Center Lake Park in Warsaw is home to the tenth annual Northern Indiana Lakes Festival from May 25 to 27.

WINONA LAKE — The Northern Indiana Lakes Festival is celebrating its tenth anniversary this Memorial Day weekend at Center Lake Park, 117 E. Canal St., Warsaw.

Festivities begin at noon Friday, May 25, with evening entertainment provided by the Cornfield Mafia, and will finish at 2:30 p.m. Sunday, May 27, with a performance by the Lake City Skiers. The event is free and has something for the whole family.

At 9:30 a.m. Saturday, May 26, the day will start with a rain barrel workshop.

“For just 20 dollars, you’ll be able to build a rain barrel and learn how it can benefit your yard,” said Dugan Julian, Lakes Festival coordinator. “And then you’ll get to take it home.”

Pre-registration is required and seating is limited. Visit the Lakes Festival Facebook page to sign up for this year’s workshop.

At 10:15 a.m. Saturday, the first ever Lakes Festival parade will begin.

“Since this is our tenth year, we wanted to do something special,” said Julian. “Local clubs and businesses were completely on board with the idea of a parade.”

Astound Dance Studio, Echoes of the Past, an antique tractor group and Warsaw High School FFA will have floats. The parade will begin on Center Street, go around downtown Warsaw, and return to Center Lake Park on Indiana Street.

Several events, workshops and booths open at 11 a.m., including bounce houses and Art Around the Lakes. Younger children will also enjoy Indiana Barnyard Hullabaloo’s petting zoo and The Gypsy face painter. Silly Safari with Coyote Chris will give two shows, one at 2 p.m. and another at 3 p.m.

Starting at 5:30 p.m. Saturday evening, three bands will take the stage and give live performances. Bands include Zack Day & Full Throttle and Almost Gone.

“We encourage people to grab dinner from a food vendor and enjoy it while listening to live music,” said Julian. “It’s a perfect way to wind down and prepare for fireworks.”

At sunset, fireworks will begin synced to music. The show is a must-see and will rival fireworks displays at Fourth of July.

Throughout the weekend, the Lake Games will hold four competitions, including a volleyball tournament, 5K run, and kayak and canoe races.

“Joining forces with the Lake Games was one of the best decisions we made this year,” said Julian. “The Lake Games brings exciting activities to the young people in our community. We hope they take advantage of all of them.”

Visit lakegames.org for more information and to register for these events.

Top-level sponsors for the 2018 Lakes Festival celebration include Kosciusko County Visitors Commission, Silveus Insurance Group, Zimmer Biomet, Depuy Synthes, Maple Leaf Farms, KREMC Operation: Round-Up, Mad Bomber Fireworks, City of Warsaw Parks and Recreation, Sodexo, 212 Media Studios and Kosciusko Community Hospital.

To learn more, visit lakesfestival.org or call Dugan Julian at (574) 372-5100, ext. 6452.