The Northern Indiana Lakes Festival weekend will kick-off tonight, Friday, June 13, and will conclude on Sunday, June 15. The festival is the region’s largest lake education event. A listing of the events is listed below. Early registration is necessary for several events and may be completed by visiting the Lakes Festival events page.
Warsaw – Saturday, June 14
The official Lakes Festival Weekend will be held Saturday, June 14 to Sunday, June 15. From 10 a.m. to 11 a.m. Saturday, in Warsaw the Aqua Mile Swim Race will take place. From 11 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Exhibitor hours will begin with water education for free water bottles and a stand-up paddle board giveaway and prizes going on as well. Open swimming will be held and bounces houses, free cornhole and Star Wars character appearances by Norther Darkness Garrison. In addition, a hospitality area will be available for top level sponsors.
Art Around The Lakes will continue on Saturday with Bubble art, community canvas, face painting, fish prints, sand bottle art and a turtle coloring contest. From 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. flyboard demonstrations will be held with Silly Safaris Animal Show and meet and greet with amphibians and reptiles beginning at 11 a.m. as well. Rain barrel workshop and rain barrel giveaways will be held at 11:30 a.m. followed at 12 p.m. by the lakes and agriculture forum.
At 12:30 p.m. the water waddle 1 mile Fun Run for kids will be held as well as the Wonderful Water Student Art Contest Awards. From 1 p.m. to 3 p.m. the youth fishing workshop with the Indiana DNR will be hosted as well as canoeing with the Wawasee Area Conservancy Foundation, which will conclude at 3:30 p.m. At 1:30 p.m. the Silly Safaris Animal Show and meet and greet with amphibians and reptiles will take place. At 2:30 p.m. the Musky workshop by Hoosier Heartland Guide Service will be hosted followed by the 3 p.m. Indiana DNR electrofishing demonstration.
Musical entertainment for the festival will be held from 3:30 p.m. to 8 p.m. and will feature the musical stylings of Adrienne Frailey and others. Security will be provided by KEMRAD.
Winona Lake – Sunday, June 15
Festivities will be held in Winona Lake on Sunday beginning from 1 p.m. to 6 p.m. Events will include canoeing, kayaking, paddle boating, bounce houses, Village at Winona special activities, free cornhole, open swimming, goldfish races, nautical bingo (bring your own canoe or any human-powered boat).
Art Around the Lakes will be held on Sunday as well with bubble art, a chalk walk, community canvas, fish prints, sand bottle art and turtle coloring contest offered.
From 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. a build-a-boat workshop will be offered with the first 25 attendees receiving free Kelainey’s ice cream. At 2 p.m. Silly Safaris Animal Show and meet and greet with amphibians and reptiles. At 4 p.m. run for others 5K will be held with events concluding at 5 p.m. with the build-a-boat race.