The City of Hammond hosted a launch party to kick off its 18th annual Festival of the Lakes event.
The party was held at Byway Brewery in Hammond and featured excellent music by the Blue Submarine band as well as delicious food and beverages from Byway Brewery. The start of the Festival of the Lakes was a major hit seeing how many people attended to enjoy great food, drinks, and company.
“This is a time where everyone gets together,” said Aileen Ibarra, special events coordinator for Hammond Parks. “I know personally that some families travel [to Hammond] specifically for this festival, and it's something that they look forward to every summer. Even people who have grown up in Northwest Indiana or Hammond come back specifically just for the festival, and to be together with family and it's a memorable experience for them.”
Among those in attendance were Hammond Mayor Tom McDermott and the new CEO of the South Shore Convention and Visitors Bureau Dave Uran. Our own Jenny Craig-Brown had a chance to talk with both McDermott and Uran about what to expect for the upcoming festivities. McDermott said, “We have the Roadie Run this Saturday, and our first show is Wednesday night when we open with Darius Rucker. Then we kick into the fest which is a very active five days in Hammond”.
People come from all over the region and sometimes even farther to come to this festival, especially with acts from Darius Rucker, Counting Crows, Lynyrd Skynyrd, Rick Ross, and Los Originales de San Juan with Código!
Aside from musical entertainment, there are many other things to do.
“If you have an opportunity to come out whether it’s a 5k, a golf outing, a fishing derby, or just the carnival activities that are going on out here. Hammond has it going all next week”. Uran added, “If you live here come out and visit, but if you’re not here come, there’s still space in our hotels, and you could stay here for a whole week”.
There is something for everyone to enjoy at Festival of the Lakes with a Polka Party, a splash pad for the kids, a senior day, and a golf scramble to name a few spinoff events. VIP tickets are also available for purchase.
These tickets are $100; VIP passes allow access to all areas available to the general public, as well as the VIP viewing section located at the front of the stage. There is also access to the designated backstage VIP Experience area, the VIP Experience alcohol refreshment bar where beverages can be purchased, exit and re-entry privileges with a VIP Experience wristband, and access to separate restrooms located in the VIP Experience area.
To read more about the event check out our promo article here.
For more information and to stay up to date on all the events be sure to check out the festival website at https://www.festivalofthelakes.com/. Information regarding all events, parking, hotels, and more can be found at this link.To learn more about all upcoming events and more for the City of Hammond, click here.
