The city of Hobart’s 35th annual Lakefront Festival was a huge success, Mayor Josh Huddlestun said.
“It’s awesome to see all the community come together,” Huddlestun said.
The annual community tradition, set on the banks of Lake George, featured live entertainment, food and craft vendors, a Kid’s Zone, family activities and a beer garden.
The four-day festival ended on Sunday with the popular Dam Duck Race and Duck Tape and Cardboard Regatta.
A total of 5,000 yellow plastic ducks, each numbered, were released over the Lou Kuchta Bridge into Lake George for the Dam Duck Race.
The event, with each duck priced at $5, collected some $25,000 with half the proceeds going to the Hobart Humane Society and half to the Hobart Parks Department, Parks Director Julie Mandon said.
A total of 50 prizes, all donated, were awarded, with first-place winner Eddie Wawrzycki the recipient of $1,000 donated by Milestone Contractors. Nick Murchek, second-place winner, was the recipient of $500, with money donated by Huddlestun. Nick Marozas, third-place winner, was the recipient of $250, with money donated by the Hobart Parks Department.
Spirit of America, created by the Stefaniak family, was the first-place winner in the Duck Tape and Cardboard Regatta.
The most creative prize in the boat race went to Quack Pack, created by the Meisner family.
The Titanic award went to Homework Hub, an after-school program, Hobart Parks Director Julie Mandon said.
Mandon confirmed on Monday the festival was “record-breaking.”
She attributed the huge numbers of people attending to the nice weather, as well as moving the event up to the beginning of summer.
Mandon said she couldn’t provide specific numbers since parking and attendance are free, so there is no way to calculate attendance.
“This does show how much we need more parking,” Mandon said.
Additional paved parking across the street from Festival Park, as well as the addition of a water feature, a stage and shelter, were all voiced as top additions residents would like to see, Mandon said.
The Hobart Park and Recreation Board last August awarded a BOT, or build, operate and transfer agreement, to 523 Development out of Indianapolis.
The board, at that same meeting, also approved a five-year term on the not-to-exceed $6.6 million bond issue for improvements at Festival Park, located at 111 E. Old Ridge Road.
The design for the improvements is still a work in progress, Mandon said.
Deborah Laverty is a freelance reporter for the Post-Tribune.
