Downtown Lapeer transforms into Stars Hollow this afternoon with photo ops, themed treats, shopping, and small-town charm. Start at Axecadia for the map and checklist. Stars Hollow Harvest takes over Downtown Lapeer—today!
After a rollercoaster few years for the hospitality industry, catering is not only back—it's booming.
Lapeer Days: Celebrating Our Community's Rich History and Heritage
There’s something special about Lapeer that you can feel the moment you pull into town—and it’s not just the charming downtown or friendly small-town vibe. It’s our parks. Lapeer’s Parks and Trails: The Heartbeat of Our Community
If you’re a dog lover in Lapeer, there’s a place just for you and your furry friend to run, play, and socialize—the City of Lapeer Dog Park. City of Lapeer Dog Park: A Tail-Waggin' Good Time
Exploring the Piety Hill Historic District: A Walk Through Lapeer's Architectural Heritage
Local businesses are the heart and soul of any community. From cozy coffee shops to family-owned hardware stores, these establishments bring character, jobs, and essential services to neighborhoods. Introduction
How to Foster a Thriving Local Community: 10 Proven Tips Introduction
“I started in 2007 as a volunteer. I was teaching seventh and eighth grade English when we moved here for my husband's job. I didn’t have a job at the time, so I called the Literacy Center and asked if they were hiring. They weren’t, but had volunteer work and I needed something to do, so I worked in the office for a little bit and then started as a tutor at the GST Michigan Works office that we have in Lapeer. Over time I worked in a bunch of different areas, and eventually became the Assistant Executive Director.
“A lot of art kids hear, ‘How are you going to make money? How are you going to be successful?’, but my parents were the opposite and really encouraged my artistic habits growing up. They supported me fully in anything that I wanted to do and were always right behind me cheering me on.
“I worked for the Milwaukee Repertory Theatre for 17 years doing props, faux finish, and graphic art. That’s quite a lot, but basically meant that I counterfeited and committed forgery for a living! There would be a chair made from wood that I would have to make look like metal, then a couch with metal reinforcement I had to make it look like wood. I did scene design for their cabaret space and then for other smaller companies throughout Milwaukee.
“When I was 20 years old, I had a cup of vanilla ice cream with peanut butter cookies in it. As I was eating, I thought, ‘Why hasn't anyone done anything fun with cookies and cream?’ It’s always just Oreos and vanilla ice cream, but there are SO many other kinds of cookies and flavors of ice cream that could work. And what if there was a ridiculously high proportion of cookies to ice cream, like a 50/50 mix? So, I went around the universe for 15 years – no joke – saying ‘Why hasn’t anybody done this before?’
“We met in Virginia. I owned a coffee company there and my wife owned a brewery. I tried to get her to buy my coffee to make her stout beer, and long story short, she ended up with both my coffee and me.
“My husband and I had a previous restaurant in the big city. But we are originally from smaller towns, so we wanted to move our business somewhere where we can watch our kids grow up in a safe community in a smaller town. We opened at the end of April, and we're very grateful. The construction took a long time and we were really worried. It was overwhelming because you can lose some of the momentum, but everyone has received us well and the other businesses and the DDA have been so helpful. We’re not necessarily concerned about selling the most—we want to sell the best. We think everyone needs good food. We think of our restaurant as also a teaching experience to open peoples’ minds about different cuisine and cultures. We want to have partnerships with local farmers to have fresher ingredients and that's accessible here. There are still things that we cannot get here, like bean sprouts, but there are a lot of other things that we use in cooking that can be purchased locally,…
“My grandmother initially started feeding migrant farmers. My dad’s family is originally from San Antonio and they came up here when he was about 14. He talks about that trip from San Antonio to Imlay City being the first time he drove a car. They were migrant workers, and while my grandmother never worked in the fields, she fed everybody and was a phenomenal cook. That's really where Hernandez Mexican food began and has evolved to what we have now.
“My husband was getting his degree in business during his career in military service. We have three children, and it was a lot when one half of the team is traveling all the time. He started looking for a way to grow entrepreneurially and away from the military, while staying home and investing in the community where we lived and where we grew up as well.
“My grandfather, Donald Sr., came to Lapeer from Detroit to run what was called Howell Industries at the time. Something to do with the war effort back in the day, I believe. How he went from managing that plant to this, I don't know, but in 1954, he opened Beyer’s Furniture here on Nepessing Street.
"Opening Hummingbird House Designs was the most terrifying thing we’ve ever done. My wife and I were making wooden signs out of a shop, thinking that it would be easier for us to just make the signs and let retailers do the rest. That worked for a time, but then it got to the point where we couldn’t make the days any longer or do more work in the hours we had, so to grow the business, the next step was to open our own store. That was a scary move because we suddenly had to worry about things like health insurance or how much money was coming in without a weekly paycheck.
I remember riding into downtown Lapeer for the first time and noticing the cars were all parked against the sidewalk diagonally. I don’t know why that impressed me. The second thing I noticed was the long lights bending over the street.
The BEST Thai food in town! 🤤 The atmosphere is relaxing and the food is amazing! Perfect location in downtown— another great addition to Lapeer.
Welcome to Lapeers Best, an innovative app designed to be your go-to resource for everything Lapeer has to offer. Welcome to Lapeers Best, an innovative app designed to be your go-to resource for everything Lapeer has to offer. Whether you're a resident or a visitor, Lapeers Best provides comprehensive information on dining, shopping, services, events, attractions, recreation, job listings, and exclusive coupons.
Since its establishment in 1941, the Kiwanis Club of Lapeer has been a driving force for positive change in the community. With a history rich in community service, the club, comprising nearly 50 dedicated members, has consistently undertaken projects that enhance the quality of life for Lapeer's residents. Now, with their sights set on their most ambitious endeavor yet, the Kiwanis Club of Lapeer is rallying the community to support the creation of the Kiwanis Inclusive Playground at Rowden Park.
Lapeer now allows limited golf cart use on certain streets. Operators must be 16+ with a license and follow safety and operational guidelines. This ordinance permits the limited use of golf carts on certain city streets. This decision, detailed in Ordinance #2022-02, aims to provide residents with an alternative and convenient mode of transportation within specific guidelines to ensure safety and compliance with traffic laws.
