June 2024
Carmel hosts some of the most exciting and well-attended events in the region, with Artomobilia, the Carmel International Arts Festival and Carmel Christkindlmarkt being prime examples. These events not only drive economic development but also showcase the city’s best to residents, visitors and neighboring communities, highlighting why Carmel is an exceptional place to live, work and engage.
We interviewed Mayor Sue Finkam about how events like these enhance Carmel’s reputation as a premier host for diverse community gatherings. We also explored the significant economic and social impacts they bring to the city.
Experience Carmel’s Nationally and Regionally Renowned Events
Don’t miss these upcoming annual events this late summer, fall and winter in the heart of Carmel!
Artomobilia
Carmel’s Artomobilia seamlessly blends art and automobiles, transforming the city into a vibrant hub of creativity and classic car admiration. Held annually, this event attracts thousands of visitors to marvel at vintage, exotic and rare cars displayed throughout the core of Carmel. Artomobilia is more than just an exhibition; it celebrates automotive heritage and artistic expression, fostering community and shared passion while boosting local economic activity and cultural enrichment.
Carmel International Arts Festival
The Carmel International Arts Festival transforms the city into a vibrant open-air gallery each year. Showcasing global artists, the festival includes diverse visual arts such as painting, sculpture and photography. Attendees can explore artist booths, enjoy live music and performances, and shop/dine at local businesses. This dynamic event enriches Carmel’s cultural landscape, fosters community spirit and draws art enthusiasts, significantly boosting the local economy and promoting the arts.
Carmel Christkindlmarkt
The Carmel Christkindlmarkt is a celebrated holiday market that brings the festive charm of a traditional German Christmas market to Carmel each year. Featuring quaint wooden huts offering handcrafted gifts, holiday decor and German delicacies like bratwurst and mulled wine, visitors can also enjoy ice skating, live holiday music and a nostalgic ambiance. This enchanting market attracts hundreds of thousands, bolstering local tourism and celebrating the holiday season in a joyful and authentic manner.
The Ice at Carter Green
The Ice at Carter Green in Carmel is a beloved winter attraction that transforms the city into a magical ice-skating destination. Open annually during the holiday season, this outdoor rink offers a picturesque setting for skaters of all ages. Surrounded by twinkling lights, The Ice at Carter Green is perfect for family fun, romantic outings and community gatherings. With skate rentals and special, city-sponsored events, it enhances the winter experience in Carmel, drawing residents and visitors to celebrate the wonders of the season.
Fostering Community Growth in Carmel
When asked how these events and others held in Carmel throughout the year benefit the city and its community, Finkam said, “These events give us an amazing opportunity to show off our community and brag a little bit. It’s rewarding for me to stand at Main [St.] and Monon Blvd. with someone who hasn’t been back to the community in 20 years, because they look down Main St. and see the Arts and Design District has evolved. Then, they can look at our award-winning Monon Blvd. and see the lush landscaping and incredible placemaking that’s been done with the bike and walk lanes and the restaurants, and they are amazed.”
Finkam added, “When we did our community survey, the top three ways that people responded to describe Carmel were, ‘safe, clean and beautiful.’ You can safely walk around with your children or friends and experience our amazing amenities. You see how clean the city is, thanks to the many people who make that happen, including our residents who take care of what they’ve built. Last year, I stood in line at one of the booths at Christkindlmarkt, and a lady and I engaged in conversation. She told me she had come to [Christkindlmarkt] the year before, fell in love with Carmel and moved here. I thought that is an incredible testament to what these [community] events can do.”
Strategic Economic Development
The mayor highlighted how the city’s branding initiatives will integrate with its economic development strategies, emphasizing the evaluation of community events’ return on investment.
“Events have been a part of our economic strategy for many years,” Finkam said. “It’s about belongingness and creating community … making sure that we can help understand each other better, especially if we have different cultural backgrounds. Over the years, we’ve been very strategic about what events we wanted to host here [in Carmel] to make sure that they support different interests and engage a larger part of our population.”
Finkam continued, “We’ve done a good job curating experiences for our population that other communities haven’t invested in. We, meaning myself and our marketing team, are especially interested in evaluating the events for the true ROI they offer to ensure that we’re using taxpayer dollars wisely. If there is an event [here] that doesn’t deliver the ROI that we would anticipate, the question becomes how we make it better, or is it time to move on to a different event because this [event] isn’t relevant anymore? That’s our job as part of a strategic thinking standpoint to ensure the events are truly hitting the mark with our residents and visitors; if they’re not, then we look for other [events] that can.”
Earlier this year, the city announced the launch of its community-wide branding initiative, featuring a three-phase Research, Creativity and Action process to establish Carmel’s unique and authentic brand identity. A crucial part of this branding process will be to gather feedback from Carmel residents and businesses as the mayor and her team continue to assess what differentiates Carmel from other communities and what attractions bring visitors, new residents and company headquarters to Carmel.
“These [community] events are just another tool in the toolbox to make sure people understand who we are and what we stand for,” Finkam stated. “That is what the rebranding is about. The rebranding will offer subtle changes and, in other ways, large changes. It’s hard to say what those will be right now because we have not yet developed our brand platform, but it will be clearly articulated in the weeks and months to come.”
Finkam concluded, “Our [community] events aren’t about checking a box to have something to do on the weekends. They are about offering opportunities for people to experience Carmel so they can fall in love with it and either stay [in Carmel] as an existing resident or consider moving here. We need to make sure that we are still trying to differentiate ourselves, and we have to constantly make sure that we’re perceived to be one of the top communities in the country, and rebranding is a part of that. I am working hard, along with a great team of people in the city, who do nothing but elevate what Carmel has to offer and what we give back to our community each and every day.”