The City of Portage is in the midst of maintaining current parks, beginning new construction in Founders Square, and hosting multiple community events to support the town and community. Residents have many new developments and gatherings to look forward to in the coming months.
Lori Wilkie, superintendent of the Portage Parks Department, is excited about the current upgrades to Founders Square and the present repairs and goals to maintain and add to Hannah’s Hope Playground.
Hannah’s Hope is a Northwest Indiana non-profit that provides developmental equipment to kids with special needs and connects families by making life and communities more accessible. Hannah’s Hope Playground broke ground in 2017, and Wilkie fondly remembers the event.
“I remember attending the ribbon-cutting. It was awesome that the family finally found a location for the park,” said Wilkie. “There were a lot of volunteers and people that came together to help make it happen.”
The park was an important installation in the town, granting access to all children regardless of their abilities. The truly special feature of the park is its wheelchair accessibility, allowing children who use wheelchairs to utilize the equipment in a meaningful way.
Over time, the park has experienced typical wear and tear. At the moment, Portage is repairing broken equipment and repairing surfaces at the park. The playground is located at Founders Square, which is in the progress of receiving updates to make the area safer and more convenient for families.
“The area around the playground is being upgraded,” said Wilkie. “A seating wall is being placed on the south side of the park with the Founders Square updates.”
The primary goal of the upgrades to the park and Founders Square is to promote safety for all residents. Safety is a huge concern for the City of Portage. The town would like to highlight their latest development of Founders Square, which will make Hannah’s Hope Playground an even safer place for children to play.
“One of the positive, great things about the construction going down at Founders is the removal of the road that goes in between the two squares that separates the park,” said Wilkie. “We are taking that road out and making more green space and a paved plaza area.”
Removing this road that separates the park will stop cars from cutting through the middle of the park and redirect traffic away from the playground.
“The new green space will be a safer way for park-goers to get from the amphitheater to the playground,” said Wilkie.
Wilkie recognizes that having safe green spaces is a top priority for any successful city.
“Safe green spaces give our community a place to gather. It's good for stress relief and for health and wellness to get out in nature,” says Wilkie. “Being able to walk trails and visit parks builds community. It gives families and friends things to do together for quality bonding time.”
As the city works to maintain and upgrade park spaces around town, the city plans to still serve the public and promote upcoming town events.
The Harvest Festival will take place on October 2, 2021, at Founders Square. Despite construction, the town will still have food trucks, crafters, and different musical acts all day. The event begins at 11 a.m. and will go until 7 p.m.
The Annual Haunted Hayride will occur the weekend of fall break, October 21 to 23 from 6:30 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. The event has been held for over 40 years. Many local families come out to participate. The cost is just $3 per ride.
“It's family-friendly. It's not too scary,” said Wilkie. “It's a great event.”
Visit https://www.facebook.com/cityofportage/events to keep up on family-friendly events in the City of Portage.