On the sunny evening of Friday, July 19, the City of Crown Point hosted the first day of its annual Taste of Crown Point event at Bulldog Park. Over 25 Crown Point-based food trucks and restaurants set up stalls to serve up their delicious products for attendees. This year’s installment of A Taste of Crown Point also featured live music, a splash pad, cornhole, and face painting. Crown Point residents and visitors from throughout the Region were in attendance. Mayor of Crown Point Pete Land believes that a Taste of Crown Point event is one of the most significant events the city puts on.
“A Taste of Crown Point is a great event for a number of reasons,” Land said. “We’ve got great food and great entertainment. We don’t charge admission and we don’t charge vendors for their spots. We consider this to be an opportunity for us as a city to say ‘thank you’ to all of the businesses that have chosen to set up shop here in Crown Point. We have an awesome partnership between the city and the business community and this is our way of celebrating that. I'm all for having family-friendly community events and this one is definitely at the top of the list of my favorite yearly events. I hope everyone here today, whether they're a resident or a visitor, leaves this event having seen just how great a city Crown Point is.”
Bāk House, Twisted Sugar, Crown Creamery, Damo’s Dogs, Carriage Court Pizza, Will it Waffle, and Chick-fil-A were only a few of the vendors selling delectable meals and delicious treats on the first day of A Taste of Crown Point. Diana Bosse, special events director for the City of Crown Point, views the event as a unique opportunity to appreciate the many Crown Point-based restaurants.
“I’m not always able to visit all of the different restaurants in Crown Point throughout the year,” Bosse said. “This event is great because they’re all in one place and I can sample something from everybody. It’s a great way to showcase our local restaurants and food trucks. We’re even showcasing some of our local breweries as well. Crown Brewing is serving their Beauregard Blueberry Ale and attendees can try Off Square Brewing’s Long Day IPA as well. We’ll also provide seltzers and other beverage options for our attendees who don’t drink beer. The weather is fantastic and we’re really excited about this year’s event.”
Local band Jessi & The Fizz opened the weekend’s musical performances with a variety of classic selections, including “Jolene” by Dolly Parton, “Flowers” by Miley Cyrus, and “I Want To Dance With Somebody” by Whitney Houston. They were followed by Marrakesh Express, a Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young tribute band. They offered up their toe-tapping interpretations of the legendary band’s songs. Mark Lemus, one of the attendees, came to
A Taste of Crown Point with his friends and girlfriend. He views it as a great way to participate in and celebrate the Crown Point community.
“I recently moved to Crown Point from Illinois and this is my second time coming to this event,” Lemus said. “I grew up in Riverdale, Illinois, and I loved it because everything was within walking distance and it was very family-oriented. It’s the same way here in Crown Point. It’s a very friendly place. This is a great event for families and it’s just an all-around good time.”
Day two of A Taste of Crown Point will be held at Bulldog Park on Saturday, July 20, from noon to 10:00 pm. Salamander Drake, The Don Baron Band, and The Nate Venturelli Band will all be featured performers.
Please visit crownpoint.in.gov for more information on A Taste of Crown Point and the City of Crown Point’s upcoming events.