Halloweekend continued in style on Saturday, October 26 at Hobart’s Lakefront Park during its annual Halloween in the Park event. On a picturesque, sunny fall day, hundreds of families came out to enjoy a plethora of different activities throughout the evening.
The day kicked off with a Halloween-themed golf cart parade that began in downtown Hobart and ended in Lakefront Park, which set the enthusiastic tone for the day. With carts decked out in everything from Purdue Boilermaker gear and a safari-themed ride with a trailer on the back to a full-on pirate ship, there was something for everyone in Hobart.
Along with bounce houses for the kids, there were a plethora of different food trucks present including Traveling Tom’s Coffee and Big Weiner Hot Dogs as well as a cotton candy machine on site, which was incredibly popular among attendees.
In addition to the bounce houses and incredible food, the main attraction was undoubtedly the costume contest held at the park’s pavilion with children of various ages taking home prizes for their attire. Adults weren’t left out of the fun either with the best costume and most creative golf cart prize being handed out at the end of the festivities.
The aforementioned pirate ship cart eventually won Roy and Crystal Roggenkamp a first-place trophy for most creative golf cart. The couple, who work in carpentry, were alongside their two children when they won the award. For the couple, the first-place trophy felt extremely gratifying.
“It’s very rewarding,” Roy Roggenkamp said. “We spent a lot of time working on it.”
Members of the Portage-based cheerleading team, Champion Force Athletics, set up shop at the event, handing out candy and engaging with potential new members throughout the day. In particular, Alivia Pulsoni and Carson Morgan were extremely happy to be a part of Hobart’s Halloweekend festivities.
“Everyone’s been really nice, and we love to see the kids come out,” Morgan said. “They get so excited about cheer, so we’re just happy to be able to give them that.”
Champion Force Athletics offers programs that are open to all skill levels, ages four to 18, that are taught by certified coaches.
Eastlake Baptist Church was also in attendance, handing out candy while simultaneously promoting their youth ministry. Caleb Hammond, a youth pastor at the Crown Point church, was incredibly excited to be able to get out and interact with the community.
“We’re out here to tell people about our church,” Hammond said. “It’s been good. Everybody’s been really friendly, and we’ve seen a lot of great costumes too.”
Along with Champion Force Athletics and Eastlake Baptist Church, a plethora of local businesses and organizations, including Jimmy Johns, Cricket, Along the South Shore, Summer Market on the Lake, and Hobart Lions Club, were in attendance engaging with the community and handing out treats.
Hobart’s Halloween in the Park event was undoubtedly another huge success for the city. With hundreds of families piling in on a picture-perfect fall day, it was an evening filled with lots of candy, laughs and, of course, great Halloween costumes.
To learn more about events going on in Hobart, visit their website here.
