Dancing in the Streets benefits community

LAFAYETTE, Ind. (WLFI) - The festival is funded by the Greater Lafayette Commerce, and all the money made at Dancing in the Streets goes right back to the community to help create various programs and community events.

Dancing in the Streets is full of food, cars, and, of course, music. For a full twenty years, economic leaders said it's been a great way to showcase downtown.

"It's a community event so it's one of the ways we get together as a community to celebrate Lafayette and West Lafayette and the Greater Lafayette Community. We have other ways we do that through festivals and this is just one of them," Economic Development Director of Lafayette Dennis Carson said.

Thousands of people travel from around the region to visit this unique event and Carson said all the money raised by ticket sales go toward the mission of Greater Lafayette Commerce, which is economic development and creating more jobs.

"Job creation is key so we help attract new businesses, help existing businesses expand, and help retain those businesses. We also help with small businesses, entrepreneurship, large business. Any way we can create more jobs here and create a better community," Carson said.

But it can't happen successfully if there isn't an emergency plan ready in case things don't go off as planned. Whether it's severe weather, which rolled through during this summer's Taste of Tippecanoe event or another type of emergency.

"We're working closely with TEMA, with out local fire departments and police departments and they will be there day of the event. We have a plan in place so if something does come up we can alert people very quickly," Carson said.

Dancing in the Streets starts at 4:00 p.m. Saturday.

Tickets are $10.00 at the gate and $5.00 in advance. Children ages 5-12 are $1.00 and children 4 and under are free.

Tickets can be purchased from DancingInTheStreets.net or the following locations.

GREATER LAFAYETTE COMMERCE, 337 Columbia St., Lafayette
GUARANTEED TRANSMISSION SERVICE, 3742 SR 38 E, Lafayette
IBEW LOCAL 668, 2535 S. 30th St., Lafayette

OLD NATIONAL BANK locations:
Lafayette Pavilions, 140 S. Creasy Lane, Lafayette
Lafayette Promenade 350, 3553 Promenade Pkwy, Lafayette
Marsh, 2250 Teal Road, Lafayette
Marsh, 2410 N. Salisbury Street, West Lafayette