North Webster's Off-Season Runs Through Town Park, and the Park's Next Chapter Is Already Funded

When the lake season ends in North Webster, most of the year-round calendar still happens at one public space. That's Town Park on Webster Lake, plus a handful of addresses along Main Street a short walk away. The park now has $600,000 in grants behind a redesign. A community campaign meant to add another $100,000 closed on Sept. 30 with $10,182.

Those two figures tell you what's coming, and they show where the park's future funding is likely to come from.

October Already Proved the Point

On Saturday, Oct. 10, the Witches and Warlocks Paddle launched at 1 p.m. from North Webster Town Park, InkFreeNews reported. Costumed paddlers crossed Webster Lake on kayaks and paddleboards. People without boats rode the Dixie, and back on shore there were face painting, music, refreshments and a hayride. Cyne Art and Tattoo Studio ran the face-painting station.

Organizer Lisa Strombeck told InkFreeNews the event began as a small outing with her cousins during the COVID-19 pandemic. "I saw it. It's done all over the world," she said of the idea. In a few years it grew from a family outing into a town event, and the park's lake access, its dock for the Dixie and its open lawn made that growth possible.

Oct. 10 was also the second Saturday of the month. On the North Webster-Tippecanoe Township Chamber's calendar, that means farmers market day at the Mermaid Festival Grounds, 8 a.m. to 1 p.m., from June through October. October is the market's last month of the year. Its final 2026 date fell on the same day as the paddle.

The Dixie's public season also ended this month. The Dixie's own site listed Saturday, Oct. 17 at 6 p.m. as the last scheduled public cruise, with Sunday, Oct. 18 held as a weather makeup. The boat docks at Town Park.

What's Left on the Calendar

With the Dixie's public schedule and the market's final date both behind us, the calendar moves indoors and onto Main Street. Here's what's ahead, in order:

1. Amazing Haunted House, last nights Oct. 30 and 31. This is the 17th year for the event, run by North Webster Boy Scout Troop 726 and the Lions Club. It's open 7 to 10 p.m. at 504 W. Washington St. Admission is $7, and the proceeds benefit both groups, according to InkFreeNews.
2. Whisk & Sizzle, Nov. 4, 1 to 2:30 p.m. The North Webster Community Public Library hosts a demonstration on hors d'oeuvres and charcuterie boards. See the listing.
3. DIY peppermint shower steamers, Nov. 16, 5 to 6:30 p.m. A craft night at the library. Registration is required.
4. Romp and Roll, through Nov. 20. The North Webster Community Center's fall series for toddlers and preschoolers runs Thursday evenings and Friday mornings at 301 N. Main St. Details here.
5. Christmas Tree Lighting, Nov. 21. The Chamber's events page lists the date for the annual lighting. Check that page closer to the day for the time and location.
6. Whisk & Sizzle cookie exchange, Dec. 2, 1 to 2:30 p.m. The library session includes a cookie-in-a-jar demonstration. If you want to make a cookie-in-a-jar, bring your own jar. See the listing.

Main Street also has a new storefront this year. Barefoot Cottage, a furniture and home décor shop, moved from Pierceton to 221 N. Main St. Owner Jo Mishler held a ribbon cutting on March 27, InkFreeNews reported. At opening, the shop's hours were Wednesday through Friday, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., and Saturday, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. If you're planning a December stop, check the current hours before you go.

The Money Behind the Park's Next Version

Town Park anchors so much of this calendar that the project now aimed at it touches most of what happens in town between festivals.

The North Webster Park and Shoreline Project has two grants. The first is a $500,000 Community Amenities Program grant. It was presented by representatives of OrthoWorx and the K21 Health Foundation and celebrated in town on Aug. 20, according to ALL IN Kosciusko. The program is part of the $30 million Orthopedic Industry Retention Initiative grant, and K21 administers it for smaller Kosciusko County communities. The second is a $100,000 Lake and River Enhancement grant from the Indiana Department of Natural Resources, which the Town Council heard about on Aug. 18, InkFreeNews reported.

The announced plans cover four things:

• Dredging the shoreline along Town Park to improve public access to Webster Lake
• New playground equipment
• Upgrades to the park pavilion
• Two large murals honoring the town's history and lake heritage

The town has described the project as a way to strengthen the connection between the lakefront and downtown North Webster. That connection is already in use. The paddle in Town Park and the community center at 301 N. Main St. are both part of the same off-season calendar.

No construction schedule has been announced yet. Dates for dredging, playground installation or pavilion work have not been made public.

The Piece That Fell Short

The third funding source depended on local donations. The town ran a crowdfunding campaign on Patronicity through the Indiana Housing and Community Development Authority's CreatINg Places program. If residents and businesses raised $50,000 by Sept. 30, the state would match it with up to $50,000.

The campaign was called "America 250 in North Webster: Art, Parks, and Community Renewal." Its pitch put the murals first: two professionally designed murals, "with the potential for more," for highly visible spots around town, alongside improvements to the town park.

It launched on Aug. 13 and closed on Sept. 30. The campaign page shows $10,182 raised from 17 patrons, or 21% of the goal. On Oct. 1, the town posted this update to supporters:

"Unfortunately, we did not hit our funding goal of $50,000 and will not receive the matching grant through IHCDA CreatINg Places. Your contributions will still go towards the overall funding campaign of the project."

The same update offered refunds to anyone who asks. Local support also came through other channels. On Sept. 15, the North Webster-Tippecanoe Township Chamber presented the Town Council with a $5,000 check for the campaign, InkFreeNews reported. The campaign page also invited offline donations by cash or check to the Town of North Webster at 144 S. Main St.

So the project goes forward with its $600,000 in grants and whatever local money comes in, but without the state's $50,000 match. Resident Bryan Fanning told the August council meeting, "This is our community," InkFreeNews reported. Questions about the project go to Clerk-Treasurer Leigh Anne Jessop at (574) 834-7894.

The Longer Line North

One more plan will eventually extend the park-and-Main Street area beyond town. Phase one of the North Webster-Syracuse trail is planned to run through town. At an Oct. 8 meeting, Kosciusko County Parks and Recreation heard about phase two, a 3.2-mile extension north along State Road 13 to Wawasee Middle School. Estimates put it at $6 million to $7 million, with construction listed for fiscal 2032, which runs July 2031 through June 2032, according to InkFreeNews. The Parks Board recommended that the county take the lead.

That timeline is years away. The park work has its funding now, and this fall's events all ran through the park and Main Street. The Nov. 21 tree lighting and the Dec. 2 cookie exchange are the next dates on the calendar.

If you're a North Webster homeowner thinking about what a refreshed Town Park and a future trail could mean for the streets between the lake and Main Street, I'm happy to walk through it with you over coffee. Billie Shively follows these local projects closely, and I'd be glad to share what I'm seeing. Let's Connect.