Connecting Muncie Neighborhood partners and resources
Did you know there are several new kayak and canoe launches located throughout Muncie?
There are! And several more in the works.
These launches are open to the public, so beat the heat this summer by grabbing a friend and bringing your favorite canoes and kayaks to one of these convenient spots.
Learn more about this and other cool projects aimed at championing our local waterways at the Ball Brothers Foundation Project Blueways page.
Ball State University will host its first We Fly Fest from 5-8 p.m. on Saturday, June 7. This free, on-campus event is open to the public and will include campus tours, entertainment, live music, informational booths, games, and other family-friendly activities.
“We Fly Fest is the latest demonstration of our University’s commitment to fostering strong connections between our campus and the community,” said Ball State President Geoffrey S. Mearns. “I am excited to welcome our friends and neighbors to experience the best of what Ball State has to offer.”
The event will begin at Ball State’s Brown Family Amphitheater, where guests can enjoy games and activities, food trucks, information tables, and a live DJ.
Fest attendees may explore campus through several self-guided tours or the Student Experience bus tour. Featured destinations on the self-guided tours include the Dr. Joe & Alice Rinard Orchid Greenhouse, the Marilyn K. Glick Center for Glass, the David Owsley Museum of Art, Christy Woods, and the Environmental Education Center. The Student Experience tour will highlight student housing, recreation, athletics, academic buildings, and more.
Additionally, the University’s Charles W. Brown Planetarium will offer three showings during We Fly Fest: One World, One Sky: Big Bird’s Adventure—a favorite among children—at 3:30 p.m., and two showings of the staff’s program pick, We Are Stars, at 5 p.m. and 6:30 p.m.
The evening will conclude with a free concert by the Ball State Studio Band at the Brown Family Amphitheater beginning at 7 p.m.
Parking
Parking is free in all campus parking lots on weekends—but look for “Free Parking Today” signs in front of lots closest to the Brown Amphitheater, such as the New York Parking Garage at 1001 N. New York Ave.
Community Shuttle Stops
Free shuttles to campus will run from 4:45-8:30 p.m. There will be three pick-up stops: in Muncie:
For more information on We Fly Fest, visit bsu.edu/weflyfest.
It’s going to be a beautiful day in the neighborhood on Saturday, June 7, 2025 at Canan Commons for BE MY NEIGHBOR DAY 2025!
The free family event, set for 1 to 4 p.m., will include an appearance by none other than DANIEL TIGER, star of DANIEL TIGER’S NEIGHBORHOOD on PBS KIDS.
At the heart of this event is the importance of being neighborly. So why not learn about some of our community’s greatest neighbors?
A map will lead children through the streets of a very special neighborhood, where they will meet people from community centers, arts organizations, charity groups and much more. At each booth, kids will be able to participate in fun activities, many designed to show the importance of being a good neighbor.
Parents and caregivers will discover ways to give back, from volunteer opportunities to support local arts and culture. Once the maps are completed, kids can claim their Good Neighbor awards!
Ball State University President Geoffrey S. Mearns invites members of the campus and greater Muncie community to attend a public update on the University’s revitalization efforts in The Village—the commercial district located next to campus and IU Health Ball Memorial Hospital.
The event will take place at 6 p.m. on Wednesday, June 4, in the Legacy Room on the third floor of Cornerstone Center for the Arts, located at 520 E. Main Street in Muncie. Parking is available in the Cornerstone lots off Washington Street.
After years of planning, the University has begun to implement its comprehensive Village Revitalization Plan—an ambitious, long-term initiative to transform the district through a collaborative public-private partnership involving city leaders and development partners, including Schahet Hotels and Trademark Construction.
The vision: to create a best-in-class, multigenerational district driven by arts and culture, entertainment, and innovation. The revitalized Village will feature new venues for living, working, dining, and gathering, including a new Performing Arts Center, a distinctive new hotel, a Center for Innovation and Collaboration, and a new residential neighborhood.
At the June 4 update, President Mearns will provide a progress report on key projects currently under construction and preview upcoming phases of development. The presentation will be followed by a brief Q&A session.
Featured project updates include:
“These community events have been well attended, and I’m grateful for the strong interest in this project,” President Mearns said. “With construction underway on several sites, we’re seeing real progress.”
The June 4 forum builds on a series of public presentations and community conversations that have guided the revitalization effort since its early stages. Ball State’s planning has been informed by local feedback, philanthropic investment, and national models for transforming college-adjacent districts into destinations for creativity, commerce, and collaboration.
For more information and to follow the project’s progress, visit bsu.edu/thevillage.
Building Better Neighborhoods (BBN) was created in 2014 to provide a bridge between the resources of Ball State University and the needs of Muncie’s neighborhoods. Over the last eleven years, the program has helped neighborhoods across the city develop strong neighborhood associations and that work is tracked annually using the “Spectrum of Development”. The Spectrum survey asks neighborhoods to self-report on a number of development factors like whether they have an elected Board of Directors, if they meet regularly, and how they communicate with their residents. This information allows BBN to develop trainings that match the needs of the neighborhoods to assist them in moving along the Spectrum if that is their collective wish.
Why do functioning neighborhood associations matter? Because they facilitate achieving common goals by providing a single, unified voice for the neighborhood. Associations improve quality of life by organizing and helping residents work towards preservation and improvements within the neighborhoods. And they build community by planning and holding social events that bring neighbors together.
If you would like to get involved in your area, but don’t know where to start, choose your neighborhood from this list to learn more, or contact your neighborhood leader.
Outdoor Sensory Paths
The Third Grade Reading CAN would like to partner with neighborhoods across Muncie to install Outdoor Sensory Paths. These literacy landscapes are a fun way to engage children and families. The United Way is coordinating this work and has volunteers who can help install the paths – they need your help identifying the right place to paint them!
If you’d like to partner with the United Way on a Sensory Path in your neighborhood, please reach out to Ashley Breedlove at abreedlove@heartofIndiana.org.
