It’s often said that the city of La Porte, Indiana is a great place to live, work, and play, but it is also very innovative and seeks new ways to offer even more value for both residents and visitors alike. With its network of lakes, parks, and trails, there are plenty of opportunities to get outside and enjoy the fresh air. La Porte’s downtown is vibrant and colorful, with an ever-growing offering of local shops and small businesses, and the city even features several events throughout the year to entertain locals and attract visitors.
La Porte is always looking for ways to improve and offer more. Case in point: the city’s long-running Sunflower Fest. Currently, in its 22nd year, the fest was already wildly popular, but city officials still felt as if it could be made even bigger and better, so they decided to extend the day’s fun into nighttime, with this year’s first-ever La Porte Night On the Ave.
Located along Michigan Avenue, between Lincolnway and Jefferson, the night-time event featured live music, food, dancing, a beer garden, and more.
La Porte Mayor Tom Dermody attended the inaugural event with family and friends.
“People want to be here in La Porte,” said Dermody. “They want options. They love this community. You just couldn’t ask for anything better than this. Everyone’s here tonight, just enjoying life. It doesn’t get any better than this.”
Entertainment for the evening was provided by Chronic Flannel, playing a wide variety of music from the 1960s through current hits, in all genres from rock, pop, R&B, and country, with something to please everyone. Several food trucks were also available, including Pappy’s Midwestern BBQ, a traditional wood-fired barbecue set up, specializing in slow hardwood-smoked dishes featuring locally sourced cuts of prime meats, all cooked using their very own special in-house blend of rubs and glazes.
If that’s not enough to get your mouth watering, you could also opt for something from Mrs. Crawford’s Cruising Kitchen, where they offer unique twists on American favorites. Those seeking something cool and sweet were welcome to head on over to Fauson’s Ice Cream truck, and choose from a variety of hand-dipped ice cream and mini-donuts.
And of course, Dick’s Bar was on hand, offering a variety of local brews, wines, and even mixed drinks for the thirsty crowd.
La Porte locals Gail and Kurt Mahl were enjoying the evening’s entertainment.
"We love living here, and wanted to come out and support the community,” said Kurt Mahl.
Gail called the decision to extend the annual Sunflower Fest into the evening a “smart move” by the city.
“It was a great idea for the city to offer a night event to follow up Sunflower Fest,” said Gail Mahl. “This is a great location, easy to get to, and plenty of fun things to do.”
Kurt added, “Mayor Dermody is doing a great job. We support everything he’s doing for the city. Anything we can do to support La Porte. It’s just a great place to live.
Peter and Renata Lasalle own Weichert Realtors and recently opened an office in downtown La Porte, in addition to their other location in Valparaiso. Peter said that they chose La Porte as their second location because of the vibrant, growing nature of the city.
“We see a lot of growth here in La Porte, a lot of progress in the right direction,” said Renata. "We’re excited to see how much life is here in the downtown area. There is so much room here still to grow.”
To see what else La Porte has to offer, and to see what’s amazing about “Livin’ the Lake Life,” check them out online at https://www.cityoflaporte.com/
