The City of La Porte hosted its last Friday Night Live event of the summer dubbed “Cheeseburger in Paradise.” The event sported a cheeseburger and Hawaiian theme with vendors, a beer garden, and live music. Old and new faces alike came to La Stitch to mingle with the vendors and community.
“It goes together like peanut butter and jelly, cheeseburgers, and beer,” said Danny Moser, owner of Burnham Brewing Company. “We've had quite a bit of first-time customers for us and for this event also. There are some new faces here which is fun, and we're just happy to be here.”
Events like Friday Night Live allow for the downtown to become a place where everyone can come together.
“It's a really great event to bring everybody in the community together,” said Kristie Chadderdon. “There is lots of fun music, lots of good food, and lots of good drinks. It's just a wonderful evening all the way around. It is great coming out on a summer night and enjoying seeing all my friends.”
For the vendors, it was a great opportunity to get out into the community. With so many people there were a lot of opportunities for brick-and-mortar businesses to meet people outside their usual setting.
“Every time you get your name out there in front of the public, it's good for you,” said Charity Hlavsa, owner of HotSpot Cafe. “To have a brick and mortar, and then to be exposed to this many people on a one-on-one basis is a great opportunity.”
The community also had an excellent chance to support local businesses. There were several local businesses including the HotSpot Cafe at Friday Night Live.
“You have a lot of brick-and-mortar shops that are down here,” said Hlavsa. “The community comes out and supports us. Whether it's here at a fest or going to the actual store itself, the storefront we all benefit from them.”
The “Cheeseburger in Paradise” is just one of the many events that go on in La Porte. To some attendees, it is a way to show town spirit.
“It is fun to have these events,” said Natalie McGhee. “You have a lot of festivals here like the sunflower festival or Taco Fest. It is a way to show town spirit.”
The Friday Night Live event series has grown with the events getting bigger and better.
“We've been participating in Friday Night Live since they started, and they get bigger and better each time,” said Hlavsa. “We got a lot of vendors and people coming out. It's a great excitement and a great atmosphere. You got the live band and the music so you don't have to buy anything. It's for everybody.”
Events like Friday Night Live solidified the desire to continue having similar events in downtown La Porte.
“We need to keep having more events like this that keep bringing people to our downtown area,” said Chadderdon.
To learn more about the City of La Porte and its fun lineup of summer events, visit https://www.cityoflaporte.com/.
