Indy turned into 'epicenter of awesome'

INDIANAPOLIS (WANE) - With a little more than a week to go before Super Bowl XLVI, the super activities for super fans are officially open. Organizers are dubbing the downtown area as the 'epicenter of awesome.'

"[For a lot of people in the region] this is as close as you're going to get to a Super Bowl, at least in the near future. You want to be here and be a part of this," Dianna Boyce, the director of communications for the 2012 Super Bowl, said.

One of the main streets near the Convention Center has been transformed into the Super Bowl Village. There are several band stands, a zip line, food vendors and other activities along the three-block corridor. The activities all opened at 3 p.m. Friday.

"Everybody's really excited. The city looks great. The signs are up and the buildings are decorated," Boyce said.

The NFL Experience allows people to "play like the pros" with passing, kicking and running activities.

"All the things the [players] do at combine," Boyce said.

For many volunteers and organizers, this is all years in the making. Now they're excited to see people showing up and having fun.

"As someone who was a volunteer four years ago and now on the staff it's exciting to see all the volunteer spirit," Boyce said.

Randy Byrns from Indianapolis was delivering supplies to the Super Bowl Village on Friday. He hopes people come and enjoy his city.

"It's a great place to be. This is the heartbeat of Indiana right here," he sad. "It was a lot of hard work, but it's worth it to bring people down to have a good time."

It is advised that people look ahead at event schedules and driving directions before arriving downtown. Click here for itineraries and other information.