Hey football fans. We know the game is the main show, but did you realize there is a plethora of events surrounding Super Bowl Sunday? From zip lines to concerts, with games in between, Indianapolis is prepared to entertain guests of all ages starting January 27 until game day.

The heart of downtown Indianapolis is going to be transformed into Super Bowl Village, which is going to be a blast — even if you aren’t a football fan! There are going to be many FREE (you read it right) events and concerts taking place at the Village, which will be located on Georgia Street. They’re not even charging admission to Super Bowl Village, so you can spend your money doing the extras and trying all the food.

Here is a schedule of some of the events Indianapolis has planned surrounding the Super Bowl:

Jan. 27

Randy Finch and Derek Maxfield from the Food Network’s show, Ice Brigade, will be doing live ice sculpting performances in the Super Bowl Village.

Jan. 27 – Feb. 4 NFL Experience

Inside the Indiana Convention Center will be the NFL Experience, a  pro-football interactive theme park that has entertainment attractions, kids’ football clinics, free autograph sessions, and more.

Zipline

The outdoor Super Bowl Village will house an 80-feet-tall and 800-feet-long Zipline. Not for the faint of heart! Tickets can be purchased at the launch tower on a first-come, first-served basis.

Concerts

Love Madonna’s cat eye sunglasses? Check out these.

Several free concerts will be performed starting Jan. 27 and leading up to the big game. There will be two stages set up on either side of Lucas Oil Stadium. Acts include LMFAO, Sixpence None the Richer, O.A.R., and Dierks Bentley. Of course, you can’t forget the big halftime show with Madonna.

I fully expect LMFAO to be rocking some outrageous clear shades.

Those are just some of the events, but there are many more. Live entertainment will be offered each day in the Super Bowl Village, but some of that entertainment is still to be announced. An entire events calendar can be seen on the Indianapolis Super Bowl website. Or, check out Travel Products’ free downloadable and printable Super Bowl schedule. In addition to these events, many downtown restaurants, shops, breweries, and bars will be offering specials throughout the week.

Oh, and one more tip from an Indianapolis local: One thing you must know about Indiana weather is that there is no predicting it. Ever. You never know what it will be like, so be sure to pack everything from your parka coat to t-shirts. And also be sure to have a pair of sunglasses (they’re just as important in the winter as they are in the summer) to help you see all the downtown action.

Photos: heraldtimesonline.com, nme.com, ofcelebrity.com

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Remember a while back when we surveyed you (our loyal readers) about the kinds of posts you want to read on our blog? Thanks again for participating in our survey! We appreciate all the feedback and will be using it to make this blog even better.

After combing through the results, we learned that you most like reading our product reviews and updates. Ask and you shall receive!

We recently added a bunch of new sunglasses to the Sunglass Warehouse collection, and our office couldn’t be more excited to try them on. You asked for a review, so we had 5 team members review their favorite pair of new sunglasses. The hardest part was choosing just one pair to review — we love all of them! Here are 5 of our favorites:

I fell in love with these retro aviators the minute I saw them come in the door! The aviator style matches my personality and overall style. I really like the blue outline; it’s a nice change to ordinary metallic-colored rims.

Maggie really likes our new rhinestone cat eye sunglasses. She said, “I have a petite face, so I have to be careful to pick sunglasses that won’t take over my whole face. I love these because they’re small and feminine, but they have a retro style that I love. These are some of our newest, but they’re quickly becoming an office favorite!”

Beth is a fan of our new retro wayfarers. In her opinion, “It’s hard not to have a sunny disposition when you start the new year off with my new pair of retro sunglasses.The round wayfayer style is right up my alley and the subtle pink shade adds a little extra glam, while still being neutral enough that I can rock these sunnies with any look!”

Terryl found a match made in heaven with these oversized rock star sunglasses! While obsessing over them, she said, “I’ve been waiting for the boss #9936 to be available as soon as I first saw them in the photographer’s room. They’re kind of a play off retro wayfarers, but they’re super square and taller than any style I’ve ever seen! Of course, because they’re nearly comically oversized, they are an unavoidably necessary addition to my collection.”

Although not necessarily a new arrival, Nate is madly in love with our American flag aviators! His review of these very popular sunglasses is, “These sunglasses scream patriotism and fun. Aviators remind me of things like Top Gun, and the American flag is just a natural fit. I love these puppies because 1. You can see great out of them and 2. I’ve received so many compliments and ‘Where did you get those?!?’ They truly are an American classic.”

From now on, we plan on sharing more posts like these with you, in addition to contests, celebrity news and gossip, DIY projects, and much more! Please contact us and let us know if there is a pair you want us to review for you! Ask us on Facebook, Twitter, or send us an email!

These are just our reviews of the sunglasses, but we want to know what your favorite pair is! Let us know in the comments your pick; we love hearing from you!

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Have you heard about the Stop Online Piracy Act, also referred to as SOPA? How about the PROTECT IP (PIPA) Act?

From FightForTheFuture.org

PIPA would give the government new powers to block Americans’ access websites that corporations don’t like. The bill lets corporations and the US government censor entire websites and cut sites off from advertising, payments, and donations.

This legislation will stifle free speech and innovation, and even threaten popular web services like Twitter, YouTube, and Facebook.

The bill is scheduled for a test vote in the Senate on Jan. 24th: We need to act now to let our lawmakers know just how terrible it is.

Today, January 18th, is the day the internet is taking a stand. Several popular websites like Google, Wikipedia,  Reddit, and WordPress are taking a stand against SOPA and blacking out their websites.

Check out these resources to gain more information, learn what’s at stake, and contact your state representatives today!

• AmericanCensorship.org
• SOPAstrike.com
• Stop Protect IP

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