16th annual XINSURANCE Great Lakes Grand Prix returns to Lake Michigan for week of high-octane fun
The XINSURANCE Great Lakes Grand Prix made an exhilarating return to Michigan City’s Washington Park Beach for a week of excitement on the lake. Kicking off on Monday, July 28 with new race week parties, the Grand Prix is the perfect conclusion to the summer season.
In the week leading up to the races on Saturday and Sunday, visitors got the opportunity to get into the race-day spirit with the Community Kickoff Party on Monday alongside a meet and greet party on Tuesday. Another new event, the Grand Prix Brewfest, stole the show on Friday followed by a performance of rock and country classics by The Aftermath.
“With the ticket sales in in the years past, we did a package for a Thursday, Saturday, Sunday, and now this year, we did a Thursday, Friday, Saturday, Sunday, and we definitely saw an uptick in multiple day purchases for Friday as well as the rest of the weekend,” Scott Miller, XInsurance Great Lakes Grand Prix Race Director, said.
The Grand Prix is a free event that always draws tens of thousands to the Region from across the world. It’s an opportunity to introduce new people to everything Michigan City and LaPorte County have to offer while also providing an influx of business to the local community.
“We probably have an economic impact of between $20 and $25 million so all this money comes into the hotels, and the restaurants, and the store shops, and local businesses. So I think the economic boom that it brings is tremendous,” Miller said.
This effect could be seen most clearly during the annual block party in downtown Michigan City on Saturday. Featuring a Kids Zone, an arcade bar, food trucks, carnival games, live music, and more, the block party brought families together for a fun time. As evening began to set in, the Boat Parade let guests get up close to their favorite boats as they were paraded along Franklin Street.
“This sport is probably the most interactive that you can imagine. I mean, the teams are accessible. The boats are accessible. You talk like NASCAR or something, you’re lucky to talk to a driver. These guys bring their boats to the parade. They park them if they want to stay. And you can have pictures taken with the boats, with the drivers. You can get autographs. I mean, it’s just something for everybody with these guys. And if you’ve got a favorite team, chances are you’re going to be able to walk right up to that driver and have a conversation with him,” Miller said.
The main draw of the weekend, however, were the boat races on Lake Michigan. Each race day began with a flyover to get blood pumping before the boats hit the water. Attendees gathered on Washington Park Beach to watch racers from across the world compete across 12 race classes.
This year’s Grand Prix was the largest so far, and next year’s event promises to be even bigger. Putting an event of this size on requires the support of the entire community, something the CVB is grateful to have. The Grand Prix wouldn’t be possible without the contributions of sponsors like NIPSCO, Surf Internet, the City of Michigan City, and event namesake XINSURANCE.
“It comes down to all of our government entities that we have here, the park department, the police department, the EMS and EMA, 911, the National Weather Service. I know I’m going to forget one because there’s so many, but without the cooperation with the agencies and working together, we don’t have this event, and we’re lucky that all of these entities work together and cooperate, and everybody knows what their jobs are, and if something overlaps into something else, they definitely share it. And everybody has a responsibility, and they’re proud to do it,” Miller said.
While the Grand Prix may be over following a high-octane week of fun on Lake Michigan, La Porte County still has plenty in store for visitors throughout the rest of the year. Additionally, mark your calendar’s for next year’s Grand Prix, which will be back in action from July 27 – August 2, 2026.
Visit michigancitylaporte.com to learn about more opportunities to hit the town with your family and friends.