News: Heritage hub: Bargersville plans unique events, activities for new Umbarger Plaza

By Ryan Trares Daily Journal

For more than 100 years, the heart of Bargersville has been the railroad tracks passing through its center.
Through the town was platted in 1880, it truly coalesced in 1905 when the Indiana Southern Railroad arrived. The center of the town shifted to the railroad, and the town grew as a stop along the tracks.
With the opening of the new Umbarger Plaza directly next to those tracks, the town’s newest addition honors that history with a fitting symmetry.
“Having a central focus point as unique as the plaza is, next to what is the reason our community exists in the railroad, celebrating the history of what was here and why there was economic output in the area — all three of those things are extremely important for the future of Bargersville,” said Dax Norton, Bargersville town manager.
In Umbarger Plaza, Bargersville now has a centrally located public space ideal for special events, festivals, concerts and more. Town officials have planned a variety of activities taking advantage of the plaza, including a concert series and community music project, festivals and more.
The festivities kick off Friday with a showing of “Moana 2,” the first in the Movies Under the Stars series.
Seeing the physical facility come together, as well as the programming bring people downtown, offers a sense of excitement among town leaders.
“It’s been very rewarding. We’ve been growing quickly, but responsibly, as a department. Our residents have high expectations, and they should. We’re just hoping to bring all of those opportunities and provide that for them,” said Kris Wilson, director of Bargersville Parks and Recreation.
Umbarger Plaza is the most important piece yet of Bargersville’s downtown revitalization. Located off Old Plank Road, Main Street and Baldwin Street downtown, the property belonged to show feed producer Roy Umbarger & Sons Inc. until ownership transferred the property, valued at $173,000, to the town of Bargersville in 2022.
The $2 million plaza was envisioned to include an amphitheater, public restrooms and a green space. Careful attention was paid incorporating the town’s history into the space — most obviously the location next to the railroad tracks.

“Having a shared space, a greenspace downtown that’s a place for community engagement and a place for families to gather really provides some vibrancy to the downtown area,” Wilson said. “Which in turn really gives us an opportunity and a location to provide some events in that space.”
But other details pay homage to Bargesrville tradition as well. The roof of the covered stage at the plaza resembles the roof of a grain bin, reflecting the town’s rural heritage and the Umbarger family.
Town leaders have laid out a master plan that includes envisions a new community center, an arts and culture venue, realigning Baldwin Street, mixed-use developments, redeveloping town hall and the former Umbarger Feed Mill, and creating usable green space.
Umbarger Plaza is the keystone of that vision.
“I’ve seen people go down there on a Saturday, playing on the grass or sitting on the benches. That’s incredibly unique for it to be the starter of the economic development and resurgence of this part of Bargersville, which was really the original part,” Norton said.
Construction on Umbarger Plaza started in November 2022. Though anticipated to be finished last fall, construction delays pushed the finished project until early this year.
But knowing that 2025 would be the first opportunity to take advantage of the new space, town leadership, particularly within the Bargersville Parks and Recreation, have organized an expansive slate of events and activities for the coming months.
Taking the town’s existing free Summer Concert Series, the parks department went bigger and bolder, adding shows and booking exciting new acts to perform, Wilson said.
Local mainstays such as Toy Factory, Blue River Band and the Woomblies will be joined by performers such as longtime Indy singer-songwriter Jennie DeVoe and a ’90s rock and dance cover band Roughouse.
“Last year, we started that parks summer concert series on Main Street. So this is nice for bands to have a stage and people to be able to be on the grass and walk around,” Wilson said. “That was one to move over, and I think everyone is excited to have that at the plaza now.”
Building on the concert series is an initiative known as Cultural Soundscapes. The town is partnering with private businesses and organizations to bring diverse musical performances to the community. Performance dates are available through October.
The program is an opportunity to support emerging talent in the community and fully take advantage of the plaza venue, Wilson said.
“We want to support the local artists and emerging artists to do that. The parks department has established bands coming for its concerts, but who’s to say we can’t have a jazz ensemble on a Saturday morning?” she said. “As our parks department is developing and our town is growing, we can continue to provide resources and grow responsibly while still giving all kinds of opportunities and events for the community to enjoy.”
Movies Under the Stars, which kicks off Friday, offers family-friendly movies on Friday evenings once a month through August. People can spread out on the grassy lawn to watch films such as “Mufasa: The Lion King,” “Dogman” and “Remember the Titans.”
“That’s kind of traditional programming for parks and recreation, so we added those in for a variety of ages and experiences where people can come down and enjoy everything from a cartoon to a little bit of a throwback movie,” Wilson said.
Throughout Bargersville, new neighborhoods and business growth is leading to a vibrant energy in the town. A burgeoning trail system is also helping connect that new growth, helping residents access events and festivals in the developing downtown.
An anchor of that development is Umbarger Plaza, Wilson said.
“As we get the pedestrian crossing completed, that’s just one more component that will allow families to travel from a lot of these new neighborhoods and existing neighborhoods on foot, on bike and to safely come down and enjoy the downtown space,” she said.
IF YOU GO
Umbarger Plaza events
Where: 118 Baldwin St., Bargersville
Movies Under the Stars
All movies start at approximately 8:45 p.m.
Friday: “Moana 2”
June 13: “Mufasa: The Lion King”
July 19: “Dogman”
Aug. 16: “Remember the Titans”
Bargersville Free Summer Concert Series
All concerts 7-9 p.m.
May 22: Toy Factory
June 5: Blue River Band
June 19: Stella Luna & The Satellites
July 10: Jennie DeVoe
July 24: The Woomblies
July 31: Roughouse
Aug. 7: My Yellow Rickshaw
Cultural Soundscapes
All concerts 6-9 p.m.
May 30: Helpling (country/folk/classic rock)
June 27: Indy Annies (country/honky tonk)
July 18: Tarron Lawson (country)
Aug. 15: Dream Slice (alternative/funk/rock)
Aug. 22: The Breakes (blues)
Sept. 12: Tege Holt (country/honky tonk)
Information: bargersvillein.myrec.com