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Board approves supervised petting zoo and horseback rides for Stop the Violence summer jam
Summary
The board approved a supervised petting zoo and horseback riding experience at Frederick Douglass Park on June 26, 2026 as part of the Stop the Violence Summer Jam; the organizer described safety plans, staff, partnerships and planned security details including 4 IMPD officers and 10 unarmed security guards.
The Board of Parks and Recreation approved a request to host a supervised petting zoo and horseback riding experience at Frederick Douglass Park on June 26, 2026 as part of the Stop the Violence Summer Jam. Assistant Park Manager Kenyatta Moore presented the park's recommendation and introduced event organizer Antoinette Diggs, owner of Finding Paradise Incorporated.
Diggs told the board the event will include trained staff from Bargainsville Farm to manage animals, a first-aid station under Shelter 1, and partnerships with Cornerstone (a mental-health provider) and Indy Parks. She said the team will bring about 15 staff members, and the security plan includes 4 Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department officers and 10 unarmed security guards. "We will have 15 staff from my team that will be coming," Diggs said. She also described free giveaways, a DJ, face painting, and on-site job outreach for teens.
Board members asked about the location and cleanup; staff said animals would be staged off sports fields and that the farm and event team will handle cleanup. The board voted to approve memo number 21 authorizing the supervised petting zoo and horseback riding experience.
