The Yelp 500 at The Service Center

For 100 years Indy has celebrated race weekend, and finally Indy had what they've been clammoring for — a Yelp party open to the entire community — The Yelp 500! Over 500 locals came to the party, which was also the grand opening of Big Car's new project, The Service Center for Contemporary Community + Culture. And, what a spectacle it was.

The White Rabbit Cabaret's Dorgan Muncie was the ever-tasteful emcee, and Albaster Betty & Poppy wowed the crowd with their burlesque bacchanale. Sun King Brewing, which we can go ahead and say it because everyone's thinking it — the official beer of Indianapolis — was the official beer of The Yelp 500 and served 500+ plus pints of their Sunlight Cream Ale, Osiris Pale Ale, Wee Mac Scotch Ale, Bitter Druid ESB and Firefly Wheat. To continue the day of firsts, they released their brand new iphone app!

New Day Meadery — at the top of the heap of unique mountain with the only draft mead in Indiana — served up their sudsy honey wines. From their special South Cider to the sparkling blueberry honey wine, they weren't clownin' around!

Smoking Goose made their international debut at The Yelp 500 — serving up their kitchen sink sausages. 3 Days in Paris was the hit of the party with their Parisian sweet & savory crepes. Papa Roux slung bacon etoufee and his world famous Po' Boys. Fat Sammies ciao wagon delivered their handheld meatball sammies. Georgetown Market (in their 38th year of being Indy's health food store) served their dessert vegan chocolate cake, while Bjava coffee (our faithful microroaster) did pour overs to perk the crowd up (sheesh… if burlesque wasn't enough, eh?)

To cement the spectacle, The Phoenix Theatre spoofed The Indy 500 with the Zippers of Zoomerville, and Broad Ripple Music Fest presented the live music of Harley Poe. Their punk-gypsy-honky tonk vampire busted the seams of putting them into any genre and made the event an incredible treat. And, Big Car's Joey Molinaro — violionist supremo — played an impromptu surprise performance, too!

ESCrossroads and Twisted Frog Photography, and A Man Named Harold snapped photos of yelpers. And, Indy Photo Booths brought their booth to put the memories on film strips, (which you can see here):

The Circle City Derby Girls, and Race City Rebels (men's derby team!) rolled through. The Indycog (bike advocacy non-profit) made a spoked appearance. NUVO's street team gave away concert tickets (you lucky yelpers, you). The spectacle was so amazing that the Million Dollar Road Trip had to stop by with their local-business festooned airstream (which in the end brought together Sun King and White Rabbit Cabaret — where the former funded and the latter was selected for MDRT's local business grant!).

Speaking of scratch… yelpers raised $1,300 for Big Car's Service Center! Speaking of which… we can't leave without showing you the work of Big Car's Kamilah Gill:

Thanks to all the sponsors, our gracious & amazing hosts of Big Car & The Service Center, & especially  everyone who made this happen. Whether you were there or not, reviews are rolling in here.

Camels, you say? Well… we'll have to wait 'til after the world ends in 2012 for those at the next Yelp 500.

Tally ho!

Jon A, Yelp Indy Community Manager