Calm, relaxed Black Expo eases into final day

Although it took only about two weeks of planning to make the trip possible, Sean Collins had been anticipating the 44th annual Black Expo Summer Celebration for more than two years.

An Indianapolis native who moved to Tennessee in early 2012, Collins said the past two summers in the Volunteer State have felt flat without the sights, sounds and experiences that only Expo can provide.

In Tennessee, "They have their summer festivals and stuff like that ... but nothing really comes close to this. I always hate to see it end," he said. "My girlfriend is from Tennessee, and this is her first time here. She wants to come back every year now. It's been a great time."

Since Friday night, thousands of Black Expo attendees have kept the city buzzing with activity. That energy stuck around Sunday as the final slate of Expo events began.

Also in the air was a sense of calm and relaxation. Jill Harris, a recent Indiana University graduate from Hobart, said she has been coming to the event since she was a little girl and she can hardly remember a time when the event seemed so mellow.

"The traffic hasn't been bad. We didn't deal with any kind of drama. It was cool," she said. "I know a lot of people want to talk about the bad, but it felt like any other weekend Downtown."

That feeling of normalcy was shared among the clusters of Indianapolis Metropolitan Police officers who worked late nights over the weekend as event-goers reveled without much interruption.

IMPD had assigned extra officers to keep an eye on the event, the largest gathering the city has seen since a staggeringly violent Fourth of July weekend. Seven people were wounded July 5 when a gunfight erupted between two individuals on a Broad Ripple sidewalk, and Indianapolis police officer Perry Renn was fatally shot later that day in an unrelated incident.

But by Saturday night, officers working near Expo events described their shift as ordinary.

"This a normal Saturday night from what I can tell so far" said Lt. Chris Bailey, public information officer for the Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department. "We have been saying all week that we did not expect to have incidents down here."

The scene was similar in Broad Ripple, where no major arrests were reported Friday or Saturday night, Bailey said.

For a second straight week, the Police Department increased its presence on Broad Ripple Avenue and shut down the street until 4 a.m.

Two arrests were made Downtown on Saturday night, Bailey said. About 9 p.m. police arrested 22-year-old Deloren Wilson, who was wanted in South Bend on charges related to a double shooting. Officers also arrested a reveler for public intoxication.

Meanwhile, bar patrons enjoyed the weekend Downtown.

"Things are going to happen regardless," said Donna Wilkerson, Chicago. "We came down here for the concert, and it was wonderful."

Harris said she also spent time hanging at the bars while in town for Expo. On Friday, it was Mass Ave. On Saturday, it was Broad Ripple.

"You could really notice the police out there," she said. "I don't know if that's why it was so low-key out there, but I did like seeing them there."

While their presence was appreciated, police were the last thing on the mind of Indianapolis resident Renee Carlson.

"I came for Babyface and Keith Sweat," she said, referring to the weekend concerts. "But seriously, we're focused on having a good time. We're not thinking about any worst-case stuff. This is something we look forward to ... not something we brace for. It has been wonderful."

Call Star reporter Justin L. Mack at (317) 444-6138. Follow him on Twitter: @justinlmack. Call Star reporter Cara Anthony at (317) 444-6049. Follow her on Twitter: @CaraRAnthony.