Not just cicadas are swarming over Indianapolis this season!
We have discovered that a large (60,000 people) national conference for Future Farmers of America will take place at the Indianapolis Convention Center overlapping with AC2024 the weekend of October 25-26. Consequently many of the hotels in Indianapolis are either already sold out or charging astronomical prices.
If you are considering staying in Indianapolis on the Friday night before the conference, we recommend you book your accommodation as soon as possible!
The Conference Team has negotiated two room blocks at hotels near to the conference venue (The Forum in Fishers, Indiana). The Holiday Inn Express is generously holding 20 rooms until October 11 (but the contract allows them to terminate the agreement at any time without liability). The Fairfield is holding only 10 rooms until July 31.
Here are the details for booking:
- Holiday Inn Express, 9791 North by Northeast Blvd–20 King rooms held until October 11 at room rate $149. Book using THIS LINK or call 1-888-480-0427 and say you are with INPS. Amenities: indoor pool, fitness center, American-style breakfast buffet, check-in from 3pm, check-out by 11:00 am. Cancel by 4pm three days prior to arrival to avoid being charged.
- Fairfield Inn & Suites, 10495 Crosspoint Blvd–10 rooms held until July 31 at room rate $229. Book using THIS LINK or call 1-888-236-2427 and say you are with INPS. Amenities: indoor pool, onsite laundry, fitness center, free WIFI, breakfast buffet. Check-in from 3pm, check-out by noon. Cancel up to 72 hours prior to day of arrival without charge.
Is it worth coming Friday before the conference? You bet!
Besides being able to rest up for conference day, you’ll have a wonderful array of Friday workshops and outings to make it a weekend. The Conference Team has confirmed these 14 activities already and are finalizing others:
- Workshop on building a worm bin with Brooke Alford at the Hamilton County Fairgrounds
- Tour of the historic wetlands at the Marian University Ecolab with Sarah Moss
- Tour and talk on growing native plants commercially with Tyler Gough at Indy Urban Acres
- Guided tour and talk on the results of controlled burn restoration at the Nonie Werbe Krauss Nature Preserve
- Guided tour of the Herbarium at Butler University
- Guided tour of the Apothecary Garden at Butler University
- Guided tour of Ritchey Woods Preserve with Danessa Stoltz and Crystal DeBoer
- Tour of the Wild Birds Unlimited Pollinator meadow at the Virginia B Fairbanks Art & Nature Park, Newfields to include a seed collection
- Tour of the INPS supported Holcomb Garden at Butler University
- Guided tour of the gardens at Holliday Park
- Walk and talk on stream function pyramid at the White River Bluffs including a tour of a nearby Central Indiana Land Trust property and native seed sowing
- Guided tour of the native plant and grasses trails at Conner Prairie (this activity may involve some birding with Indiana Audubon)
- Tour of a park in Noblesville with the Hamilton Invasives Partnership to view the restoration transformation combined with tour of nearby native plantings property
- Bike tour of the spectacular tree specimens at Crownhill Cemetery with arborist Carrie Tauscher, including a look at the newly planted pollinator garden
Stay tuned for details of conference day, coming soon on the INPS website.
The conference team has assembled a terrific cast of speakers, and participants will enjoy a lively assortment of vendor exhibits, bookstore offerings, the ever popular seed swap, great food, and the chance to talk native plants with friends old and new. |
