The City of La Porte helped get the blood flowing for an exciting weekend downtown with its Night on the Ave event on Friday, September 20. This is the fourth annual celebration for the event that serves as the opening act for the Sunflower Fair on Saturday.
Brett Binversie, director of the Civic Auditorium and La Porte Events, believes the Night on the Ave is a great way to pump up the community.
“The Night on the Ave was originally a part of our Friday Night Live series that started in 2021,” Binversie said. “In the first year, our idea was to host it on the same day as the Sunflower Fair. We’ve since moved it to the day before and kickoff the Sunflower Fair weekend.”
It’s important for the City of La Porte to host unique events that can strengthen the community such as Taco Fest, Cheeseburger in Paradise and the Sunflower Fair.
“We believe that we have a very diverse and well-rounded community here in La Porte,” Binversie said. “Having these outdoor events that vary in theme are great in helping tie everyone together. The people here love great music and great food. The Night on the Ave has a pretty chill atmosphere and helps us bring momentum into tomorrow morning.”
The Sunflower Fair will take place from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Saturday, September 21. It will be the 25th year that the City of La Porte has put on the event. The festival celebrates community and creativity along Michigan Avenue and features more than 100 artisan vendors.
Michigan Avenue was the main street where the Night on the Ave was held. One thing that Binversie loves about the setting for their precursor event to the Sunflower Fair is how it highlights the Monroe and La Stitch area.
“This is definitely one of our favorite weekends of the year,” Binversie said. “It draws so many people downtown. We’ve been blessed with wonderful weather for the past several years and it’s great to see everybody happy. A lot of our food trucks that are here for the Night on the Ave are here for the Sunflower Fair the next day. We’re thankful to have the community and so many vendors on our side.”
Many local residents value the Night of the Ave as a calming environment to ease into the meat and potatoes of the weekend on Saturday. Jen Timmons is a regular attendee of this event. She’s always excited to see the band and how they’re able to get people dancing.
“We come out to this event pretty much every year,” Timmons said. “We really look forward to the music and check out the vendors as well. These events really bring the community together, it helps the organizations out and the camaraderie is incredible.”
Timmons, who plans to attend the Sunflower Fair this year as well, can’t wait to see what the vendors have in store for the event.
“I’m really looking forward to seeing a lot of handcrafted items at the Sunflower Fair,” Timmons said. “It’s always nice to see the original things that people come up with and show off in a local setting."
Sponsors for the Night on the Ave include Arnett Construction & Roofing, Visit Michigan City La Porte and Urban Enterprise Association.
To learn more about the Sunflower Fair weekend festivities, please visit sunflowerfair.com.
For more information on the City of La Porte, you can visit their website.