Michigan City LaPorte history & culture

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Festival Culture

In many circles, LaPorte County has become known as the festival capital of Northern Indiana because, regardless of the season, there’s bound to be an award-winning festival going on somewhere.

Almost every weekend, year-round, you will find a different celebration happening at the International Friendship Gardens in Michigan City. Twice a year in Rolling Prairie, the Prairie Pride Folk Art Show at Fawn Run Farm showcases handcrafted folk art and garden goods. For more than two decades, folks living in the southern reaches of the county have enjoyed good, family fun at the annual Mill Pond Festival in Union Mills.

Another long-standing tradition in LaPorte County is the LaPorte Sunflower Fair, a terrific one-day festival for the whole family. One of the state’s premier fall events, the Wanatah Scarecrow Festival features one of the largest local craft fairs in the state, as well as great food and fun. The most highly lauded festival in LaPorte County—with national awards and visits from throughout the Midwest–is the annual glowing winter wonderland.