Indiana Black Expo's Summer Celebration returns July 9 through July 19, 2026. The 11-day event at the Indiana Convention Center draws over 300,000 people and has been running since 1971, making it the longest-running event of its kind in the country.
The 2026 theme is "Our Legacy, Our Influence, Our Future."
Here's what's on the schedule and what you need to know.
The Concert
The Music Heritage Festival is the ticketed anchor of Summer Celebration. This year it's on Friday, July 17 at IU Michael A. Carroll Track and Soccer Stadium in downtown Indianapolis. Shows start at 6 p.m.
KEM headlines. The three-time Grammy-nominated R&B singer is joined by October London, an Indiana native returning home for the show, plus King George and Midnight Star.
Tickets start at $10. They go on sale March 13 at summercelebration.net and Ticketmaster.
The Exhibit Hall
The Exhibition Hall is free and open to the public. It's where most of the foot traffic goes during the weekend days. More than 300 vendors set up across the hall selling food, fashion, art, books, beauty products, and more, alongside 250-plus exhibitors from corporations, nonprofits, and government agencies.
If you specifically want to shop with Black-owned vendors, this is the place. Weekday mornings move slower than weekend afternoons if you want time to actually talk to people.
Business and Education Programming
The Business Conference runs two days and is built around Black, Brown, women, veteran, and disabled business owners. It brings in executives with real contracting and procurement opportunities, not just panels.
The Education Conference is one of the larger education summits in the country, focused on educators and school leaders. It runs as a full-day event with sessions from morning through late afternoon.
Both conferences are held at the Indiana Convention Center. Specific 2026 dates will be announced at indianablackexpo.com.
Health Screenings
The Indiana Health Fair, run by the Indiana Department of Health inside IBE's exhibit hall, provides over $4,000 worth of screenings per person at no cost. It covers diabetes, heart disease, hypertension, cancer, and stroke risk. It runs across three days during the weekend portion of Summer Celebration, noon to 7 p.m.
The All White Affair
The All White Affair is an annual evening event at Gainbridge Fieldhouse. Dress code is all white. Tickets are required and run higher than the Music Heritage Festival. The 2026 date and performers have not been announced yet.
Getting There
The Indiana Convention Center is at 100 S Capitol Ave in downtown Indianapolis. The Carroll Stadium, where the concert is held, is on the IUPUI campus a short walk away.
Parking fills fast on weekend days. The Pan Am Plaza garage and Circle Centre Mall garage are both walkable from the convention center. If you're coming on a Saturday or Sunday, plan to arrive early or use the IndyGo Red Line from Broad Ripple or Fountain Square.
Early bird vendor registration closed February 28. For updated registration and full schedule information, check indianablackexpo.com.
While you're in Indianapolis for Summer Celebration, the IBB directory is a good place to find Black-owned restaurants, salons, and shops to visit beyond the convention center.