City of Hobart and Hobart Parks kick off exciting summer season with annual Lakefront Festival

The City of Hobart and the Hobart Parks and Recreation Department invited residents and friends to Festival Park for a four-day festival to kick off the city’s summer season. Featuring vendors, live concerts, and plenty of fun activities for the whole family to enjoy, the Lakefront Festival has become a favorite tradition among attendees.

“The Lakefront Festival draws in people from all over the surrounding areas,” Corrine Hyland, event coordinator, said.

“When they visit the Lakefront Festival, they get to see our beautiful park and downtown area. We advertise upcoming bands for the Summer Market and give sneak peaks of summer’s upcoming activities. We strive to provide a clean, family-friendly atmosphere that keeps people coming back.”

This year marked the 35th annual Lakefront Festival, and Hyland and the team wanted to make sure it felt special. In addition to returning favorite activities like the Kids Zone, live music, and fireworks, guests had a chance to try out a new golf simulator from MK Golf Club.

“We have several surprises this year to go along with our long-lasting traditions. It’s hard to pinpoint what we are most excited about, because we think it will all be exciting and memorable,” Hyland said. “This year, we are positive the community will enjoy our special guests – superstar Rumi from ‘K-pop Demon Hunters’ and the one-of-a-kind Sidewalk City Stompers. Also, The Humane Society of Hobart will be hosting bingo inside The Festival Park Community Center for the first time this year.”

The festival began on Thursday with live performances from Derek Caruso & the Blues Fuse and Together. Kids could hit the bounce houses in the Kids Zone while their parents grabbed a drink at the Beer Garden before grabbing a bite to eat and enjoying the music.

The fun continued through the weekend with additional activities at the Kids Zone – from foam parties to petting zoos – and live entertainment from Region favorites. The event concluded Sunday with the crowd favorite Dam Duck Race and the Duck Tape & Cardboard Regatta.

During the duck race, participants could purchase a rubber duck to float down the dam for the chance to win prizes ranging from cash to gift baskets. The cardboard boat race immediately after saw both boats created by the city departments and the community go head-to-head for bragging rights. This year’s winners were Benjamin Casillas and Bryce Palleson from the Fire Department. The Titanic Award went to Owen Greer and Tucker Blackbury. Collen Meisner took home the Most Creative Award for the Quack Pack Boat. The first place in the civilian cardboard boat race went to Joseph and Anthony. 

Putting all of this together takes a lot of coordination and commitment, but Hyland knows the joy it brings to residents makes the effort more than worth it.

“The Hobart Parks Department puts in long hours and a lot of effort to make this event successful; we couldn’t do it without help from the other city departments and employees,” Hyland said. “Seeing the community enjoy themselves makes us happy beyond what words could describe. From the laughter of children at The Kid’s Zone to the joyful dancing near the live band to the smile on someone’s face as they enjoy a delicious snack or craft purchase, we couldn’t give the entire city staff a more rewarding feeling.”

None of this would be possible without the support of the community, from those donating for gift baskets to those throwing trash away and keeping Festival Park clean.

“The Hobart Parks and Events team would like to thank everyone who made this week possible.  The Hobart Humane Society does a great job of advertising the Dam Duck Race to raise money.  We’ve had help from Milestone, Mayor Josh Huddlestun, JROTC, and more,” Hyland said. “We also want to give a huge shoutout to the community for helping keep Festival Park a clean and beautiful space – not just at the recent community clean up but year-round!”

The Lakefront Festival is just the beginning of the summer fun in Hobart. Make sure to swing by the Hobart Parks Department for an event guide or follow the department on Facebook to stay in the loop about everything happening in the community.

Visit cityofhobart.org to learn more about the City of Hobart.