CARMEL — While many have been drawn to Carmel’s Palladium to celebrate the arts, visitors will once again find new reason to visit the building thanks to the Palladiscope.

It’s Carmel’s newest, one-of-a-kind, custom-made, nightly light projection experience cast on the Palladium’s façade. 

Just don’t call it a light show!

“It’s architectural cinema,” said Palladiscope Project Manager Anne O’Brien. “It’s not just what you could very easily – if you’re trying to describe it – just quickly say, it’s a light show, CGI light show… it’s a lot different than that.”

The presentation begins nightly, starting Thursday, Aug. 31, from 8 p.m. till 10 p.m. – depending on when night falls. Food and drink vendors will be on site for what O’Brien is calling a city-wide collaboration celebration.

“We’re excited to give folks a reason to be together and to actually do and visit those other businesses as well,” O’Brien said. “This is going to be a nightly experience that starts at nightfall and so… since we’re here at Carter Green, it’s a great open space for community to gather and maybe even have nighttime picnics… on your walk, so it’ll be a new kind of thing for the community to enjoy. It’s free, open to all.”

The presentation and programming will change periodically throughout the year. The first show is called Eos, The First Dawn. Each showing lasts about 12 minutes. Start times will change throughout the season as more and more daylight is lost. 

The Palladiscope was created by a production company called Blockhouse in Bloomington; the show was created, in part, by recording local performing artists, acrobats, athletes and dancers to help bring the building to life by utilizing each nook and cranny of the Palladium. Many local businesses are eager to take part.

“We’re really excited to involve all kinds of businesses from around the community for this event. Because of the celestial theme being related to the Greek goddesses we’ve partnered with Sun King – they have created a limited, special release designed can just in honor of this show,” O’Brien said. “That’s just one example of how we’re excited for the community to really have this be really their living room, you know? And enjoy a show for everyone.”

Eos, The First Dawn will run through the start of Carmel’s Christkindlmarkt, when a new show will take its place.