City of Hammond’s Festival of the Lakes brings Jelly Roll, The Offspring, and more to Wolf Lake for weekend of summer fun

The City of Hammond’s Festival of the Lakes returned to Wolf Lake with free concerts, carnival rides, food vendors, and more for a weekend of summer fun. As Hammond’s premier event of the summer, Festival of the Lakes brings world-class entertainment to the city for thousands of residents and visitors to enjoy.

The run up to the festival began on July 11 with the annual Roadie Run, but the festival properly kicked off on July 15 with Senior Day in the morning and the carnival opening in the evening. Wednesday’s entertainment featured a variety of freestyle heavy hitters like TKA, George Lamond, and Judy Torres, among others.

One of the biggest draws for Festival of the Lakes is the caliber of artists the city secures for the event. The artists come from a diverse range of genres to give every guest something to enjoy, and the concerts are frequently free to attend. This year’s event featured the aforementioned freestyle experience, Jelly Roll (ticketed), the Offspring, Moneybagg Yo & Kevin Gates, and Banda El Recodo.

“It’s great to be up so close and personal with the artists performing. You’re right there, as opposed to being at some big concert venue, sitting far back. It’s just amazing,” said attendee Jaclyn Toczydlowski. 

The festival has hosted several award-winning artists at Wolf Lake, including Akon, Lil Wayne, and Brantley Gilbert. Being able to attract such quality talent is a testament to the growth Hammond is undergoing and the momentum it’s building.

In addition to the music, Festival of the Lakes brings carnival rides and food vendors to Wolf Lake for families to enjoy. Special events like the Golf Scramble on July 17 and the Fishing Derby on July 18 provide opportunities outside of the actual festival for connecting with the community.

“There’s something going on, besides music, at all times. We do the golf outing every year, and the fishing derby on Saturday morning. We had the 5K last week and the Polkafest on Sunday. On top of those things, the carnival is constantly going on for families to enjoy,” said Mayor Thomas McDermott. 

Festival of the Lakes will run from July 15 through July 19. For a full list of entertainment and events as well as festival rules and parking information, visit festivalofthelakes.com.

Visit gohammond.com or follow the city on Facebook to keep up to date on everything happening in the City of Hammond.