The City of La Porte has been host to several big events. Nationally televised basketball tournaments, a variety of concerts and gatherings, and GreatNews.Life’s very own Good Life Awards have all drawn crowds to the city. Recently, a statewide gymnastics championship was held at Dunes Volleyball Club.
The gymnastics meet brought in thousands of new visitors according to Rick Ashmore, owner of the Dunes Volleyball Club.
“Over the course of the three days, we had 3,000 gymnasts,” he said.
With 3,000 gymnasts came 3,000 families that needed food, shelter, and other amenities. While the gymnastics event was the biggest event that’s been hosted at the Dunes Volleyball Club, the venue has brought a significant number of people to La Porte since its opening. That means business for everyone else in the city, too.
“They're eating in our restaurants, they're shopping in our stores, and they're using our amenities. That's a huge addition to our local economy,” said Director of the La Porte Economic Advancement Partnership (LEAP) Bert Cook. “In the early days when the event center was just built, we had a number of local restaurants ask us to get a schedule of events because they sold out of a lot of their food on those days.”
The City of La Porte and organizations like LEAP work hard to capture visitors’ hearts and turn them into residents.
“All of the people who visit the Dunes Volleyball Club are potential residents for us, so we want to show off the amenities and the great parts about the City of La Porte,” said Cook. “Having them speak about their experience in La Porte is a huge tool for us.”
The Dunes Volleyball Club is part of a growing tourism business in La Porte. Venues like it and the La Porte Civic Auditorium, which host events nearly every weekend, and the natural environment surrounding the city create an atmosphere that’s fun and inviting.
“I think the first things that resonate with people are the natural amenities we have – our lakes, for example – and those just add to our wonderful venues,” said Cook. “Our venues are giving our current residents things to do, but they're also attracting people from other communities here. We are absolutely growing from a tourism standpoint, and we're focused on continuing to develop that competitive advantage that we have.”
Events like the gymnastics meet wouldn’t be possible without the support of local businesses and owners like Ashmore who go out of their way to seek events.
“We had a big arts and crafts fair just two weeks ago. Last week, we had a big volleyball tournament with 55 teams. This weekend, we have the gymnastics championship, and the following weekend we have another big volleyball tournament,” Ashmore said. “The local hotels like us.”
As the City of La Porte continues to grow, more and more events are being planned. Whether you’re looking for a fun weekend at a concert or hiking trails in the warm weather, La Porte has something for you.
To stay updated on everything fun happening in La Porte, visit livinthelakelife.org.
To learn more about the La Porte Economic Advancement Partnership, visit laportepartnership.com.
