INDIANAPOLIS -- How fast has Pokemon Go's popularity grown? So fast, that what was a run-of-the-mill meet-up at White River State Park has turned into an event that needs a permit.
Organized through an Event page on Facebook, the meet-up at White River State Park on Saturday, July 23 already has 1,500+ confirmed attendees, with almost 5,000 more interested in possibly attending.
The all-day event is scheduled from 12 p.m. to 10 p.m., and what started out as a nice initiative to get some people together quickly turned into an event that was on the park's radar because of the size of the group.
A permit was required for the meet-up to move forward, even prompting a gofundme page to get donations to pay the fees and other associated cause to host the event. As of Friday afternoon, the group had raised 2/3 of what they needed to cover the entire event. The organizer of the event says any extra proceeds will be donated to the Child's Play charity.
Indiana's State Parks have sent an open letter to visitors seeking to catch Pokemon at their parks, noting an increase in visitors thanks to the game. The Department of Natural Resources says Indiana's 24 state parks and eight reservoir properties are home to more than 200 locations for the game.
“We are happy to have our parks be a part of this game,” said Ginger Murphy, Indiana State Parks deputy director for stewardship. “But we want people to be safe, stay on trails and look up from their phones. You will find that the real-world natural features and historical elements at our state parks are even more fascinating than a video game.”
The DNR urges Pokemon Go players to follow property rules like hours of operation and to stay on designated trails.
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