, several vendors and food truck owners have decided to donate a portion of their proceeds toward the SECC! Check out the links below to read all about this week’s lineup and the featured items that can be purchased to give a boost to the campaign.

Great food + helping those in need = win-win for all.

It’s sure to be a fun time, so make plans to have lunch outside this Thursday to learn more about a great cause while enjoying the amazing eats and treats only the Hoosier State’s finest farmers and entrepreneurs can provide.

Vendors: Market Week 15

Simple Taste Specialty Bakery

Uber Green Farms — Five Questions

Limelight Coffee — Five Questions — Limelight Coffee Roasters will donate $1 from each 32-oz. cold brew jug or bag of coffee beans sold Aug. 30!

Groomsville Popcorn — Five Questions — Groomsville Popcorn will donate $1 from each large bag of sea salt and kettle corn popcorn sold Aug. 30!

Food Trucks:

Nacho Mama’s — Five Questions — Nacho Mama’s will donate $1 from every indescribably delicious mini taco salad sold Aug. 30!

Simply Divine Cupcakes — Five Questions

Droopy’s BBQ — Got a hankering for some mac ‘n cheese? How about barbecue mac ‘n cheese? Droopy’s BBQ will donate $.50 from each barbecue mac ‘n cheese dish sold Aug. 30!

Chomp’Z — Who doesn’t like a delicious tenderloin? It’s called “Hoosier Comfort Food” for a reason, after all. Chomp’Z will donate $1 from each tenderloin sold Aug. 30!

Da Blue Lagoon

Las Tortugas — Five Questions

Serendipity — Five Questions

Chef Dan’s Southern Comfort — Five Questions — Chef Dan’s will donate 10 percent of Aug. 30 sales to the SECC!

Soladine Concessions

Pierogi Love Indy

The NY Slice

We’ll see you on Robert D. Orr Plaza Thursday, Aug. 30!

Five Questions with Limelight Coffee

posted by SPD Communications on August 22, 2018 Five Questions

Liz Laughlin believes in letting your light shine through.

That “light,” of course, is each person’s passion – the inherently unique spark that guides us toward the pursuit of our dreams.

For this relatively nascent coffee connoisseur, following her passion for people — and for creating smiles with carefully crafted goods — meant trading barley and hops for caffeinated beans of nearly every sort. After a decade brewing beer, Laughlin saw the emergence of a new trend — specialty coffees — and set out to put her own spin on the ol’ “cup o’ Joe.”

One sip is all it takes to see that her choice was the right one.

Now a staple of the Statehouse Market each summer, Laughlin’s inimitable smile greets passersby each week as she fills every customer’s cup to the brim or offers take-home bags of three distinct coffee flavors, one of which rotates seasonally.

We’re being “brutally honest” when we say Laughlin’s Limelight Coffee Roasters is a one-of-a-kind take on java, and her craftsmanship and care shine through in every cup.

Read on to hear how Liz Laughlin is bringing the specialty coffee scene in Indy “into the limelight.”

Q: What are some things that separate Limelight Coffee Roasters from other brands?

A: I select and roast the most flavorful coffees from around the world. I have formulated two flagship blends that were created to be very balanced, yet complex. Everything is roasted fresh at my roastery in northeast Indianapolis.

Each roaster is going to be unique to themselves because we all have our own roast profiles. I roast coffees that I enjoy drinking.

Q: What is your favorite flavor from your company’s selection?

A: My favorite would probably be the “Brutally Honest” blend. It is a blend of Colombian, Ethiopian and Brazilian coffees. It is roasted to a medium/dark roast that really brings out notes of chocolate, berry and nuts. It is also a very versatile coffee for different brew methods, like espresso, French press, drip or cold brew.

Q: What’s the most rewarding part of producing/selling coffee products? What is the most difficult?

A: I love giving samples to people who are tentative about trying the cold brew or to people who say, “I don’t like cold coffee.” Then their eyeballs light up — not everybody, but most. It is enjoyable to give people a new experience.

Q: What do you like best about the Statehouse Market?

A: I love being a weekly vendor this year because I have been able to establish closer relationships with State of Indiana employees and the other vendors. I also like being able to provide fresh-roasted beans to people weekly, or if they just want a cup or jugs of cold brew to go back up to the office with.

Q: What do you hope the future holds for your business?

A: I hope to continue serving State of Indiana employees with hot coffee, cold brew and bags of fresh-roasted coffee beans.

Market Week 14 looks peachy-keen!

posted by SPD Communications on August 20, 2018 Peaches

Contrary to what some may think, you really don’t have to move to the country to eat a lot of peaches.

Actually, all you have to do is drop by the Statehouse Market between 10:30 a.m. and 1:30 p.m. this Thursday to see an array of nectarines that might be the envy of even the most accomplished Georgia farmers.

And the peaches brought by our amazing lineup of produce vendors certainly don’t come from a can, nor were they put there by someone in a manufacturing facility… downtown or anywhere else. Nope. They’re Hoosier-grown and painstakingly cared for to peak ripeness.

Personally, if we had our little way, we’d probably go ahead and eat peaches every day, and we think you’ll feel the same.

Okay, that’s enough quasi-obscure ’90s Alternative music references for one week, but, in case you haven’t already noticed, we think the Statehouse Market is the perfect place to celebrate National Peach Month. You’ll find plenty of those delectable treats sharing booth real estate with dozens of other fruits and veggies just waiting to be part of your healthy dinner.

All that joins coffee, honey products, pies, artisan ketchup and mustard, dairy products, fresh flowers and so much more!

Oh, and be sure to scope out the dozen or so food trucks lined up to provide customers with an amazingly delicious lunch. As always, these entrepreneurs will be bringing some of the best street food the Indy area has to offer!

We’ll be enjoying it all on Robert D. Orr Plaza Aug. 23; and if you’d take time to join us, well, we think that would be just peachy.

Here’s this week’s lineup:

Vendors:

Limelight Coffee — Five Questions

Gluten Free Creations

Generations Pie Company — Five Questions

Food Trucks:

Soul Sista On the Move

Boxburger — Five Questions

Chef Dan’s Southern Comfort — Five Questions

Lucky Market #13!

posted by SPD Communications on August 13, 2018 Statehouse Market Week 13

Many people believe the number 13 is one that is especially unlucky.

We, on the other hand, are not at all superstitious; as a matter of fact, we tend to think that good fortune and the Statehouse Market go hand-in-hand.

How else can you describe the circumstances that brought some of the Hoosier State’s freshest produce together with (deep breath) homemade granola and baked goods, quality dairy products, carefully crafted cold brew coffee, gold standard popcorn, top-of-the-line gluten free snacks, fresh-from-the-hive honey (and tons of products made from it) vegan nachos with all the best toppings, crab cakes and elk burgers (from the same truck!), baked-to-perfection brick oven pizza, donuts to die for, mouthwatering barbecued everything, grilled chicken quesadillas and real fruit smoothies (again, from the same truck!), arepa and other amazing sandwiches and meals straight from Venezuela, home-style Chinese food, pretzel sandwiches with delightful “twists,” a couple dozen flavors of healthy frozen pops, and burgers, fish, fries and more that will take you back to the days of drive-ins and sock hops?

Phew!

That sounds like some (extremely tasty) serendipitous happenstance to us!

And when you stop to think about it, visitors to Robert D. Orr Plaza each Thursday truly are lucky as they’ll have the opportunity to try out an enormously varied selection of food and artisan goods like these — and many others — each and every week throughout the summer.

Come out between 10:30 a.m. and 1:30 p.m. Thursday, Aug. 16 for a look at Week 13’s best eats and treats. Check out the list below for details on this week’s vendors and food trucks.

With a baker’s dozen markets “in the books” in 2018, we can’t wait to see what the future holds for this season.

We’re crossing our fingers and hoping you’ll join us each Thursday through Oct. 4.

Vendors:

Limelight Coffee

Simple Taste — Items this week include empanadas, calzones, vegan options, baby peach pies (it’s Peach Month!), and plenty of sugar free Paleo cinnamon rolls!

Food Trucks:

Serendipity Mobile Catering — Five Questions

Pi Indy

General American Donut Company — Five Questions

Backyard BBQ

Soladine Concessions

El Venezolano

Rolling Asian Delight

Der Pretzel Wagen

Dashboard Diner — Five Questions

J & J – A Taste of Home Catering — Five Questions — This week’s lunch special is a Philly cheese steak egg roll, French fries and a drink for $7.

A dozen Statehouse Markets down, plenty to go

posted by SPD Communications on August 6, 2018 Statehouse Market Week 12

We’re already a dozen weeks into the 2018 Statehouse Market season!

That’s 12 wonderful weeks of peaches, blueberries, potatoes, cantaloupe, eggplant, peppers, green beans and so much more!

And we, of course, can’t forget the food trucks who’ve brought us nachos, tacos, cheeseburgers, pizza, hot dogs, sausages, salads, quesadillas, crab cakes and just about every other kind of food under the summer sun.

With 10 more markets to go, we hope you’ll visit us on Robert D. Orr Plaza each Thursday and see the selection of amazing goods for yourself. You can start this week by meeting us outside from 10:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m.

While we (impatiently) wait for Thursday, check out this week’s scheduled lineup:

Vendors:

Brick House Vinaigrettes — Five Questions

Limelight Coffee

Gluten Free Creations — This week’s items include sweet breads, cookies, brownies, scone bites, pecan tartlets, Paleo items, and pound cakes.

Tommie’s Ooo Weee Chicken

Food Trucks:

Citizen Hash

The Twisted Sicilian — Check out the new Sicilian cold cut sub with ham, capocollo, salami, calabrese, hard salami ,provolone cheese giardinniera!

Pi Indy

Johnson’s BBQ

The Legendary Kitchen — Five Questions

Serendipity Trailer — Five Questions

Tacos Without Borders

Lucky Louie’s

Chef Dan’s Southern Comfort

It’s Week 11 and August is here!!!

posted by SPD Communications on July 30, 2018 Market Blog Week 11

Summer is going by quickly (a bit too quickly by our estimation), but there are still plenty of great market days ahead.

We’re “glass is half-full” kind of people, and at the halfway point of another great Statehouse Market season, we’re just as excited as ever.

Make plans to meet us for lunch this Thursday, Aug. 2, on Robert D. Orr Plaza. We’ll be there from 10:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m.

Check out the amazing lineup below for a quick preview of what to expect this Thursday!

Vendors:

Biltz Greenhouses – This week’s lineup includes blueberries, peaches, tomatoes, green beans, apples, potatoes, sweet potatoes, corn and peppers.

Uber Green Farms — Five Questions – This week’s selection includes the following delicious micro-greens flavors: Spicy Oriental, sunflowers, and Super Salad.

Limelight Coffee

Simple Taste Specialty Bakery — This week’s selection includes Simple Taste’s typically delicious baked goods and empanadas, along with vegan options.

Generations Pie Company — Five Questions

Food Trucks:

Byrne’s Grilled Pizza

The Flying Cupcake

Droopy’s BBQ — This week’s special is the Carolina – Droopy’s famous slow-smoked pulled pork smothered in North Carolina vinegar barbecue sauce and topped with spicy slaw on a brioche bun.

Chomp’Z

Gaucho’s Fire

Da Blue Lagoon

J & J Taste of Home — Five Questions — This week’s special is jerk chicken and shrimp pasta Alfredo for $10.