Celebrities Flock to Indy for Super Bowl Charity Events

Celebrities from the worlds of film, music and sports flock to the Super Bowl every year, not just for the game and extravagant parties, but to support causes of all stripes. Indy2012.com has compiled details on some of the top charity benefit events planned for around town during the days leading up to Super Bowl 2012. The events offer fans a chance to rub elbows with stars while supporting a good cause. Here's a sampling (more after the jump):

Legends for Charity Dinner

WHO: NBC Sports Announcer Al Michaels, Hall of Fame Coach Don Shula, emcees Mary Matalin and James Carville, CBS Sports reporter Lesley Visser
WHEN: 5:30 p.m. Feb. 2
WHERE: Westin Hotel, 50 S. Capitol Ave., Indianapolis
PRICE: $175
BENEFITS: St. Jude Children's Research Hospital
MORE INFO: 954-922-7013

Taste of the NFL: Party with a Purpose

WHO: Former Colts coach Tony Dungy, Food Network star Ted Allen, newly crowned Miss America Laura Kaeppeler and chefs representing each NFL city
WHEN: 7 p.m. Feb. 4
WHERE: Gleaners Food Bank, 3737 Waldemere Ave., Indianapolis
PRICE: $600
BENEFITS: Food banks such as Gleaners in every NFL city
MORE INFO: 317-631-2947

Celebrity Flag Football Challenge

WHO: Hip Hop artist Nelly, Doug Flutie, Devin Hester, Sean McCoy, Tae Bo Billy Blanks
WHEN: 2 p.m. to 4 p.m. Feb. 4
WHERE: SportsZone Indy, 6601 Coffman Road, Indianapolis
PRICE: $20 regular, $10 student, $75 VIP
BENEFITS: Peyton Manning Children's Hospital
MORE INFO: 847-673-0592

Aces & Angels Super Bowl Party Extravaganza

WHO: Athletes Matt Forte, Maurice Jones-Drew, Antonio Gates, Vince Young, Josh Cribbs, Shawne Merriman, Ike Taylor and Antoine Bethea, along with former Playboy of the Year Brande Roderick, Supermodel Elaine Alden
WHEN: 9 p.m. Feb. 3
WHERE: ICE Ultra Lounge, 235 S. Meridian St., Indianapolis
HOW MUCH: $300 general admission, $500 VIP
BENEFITS: The Aces & Angels Foundation, Veterans of Valor, USO, Wounded Warrior Project
MORE INFO: 317-730-3620

Off The Field NFL Players' Wives Association Fashion Show

WHO: More than 25 NFL wives modeling styles from SAKS
WHEN: 10 a.m. Feb. 3
WHERE: Third floor of SAKS Fifth Avenue at The Fashion Mall
PRICE: $250
BENEFITS: Local charities
MORE INFO: 317-509-9453

Jim McMahon's Swang 'N' Super Bowl Charity Bash

WHO: Jim McMahon, Ira Dean, Brooke Burrows, Burns and Poe, Steve Azar
WHEN: Feb. 2
WHERE: Rathskeller, 401 E. Michigan St., Indianapolis
HOW MUCH: $260 general admission, $575 VIP
BENEFITS: Hope for the Warriors, Lynda McMahon Ferguson Foundation for Literacy
MORE INFO: 954-591-8656

Wishing on Stars for the United Way of Central Indiana

WHO: Marshall Faulk, Michael Irvin and Travie McCoy
WHEN: 6:30 p.m. for VIP, 8 p.m. for general admission, Feb. 1
WHERE: Sensu, 225 S. Meridian St., Indianapolis
HOW MUCH: $200 general admission, $350 VIP
BENEFITS: United Way of Central Indiana
MORE INFO: 317-200-4836

Souper Bowls 2012 at Second Helpings

WHO: Top local chefs including Greg Hardesty and Regina Mehallick prepare their best home-made soups
WHEN: 11 a.m. Jan. 28
WHERE: Second Helpings, 1121 Southeastern Ave., Indianapolis
HOW MUCH: $5 admission includes five soup tastings. Home-made bowls will range from $50 to $100 each
BENEFITS: Second Helpings
MORE INFO: 317-632-2664

Match for a Cure: A Tennis Charity Event

WHO: Tennis legends Pete Sampras and Todd Martin
WHEN: 7 p.m. Jan. 29
WHERE: Bankers Life Fieldhouse, 125 S. Pennsylvania St., Indianapolis
PRICE: $27-$150
BENEFITS: Susan G. Komen for the Cure and Super Baskets of Hope
MORE INFO: 317-917-2727

RunDMC in Concert at Walker Theatre

WHEN: 8 p.m. Feb. 3
WHERE: Walker Theatre, 617 Indiana Ave., Indianapolis
PRICE: $45 in advance, $100 day of show
BENEFITS: Relief efforts in Sierra Leone
MORE INFO: 317-236-2099

Will Fewer 2012 Super Bowl Tickets Mean Higher Prices?

The NFL has scaled back plans for temporary seating at Lucas Oil Stadium for Super Bowl 2012, meaning Indianapolis is on track to host one of the smallest in-person crowds for the big game in 20 years. The league originally planned for up to 7,000 extra seats at the downtown Indianapolis stadium but now plans to install only about 5,000.

Lucas Oil Stadium will host about 68,000 people for Super Bowl XLVI on Feb. 5. By comparison, 103,000 fans attended last year's Super Bowl in Dallas, and 74,000 attended the 2010 game in Miami. The reduction in the number of seats so far hasn't had a big impact on ticket pricing other than to minimize discounting, said James Reilly, a market analyst at Vivid Seats.

"What we have noticed is that the huge supply of seats last season gave fans who might usually be priced out of attending the Super Bowl a chance to go the game as we saw a large number of sales in the $1,000 to $2,000 per ticket range," Reilly noted. "This year, with a more limited supply of seating, there are very few options for fans working with that type of budget."

Tickets are up for sale from about $2,000 to $6,000 apiece depending on the location within Lucas Oil Stadium. Of course, prices could fluctuate based on which of the final four teams make it to Super Bowl Sunday. All four of the teams, the New York Giants, San Francisco 49ers, Baltimore Ravens and New England Patriots, have strong fan bases that travel well.

The temporary seats are scheduled to be in place more than two weeks before the game to allow for safety inspections and ensure everyone with a ticket gets a seat, avoiding a repeat of last year's fiasco in Dallas.

Super Bowl 2012 Parking: By The Numbers

Early reservations for parking spaces in Indianapolis on Super Bowl Sunday suggest a very well-attended event. Sales of parking spots for RVs and cars are up 20 percent so far compared to the days leading up to last year's game in Dallas, according to the parking reservation service ParkWhiz. An encouraging sign: only 10 percent of the space reservations came from cities with a team still in the hunt. About 23 percent of parking passes sold so far were bought by central Indiana residents, while 10 percent are from Chicago and 8 percent are from Philadelphia.

Here's a look by-the-numbers at parking for Super Bowl XLVI on Sunday, Feb. 5:

• Average price: $184
• Least expensive: $39
• Most expensive: $1,099
• Average tailgate spot: $96
• Average non-tailgate spot: $88
• Average RV space: $513
• Spaces available: 12,000

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Want more information on parking for the Super Bowl? Visit IndyParking.com

Kelly Clarkson Joins Star-Studded Super Bowl Lineup

The singer Kelly Clarkson will join the star-studded lineup of recording artists set to perform in Indianapolis during the upcoming Super Bowl festivities. Clarkson will sing the national anthem before kickoff of the big game on Feb. 5, the Associated Press reported. Clarkson has sold more than 20 million albums worldwide since she won "American Idol" about 10 years ago. Also performing during the Super Bowl 2012 pregame: Country music stars Miranda Lambert and Blake Shelton, who will sing "America the Beautiful." Pop icon Madonna will perform at halftime. The NFL Honors event on the evening before the Super Bowl will feature a performance by Lenny Kravitz.

Among the performers scheduled to appear at this year's exclusive Super Bowl parties are Katy Perry, The Fray, Drake, The Roots and Pete Wentz. More information and ticket information is available on our constantly evolving Super Bowl 2012 Party Page.

Dozens of other acts including LMFAO and O.A.R. are set to perform at two free stages in the Super Bowl Village during the week leading up to the big game. For a full list of scheduled acts, check out our Super Bowl Village Concert Lineup.

The city's traditional concert venues also are booked during the Super Bowl week. The Super Bowl Fan Jam at the Pepsi Coliseum on Feb. 2. will feature the All-American Rejects, BOB, and Gym Class Heroes (buy tickets). And Bankers Life Fieldhouse, formerly Conseco Fieldhouse, will play host to Mike Epps, Snoop Dogg and Wiz Khalifa on Feb. 2.

Newest Super Bowl Attraction: The Huddle at Circle Centre

The Indianapolis Super Bowl Host Committee plans to transform the former Nordstrom at Circle Centre mall into The Huddle, a temporary Super Bowl attraction with a warming area, massive Lids Locker Room shop featuring Super Bowl and NFL merchandise, a chef's table, beer garden, and entertainment options including live radio broadcasts by the nationally syndicated Bob and Tom show. The local CBS affiliate WISH-TV also plans to broadcast its newscasts leading up to Super Bowl XLVI from a temporary studio at The Huddle, which will run from Jan. 27 through Feb. 5.

The former mens' store at Nordstrom will become The Huddle After Hours Club, an ultra lounge offering top-shelf cocktails and a VIP area. The smoke-free club will be open to anyone over 21 for a small cover charge, starting at 10 p.m. on Jan. 27 through Feb. 4.

The hours of operation for The Huddle, which sits in the heart of Super Bowl Village along Georgia Street, are: Jan. 27, 3 p.m. to midnight; Jan. 28, 11 a.m. to midnight; Jan. 29, 11 a.m. to 10 p.m.; Jan. 30, 3 p.m. to 10 p.m.; Jan. 31, 3 p.m. to 11 p.m.; Feb. 1, 3 p.m. to 10 p.m.; Feb. 2, 11 a.m. to midnight; Feb. 3 through Feb. 5, 11 a.m. to midnight.

Need parking for NFL Experience or Super Bowl Village?  Reserve a spot now

Super Bowl News Roundup: Alec Baldwin, TV ads

Alec Baldwin to host NFL Honors at Murat Theater

The NFL and Associated Press plan to present the Most Valuable Player, Coach of the Year and the rest of the league's annual awards during a prime-time broadcast from the Murat Theater on Feb. 4, the evening before the Super Bowl. The event will be hosted by the actor Alec Baldwin and include a performance by Lenny Kravitz and appearances by Hall of Fame players including Jerry Rice, Deion Sanders and Steve Young. NFL Honors will be broadcast live on NBC.

NBC sells out its ads for Super Bowl 2012

All of the planned television ads during Super Bowl 2012 are spoken for, at an average of $3.5 million for a 30-second spot. NBC still is accepting ads for its pregame show and is working from a waiting list for game-time spots. A senior vice president at the network told the AP that the biggest change this year is advertisers are buying longer spots to showcase their creativity.

Packers, Patriots, 49ers, Saints are favorites in Indy2012.com poll

The Green Bay Packers continue to lead the way as Super Bowl favorites in the Indy2012.com poll, with 40 percent of the votes, followed by the San Francisco 49ers and New England Patriots with 8 percent each. The New Orleans Saints have received just 5 percent of the votes in the poll in the right column. It's not too late to vote!