Hobart Celebrates 5 Years of Summer Market Success

Come one, come all; if it’s Thursday in Northwest Indiana and you’re looking for a great family activity, look no further than Hobart’s weekly summer markets right on the lake! Now celebrating 5 years of success, the market takes over Festival Park in Hobart every Thursday afternoon and evening to offer outdoor shopping during the day, and live music and a free movie at night! From fresh produce, to jewelry, to ethnic and gourmet food, there is little the market doesn’t offer.

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Having started in a parking lot downtown, the growth of the market has been a huge success for Hobart’s Special Events Crew, and an even greater success for the community of Hobart as a whole. Children can now enjoy bounce houses and games while their parents sit back and relax in the beer garden, and the whole family can then come together in the evening for a free, family friendly movie. Who wouldn’t want to join in the festivities

Nikki Lopez, Event Director, enthused about how exciting it has been to watch this event grow over the years.

“It’s just a really nice night for families to get out and be able to do something for free in the summer!” Lopez said. “We’ve expanded so much that we had to switch locations, and this year we’ve practically doubled the size of the event. It’s awesome for the community.”

John Mitchell, eight year Park Superintendent, has also loved becoming involved with the market the past three years it has been held at Festival Park.

“While the market was convenient downtown, when it began growing so rapidly we ran into a huge parking problem!” Mitchell explained, “What’s great about our market now is that not only do we have this beautiful park to host vendors and guests and activities in, but we also have this huge rugby field across the street for easy, safe, accessible parking. It’s convenient, and it makes us unique from other markets.”

Stacy Cordova and her family have enjoyed coming the past few years after attending their first time a few years ago just out of curiosity!

“The first time we came really was just to check it out, and with all the booths they’ve continued to add, the great music, and the movies, it’s always been something worth coming back for.”

So, whether you’re looking for a Frank Sinatra tribute, a showing of “Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day,” or maybe just some community interaction for the whole family, make sure you reserve a Thursday this summer to visit Hobart’s city market!