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WARSAW — Main Street Warsaw and the Public Arts Commission have unveiled artwork that will be installed on two utility boxes in the downtown.

The winning submissions were provided by Amani Rodriguez and Leah Geiger.

The images are bright and colorful and include positive messages. One of the images features a rather hip-looking frog wearing headphones and a sign that reads, "Enjoy the Moment."

Geiger said she hopes her image "will remind people to look up, scroll less, and be kind to one another."

Rodriguez added, “I’m seriously honored and thankful to have been selected as an artist for this project. It’s really exciting that I get to leave a mark and express who I am through the artwork.”

The utility box artwork will be on the north side of Center Street between Indiana and Buffalo streets.

"These two artists’ works were exactly what we had hoped for, striking, vibrant colors and positive messages. The artworks provide some whimsey and will welcome our residents and visitors downtown,” said Nathan Underneath Main Street Warsaw Board Member who participated on the selection committee.

“We hope that the public reception will encourage and support more artwork to be displayed in our community, ” said Warsaw Public Arts Commission Co-Chair Andrea Miller.

The utility box murals are funded by Main Street Warsaw and are the first projects to be launched as part of the Downtown Warsaw Cultural Arts District Plan.

"It was great partnering with the Warsaw Public Arts Commission, and we hope to launch a number of additional cultural art projects identified in the plan later this fall,” said Main Street Warsaw Downtown Development Director Terry Sweeney.

This initial installation of artwork is the first opportunity for the Warsaw Public Arts Commission and Main Street Warsaw to share the effort of selecting artwork to display downtown. The call to artists resulted in a wide variety of artworks to choose from and we were excited to see the range of artists’ ages and styles in the submissions. 

The utility box murals are scheduled to be installed by Aug. 30.

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WARSAW — Main Street Warsaw invites the community to kick up their boots and celebrate summer at the Downtown Hoedown on Friday, July 10, from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. in downtown Warsaw. 

As part of Main Street Warsaw's Third Friday series, this month's event has been moved up one week to accommodate the Kosciusko County Fair schedule, allowing the community to enjoy both events. 

The Downtown Hoedown will feature an evening of family-friendly activities and entertainment celebrating the area's agricultural heritage and vibrant downtown. 

Visitors can enjoy a tractor show, shop with local vendors, sample delicious food, and join line dancing throughout the evening. 

The event will also include a special time capsule sealing ceremony and a tree dedication.\

In addition to the Downtown Hoedown festivities, visitors are invited to enjoy the Downtown Sip N Shop, where several downtown boutiques and shops will stay open late for an evening of shopping. 

Participating businesses include Glam Boutique, Finley & Co., The Cove, Male Fashions, Brooch Boutique, and Lakeland Art Gallery, giving visitors even more opportunities to support local businesses while enjoying everything downtown has to offer.

The Downtown Hoedown will offer something for all ages and encourage residents and visitors alike to spend the evening exploring downtown Warsaw, supporting local businesses, and connecting with friends and neighbors in a fun, festive atmosphere.

Event partners include Kensington Digital Media, the City of Warsaw, and the Dane and Mary Louise Foundation.

For more information about the Downtown Hoedown, Sip N Shop and other downtown events, follow Downtown Warsaw on social media or visit downtownwarsaw.com.

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WARSAW — Downtown Warsaw’s Sip N Shop returns on Friday, June 12,  from 5-7 p.m.

The event by Main Street Warsaw is an opportunity to enjoy an evening of local shopping, sipping, and socializing. Bring your friends, stroll through downtown listening to live street musicians while enjoying complimentary wine and cheese served at local retail shops.

The night doesn’t end with shopping. Be sure to satisfy your hunger by indulging yourselves at downtown restaurants featuring American, Latin, Indian and Italian cuisines.

This month’s retail shops participating in the event are The Cove, Glam Boutique, Finley and Company, Lake Art Association, Male Fashions, and Nicodemus Cards and Games.  Featured musicians include Ben Essick, Evan Hensbee and Chase Caldwell.

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WARSAW — The Warsaw Public Arts Commission and Main Street Warsaw have issued a Call for Submissions for a Utility Box Art Project that is part of the Warsaw Cultural Arts District Plan.

Main Street Warsaw (MSW) and the Warsaw Public Art Commission (WPAC) of Warsaw invite local artists to design and submit artwork to adorn utility boxes in downtown Warsaw.

As part of MSW’s Downtown Warsaw Cultural Arts District Plan, this project aims to enrich the cultural landscape of Warsaw, inspiring community-wide appreciation for the power of art to connect, uplift, and transform. Two selected artworks will be digitally printed and applied to utility boxes as a printed UV-resistant vinyl wrap by MSW and WPAC in summer 2026. The art will be displayed for 36 months.

There is no submission fee. 

Selected artists will receive $500 for the use of their artwork on the utility box display. The City of Warsaw, Main Street Warsaw, and Warsaw Public Arts Commission reserve the right to use images of the displayed artwork for relevant media purposes with creator acknowledgment. Artists retain the ownership of their original artwork but should not publicly recreate or display that artwork while on display in Warsaw.

Artworks will need to meet the specifications listed below, or be modified to fit on the described layout. An artist may choose to submit a two- dimensional layout along with a diagram on how the artwork can be presented on the utility boxes.

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WARSAW — A plan to transform the 100 block of North Buffalo Street into a festival street is one of three projects that could soon be part of a large grant application being sought by city leaders.

An open house late Wednesday afternoon showcased three designs for the festival street, which would raise the street elevation and eliminate curbs on both sides of Buffalo Street across from the Kosciusko County Courthouse.

Such a design would create a large pedestrian-friendly area that would accommodate additional outdoor seating and a space for large festivals.

All three options would reduce the amount of parking by a handful of spaces, but that did not result in concern by affected businesses, in part, because of separate plans by the city and county to construct a nearby parking garage.

The designs presented by Anderson Bohlander were very similar but varied in the way on-street parking was included.

One design included a performance stage on the southeast corner of the courthouse square.

One idea would incorporate gates at the end of the block that can be lowered to close off the street for festivals.

The designs also included street lighting options, additional trees and banners.

Nate Callithen, who lives in downtown and is a member of Ride Walk Kosciusko County, was one of about 15 people to attend the 5 p.m. meeting after Main Street Warsaw hosted several sessions earlier in the day with stakeholders.

"I really like the idea of a festival street. Pedestrianizing downtown is really important to drive the growth of downtown, not just from a liveliness, cultural perspective, but economically," Callithen said.

He said he thinks it will spur more development and lead to more foot traffic.

"I think it's a good first step," he said.

The open house was the latest in a series of events used to gauge community input.

Proposals for the cultural arts district were unveiled last fall, and the festival street is viewed as the most popular, said Main Street Warsaw's Downtown Development Director Terry Sweeney.

Sweeney said they’re working to quickly submit a state grant request in hopes of tapping into some of the $65 million made available through the state's READI 2.0 program, which is supported with money from Lilly Endowment for arts and cultural development.

Plans for a park with interactive artwork were also unveiled Wednesday and would be near the east-west railroad tracks on South Buffalo Street, but some people at the open house questioned the location and the need.

The application could also include plans for a multi-use art space in the old First Christian Church across the street from the county Justice Building, which is owned by the county and is in need of significant repairs.

Sweeney said if they are awarded grant money for the festival street, it would be combined with money from the city, the private sector, and philanthropic sources.

The presentation did not include cost estimates.

The deadline for the grant application is April 15.

The money would not require a matching grant and is open to all communities across the state, Sweeney said.

Officials hope to find out this summer if they will receive funding.

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WARSAW — It appears the Kosciusko County Farmers and Artisans Market will likely remain in downtown Warsaw.

Two of the organizers said they felt blindsided recently when a plan to renew the annual street closing for the summer-long program was delayed after some city officials expressed an interest in looking at whether it should be relocated out of the downtown because of the inconvenience of street closings.

Within a matter of days, two petitions, including one online, were organized to underscore the market’s popularity.

At the same time, Main Street Warsaw and the Kosciusko Chamber of Commerce reached out to 34 merchants in downtown Warsaw to gauge their thoughts on whether the market should remain on Center Street in front of the Kosciusko County Courthouse.

Parker said 34 stakeholders said they support the market remaining on Center Street, and one opposed, including part of Buffalo Street as part of the overall closure.

Parker said he does not support closing Buffalo during the ongoing construction along Indiana Avenue, which is part of a major exterior renovation by Lake City Bank that’s expected to continue into the summer.

Talk of the annual plan to approve the closure of streets for the market was tabled earlier this month after some questions arose about whether merchants see the market as a plus on Saturday mornings despite the street closings.

Parker said the survey provides convincing evidence that the market should stay in the downtown.

Parker said Main Street Warsaw and the chamber have always supported the market in its existing location.

"We believe very strongly, have always believed, that it's beneficial to have that happen in the downtown on Saturday mornings because it draws people to the downtown," Parker said.

"We're going to work hard to make sure it moves forward and not delay it any further," he said.

But he cautions that the survey focused on Center Street and not Buffalo Street, which he said needs to remain open in light of part of Indiana Avenue being closed due to a Lake City Bank construction project.

Lisa Hawley and Josh Fox, the market’s co-directors, talkd with News Now Warsaw shortly after Parker shared his findings and were cautiously optimistic, despite some lingering anger over how the issue surfaced.

"It's great, but I don't think it's over. I think the city council will come after the market after this year to be moved," Hawley said.

"It sounds good if it truly is," Fox said. "I guess time will tell. My gut says there might be a hidden agenda in there. I don't know.

The city board of works will address the issue at its meeting on March 6.

The board of works often welcomes input from the city council and the chamber on a range of issues.

A specific relocation plan has not been proposed, but some, over the years, have suggested Central Park would be a good option.

The market used to operate at the Kosiusko County Fairgrounds but moved to downtown about 13 years ago.

Despite having competition from a similar market in Winona Lake, the Warsaw market has continued to do well and saw traffic increase last year.

In fact, more vendors began using Buffalo Street (between Market and Center streets) last year, and it was further bolstered by Krista Brown, the owner of Maggie's Coffee and Treats, who helped organize a "cars and coffee" promotion that attracted classic car owners to downtown.

Parker said he thinks some city council members wanted to pause it to evaluate whether there was a better option.

He said he believes opinions from his survey provide a "solid footing" for elected officials to make informed decisions rather than “knee-jerk decisions” based on a few opinions.

Negative opinions often stand out, he said, because most people who like something are less inclined to be vocal about it.

Brown said she thinks the Main Street survey sends a strong message.

"People in the community want the market to stay where it is, and they're happy with it," Brown said.

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WARSAW — A downtown Warsaw business owner who has been heavily invested in downtown activities is speaking out against a $30,000 study that will look more closely at the idea of a festival street.

Attorney Travis McConnell conveyed his concerns in a letter to the editor to the Times-Union. The letter, titled "Yet Another Study, can be read here.

"We've had festivals in Warsaw for over 100 years," McConnell said. "I don't think we need to pay to study how to have festivals."

McConnell said he'd rather see money used for less expensive improvements, such as the installation of permanent tie-downs needed to support large festival tents.

Construction of a festival street is one of many pitched by a consultant who assembled a collection of ideas that would be part of a cultural arts district aimed at attracting more people into the downtown business district.

Renovation of a portion of a roadway for a festival street (Officials have mentioneed part of North Buffalo Street but no decision has beeen made) would turn it into a large flat surface void of curbs to accommodate festival events that are normally held along part of Center and Buffalo streets near the Kosciusko County Courthouse and would be an alternative to having to close off streets for each festival.

 If there is community support for cultural improvements, then we already have the local voices, plans, and momentum to act without paying an outside firm, McConnell wrote.

"And if there isn’t community support for a festival street, then we certainly shouldn’t spend $30,000 on a consultant for it either," he wrote.

Earlier this month, the Warsaw Redevelopment Commission approved a request to spend $30 on a study of the issue.

Top issues involve the location cost.

McConnell conceded that a study might be necessary to open the door for grant money to help fund the project, if approved.

He said he thinks a better understanding of public sentiment on the issue is important and that determining that level of support should happen before spending $30,000.

The topic of some kind of improved festival space has been touched on in at least one report and at least one public conversation hosted by Main Street Warsaw.

Officials with Main Street Warsaw and the Kosciusko Chamber of Commerce have said they plan to provide more details about the festival street concept soon.

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WARSAW — The city of Warsaw is moving quickly on one of the proposals pitched last month as officials work to establish a cultural arts district in the downtown.

On Monday — less than three weeks after the entire plan was unveiled — the city redevelopment commission approved plans to hire a firm to study the idea of establishing a festival street, which would transform part of a downtown road into a flat surface that can more easily accommodate festivals.

The redevelopment commission agreed to spend $30,000 for the study with Anderson Bohlander to look further at the concept.

The plan was pitched by Terry Sweeney, Main Street Warsaw's downtown development director, who also recapped four new programs that were launched in 2025.

Officials are currently eyeing part of North Buffalo Street as a potential location for the festival street, and the study will likely look at where it might be best to make the transformation.

Some officials have said North Detroit Street seems optimal for the project since it is near Center Lake and a proposed city-county parking garage.

The idea of a street festival is one of the biggest proposals that make up an expansive plan to add more artwork and amenities aimed at attracting more people to the downtown.

Main Street Warsaw has been studying the idea of a cultural arts district, which was fueled in part by a new Hyatt Palma Study, commissioned during former mayor Joe Thallemer's term in office.

No kind of cost estimate has been released because it's very preliminary, but officials admit it is an ambitious plan that would be costly.

Jeremy Skinner, the city's community and economic development director, talked about the vision Monday afternoon.

"Yes, there's a lot of money that would have to be found, but we can't find the money until we know what we're looking for. There's a lot of groundwork that needs to be done," Skinner said. "It's gonna take time, and it's not gonna happen overnight."

"We got a pretty good start here and a lot of good things that came out of the plan," Skinner added.

You can see the entire conversation from Monday's meeting with Sweeney's presentation at the 18:00 mark.

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WARSAW — Kosciusko Chamber of Commerce President Rob Parker said he believes establishing a cultural arts district is key to continued growth in downtown Warsaw.

The proposal, outlined a week ago by Main Street Warsaw, includes numerous proposals of varying size and costs, and is aimed at bringing more people to the downtown and boosting the quality of life in ways to boost economic development.

Main Street Warsaw hopes to tap into money through the state and be funded by Lilly to help finance some of the projects, some of which could be announced over the coming months.

The emphasis on public art is geared toward feeding off the concept of a "creative economy."

“We believe very strongly in the creative arts economy, whether that’s musicians or artists or graphic designers or even restaurateurs, or chefs — they’re very creative — and they come up with things that help our economy grow. We want those in our downtown. We need art in our downtown. It really reflects the heart of the community,” Parker said earlier this week for a taping of In The Know, the public affairs show you can hear this weekend on Kensington Digital Media radio stations.

He’s especially keen on plans to create a festival street — possibly on North Buffalo near the proposed parking garage and the edge of Center Lake.

The idea is to revamp a portion of the street into a flat surface without curbs to allow for seating, pedestrians, and festival activities. It would become a home to festival activities in the downtown instead of having to close off parts of Center and Buffalo streets for each festival event.

“This would enable us to have a street that is dedicated to foot traffic and events, and that’s what I’m super excited about,” Parker said.

The plan is being driven by Terry Sweeney, director of downtown development for Main Street Warsaw, which relied on recommendations based on community input collected earlier this year by a consultant, Designing Local.

Parker also talked about his ten years at the helm of the Chamber and its recent community award from the state chamber that salutes the entire county for strong collaborative leadership, economic diversification, and focus on enhancing quality of life.

*  *  * 

In The Know can be heard at the following times:

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Saturdays at 7 a.m. 

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WRSW (107.3):

Sundays at 6 a.m.

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Sundays at 6 a.m.

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