On May 25, hundreds of thousands will converge on the Indianapolis Motor Speedway (IMS) to hear the roar of the engines and see the “Greatest Spectacle in Racing” – the 109th running of the Indy 500. Beyond the high-speed action on the track is a wealth of pageantry and local traditions going back decades.
The Milk Bottles
For the last 22 years, Geist resident Scott Heavin has been the creative force behind the milk bottles given to the winners of the Indy 500. Through his company The Promotion Lab, Heavin collaborates every year with with the American Dairy Association of Indiana (ADAI) on the design and engraving.
Heavin washes and preps the bottles, engraves them, then hands them off to Indianapolis Motor Speedway officials to give to the winner of the race – a tradition in place for close to a century, when Louis Meyer won his third Indy 500 in 1936 and chugged a bottle of buttermilk in victory lane.
“The bottles have to be perfectly clean because the milk would show any imperfection,” Heavin says. As part of the run-up to this year’s race, IMS, ADAI and Prairie Farms Dairy are collaborating to bring Indianapolis 500-branded milk pints and cartons to fans across the Midwest. More than 13,000 retailers across Michigan, Ohio, Indiana, Kentucky, Tennessee, Illinois, Missouri and Wisconsin will be stocked with 16-ounce pints celebrating five winners of “The Greatest Spectacle in Racing” and their milk preferences:
- 2% reduced-fat milk features back-to-back winner and defending winner Josef Newgarden (2023, 2024)
- Whole vitamin D milk features two-time Indy 500 winner Takuma Sato (2017, 2020)
- Premium chocolate milk features 2018 Indy 500 winner Will Power
- 1% low fat chocolate milk features four-time Indy 500 winner Helio Castroneves (2001, 2002, 2009, 2021)
- Premium strawberry milk features 2022 Indy 500 winner Marcus Ericsson
The Jewels
Every year, 33 dynamic young women from across Indiana are selected to take part in the 500 Festival Princess Program. Starting in 1959, over 2,000 Hoosier women have had the honor of wearing the crowns and serving as ambassadors for the 500 Festival.
Geist jeweler Mary Khamis is charged with creating the stunning necklaces each princess dons throughout the year during their reign. Khamis Fine Jewelers is the Official Jeweler for the 500 Festival Princess Program. Celebrating three decades in business, Mary Khamis ensures each princess receives a necklace as unique as she is, supporting local traditions and honoring the legacy of the Indianapolis 500 alongside hometowns across the state.
The 109th Indianapolis 500 presented by Gainbridge is scheduled for Sunday, May 25. Tickets are on sale at IMS.com or by calling or visiting the IMS Ticket Office.
