La Porte locals perused through a parking lot of classic cars, danced to the live music of The Remedy Band, and bought snacks and small business goods from vendors at the intersection of Lincolnway and Monroe for the City of La Porte 50s Cruise Friday Night Live.
Dennis Nelson has participated in local cruise nights for a few years brought his ‘23 T Bucket with the inscription “Bucket List” on the windshield to Friday’s event. Nelson added this inscription to mark the completion of an item on his bucket list–owning a classic car.
“I always wanted a fiberglass type of car. I had a couple old Corvettes that I sold, and this is kind of a glorified motorcycle,” Nelson said. “When you come to these shows, whether it's a show or just to get together, everybody talks and gets along. It's just great.”
Frank Rubino has had his ‘73 Oldsmobile 442 for 15 years, but this is the first time he brought it to a Friday Night Live event. Although it is only his first year, he has enjoyed being part of such a positive gathering of people.
“It’s a wonderful event. I think Tom Dermody is doing a wonderful job. Anything that can bring the community together to have a good time is a wonderful thing,” Rubino said.
Chris Stolte from Get Bent Jewelry has a friend in La Porte whose husband is on the city council. She has previously sold her products in La Porte and was eager to attend 50s Cruise Friday Night Live upon invitation.
“Brett knew I've been a vendor before in these markets, and he reached out to me and asked if I wanted to come. I did great last year and it's a fun event, so I was all about being part of it,” Stolte said. “La Porte is a great place to come visit. They really have great parties, and I'm down anytime they want to invite me.”
Fun social gatherings like 50s Cruise Friday Night Live are a great way to both enjoy and support the community. Vendors like Get Bent Jewelry and Social Que as well as small businesses like Hotspot Cafe and Downtown Delights benefit from the influx of people.
La Porte Events and Civic Director Brett Binversie shared that Friday Night Live helps to build up the downtown area to make it thrive, which is key for economic and population growth.
“It's my first Friday Night Live. What I've been really impressed with is the fact how much La Porte loves to get together and have a block party. We got The Remedy Band playing, and we’ve got some wonderful vendors. People are having a great time, Binversie said. “What's really nice is we threw a little advertisement out there for a classic car show, and lots of beautiful cars showed up. It's a great turnout.”
To learn more about the City of La Porte and discover what is next in the Friday Night Live lineup, visit https://www.cityoflaporte.com/.
