On Saturday, November 14, from 2 to 4 p.m., Zionsville Parks will cut the ribbon on a rebuilt Lincoln Park. The park sits on the site of the town's original railway depot, where Abraham Lincoln spoke on his 1861 whistle-stop trip, and it is the oldest park in town. Two weeks later, on November 28, Santa comes down Main Street in the Christmas in the Village parade.
That timing tells you how Zionsville has divided itself this year. This year's restaurant openings have landed at The Farm on U.S. 421 and along Michigan Road. Downtown's new additions are a park and an outdoor seating area. The Village has become the part of town you visit for an occasion, and its busiest season starts right after its central park reopens.
What the Lincoln Park money bought
The refresh carries a budget of $979,792. Current in Zionsville reported in March that this was about $300,000 less than the bids the parks department got the year before. The first bids came in higher than expected, so the department went back to the design. Most of the savings came from the ground. The department changed the type of soil, used less stone and gave up some longevity. Parks superintendent Jarod Logsdon said none of those changes were expected to affect how the park looks.
Here is what you will see on November 14:
- A new centerpiece gazebo, which replaces the old one
- The fountain, moved to the front of the park
- A lighted walkway and new accessible paths through the park
- Updated plantings and drainage improvements
The lighted walkway matters more than the rest of the list. Most of the Village's holiday events happen after dark. Ladies Night and the Christmas Crawl both run from 5 to 9 p.m. in December. This year, those evenings come with a new lighted walkway through the park in the middle of the Village.
The reopening program, called Love Lincoln: Lincoln's Legacy, is free and open to drop-ins. It includes live 19th-century American music, a Lincoln interpreter telling stories about his life and his stop in Zionsville, a ribbon cutting, and a flag raising by Scout den 358. There will also be community booths and remarks from the mayor. The town is linking the event to the America 250 milestone.
The statue comes later
Zionsville will get a Lincoln statue, but it won't be there on November 14. An anonymous local donor intends to fund a life-size bronze Lincoln. It will cost between $100,000 and $120,000 and will stand near the fountain by Oak Street, where drivers and people on foot can see it. The sculptor is Ryan Feeney, owner of Indy Art Forge. He made the Peyton Manning statue outside Lucas Oil Stadium and works full time as an Indianapolis firefighter. Early renderings show Lincoln in his long coat, holding his top hat in his left hand, with his right hand out as if he is giving a speech. In March, Feeney estimated the statue would take about a year to make. The town says it will hold a public unveiling later.
Some of the park's history is already in place. On May 21, a plaque about the old depot and Lincoln's stop was unveiled at the SullivanMunce Cultural Center, and it is meant to go in Lincoln Park. The parks department also offered naming rights to the new gazebo for at least $100,000 over 25 years. That money will pay for the gazebo's eventual replacement.
Downtown's other new place to sit
Lincoln Park isn't the only new downtown gathering spot this year. On July 3, Zionsville Golf Course opened the Overlook, a covered seating area with restrooms and a concession stand. It looks out over holes five through eight. The menu includes a pimento cheese sandwich, plus beer and wine. You don't have to play golf to use it. There's a public drive off East Willow Street near Maple Street, and you can walk in.
Pete Prust of Zionsville National came up with the idea as a way to get the community more involved with the downtown course. He told Current that plenty of residents had already come by to sit and have a glass of wine. "I never thought it would take off this quickly," he said. Prust and Paul Kite, who took over the course in 2024, also wanted to fix a practical problem: the clubhouse bathrooms were inadequate.
So downtown gained a park and an overlook this year. Both are places to stay a while.
Where the new tables went
The year's restaurant openings went three miles west. The Farm is a 48-acre mixed-use development that Steve Pittman of Pittman Partners built on land that was once his family's farm. In 2026 it added:
- Torchy's Tacos, February 2
- Sweetgreen, February 24
- Niku, the omakase and sushi spot, May 29
- Graeter's Ice Cream, June 3, at 11822 Sylo Crossing, Suite 601
- Rise'n Roll Bakery, June 9, at 11581 Sylo Crossing
These joined Shake Shack, Bibibop, Piada Italian Street Food and West Coast Sourdough. "We have a lot of the food category checked off," Sam Pittman, who runs the retail side, told Current in July.
There's more coming. Crafter's Pizza and Drafthouse will be the first tenant in a new five-tenant building that was scheduled to be finished in September. Current's July report gave no opening date for the restaurant. The Fresh Market is planned as The Farm's grocery store and is expected to open in late 2027. "I want west Carmel and Zionsville to have the best," Steve Pittman said.
Michigan Road has new openings too. Mo' Bettahs Hawaiian Style Food announced a September 14 opening at 10725 N. Michigan Road. Stella's Ice Cream has a grand-opening ribbon cutting scheduled for October 24 at 11100 N. Michigan Road, Suite 120.
That split shapes how the next three months work. Weeknight dinner is at The Farm. Fall and holiday events are in the Village, and from mid-November they'll center on a park that's been closed for construction for most of the year.
From the hayride to the Christmas Crawl
The fall calendar starts in the parks and moves onto Main Street. The holiday dates below come from Main Street Zionsville's event listing.
October
- Fright Nights, October 23 and 24, 7 to 10 p.m. It starts at Mulberry Fields Park with a haunted hayride and the Fright Barn.
- Trick or Trees, October 24, 9 a.m. to noon, at Elm Street Green, with timed family entry to the trail
- Gallery On & Off Main, October 24, noon to 8 p.m., with Village merchants hosting artists and artisans
November
- Smashin' Pumpkins, November 7, 11 a.m. to 1 p.m., at Mulberry Fields Park
- Love Lincoln: Lincoln's Legacy, November 14, 2 to 4 p.m., in Lincoln Park
- Teeny Tiny Art Market opens November 20 and runs through December 19
- Gravy Chase, Thanksgiving morning, November 26, 8:30 a.m.
- Christmas in the Village starts November 27, with Small Business Weekend November 27 to 29 and Santa selfies from November 28
- Parade and tree lighting, November 28 at 5 p.m. The parade runs from Eagle Elementary to Old National Bank on South Main Street, and Santa and Mrs. Claus light the tree when it ends.
December
- December 5: the Zionsville Showchoir Holiday Home Tour, the Tri Kappa Santa Breakfast and the Zionsville Parks Winter Market
- Ladies Night, December 10, 5 to 9 p.m.
- Christmas Crawl, December 17, 5 to 9 p.m., with seasonal specials at participating shops and restaurants along Main Street
- Christmas in the Village runs through December 24
October 24 is the busiest day on the list. Stella's ribbon cutting on Michigan Road, Trick or Trees in the morning, Gallery On & Off Main through the afternoon, and Fright Nights that evening all fall on the same Saturday. Three weeks after that, the Village has its central park back, with a lit path through it, just before the holiday season.
Lincoln Park reopening right before Christmas in the Village is a good example of what happens to the Village during the holidays. If you own a home within walking distance of Main Street and want to know how this season affects what buyers see when they visit, The Spillman Group is happy to walk through it with you. Schedule a free consultation, and we'll talk about your home and the timing that makes sense for you.
