PUBLISHED IN THE CHICAGO TRIBUNE AUGUST 13, 2015

From Aug. 20-23, the city of Hobart will be hosting its 24th annual Lakefront Festival in Festival Park.

Packed full of fun for all four days, the Lakefront Festival will have live music, arts and crafts, food, beer and a children’s activities center.

Nikki Lopez, events director for the city of Hobart, is very excited about the Lakefront Festival. “It’s the cornerstone event for the city,” Lopez said.

The Lakefront Festival will also be following its annual tradition of hosting the Hobart Community Foundation’s Dam Duck Race on Aug. 23 at 3 p.m. “Our highlight for the event every year is our dam duck race,” said Lopez. “The kids in the community get so excited, and it’s nice to see the families involved.”

Along with the dam duck race, the city will also be adding a dam duct tape and cardboard regatta to the events. In the regatta, teams build a boat using only duct tape and cardboard. Teams then have to see if their boat will hold in the water as they ford the dam. A slew of prizes will be awarded in this event for the one whose floats the longest, and the quickest to sink, to name a few.

“It’s a good team-building exercise,” said Lopez.

The Lakefront Festival is a great way to bring the community together in a family friendly way before the school year starts. “We’re a really close-knit community, and this event highlights that.”

Beth Casey is a freelance reporter for the Post-Tribune.

Lakefront Festival

When: Aug. 20-23

Where: Festival Park, 111 E. Old Ridge Road, Hobart

Admission: Free

Info: 219-942-2489 or cityofhobart.org