On the evening of Thursday, December 12, South Shore Convention and Visitors Authority (CVA) hosted its annual Holiday Party at the Indiana Welcome Center in Hammond. Elected officials, South Shore CVA board members, and representatives of South Shore CVA’s partner organizations took part in the festivities. As tradition dictates, animatronic dioramas recreating scenes from “A Christmas Story” were set up in the Welcome Center. Christmas trees decorated by organizations like Meals on Wheels Northwest Indiana and the Lubeznik Center for the Arts were also on display in the main hall.
Phil Taillon, president and CEO of South Shore CVA, appreciates the opportunity to celebrate South Shore CVA’s successes alongside the assembled guests.
“It's exciting to see so many friends of South Shore CVA here at our facility,” Taillon said. “We love putting this event on every year. We're really proud of our 'Christmas Story' exhibit and our tree exhibit, and we’re glad that everyone can come here and enjoy them. You can tell that, when they come in here, they can't help but feel the holiday joy. By the end of the night, I hope our guests will see just how strong tourism in Northwest Indiana is right now. Our staff is working very hard to help South Shore CVA and our partners succeed. We’re actually going on a staff retreat tomorrow and we expect it to help us take things to the next level.”
Representatives from organizations like Crossroads Chamber, Hasse Construction, and the Hyatt location in Munster were in attendance. They browsed the Welcome Center gift shop and chatted amiably among themselves as pianist and vocalist Paul Fleming regaled them with a blend of classic Christmas music and contemporary tunes.
Jim Basala, CEO of Lake County Parks and Recreation, is pleased to return for this year’s installment of the Holiday Party.
“Lake County Parks and Rec has been partners with South Shore CVA for ages,” Basala said. “Our organizations are both dedicated to developing the Northwest Indiana community, so we partner up on many different projects together. It’s great to see that everybody is having fun here tonight. We’re all involved in the tourism business to some degree, whether it’s here in Lake County or the Region at large. Our collective goal is to make Northwest Indiana a better place to live and work. We’re always happy to come and share in the holiday spirit with our friends at South Shore CVA.”
Hammond’s Byway Brewing supplied a diverse selection of food, including chicken wings, short ribs, vegetable egg rolls, tempura shrimp, and even a mashed potato station. For dessert, the attendees enjoyed chocolate-covered pretzels and gumdrops from the Albanese Candy Factory and an assortment of other sweets. They washed their meals down with soda and drinks from the open bar.
David Foreman, manager for JK FEC Management, an organization that manages establishments like Culinary Misfits, Sky Zone, Up Your Alley, and Square Roots, was in attendance. He enjoyed the upbeat and welcoming atmosphere of the Holiday Party.
“My fiancée had a great time at last year’s Holiday Party and wanted to attend again this year,” Foreman said. “I’m not a particularly big Christmas fan like she is, but I’m really glad we came to this event tonight. My hat’s off to the cooks. They killed it with the food. Everything was so good, but the short rib was definitely my favorite. This event has been amazing. It's such a good time. I really like how small and intimate it is.”
Brent Brashier, owner of DOC’s Smokehouse in Dyer and chairman of the South Shore CVA board of directors, considers the Holiday Party to be a staple South Shore CVA event.
“This has been a fantastic year for our organization,” Braisher said. “The Holiday Party is an excellent opportunity to celebrate those successes. We get to visit with all of our board members, our amazing staff, and even some of our elected officials, which is really great. Of course, we also get to enjoy the 'Christmas Story' dioramas, too. I think this event embodies South Shore CVA’s mission: it showcases the best of the Region and all of the good things that are going on here. I think this event showcases just how fantastic an organization South Shore CVA is.”
Learn more about what South Shore CVA and the Region have to offer by visiting southshorecva.com.
