Heading up planning for the Warsaw Parks and Recreation Department’s events are Recreation Director Stephanie Schaefer, left, and Recreation Director Assistant Lynnae Miller. InkFreeNews photo by Leah Sander.

By Leah Sander
InkFreeNews

WARSAW — The Warsaw Parks and Recreation Department’s events are “about the people,” said the department’s Recreation Director Stephanie Schaefer.

“It’s all about the people, making sure that our community has free and low-cost events to do and to see people walk out of our programs or our events, happy, smiling,” said Schaefer.

She is assisted with event planning by Recreation Director Assistant Lynnae Miller who started in March. Also helping out this summer are 10 lifeguards and five recreation leaders.

Schaefer said in 2023 there were more than 21,000 people who participated in parks’ events, including those from outside of the Warsaw community.

Events still going on this summer include tonight, July 19’s free Country Concert for St. Jude at the Glover Pavilion at Central Park. That begins at 6:30 p.m. with Kaitlyn Baker and Joe Lasher, with headliner Kimberly Perry at 8 p.m.

The Family Carnival is 6-9 p.m. Friday, July 26, at Central Park, with wristbands for the event costing $10 and individual tickets for activities 25 cents. There will be food vendors, face painting, games and more.

A slip-n-slide luau is 1-3 p.m. Wednesday, July 31, at Lucerne Park, with Wipe Out 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Monday, Aug. 5, at Pike Lake Beach and a Family Movie Night with “Wonka” at 7:30 p.m. Friday, Aug. 23, at Lucerne.

To find a full list of events for the year, people may view the 2024 Recreation Guide by clicking here.

Schaefer said volunteers for events throughout the year are always welcomed.

“Volunteers I think can make the programs and events better than what they are just because the more people you have working, it just makes things easier,” she said.

People should sign up a month or more in advance of the event they wish to help with. To do so, they may call the parks’ office at (574) 372-9554 or look for the volunteer form at warsaw.in.gov/227/volunteer-opportunities.

Schaefer noted help with events also comes from Warsaw Parks and Recreation Department Superintendent Larry Plummer, Maintenance Director Shaun Gardner and other employees.

“We have 19 parks, and I’m proud of each and everyone of those parks and again Shaun and Larry have a maintenance team that’s working really hard on those,” she said.

“I want people to know is that it takes a team, a lot of people coming together, working on the parks,” Schaefer added. “I can’t do it without the maintenance side, and they need to make sure the parks are ready to go and they look nice, they’re clean and then we come in and we put on our programs and events in those parks.”

Overall Schaefer said she desires for people “to come and have fun and leave happy” at parks’ events.

“I have a couple of friends that call me the city party planner, and they kind of laugh about it, but we are,” she said of the parks’ department. “There’s a lot of people depending on Lynnae and I to come up with a lot of fun things … I just wake up ready for the day every day. I’m up ready to go.”