"Parking is limited, but we know everyone walks." Lauren Weghorst said roughly that in a WIBC interview about the newest Slapfish, which opens at 49th and Penn on Saturday, Nov. 14. She was describing Meridian-Kessler. The same logic fits a few miles north on Broad Ripple Avenue this Saturday, Nov. 7. That's because the Broad Ripple Farmers Market moves there for the winter.
From May through October, the market sets up at Glendale Town Center, 6001 N. Rural St. Starting Saturday, Nov. 7, it moves into Broad Ripple Middle School at 1115 Broad Ripple Ave. and stays there through April. Most of the new businesses that opened on the north side this fall are on Broad Ripple Avenue or the streets just off it. For the next five months, the market and those new places are on the same streets.
The winter address, and what changes with it
The outdoor season ended Oct. 31 with a costume morning and a doggie costume contest. The Broad Ripple Cultural District's market page lists the winter details:
- When: Saturdays, 9 a.m. to noon, November through April
- Where: Broad Ripple Middle School, 1115 Broad Ripple Ave.
- Doors: South Entrance Door #8 or North Entrance Door #1
- Skip date: Closed Saturday, Nov. 28
- Dogs: Not allowed indoors
The start time is the same as it was in October, when the outdoor market had already moved from 8 a.m. to 9 a.m. If your dog came along to Glendale every week, that's the bigger change. The winter market is a people-only trip, and that makes it easier to tack on a stop somewhere else afterward.
What opened nearby while the market was still at Glendale
Two newcomers opened their doors in Broad Ripple and SoBro over the late summer and early fall.
Ripple Boulder, 5255 Winthrop Ave., is a boutique bouldering gym. A Sept. 9 item on the Indianapolis Business Journal's fitness page announced its grand-opening celebration for the following Saturday. The gym is owned by Collin Jester, Madeline McKinnon and Caleb Johnson. According to Climbing Business Journal, the front door opens directly onto the Monon Trail. Inside is 2,400 square feet of climbing wall. The centerpiece is a floating boulder designed to be seen from the trail, and a large glass wall connects the gym to the coffee shop next door. Staffed hours are noon to 9 p.m. on weekdays and 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. on weekends, and members get 24/7 access. On Saturdays the gym opens two hours before the market closes, so a market run and a climbing session fit into the same morning.
Vintage Spoon Ice Cream Social, 6528 Cornell Ave., came over from Geist. INDYtoday counted it among the city's September openings. Current reported in August that Chris Collins is behind the brand and the expansion. The Broad Ripple shop carries 28 flavors of hand-dipped ice cream, plus shaved ice, candy, fudge and nostalgic toys. In November, the candy and fudge counter does as much for gift shopping as the cones do for dessert.
Both of these opened while the market was still at Glendale. Starting this Saturday, the market is a short trip from both.
Slapfish takes the second Saturday
The week after the market moves indoors, Slapfish opens its fifth location at 115 E. 49th St. The grand opening is Saturday, Nov. 14, with a ribbon cutting and doors at 11 a.m. The first 100 customers get a free lobster roll. Mark Weghorst told WIBC that they've given away more than 200 at past openings, and his advice was to "get in line early."
The location has a family connection. Mark is the son of Broccoli Bill, and the first Slapfish opened in 2019 inside Broccoli Bill's. Next came Mass Ave, then Fishers at The Yard, then a Carmel location connected to Market District that opened about 10 months ago. His father grew up in the 49th and Penn area and went to Immaculate Heart, and the couple told WIBC they both spent time there growing up. According to Mark, the best-sellers are the lobster roll, a power bowl with shrimp and salmon, and fish and chips.
The timing lines up well. The doors open at 11, while the indoor market is still running. That makes Nov. 14 the first Saturday when Broad Ripple's winter market and Meridian-Kessler's newest restaurant happen on the same morning.
Two more College Avenue doors, still in progress
There's more coming to the corridor, but neither of these openings is confirmed yet.
Moody's Butcher Shop is moving from 1764 E. 86th St. in Nora to a bigger storefront at 6434 N. College Ave., Suite C. The shop's Nora page says the crew and the full lineup of hand-cut meats are coming along. It also mentions a large parking lot with two entrances directly off College Avenue. The target was the last weekend of October, and the page promised opening-weekend details soon. That page is the place to check before you head over. Once it opens, there'll be a full-service butcher on College Avenue, a short trip from the indoor market where you buy your vegetables.
Baby Tiger, 6513 N. College Ave., is a planned alcohol-free bar from Nicole Harlan-Oprisu, the owner of Northside Social and Delicia. Random Ripplings described the concept as zero-proof drinks and shareable bites, including nonalcoholic beer and wine, dirty sodas and matcha drinks. INDYtoday's Sept. 28 roundup still listed it as coming soon, with a fall 2026 ETA.
The same roundup lists a longer pipeline. Hamilton Walker's is headed to 6280 N. College Ave. with an early-2027 ETA. Bocado Brunch & Te'kila is planned for 4601 N. College Ave. in SoBro. Most of the new openings, done and planned, are on College Avenue between 46th and 65th streets.
Four market Saturdays before the tree lighting
The winter season runs into April, but the stretch from now to the holidays is short. Broad Ripple Lights Up falls on Sunday, Dec. 6, 2026. There's a festival, a twilight parade at 5:30 p.m. and the tree lighting at 6 p.m.
| Date | What's on |
|---|---|
| Saturday, Nov. 7 | Winter market opens at Broad Ripple Middle School, 9 a.m. to noon |
| Saturday, Nov. 14 | Indoor market; Slapfish grand opening at 115 E. 49th St., doors at 11 a.m. |
| Saturday, Nov. 21 | Indoor market, the last one before Thanksgiving |
| Saturday, Nov. 28 | Market closed |
| Saturday, Dec. 5 | Indoor market, the day before Lights Up |
| Sunday, Dec. 6 | Broad Ripple Lights Up: parade at 5:30 p.m., tree lighting at 6 p.m. |
That's four market mornings, with Nov. 21 as the last before Thanksgiving and Dec. 5 coming right before the parade. On Dec. 5 you can shop the market Saturday morning, and the tree lighting is on Broad Ripple's streets the next evening.
At The Spillman Group, we keep track of what opens on these streets and when, whether you're moving across Indianapolis or north into Hamilton County. Schedule a Free Consultation, and we'll talk about the blocks you already know and the ones you're thinking about next.
