The "500 days" of May are here. If you can't make it to the Brickyard you can still celebrate the spirit of community and tradition by holding a "porch party" in your neighborhood. The Indianapolis Motor Speedway has joined the movement that started in 2016 as part of Indiana's Bicentennial Celebration. That year, Hoosiers were encouraged to celebrate friendship as it was in 1816 which meant visiting your next door neighbors. In this age of Facebook and Instagram and TWITTER too many people either forget or don't know what it's like to just sit and talk with a person IN PERSON. IMS and local arts organizations want to help residents make an old tradition a modern movement where neighbors know their neighbors and feel more respectful and responsible to create a caring, inclusive community. And YES, this 21st Century version DOES include social media. The Harrison Center FACEBOOK page and ims.com/500forward both have plenty of details on the art of porching and ways to share photos and win prizes. You can also follow Porch Party Indy on social media through the hashtags #PorchPartyIndy #500Forward #ThisIsMay @HarrisonCtrArts.

My Warfleigh neighbors and I have been porching (and decking, gardening, couching and kitchening) on a regular basis since I first moved into the neighborhood twenty years ago. And most of those occasions include wine. The latest "porch pour" discovered is a lush rustic Spanish red. The 2013 Luis Canas Crianza is made mostly from tempranillo grapes aged for one year in oak barrels. A lovely nose of plum, blueberry, blackberry and almond gives way to similar smooth, easy drinking flavors. It's affordable and available at Broad Ripple area wine stores which offers yet another opportunity to meet your neighbors.