The Lakes of Valparaiso turned their clubhouse into a dazzling bazaar, taking shopping right to their residents for The Lakes of Valparaiso Shopping Event on Thursday evening. Shoppers and vendors mingled, and neighbors chatted while browsing among the variety of treasures, from eclectic boutique fashion to home-made ornaments.
“People like to shop online because of the convenience,” Amanda Carney, Community Manager, said. “So this is a great way to bring the shopping to them and get local business owners together. It adds another feature of not having to leave home to go shopping.”
There were twelve vendors at the event with some showcasing multiple businesses including LuLaroe, Mary Kay Cosmetics, 31 Bags, Christmas Scrabble Ornaments, Scentsy, Boxes of Hope, The Darling Mercantile, Rodan and Fields, POSH, Coash Clothing Co., Lip Sense, Norwex, Agnes and Dora, Stella and Dot, and Kaufman Chiropractic. As a courtesy, food and refreshments were free for visitors and residents alike.
The Lakes of Valparaiso is a luxury apartment community located on Lake Michigan Drive in Valparaiso, offering amenities such as a recreational clubhouse, fitness center, business center, a heated pool, picnic area, playground, tennis court, basketball court, volleyball courts, bark park, and more.
“It shows another level of what we provide residents,” Angela Fielder, Vice-President of Operations, said. “We really try to make this a full lifestyle place for those living here, not just a place to live.”
There are an estimated 500 residents who call The Lakes of Valparaiso home, which is why it’s important for the staff to create a fun, social environment.
“It brings the residents together,” Carney said. “With us being such a large community, it’s nice to use The Clubhouse to create a place where neighbors can mingle and get to know each other. It brings everyone into one place to enjoy each other as a community.”
Corinne Stodola and Jamie Mandon, neighbors who live at The Lakes of Valparaiso, shopped together while sharing some laughs at the place they first met a little more than a year ago: The Clubhouse. Since then, the two have become inseparable.
“We are both extroverts, so we love it here,” Mandon said. “It’s a great place to be; it’s really like a family atmosphere. There’s always something going on, they keep it very social.”
Both women were one of the first residents to move to the new apartments, and have since attended the barbeques and special events.
“Things like this get people out to meet and mingle,” Stodola said. “It’s great to know your neighbors, that’s how it should be.”
With Valparaiso being a hub for unique, independent businesses and entrepreneurs, the Lakes of Valparaiso Shopping Event was the perfect spot for vendors to not only make sales, but to introduce themselves to the community.
“Part of this is that it’s our way of giving back to the community,” Fielder said. “We have a lot of new residents who have moved here from different areas, so this gives them a chance to get to know local businesses they otherwise might not know about.”
Suzi Toadvine showcased her and her daughter’s business, The Darling Mercantile, and her non-profit organization, Boxes of Hope, which gives individuals the ability to donate custom gift boxes to comfort and inspire those battling cancer and their caregivers. Without a brick-and-mortar shop, the venue was the perfect place for Toadvine to go beyond the web in reaching new customers.
“I think this is a wonderful opportunity for people to get better acquainted, and it’s a beautiful venue,” Toadvine said. “For my non-profit, it gives exposure to it. When people learn that it’s to help cancer patients they get interested in it, since most people have been affected by cancer in one way or another.”
Keep updated on happenings at The Lakes of Valparaiso by following their Facebook page @LakesofValpo and learn more about their luxury apartments by calling 219-476-1715 or visiting http://www.lovthelife.com.