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

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:

VanAntwerp’s Farm Market

Biltz Greenhouses

Poseys and Pumpkins

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

Groomsville Popcorn — 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

Nicey Treat

Johnson’s BBQ Shack

2018 SECC ‘kickoff party’ headlines Week 15 Market!

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:

VanAntwerp’s Farm Market

Poseys and Pumpkins

Biltz Greenhouses

Wildflower Ridge Honey — Five Questions

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!

Simple Taste Specialty Bakery

Hot Toddy’s — Five Questions

Oberweis Dairy

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

Nicey Treat

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!

Week 10 is here!

Is there anything more summer-like than a farmers market?

Corn, cucumbers, squash and potatoes share table space with blueberries, peaches, and other freshly-picked fruit spread out under sunny blue skies.

Artisan goods crafted from honey and healthy (and delicious!) salad dressing fashioned from only the best ingredients join one-of-a-kind popcorn, baked goods tailored to fit almost any diet and some of the finest coffee ever brewed.

Oh, and a fleet of the Indy area’s best-loved food trucks have lunch covered with sandwiches, pizza and so much more!

The sights, the sounds and especially the smells practically scream summer!

So make plans to meet us on Robert D. Orr Plaza for Week 10 of the Statehouse Market. We’ll be there from 10:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. Thursday, July 26 — and every Thursday — for the rest of the season.

Until then, read up on this week’s lineup below:

Vendors:

VanAntwerp’s Farm Market

Poseys and Pumpkins

Biltz Greenhouses

Wildflower Ridge Honey — Five Questions

Limelight Coffee

Groomsville Popcorn — Five Questions

Gluten Free Creations

Brick House Vinaigrettes — Five Questions

Food Trucks:

Serendipity — Five Questions

Brozinni

Simply Divine Cupcakes — Five Questions

Backyard BBQ

Dashboard Diner — Five Questions

Chef Dan’s Southern Comfort

Las Tortugas

Rolling Asian Delight

Rosie’s Riblets

Nicey Treat

Market marches on to Week 7

Celebrate your independence from a boring, banal or otherwise bland lunch by visiting the Statehouse Market this Thursday!

Almost a dozen food trucks will line up from 10:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. on Robert D. Orr Plaza with a selection of cuisine we declare is delicious.

As always, this week’s vendors will bring along top-of-the-line Hoosier-grown produce and lovingly-crafted, homebaked goods sure to be the stars of any summer get-together.

We think that visiting the Statehouse Market each week is pretty much the definition of the pursuit of happiness. After the fun and fireworks of this Fourth of July, why not join us for our weekly celebration of Hoosier farmers and good, old-fashioned American entrepreneurship?

We hope to see you there!

Vendors:

VanAntwerp’s Farm Market

Poseys and Pumpkins

Biltz Greenhouses

Hot Toddy’s  — Five Questions

Limelight Coffee Roasters

Groomsville Popcorn  — Five Questions

Simple Taste Specialty Bakery

Brick House Vinaigrettes  — Five Questions

Food Trucks:

The Twisted Sicilian  — Cucumber salad is this week’s special.

5280 Bistro

Pi Indy

Simply Divine Cupcakes  — Five Questions  Simply Divine will be offering gluten free and vegan options this week.

Droopy’s BBQ  – Special will be a Cubano Sandwich (pulled pork, honey ham, Swiss cheese, pickle and Droopy’s mustard BBQ sauce) with a bag of Grippos potato chips for $12.

Boxburger  — Five Questions

Edwards’ Drive-In Dashboard Diner  — Five Questions

Chef Dan’s Southern Comfort  — Vegetarian red beans and rice is this week’s special.

Da Blue Lagoon

Ooo Weee Chicken

Nicey Treat

Five Questions with Simply Divine Cupcakes

An Irvington cupcake company is proving each day that heaven — at least as far as baked goods are concerned — really is a place on earth.

Simply Divine Cupcakes owner Sarah Duffy’s delicious wares promise a blissful taste equaled only by the ethereal, and she’s working to bring numerous varieties of her tasty snacks to Statehouse Market visitors.

How does Simply Divine create such heavenly concoctions? Read on to find out.

Q: Simply Divine Cupcakes offers more than 80 varieties of treats, including gluten free and vegan cupcakes. What role does customer feedback play in the creation of your items?

A: We often take customer suggestions for creating new flavors.  Sometimes it is a combination of flavors they suggest or a favorite non-cupcake dessert that they would like to have, but we are always trying out new ideas.

Q: What are some of your most popular items?

A: We have all the traditional favorite cake flavors like red velvet, strawberry, and vanilla, but our specialty flavors like orange Creamsicle and Neapolitan are always a hit.

Q: What do you enjoy most about the Statehouse Market?

A: I love the diversity in the market vendors and the variety each week. The weekends are always busy for us as a family, so a market during the week that you can stop by for fresh produce is great.

Q: What sets Simply Divine apart from other cupcake producers in the Indianapolis area?

A: As a small family-operated business, every aspect of our product is held to the highest standards.  All the cupcakes are baked fresh daily from scratch in our small batches.  We use non-GMO pure cane sugar, European butter, real Madagascar vanilla, and the highest quality Belgium cocoa, and since our cupcakes are made from scratch, they do not contain extra chemicals or preservatives.

Q: One of Indy’s most popular dessert destinations, what’s next for Simply Divine? What do you hope to offer customers that they may not find elsewhere?

A: We are always exploring new options for growth.  We recently added gluten-free cupcakes and vegan cupcakes to our menu that are available by pre-order that we hope will become part of the daily offerings soon.  We are also expanding the delivery and catering options to reach more people throughout the greater Indianapolis area.

Simply Divine Cupcakes is on Facebook and Twitter. Check out their website for more information.