Rainy Day Festivals in Lake County
To be Tani is to go to every festival you can. I check the calendar and try to hit one or two each weekend. Sometimes they are fabulous, sometimes a bust. I don’t know until I get there, but if anything I like the drive. Food festivals, booze festivals, art festivals, and various other odd themes (like the Frontier Dayz or Zest Fest). They are at churches, parks, and parking lots. Summertime is ripe with festivals. Yes, the months are hot, but with cold drinks, the occasional breeze, and my Florida tolerance of heat, I can generally stand it.
A couple of Saturdays ago the plan was to hit the 30th Annual Summer Arts and Crafts Fair, the Merrillville Town Anniversary Festival, and the Lakefront Art Festival. The rain was coming down, so I slid on my sweater, packed my umbrella, and got in the car.
The rain was light as we pulled up to festival #1, but enough to use the umbrella. We walked around the gravel paths and looked at all the different arts and crafts set up in their tents. The tents were dripping on the sides, good thing many of the crafts were waterproof! I heard one vendor say that she wouldn’t charge tax to the adventurous souls committed enough to come out in the rain.
I stopped by a lawn ornament and knick-knack sort of booth. I recognized the lady and we chatted about the tree face I bought from her last year, and the other funny little decorative pieces. (I am starting to be part of the community!)
We followed the path up and down the rows of booths. I saw funky purses, figurines, doll clothes, and jewelry. I saw laser engraved stone, glass, and mirror at the Lifetime Creations booth. I was surprised to see a good representation of younger artisans. I went into Margaret’s Mosaics’ booth. She had guitars, shoes, mirrors, and wall art fully covered with mosaic. The mosaic work was unique; it included ceramic, glass, metal, and beads. I couldn’t help take a unique little dragonfly home.
Overall, even as the rain came down harder, festival #1 was a great time.
We popped back in the car and drove to Merrillville for festival #2. After going up and down the street a couple of times, we found the event. A couple of tents were set up, the fire truck was onsite with its ladder extended, but it seemed desolate. We parked near it to get a better look before leaving. I guess rain put a stop to the Merrillville Town Anniversary Festival’s Saturday events.
As I punched the address for festival #3 in the GPS, I realized how far out the lakefront of Hobart really was. It wasn’t exceptionally far, just not in the neighborhood. It still might be worth it!
We arrived at the Lakefront Festival and saw a good number of tents set up despite the heavy rain. Few cars were in the parking area, so we got a front row spot. I extended my umbrella, stepped through the field, and crossed the street to the fair. Some tents were closed. I heard lightning striking in the distance. The view of the lake was nice. We still walked through the whole area and saw every tent. We saw games, candles, a fortune teller, and even off-color signs (like, “Trespassers will be shot, survivors will be shot again.”). We walked through the food area. This festival looked interesting, and was probably a blast Friday night and Sunday when the rain was gone. With the thunder rumbling and the rain getting harder, we decided to head back home and enjoy the rainy day in the comfort of our basement.
Playing in the rain during festival season is much more fun than staying inside!
The rain was light as we pulled up to festival #1, but enough to use the umbrella. We walked around the gravel paths and looked at all the different arts and crafts set up in their tents. The tents were dripping on the sides, good thing many of the crafts were waterproof! I heard one vendor say that she wouldn’t charge tax to the adventurous souls committed enough to come out in the rain.
I stopped by a lawn ornament and knick-knack sort of booth. I recognized the lady and we chatted about the tree face I bought from her last year, and the other funny little decorative pieces. (I am starting to be part of the community!)
We followed the path up and down the rows of booths. I saw funky purses, figurines, doll clothes, and jewelry. I saw laser engraved stone, glass, and mirror at the Lifetime Creations booth. I was surprised to see a good representation of younger artisans. I went into Margaret’s Mosaics’ booth. She had guitars, shoes, mirrors, and wall art fully covered with mosaic. The mosaic work was unique; it included ceramic, glass, metal, and beads. I couldn’t help take a unique little dragonfly home.
Overall, even as the rain came down harder, festival #1 was a great time.
We popped back in the car and drove to Merrillville for festival #2. After going up and down the street a couple of times, we found the event. A couple of tents were set up, the fire truck was onsite with its ladder extended, but it seemed desolate. We parked near it to get a better look before leaving. I guess rain put a stop to the Merrillville Town Anniversary Festival’s Saturday events.
As I punched the address for festival #3 in the GPS, I realized how far out the lakefront of Hobart really was. It wasn’t exceptionally far, just not in the neighborhood. It still might be worth it!
We arrived at the Lakefront Festival and saw a good number of tents set up despite the heavy rain. Few cars were in the parking area, so we got a front row spot. I extended my umbrella, stepped through the field, and crossed the street to the fair. Some tents were closed. I heard lightning striking in the distance. The view of the lake was nice. We still walked through the whole area and saw every tent. We saw games, candles, a fortune teller, and even off-color signs (like, “Trespassers will be shot, survivors will be shot again.”). We walked through the food area. This festival looked interesting, and was probably a blast Friday night and Sunday when the rain was gone. With the thunder rumbling and the rain getting harder, we decided to head back home and enjoy the rainy day in the comfort of our basement.
Playing in the rain during festival season is much more fun than staying inside!
Comments
Post a Comment