INDIANAPOLIS, Ind. — Those who are traveling to the Circle City next week to take in the Indiana-Illinois Farm and Outdoor Power Equipment Show at the Indiana State Fairgrounds should also take a little extra time to see some of the city’s other attractions.

Since the farm show, Dec. 12-14, is so close to Christmas, attendees may wish to take advantage of Indianapolis’ many shopping venues.

In the heart of downtown Indianapolis, the Circle Centre mall spans two full city blocks and includes four levels of retail shops. There are more than 100 specialty stores, restaurants and entertainment choices available at Circle Centre. The shopping options include Indiana’s only Nordstrom store and a European discount design store called H&M.

Free entertainment is available for Christmas shoppers, too.

“Farm show visitors should visit the Artsgarden, which is connected to the Circle Centre mall,” said Kimberly Harms, associate director for the Indianapolis Convention and Visitors’ Assoc. “There will be several free holiday performances there that folks could enjoy while shopping for Christmas presents.”

A little closer to the state fairgrounds, shoppers could go to the Fashion Mall at Keystone. This retail center includes upscale shops such as Saks Fifth Avenue, Tiffany and Co., Sephora, BCBG and Crate & Barrel.

If presents are already under the tree, then Indianapolis also offers many museums, educational and historic sites. Among the more popular is the Eiteljorg Museum of American Indians and Western Art, which will not charge admission this month.

“The Eiteljorg Museum of American Indians is open for free during the month of December,” Harms said. “It’s located along the canal in White River State Park right next to the Indiana State Museum, the NCAA Hall of Champions, White River Gardens and the Indianapolis Zoo.”

The Eiteljorg is one of just two museums east of the Mississippi River that has both Native American and Western Art. A spectacular fountain featuring deer running through a river is in front of the museum.

The Eiteljorg adjoins the Indiana State Museum and the NCAA Hall of Champions.

School and community choirs will treat visitors to the Indiana State Museum this month to live performances. Also, those who used to shop in Indianapolis years ago can reminisce while looking at the moving figurines that used to occupy the store windows at L.S. Ayres. On the other side of the White River, the Indianapolis Zoo and White River Gardens have planned holiday activities.

One million twinkle lights and more than 150 lighted sculptures of holiday and animal scenes will brighten the Christmas at the Zoo festivities.

Visitors can take a ride on the holiday train, watch the dolphin show or listen or sing along with carolers at the zoo. Santa will also be available to listen to kids’ wish lists.

If the zoo’s holiday train isn’t enough, the White River Gardens will have hundreds of varieties of model trains chugging through miniature villages. Many of the trains will be only a few feet off the ground, so adults and children will get a birds-eye view of the displays. Also an array of colorful poinsettias will fill the Hilbert Conservatory at the Gardens.

For those who are more interested in Hoosier Hysteria, the Indiana Pacers will have a home game at 7 p.m., Wednesday, Dec. 13 against the Detroit Pistons. The Pacers play their home games in Conseco Fieldhouse at 125. S. Pennsylvania St.

For music lovers, the Indianapolis Symphony Orchestra will present its annual Yuletide Celebration in the Hilbert Circle Theater at the Soldiers and Sailors Monument. The performance includes Christmas carols and a song-and-dance number by several Santas.

The American Cabaret Theatre offers a different sound - a big band sound of the 1940s. The music of Duke Ellington, Benny Goodman and Glenn Miller will be played in an original production called Big Band Holidaze. Most of shows begin at 7:30 p.m., and the production will run through Dec. 31.

Theater buffs can watch the Indiana Repertory Theatre’s traditional production of Charles Dickens’ A Christmas Carol this month. The theater is located at 140 W. Washington St., and the play will run through Dec. 24.

The Beef and Boards Dinner Theatre, at 9301 Michigan Road, adds a meal to the production of A Beef and Boards Christmas. This original variety show includes most holiday-favorite tunes. The buffet-style meal features turkey, stuffing and all the trimmings.

The Indianapolis tourism office said farm show visitors can take advantage of many of the city’s attractions inexpensively.

“The holidays are the season of giving and 12 Indianapolis-area attractions are in the spirit of the season,” Harms explained. “That’s why they’ve come together to give visitors the gift of free admission to their wonderful attractions.”

This farm news was published in the Dec. 6, 2006 issue of Farm World, serving Indiana, Ohio, Illinois, Kentucky, Michigan and Tennessee.