This collaboration marks a long-term commitment to scale the event’s reach and deepen its civic engagement.    INDIANAPOLIS (August 27, 2026) – In a significant development, the 500 Festival and Lucas Oil announced a historic partnership with a five-year agreement to amplify their commitment of community impact around the 500 [...]

Applications now open for the Employee Wellness Challenge, Mini with a Meaning, and Badge Match Challenge    INDIANAPOLIS (August 20, 2026) – The 500 Festival invites organizations to join the IU Health 500 Festival Mini-Marathon on Saturday, May 8, to make their race day even more meaningful. Applications are now [...]

Presented by Riley Children's Health, the program brings the history, innovation and traditions of the 500 Festival and Indianapolis 500 to students through hands-on lessons, classroom resources and immersive field trip experiences.    INDIANAPOLIS (August 3, 2026) – Following another successful year that reached 25,700 students from 360 Indiana schools, [...]

INDIANAPOLIS (May 16, 2025) – The 500 Festival announced Hailey Ready of Greenwood, Indiana, as the 2026 500 Festival Queen Scholar. The announcement was made during the 500 Festival Breakfast at the Brickyard, presented by CHA, held at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway earlier today.  Hailey is a senior at Marian University and is pursuing a degree in Biology and English. She is actively involved in the Marian [...]

INDIANAPOLIS (May 14, 2026) – The 500 Festival announces Lieutenant General of the Army National Guard Jonathan Stubbs as the keynote speaker for the American Legion 500 Festival Memorial Service. The Memorial Service will be held Friday, May 22, at 12:00 p.m. at the Indiana War Memorial in downtown Indianapolis. The event is free and open to the public, but attendees are encouraged to RSVP [...]

INDIANAPOLIS (May 11, 2026) – The 500 Festival announces the winning teams of the 2026 Badge Match Challenge and Employee Wellness Challenge for the IU Health 500 Festival Mini-Marathon and Delta Dental 500 Festival 5K.    The 500 Festival Employee Wellness Challenge encourages Hoosiers to get moving through wellness, teamwork, and friendly competition. This year’s challenge consisted of more than 1,800 individuals state wide.  The Badge Match Challenge brings together public service professionals across to compete in the Mini-Marathon as teams. Teams are made up of 4-7 [...]

INDIANAPOLIS (May 7, 2026) - The 500 Festival announces today that Pascal Siakam and Andrew Nembhard of the Indiana Pacers will serve as Grand Marshals of the 2026 Lucas Oil 500 Festival Parade.  Celebrating its 70th year, the Parade will spotlight the theme Racing Through History, honoring the legacy and impact of the 500 Festival and the traditions [...]

INDIANAPOLIS (May 6, 2026) – The 500 Festival announces internationally acclaimed vocalist Loren Allred and rising star Ephraim Owens as featured performers in the opening production of the 2026 Lucas Oil 500 Festival Parade. Allred will deliver the national anthem, while Owens brings a dynamic cover of Journey’s “Don’t Stop Believin’,” creating a high-energy start to one of [...]

INDIANAPOLIS (May 5, 2026) – The 500 Festival announces the return of the Indianapolis 500 Mile Challenge and the Gasoline Alley® 250 Mile Challenge, presented by PNC Bank. These two virtual fitness challenges allow participants to continue celebrating the 500 Festival and the Indianapolis 500 beyond the month of May.   Participants can stay active and choose between two distances. Option one is to complete a total of 500 miles of physical activity; the same mileage NTT INDYCAR SERIES drivers complete in the Indianapolis 500 presented by Gainbridge. Or, participants may choose the second option, to complete [...]