GreatNews.Life Student Voices: From farms to festivals, La Porte showcases live music and local heroes
What’s recently happened?
The 10th Annual Red Wine and Brew festival happened from June 27-29, and it featured many up-and-coming country artists, as well as raising money for local heroes.
Red Wine and Brew began through Bethany Lutheran Church in order to raise money for first responders in La Porte County. This money is raised through ticket sales and car auctions, and over $175,000 has been given back to the community. In car auctions alone, eight cars have been given away, and over $100,000 in prizes have been handed out.
Each year, a different country artist is invited to headline this massive festival. This year, it was Big And Rich, a country duo that began in Nashville, Tennessee, back in 1998. The other artists playing this year were Lee Greenwood, Omar Netzer, Frank Ray, Dillon Carmichael, and Parmalee.
It would not be Red Wine and Brew without alcohol. Beer and wine tastings were offered to premium and above ticket holders. These tastings happened in the first hour of the festival opening, before the music began.
What’s coming up?
This year’s LakeFest is coming up on July 25-27, and it will be hosted on Pine, Stone, and Clear Lake.
Lakefest has to be one of the most diverse festivals in La Porte due to its wide range of activities. The first day consists of the Chessie Trail Scavenger Hunt from sunrise to sunset. Then, there will be a Steam Through History presentation at Unity Park from 10:30 a.m. to 7 p.m. This event is shown through Hesston Steam Museum, as well as the Museum at Lassen’s Resort. Finally, there will be a Friday Night Live at Fox Park from 6-10 p.m.
The second night is filled with even more fun. It begins with the Chessie Trail Scavenger Hunt once again, and it is followed by the Play For Jake Bolt For The Heart 5K. This event begins at 8 a.m. at Fox Park. Also at 8 a.m., there is a Fitness Zone presented by the La Porte YMCA at Unity Park. At 9 a.m., there is a Grass Volleyball tournament and a Clear Lake Crafters’ Market, both at Fox Park. The Steam Through History Presentation begins once again at 10 a.m., and there is a Stone Lake Family Beach Bash presented by La Porte Mayor Tom Dermody. To end the night, there will be fireworks and live music from artists Y2K, Zachariah Kirkham, and world famous pop star Jesse McCartney.
The final day begins at sunrise with the final Chessie Trail Scavenger Hunt at 8 a.m. Following the scavenger hunt, there is a car show presented by Rusted Knuckles Car Club at Fox Park. At 10 a.m., there will be a mountain competition that is presented by Northern Indiana Mountain Bike Association at Soldiers Memorial Park, along with a kayaking event at Stone Lake Beach that is presented by the Northwest Indiana Paddling Association. The final Steam Through History Presentation will be at Unity Park at 10:30 a.m. At 11 a.m. there will be a Cornhole Tournament that is presented by La Porte Young Professionals at the Stone Lake Beach. There are two events at noon, including the Beach And Brews on the Stone Lake Beach and the Fiesta De Lago Concert at Fox Park in the Dennis F. Smith Amphitheater. Finally, there will be a Kids Nerf Battle at 1 p.m. at Fox Park, which is presented by the La Porte YMCA.
Community member spotlight:
Chad Mrozinski is one of the many 4-H leaders in La Porte County, and his family has been developing the local 4-H program since 1974.
Mrozinski’s grandfather, Bob Louis, was one of the co-founders of the La Porte County Draft Horse Program. Naturally, Mrozinski did his 10 years in the program with the horses, as well as many others in his family. After this, he began teaching clinics in 2009, soon after his grandfather’s passing.
“In 2009, I took his spot as a 4-H leader, so I’ve been keeping the family tradition going by helping, educating, and promoting the draft horse industry here in La Porte County,” Mrozinski said.
The 4-H program has been helping kids throughout the county gain experience that they wouldn’t have otherwise.
“In the beginning, there were way more country kids than inner city kids. Now it’s the opposite. It’s about 75% inner city kids to 25% country kids. This program works with horse owners, and kids are matched with them based on who lives closest. The owners will let them go to their farm, then they can practice walking, driving, anatomy, and care for the horses. They are being educated on however much they want to learn, and they get the hands-on experience that many other kids just don’t get unless they own a horse,” Mrozinski said.
The La Porte County Draft Horse Program is one of the largest in the country, and it has been helping kids across Northwest Indiana gain experience that they would not get otherwise. The hands-on experience gained consists of the cleaning, caring for horses, and working with the horses. This is about 15-20 hours minimum of experience. During the fair, the kids help clean the stalls, give water to the horses, and other daily tasks. This takes about six or seven hours of work weekly.
To get involved with 4-H, the best place to get information is the local extension office in the area. This can jumpstart research and can provide many resources for new members.