Hammond’s Festival of the Lakes began on Monday, July 13, and will continue through Saturday, July 18. The majority of the events are taking place at Wolf Lake Memorial Park, where bands will play at the Pavillion.
“Personally, I’m looking forward to seeing Sammy Hagar in concert,” said Hammond Mayor Thomas McDermott Jr. “I’m a huge fan of Sammy. I’m a huge fan of Van Halen. He was one of my idols when I was a kid, and now he’s playing in the city I’m the mayor of. That’s pretty cool in my book.”
Sammy Hagar & the Circle play Saturday, July 17 at 9 p.m. However, the park gates open early, with a fishing event beginning that day at 8 a.m.
The park gates open at 5 p.m. every evening except for on Saturday and Sunday when they open at 12 p.m. However, throughout the week, the VIP gates open at 6 p.m.
Special events are not the only reason to show up early. The aquatic play center is open throughout the week and the beachfront is open as well. The beach has lifeguards from 11 a.m to 7 p.m. which allows for a safe beach experience in the waves of Lake Michigan. Additionally, the Lost Marsh Golf Course is nearby for those who would prefer to stay dry.
“I love the fest because we get to show off a beautiful park in our city to 100,000 people over the weekend,” McDermott said. “That’s always great for a mayor when you get to show off your city. The city gets tourism. We get hotel stays, restaurant visits. To use the language of the South Shore Convention and Visitors Authority, we put heads in beds for sure during that event.”
“I was just talking to a lady the other day that moved to Hammond a couple of years ago and she said the first time she came to the city was for the festival,” McDermott continued. “She came every year, then she found a house she liked and moved from Chicago to Hammond. People come to our city and they see our beautiful neighborhoods and parks, then they learn about our College Bound program and all the other incentives we offer. So we get residents out of it, too.”
No matter the age, everyone can find something fun at the Festival of the Lakes. Some of Mayor McDermott’s favorite summer memories come from the Festival, even memories from years ago.
“Limp Bizkit played the fest five years ago and it was one of those summer days that was a monsoon. It was warm, but just pouring rain. In my shoes, that’s a nightmare,” McDermott said. “You make everything perfect and then the rain ruins it. But we had a couple thousand people show up, and no matter what the weather was they wanted to see Limp Bizkit play. Limp Bizkit, who I was very impressed with, stood in the rain for one and a half to two hours before they played. So they were determined to play. When Limp Bizkit took the stage, it started absolutely pouring, but they played through the whole thing. It didn’t slow them down a bit.”
The Festival of the Lakes is sure to be an amazing event, whether it is sunny or there is a chance of showers.
