The Meridian-Kessler Neighborhood Association turns on its holiday lights on Sunday, November 29, from 4 to 6 pm at 49th and Pennsylvania Streets. This is the fifth year of MK Shines. The business corners it lit last year have changed a lot since then. Both of the neighborhood's November restaurant arrivals are at or near 49th Street. At the northern end, the 54th and College corner reaches its first holiday season since a block of three businesses closed together in June. If you're planning a walk under the lights this year, the 49th Street end has the most new places to stop.
Five years of the same switch, at the same corner
MK Shines hasn't moved since it started. Every kickoff has been at 49th and Penn on a Sunday close to Thanksgiving weekend:
- 2022: The first kickoff, on Sunday, November 27. MKNA's Fall/Winter 2022 magazine called it a new celebration.
- 2023: The "second annual" event, held November 26.
- 2024: Sunday, December 1. The switch was flipped at 5 pm. Neighbors had warming stations, hot cocoa, and s'mores, and non-perishable food donations were traded for holiday giveaways to stock area pantries.
- 2025: Sunday, November 30, with holiday music, hot chocolate, and drinks from Upland and Shake-Up.
- 2026: Sunday, November 29, 4 to 6 pm.
This year's event page says the kickoff lights "four business intersections." Last year, MKNA's 2025 listing named those four corners and told neighbors to watch them "all season long":
Then watch intersections at 49th and Penn, 49th and College, 52nd and College, and 54th and College all season long!
In 2024, MKNA also put extra lights along College Avenue at 49th, 52nd and 54th Streets. That put last year's lights along a stretch of about six blocks on two streets. During 2026, the restaurants along that stretch changed unevenly. Here's each of last year's corners from south to north.
Corner by corner, from 46th up to 54th
Just below the lights: 46th and College
Bocado Brunch & Te'Kila opened its second location at 4601 N. College Ave. in early November. Indianapolis Monthly reported the grand opening on November 6. The first Bocado is in Noblesville. The magazine describes its menu as handcrafted cocktails and "traditional Mexican flavors with a modern American twist."
Bocado moved into the former Root & Bone building. IndyStar reported in April that Root & Bone had set June 7 as its last day of service. Bocado opened about three weeks before this year's switch flip. It's three blocks south of the 49th and College lights, so it makes sense as a starting or ending point for a walk.
The kickoff corner: 49th and Pennsylvania
This is where the switch gets flipped, and it's also where the biggest new arrival is. Slapfish set a ribbon cutting and grand opening for Saturday, November 14, at 10:45 am at 115 E. 49th St. The plan included a free lobster roll for each of the first 100 guests after the ceremony. Random Ripplings reported that it's the chain's fifth Central Indiana location. The building is across the street from Cafe Patachou and Sullivan Hardware.
The Random Ripplings notice also gives the seating. The restaurant has 40 seats inside and patios in front and in back, which bring capacity to 80 when the patio is open. On a late-November evening, the 40 indoor seats are the ones that count. The patios will matter more next spring. In the same notice, Mark Weghorst explained why the location matters: "Being in Meridian-Kessler gives us the opportunity to become part of a neighborhood where people really support local restaurants and gathering places." The menu includes the Lobster Roll, Fish Tacos, the Power Bowl, Fish 'N Chips, and a Crunchy Grouper Sandwich.
Hubbard & Cravens also runs a coffee shop on this corner, at 4930 N. Pennsylvania St. If you want coffee before a 4 pm kickoff, it's the closest option.
Half a block from the lights: 49th and College
Upland's College Avenue taproom and eatery is at 4842 N. College Ave., just south of the 49th Street corner. Upland also supplied drinks at last year's kickoff. From the switch at 49th and Penn, it's a short walk east along 49th to College. That makes it an easy second stop once the lights are on.
52nd and College
Aristocrat Pub, at 5212 N. College Ave., anchors this corner. The openings and closures of 2026 were all south or north of 52nd Street, which leaves this corner in the middle of the route.
The northern end: 54th and College
This corner changed the most this year, and it lost businesses instead of gaining them. In June, The Bulldog at 5380 N. College Ave. said its last day of service would be Friday, June 19. IndyStar reported that the bar, known for its large self-serve beer wall, would close at the same time as the Pizza King and English Lounge next door. WIBC reported the same Friday, June 19 date.
Three businesses at one address closed in the same week. This is the corner's first holiday season since that block closed. A few blocks farther north on College, Haus Love, the retail shop of Heidi Woodman Interiors at 5901 N. College Ave., also closed this summer, according to Random Ripplings.
What the year's changes add up to
Here are the 2026 changes along the lit stretch, side by side:
| Location | 2026 change | Timing |
|---|---|---|
| 4601 N. College, near 46th | Root & Bone closed; Bocado Brunch & Te'Kila opened in the building | Root & Bone's announced last day June 7; Bocado opened Nov. 6 |
| 115 E. 49th St., at 49th and Penn | Slapfish, with 40 indoor seats and 80 total with patios | Ribbon cutting set for Nov. 14 |
| 5380 N. College, at 54th | The Bulldog, Pizza King and English Lounge closed | Announced last day June 19 |
| 5901 N. College, north of 54th | Haus Love retail shop closed | Reported July 30 |
The two openings are within three blocks of 49th Street. The losses are all at or north of 54th. This year, the south end of last year's lit route has the most new dining nearby. At the north end, the 54th Street corner now has a closed block where three businesses used to be. For anyone walking the full route on a December evening, the most restaurant options are along 49th Street.
Planning around Sunday, November 29
The 2026 event page lists the date, the time window, and the 49th and Penn location. A few practical points:
- Arrive by 4 pm if you want the full two hours. The event runs 4 to 6 pm at 49th and Pennsylvania.
- Get coffee first at Hubbard & Cravens, 4930 N. Pennsylvania St.
- Walk east and south afterward. Upland at 4842 N. College is a short walk from the switch, and Bocado at 4601 N. College is three blocks farther south.
- See the north corners another night. Last year MKNA told neighbors to watch the 52nd and 54th Street corners all season long, so a quieter evening in December is another option.
- Check MKNA's calendar before you go. The association's events page is where any updates to the kickoff will be posted.
The Stacy Barry Team keeps track of changes like these on the commercial corners near your home. If you own in Meridian-Kessler and want to know how the year's openings and closures near 49th and 54th Streets affect your home's position, Schedule a Free Home Consultation and we'll go over it with you, corner by corner.
