THE 317: Victory Field Make Over
It will take 700 tons of sand dumped onto Victory Field by 70 trucks, a massive tent and a natural gas boiler system to bring the beach to Indianapolis in February.
And that’s just what DirecTV is doing to prepare for its sixth annual Celebrity Beach Bowl — a televised flag football game among Hollywood stars and pro athletes, held on Super Bowl Eve in the big game’s host city.
That production, which also includes a nighttime private event with Katy Perry, Mark Cuban and Peyton Manning, is expected to cost millions. Rockers The Fray will perform at the free, public Beach Bowl, and sportscaster Dan Patrick will be on hand.
DirecTV’s massive soiree — which is expected to attract thousands — on the outfield at Victory Field is just one major event among an estimated 250 planned in Indianapolis.
With less than a month before kickoff and an expected deluge of 150,000 visitors, event producers are converting local warehouses, defunct bars and parts of the State Fairgrounds (where men’s magazine Maxim is throwing its bash) into swanky spots fit for super socializing.
At last count, about 130 venues across the metropolitan area had been reserved for some type of Super Bowl event.
“It’s going to be like New Year’s Eve for four nights in a row,” said Fontaine Swope, an event producer with Houston-based ELI Marketing. (Swope, who has produced Super Bowl events in other host cities, is organizing four bashes in Indianapolis. Because of contractual agreements, she can’t reveal the names of any of them.)
Hoosiers might not be ready for the massive amount of partying that is about to converge on Indianapolis, said actor and comedian Mike Epps (“The Hangover,” “Friday After Next”), who is hosting a Feb. 2 show at Bankers Life Fieldhouse featuring rappers Snoop Dogg and Wiz Khalifa.
“I don’t think the city is ready,” said Epps, an Indianapolis native who can be seen in Super Bowl commercials touting several events — including Super Bowl Village, a 10-day outdoor festival that includes live music and a zip line.
“Everything that they (Indianapolis residents) have seen on TV (and) everything that they can imagine is going to be right there.”