Citywide Sesquicentennial Trail, time capsule, podcast series & more honor city’s past & present
FISHERS, IND. – The City of Fishers is celebrating its 150th birthday with a Sesquicentennial Year celebration. Through June 2023, the community will celebrate the founding of Fishers in 1872, then called Fishers Switch, by showcasing what it means to be uniquely Fishers.
The 150th-anniversary celebration includes an interactive Sesquicentennial Trail scavenger hunt, community time capsule, podcast series, photo archiving, and more.
“Fishers and its residents have grown into the smart, vibrant, and entrepreneurial community that we can all affectionately call our hometown. In the last 150 years it has evolved from a small farming town to a bedroom community to a bustling and innovative city,” said Fishers Mayor Scott Fadness. “Our Sesquicentennial is not only a time to honor our history and the people and traditions that have made our community what it is today, but also a time to look toward the future as we enter Fishers’ next chapter.”
Fishers residents can take part in celebrating the Sesquicentennial in several ways with more to be announced over the next year:
Sesquicentennial Trail Scavenger Hunt
Residents are invited to embark on a self-guided tour of Fishers’ history, culture, and community favorites on the Fishers Sesquicentennial Trail! Beginning August 1, participants can pick up an official Trail passport from various locations around the city and begin checking off destinations as they explore. From historic sites such as the Ambassador House and Conner Prairie to cultural destinations such as Holland Park and the Ignite Studio to local businesses celebrating with Sesquicentennial specials and menu items, the trail is the perfect way to celebrate what it means to be uniquely Fishers. A kids’ passport book is also available for our youngest explorers! All finishers will receive an official Trail t-shirt, while the first 150 finishers will receive a gift card to a Fishers small business. Learn more and find a list of passport pickup locations at Thisisfishers.com/Fishers150.
Community Time Capsule
Fishers is partnering with Towne Post’s Fishers Magazine to curate a community time capsule that will be displayed at the new Fishers arts center and city hall, debuting in spring 2024. The capsule will be opened in 50 years, for the city’s Bicentennial in 2072. The community is invited to submit ideas for items that should be included in the capsule via an online form on the Towne Post website.
Mudsock Handbook Book Signing at Fishers Arts Council’s Second Friday
Fishers Arts Council presents Fishers & Hamilton County: A Historic Perspective. Meet the talented contemporary artists behind the works on display that feature the history of Fishers and Hamilton County. Larry Reynolds, a longtime Fishers resident and 1967 graduate of the original Fishers High School, will host a book signing. The Fishers Arts Council’s Second Friday art exhibition will be hosted Friday, August 12 from 6 – 8 p.m. at the Collaboration Hub (11810 Technology Dr, Fishers). Light refreshments and a cash wine bar will be available.
Podcast Series & Blog Posts
The City has partnered with Larry in Fishers’ Larry Lannan on a new bimonthly podcast series that explores Fishers’ history. Two episodes are now available at LarryInFishers.com and at ThisisFishers.com/Fishers150. Special blog posts on ThisisFishers.com will also showcase Fishers’ history, the city’s unique residents, and more through community storytelling.
Free Historical Photo Archiving
Fishers residents can digitize their historical photos and items for free in partnership with Fishers-based Memory Ventures ScanCafe. Through this partnership, residents and individuals with historically significant photos, slides, films, and other mediums can have them digitally preserved, shared in the official City of Fishers Sesquicentennial Archives, and receive digital downloads of their files for safe keeping and personal archiving. Visit ThisisFishers.com/Fishers150 for more information on how to take advantage of this offer.
Sesquicentennial Community Mural
Artist Jeannette Pomeroy Parssi will host a creating party on August 13 and 14 from 10 a.m. – 4 p.m. at Conner Prairie (14000 Allisonville Rd., Fishers) for Fishers residents to participate in creating a community mural based on a historic painting from the Conner Prairie archives. The public is invited to participate in recreating a 12”x12” piece of the 10’x8’ mural using various mediums and materials. Together, the 12”x12” pieces will complete the full mural which will be publicly displayed as part of Fishers’ Sesquicentennial Celebration.
Additional programming will be announced as the celebration continues through June 2023.
Learn more about the Fishers Sesquicentennial Celebration at Thisisfishers.com/Fishers150 and follow the City of Fishers on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram for updates.
