The Third-Largest Parade in the U.S. – And Most People Miss It | Dave Neff, 500 Festival

On today's show I sat down with Dave Neff, the new president and CEO of the 500 Festival, a community and civic organization that produces events to enrich the lives of Hoosiers, drive community impact, and celebrate the spirit of the Indy 500. Neff dives into the organization's 70-year history, its origin inspired by the Kentucky Derby Festival, and his career path through Pacers Sports & Entertainment, ExactTarget, EDGE Mentoring, Prolific, and Purdue's NIL collective Boilermaker Alliance. Neff explains the 500 Festival's role in community engagement around the Indy 500, including the 50th running of the Indy Mini, the third-largest parade in the U.S. that draws up to 300,000 attendees, the Princess Program, Breakfast at the Brickyard, Kids Day on Monument Circle, and the Memorial Service honoring Gold Star families. He details year-round work such as a STEM-based fourth-grade education curriculum and Kids Fit, collaboration with IMS and the IMS Museum, and ways Hoosiers can volunteer or intern. If you like this episode and want to hear more Get IN. episodes where I interview Hoosiers making a difference, visit getindiana.com/podcast. You are going to learn about: - The Origins and Community Impact of 500 Festival - 500 Festival Events - How Hoosiers Can Volunteer or Intern with 500 Festival Thank you to our partners: Elements Financial Berne Apparel Check out these great clips from the show: 02:08 Guest Introduction: Dave Neff, 500 Festival 03:24 Dave's Career Path 05:40 How 500 Festival Began 07:56 Why Dave Took the Job 10:55 Festival vs IMS Explained 13:41 Year-Round Programs 15:46 Growing Statewide Fandom 18:28 Parade Breakdown 21:18 May Saturdays Lineup 23:49 Indy Mini 50th Year 27:20 Kickoff to May Event 29:06 Surprises as CEO 30:14 Legacy Volunteers Spotlight 31:03 Volunteer Army Behind Events 32:28 Memorial Service and Gold Mile 34:02 Mini Race Motivation Stories 36:25 How to Get Involved 37:26 Internships and Networking 38:35 Why Volunteer When Young 40:39 Purdue NIL and Final Four Run 43:06 NIL Money and NCAA Rules 49:18 Portal Fundraising Wild Story 51:24 May Events and Registration Push 52:02 Indiana Home and Traditions 54:32 Race Day Suite and Favorite Drivers 55:51 Hidden Gems and Guest Picks Get IN. is brought to you by our friends at Sweetwater. Whether you are looking to start a podcast or level up your current show you need to hit them up.