White River State Park Updates

January 14, 2020 

Dear Friends,

The year 2019 was busy and exciting here at White River State Park (WRSP). We enjoyed welcoming visitors from all over the world to enjoy our various attractions and events. From introducing new Park programs like Yappy Hour, a family and pet-friendly outdoor happy hour event, and Goonies on the Green, a free movie screening on the lawn of the Indiana State Museum, to hosting the first of its kind worldwide gaming event, Harry Potter: Wizards Unite Fan Festival, to completing phase one and breaking ground on phase two of our permanent concert venue, The Amphitheater at White River State Park, this year has been full of great successes. We are also very proud to have commissioned a new sculpture, Don’t Forget Us, to add to our art collection found throughout the Park, launched our first intern-led recycling program, The White River State Park Recycling Initiative, and introduced hammock rentals, Hammock Time for another fun way to enjoy the park!

We strive to ensure that the Park is a destination that offers distinctive experiences for every visitor. In 2019, WRSP hosted 86 events in our green spaces alone. Our popular Military Park hosted 22 events with more than 235,000 attendees. In 2019, we were also able to complete Phase 1 of the Amphitheater project, adding 60 new permanent restrooms to our venue. In Phase 2, which is scheduled to be completed in the spring of 2020, just in time for the new concert season, we will unveil a permanent performance stage with permanent seating for almost 3,000 along with an additional 40 permanent restrooms. We are proud to have hosted 26 concerts in partnership with Live Nation. Our new and improved venue will afford us the opportunity to bring even more top talent to the stage for many years to come.

These events and your patronage have earned us a number of accolades over the past year, including awards and feature stories in numerous publications. Some that we are most proud of include:

2020 promises to be an exciting year for WRSP. We look forward to bringing back many of our most popular events and adding new ones, as well. While our events and attractions will continue to bring the exciting cultural, educational, and recreational opportunities you’ve grown to know and love, we encourage you to explore and utilize WRSP in more ways. Whether you’re in the market for a casual stroll through the Park, a relaxing hammocking experience, or looking to host your next event, we look forward to serving you.

Speaking of events, with over 250 acres of vibrant green spaces, waterways, and world-class attractions, we have ample space, glorious backdrops, and first-class accommodations for hosting your next affair, including weddings, parties, charity events, corporate get-togethers and much more. We also look forward to introducing some fun social media campaigns throughout the year, such as our new Weddings in the Park campaign, to help make hosting your next event easier and more fun. Be sure to follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram, or check us out on www.WhiteRiverStatePark for all of the details.

We want to thank you for an amazing 2019 and an even greater 2020. We appreciate your support, patronage, and various contributions that have all helped to make White River State Park the world-class park that it is; for we know that without you we simply would not be. Creating a one-of-a-kind experience for all of visitors to enjoy is at the very heart of what we do. In whatever way you choose to enjoy the Park, we look forward to serving you in 2020. Happy New Year!

Sincerely,

Carolene Mays-Medley

Executive Director, White River State Park Development Commission