2016 will likely be the last year for the Fishers Freedom Festival to be centered at Holland Park, the site of the celebration since its inception in the late 1980s.

I recorded a podcast with the festival’s Executive Director Jennifer Kehl on June 16th, and asked her about the future of the festival at the Holland Park location.  We were talking in her City Hall office.

“Our plan for 2017….the city would like us to move the festival over here to the Nickel Plate District,” Kehl told me.  “We’ll kickoff the 2017 (festival) in a new home.”

I asked Jennifer whether any activity will take place in Holland Park during next year’s festival.

“We’re currently working on it, and we’re going to keep working on it,” she told me.  “We have a lot of logistics to work out.  We’re not really sure.”

I have mixed feelings about the planned changes for next year’s festival.  I have some wonderful memories of taking my daughters to the festival when they were little.  At that time, our family home was in Sunblest just a few blocks from Holland Park.

On the other hand, for the festival to grow and remain relevant, some new thinking is needed.  With all the investment the city has made into the downtown area, and with the major investment the city has in the Fishers Freedom Festival itself, I do understand why change is inevitable.

Change is often needed and it’s not always easy.  Next year’s festival in the Nickel Plate District will largely be the same celebration as before, just in a new location.  It’s good that the leaders of the city and the festival board recognize the need to balance tradition with change.

You can listen to my entire podcast interview with Jennifer Kehl at this link.