Avon renamed its parks in 2026, and the town has been clear about the reason. The Town Council approved official names for nine parks, trails and recreation facilities because the town is rolling out new safety and security plans. Its March announcement said the names will make communication clearer, "especially when identifying exact locations during emergency response situations."
The reason matters because a name for emergency crews does not wait for a park to be finished. Some of the new names belong to places you can walk this weekend. Others belong to construction sites, and one belongs to a park whose survey stakes had to be put back in this fall. Avon's new map is part finished park system and part plan.
The town posted the announcement on March 18, 2026. The formal resolution is dated May 12, 2026.
The full list, and where each place stands
| Old name | New name | Location | Status in early October 2026 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Town Hall Park | Blue Heron Park | 6570 E. U.S. Highway 36 | Open, hosting fall events |
| White Lick Creek | White Lick Trail | Along White Lick Creek | Extension at CR 150 S bid, awaiting award |
| Burnett | Burnett Woods Park & Nature Preserve | Off CR 100 S / CR 800 E area | Preserve loop open; town park trails being graded and paved |
| Pickleball Courts | The Pickle Patch | 174 S. Avon Avenue | Building almost complete as of Sept. 10 |
| Winton Meadows | Woodhaven Park | County Road 900 E. | Survey being redone |
| Memorial Park | World War II Memorial Park | Listed by the town on County Road 800 E. | Memorial site |
| Avon Youth Sports Fields | Foundation Ballpark | County Road 625 | Ballfields |
| Avon Adult Sports Fields | Apex Ballpark | 104 S. County Road 625 | Ballfields |
| Avon Indoor Facility | The Summit Indoor Training | 8109 Kingston Street | Indoor training |
The town says a few of the facilities are for specific uses. The Summit at 8109 Kingston Street, Suites 100 to 300, is set up for year-round athlete and team training, conditioning and recreation programs. World War II Memorial Park honors World War II service and sacrifice.
Blue Heron Park is the finished one
Most people in Avon know Blue Heron Park as the park behind Town Hall. It covers 83 acres and has a lake, paved paths, picnic tables, playgrounds, shelters, restrooms, bocce, outdoor ping-pong, a disc golf course and Track 36, a free public RC track.
The park's trails changed recently, and that change goes beyond the name on the sign. With funding from the Parks Foundation of Hendricks County, the park added a wayfinding system. Every trail now has a name and a colored line, and scanning the QR codes on the trail signs pulls up a map. Two trails Visit Hendricks County calls out by name are the Heron Lake Loop Trail and the Heron Tale Trail. Heron Tale is a wooded storybook trail that runs from the park to the Avon-Washington Township Public Library.
The town lists the paved trails at 2 miles in total. The Story Walk to the library is 0.5 miles and features a rotating children's book in spring and summer.
There are three catch-and-release fishing spots. You need an Indiana fishing license except on Free Fishing Days. Swimming, wading, ice fishing and ice skating are not allowed.
Blue Heron is the hub because it is the one park the rest are meant to connect to. Visit Hendricks County says the park's trails will eventually link to the new Avon Civic Center/Riverwalk District and the Pickle Patch courts once both are done.
October at Blue Heron, date by date
The town's fall programming is mostly at the one finished park, all at the same address.
- Tuesday, Oct. 6, 4 to 7 p.m.: National Night Out, which the town's Sept. 10 meeting minutes list as being at "Town Hall Park (Blue Heron Park)."
- Saturday, Oct. 10, 3 p.m.: The Apple Mash Dash 5K walk/run starts and finishes at the festival.
- Saturday, Oct. 10, 4 to 8 p.m.: The Harvest Hayrides Festival is free and includes wagon rides, bounce houses, vendors, a pumpkin patch and pumpkin drop, a photo trail, food trucks and horseback trail rides.
- Friday, Oct. 30, 10 a.m. to noon: Town Hall Trick or Treat is a free, sensory-aware event at 6570 E. U.S. Highway 36.
Event details can change, so check the town's calendar before you go.
What the September 10 parks update says about the rest
Avon Parks gave the Town Council a status report on Sept. 10, 2026. It is the most recent public account of where the other new names stand.
- The Pickle Patch at 174 S. Avon Avenue: The building was "almost complete," and stone and pavement were due the following week. The Avon Chamber's 2026 community guide describes the project as a reuse of the old Evergreen Elementary tennis courts, with plans for eight pickleball courts, a small shelter and restroom building, and parking. The update did not include an opening date.
- Burnett Park: Crews were grading and paving trails. The Chamber guide lists the planned features as trails, a shelter, wetland viewing areas and a more visible preserve entrance.
- Woodhaven Park on County Road 900 E.: The survey was finished, but someone pulled up all the stakes, so it has to be done again. The Chamber guide had expected the park to be finished in 2026. After the September setback, treat that date as a forecast.
- The Dan Jones/150 South trail: The project was out for bid at the time. That is the White Lick Trail piece, covered next.
The same minutes also cover road work. Public Works said it hoped to finish the County Road 100 North and Raceway roundabout by the end of October and the Dan Jones Bridge project by the end of November.
White Lick Trail is the long piece that ties it together
Of all the new names, White Lick Trail covers the most ground. The town calls it a scenic route for walking, running and cycling. The long-term plan connects the Plainfield Recreation Center to Williams Park in Brownsburg by way of Washington Township Park, with a branch to Blue Heron Park and the library.
The next piece runs along County Road 150 South, west of Dan Jones Road. A Sept. 24, 2026 letter from the town's engineer reports five bids and recommends awarding the contract to PAF Construction for $370,744. The council minutes from Sept. 24 do not show a vote on the award, so this segment is still waiting on approval.
Taken together, the plan has Blue Heron's trails reaching toward the Riverwalk District and the Pickle Patch on one side, and White Lick Trail reaching toward Plainfield and Brownsburg on the other. Each name on the list marks a point on that network, whether or not the point is finished yet.
Where to walk this month while the others finish
Burnett is the one place on the list that is open and under construction at the same time. The Burnett Woods Nature Preserve already has a marked walking loop. The town lists it at 1.7 miles, and the Central Indiana Land Trust lists 1.5 miles of easy trails. The new town park next to it is the area where crews were paving trails in September.
The town's preserve listing says to park behind Light and Life Methodist Church at 8264 E. County Road 100 S. and walk east to the entrance. The 2026 naming resolution lists a different address, 925 S. County Road 800 E., so check the town's page for the current entrance before you go.
Parks and trail links like these are the details we track for Avon homeowners. If you'd like to know how your home's value compares now that the Pickle Patch, Burnett and White Lick projects are moving forward near you, Radecki Realty Group will put together a free home valuation, and we'll call you back quickly.
