6th annual LakeFest brings fireworks, music, and more to the City of La Porte

The City of La Porte’s annual LakeFest summer festival is back in full swing! Kicking off on Friday, July 24, the festival promises an action-packed weekend along the lakes of La Porte thanks to the collaboration between the city and several local businesses and organizations.

The fun began with an all-day scavenger hunt along Chessie Trail, presented by the La Porte County Public Library. The family-friendly fun was followed up with a trip to the past on Pine Lake with the Hesston Steam Museum and the Museum at Lassen’s Resort. The city places a lot of emphasis on making sure everyone can enjoy LakeFest.

“We want to have something for everyone. Lake Fest is to give our residents something to do on a beautiful summer weekend, and we also want to attract new people to La Porte, so we want to have a variety of different things to do. We want to showcase everything that’s great about Laporte, whether it’s on Pine Lake where we have the steamboat excursions, or Clear Lake where we were able to have concerts,” said Mark Schreiber, La Porte Park’s Superintendent and LakeFest Committee Chairman.

Friday’s event concluded with the monthly Friday Night Live at Fox Park. Featuring a line up of local food vendors and an array of activities, Friday Night Live is something La Porte residents always look forward to. This month’s iteration at LakeFest was soundtracked byJukeBox Heroes. Attendees could also take part in the Raymond & Spence Insurance Wiffleball Homerun Derby or play games at the Indiana National Guard’s gaming trailer amongst other things.

“This year we had a group that was called Jukebox Heroes, and it was a great kickoff last night. We had our fireworks, had a great crowd, a great night, and everybody had a great time,” said Schreiber.

Friday’s events, which ended with a bang during a fireworks show over Clear Lake, was just a prelude to everything planned for the rest of the weekend.

Saturday morning was for those who like a little activity in their lives with the Bolt for the Heart Run/Walk in Fox Park at 8 a.m., the Fitness Zone kicking off its free classes and equipment rental in Unity Park at 8 a.m., and a mountain bike ride through Soldiers Memorial Park at 9 a.m.

The Clear Lake Crafters Market at 9 a.m. on Saturday at Fox Park let attendees shop from dozens of local artisans to find the perfect gift to themselves or others. Saturday also featured a performance from Uncle Kracker at the Dennis F. Smith Amphitheater. LakeFest showcases a diverse range of artists and genres during its three days to ensure all attendees can enjoy a live performance at the event.

“Two Story Road is going to be opening up for Uncle Cracker. And the interesting thing is, we came to find out that Jamel, who’s part of the duo in the band, was actually born in Laporte County. I’m very excited for them to be able to play in front of their hometown, even though it was just a happy coincidence. ” Schreiber said.

Sunday will round out the weekend with a car show at and a NERF gun battle at Fox Park. The annual Fiesta del Lago concert will take the stage of the Dennis F. Smith Amphitheater at noon, the Sunday Funday event at Stone Beach and its collection of tournaments and Beach & Brews begins at 10 a.m., and the guests can take one last trip on the steam boat at Pine Lake until 6:30 p.m.

The City of La Porte’s LakeFest wouldn’t be possible without sponsors like Visit Michigan City LaPorte, NIPSCO, Duneland Media, and WM, amongst others, who help to keep the event free to attend. A full list of this year’s events canbe found online on the LakeFest website.

“This is really about our community and showcasing what makes it special. And it’s not just the lakes and the parks, which we always talk about. It’s the people, it’s the hospitality. There’s something special about Laporte, and I hope it comes through in LakeFest,” said Schreiber.

Learn more about the City of La Porte at cityoflaporte.com.