Elkhart Parks & Recreation is inviting residents to participate in a series of community conversations aimed at shaping the future of the city’s parks, programs, and facilities. These open-house style events are part of the department’s five-year master plan to enhance public spaces and better serve the needs of the community.
The community conversations are part of the Our Parks initiative, which seeks to engage residents in providing feedback about what they want to see in their local parks over the next five years. Jamison Czarnecki, Elkhart Parks Superintendent, emphasized that the conversations are crucial for understanding what residents value most in their parks.
“We’re really hoping to bring people out and get them to really think strategically with us over the next five years about what they want to see in their parks,” Czarnecki said.
The community conversations will be held at various locations around Elkhart to make it convenient for as many residents as possible to attend. Czarnecki explained that the goal is to gather a wide range of feedback, especially on what works in the parks and where improvements are needed.
“Our goal is to really gather a ton of feedback and have some really enriching conversations about what people like, and honestly, what they don’t like,” Czarnecki added.
The series of events will begin on February 11 and continue through March 6, with multiple opportunities for participation at different times and locations. In addition to these in-person events, the Parks Department is offering an online survey for those who cannot attend.
The eight community conversation sessions will take place at the following locations:
- February 11, 2025: Studebaker Pavilion, 1020 McDonald St., 5 PM – 7 PM
- February 13, 2025: Studebaker Pavilion, 1020 McDonald St., 6 PM – 8 PM
- February 19, 2025: High Dive Pavilion, 500 E. Beardsley Ave., 5 PM – 7 PM
- February 27, 2025: Willowdale Park Pavilion, 1320 Olive Ave., 5 PM – 7 PM
- March 1, 2025: High Dive Park Pavilion, 500 E. Beardsley Ave., 10 AM – 1 PM
- March 3, 2025: Pierre Moran Pavilion, 200 W Lusher Ave, 5 PM – 7 PM
- March 4, 2025: Tolson Center, 1320 Benham Ave, 5:30 PM – 7:30 PM
- March 6, 2025: McNaughton Park Pavilion, 701 Arcade Ave., 5 PM – 7 PM
To make the events accessible for all families, each session will include a children’s activity station, and Spanish language support will be available.
“We’ll come to the people. We just don’t know where to go,” Czarnecki said, highlighting the department’s commitment to reaching as many residents as possible through these conversations and additional outreach.
For more information on the community conversations or to fill out the online survey, click here.
