The Indiana Dunes National Park and Dunes State Park has experienced new investments to power the tourism industry surrounding it, including a $20 million Lilly Foundation grant that will extend the trails toward Lake Michigan as part of the NWI Thrive program. JoyRide has sprung up in Michigan City, offering motorized pedicab rides for people to get to and from the city to the lakeshore. The Sand + Steel campaign, powered by Indiana Dunes Tourism, aims to highlight the industry and culture along the Dunes lakeshore, offering guided tours and a planned museum. All of this in in service of the nearly $240 million in visitor spending that the Dunes park and lakeshore sees year over year.

Influencer and food reviewer Keith Lee has announced a relief event for Gary, bringing supplies and food to the thousands who are still without power in the city. Lee, who has over 17 million followers on TikTok and Instagram, partnered with the City of Gary, Indiana Pacers star Tyrese Haliburton, and the Salvation Army to bring together a large-scale event for the city and its residents. Local restaurants, food trucks and food providers are rolling out in droves to provide extra support for this event as well. The event will be taking place today, August 24th at the Roosevelt Park Pavilion (2145 Harrison St). See Lee’s video announcing the event below.

Indiana officials have estimated that recent storms and flooding across the state have caused at least a half a billion dollars in residential damage. That figure, however, is a low-end estimate. Damage to homes and domiciles across the state could land anywhere between $500 million and up to as much as $5 billion. Rebuilding will be incredibly costly as the requirements and necessary cleanup across the state varies wildly. President Trump approved an emergency declaration for the state, but that only allocated ~$5 million in direct aid to the state. Governor Mike Braun is pleading for more federal funding amid the excessive flooding and continued power outages that are affecting tens of thousands, and sidelined hundreds of thousands at the peak after the week of August 11th’s storms.

The Indiana State Police were a part of a new large-scale video from YouTuber and media mogul, Mr. Beast. In his latest video, “I Got Hunted by 100 Real Cops,” the YouTuber and four of his friends were strapped with backpacks containing $100,000 each, meant to escape capture by the 100 State Police officers for 12 hours. If they make it to the end, the money goes to their respective families, but if they are captured, the trooper(s) who caught them received the money themselves. The video seems to have been shot at Muscatatuck Training Center in southern Indiana and all participation from the ISP was voluntary on the part of the off-duty officers. See the video right here.

Houston-based rapper Trae the Truth partnered with Operation BBQ Relief to hand out meals to those affected by the recent storms via power outages ,storm damage and displacement. Trae came out and handed out meals in Gary and Portage last Thursday and Friday, hoping to bring a national spotlight on what has been happening in the area since those August 11th storms.

Deep River Waterpark, a mainstay of the Region and its summer season, has decided to close early for the season after damage sustained by the August 11th derecho. Not only was the park also out of power like the vast majority of the area post-storm, the parks department has determined that the damage from the storm was too plentiful to remain open for the rest of August. The park usually stays open through Labor Day, but will be sitting the holiday weekend out this year.

Lake County has established 11 early voting sites across the county ahead of the general election. Early voting begins on October 6th and since 1/3 of Lake County voters cast their ballot early or via absentee by mail, planning ahead is your best bet. Find the early polling locations for Lake County below.

NIPSCO has updated expected restoration times for the following cities and service areas. Note: these estimates are, of course, subject to change.

Funds from the State Disaster Relief Fund can be awarded to Indiana households (pending eligibility) while Hoosiers wait for federal government relief following the destructive storms from last week. Households can request up to $5,000 to make necessary and immediate repairs to restore the habitability of their residences and/or to cover the cost of damaged/destroyed furniture, clothing and other essential goods. Insured homeowners and renters should rely on their insurance coverage instead of requesting disaster relief funds, as emergency grants cannot be used to cover deductibles. Apply, if you are eligible, at in.gov/dhs or call 2-1-1.

NWI residents who are participants in SNAP have been granted more time to submit requests to replace food lost due to power outages following last week’s destructive storms. The deadline for eligible SNAP members to seek replacement SNAP benefits from the Indiana FSSA is now August 31st, extending the deadline an extra ten days. This will help prevent families from worrying about replacing spoiled food while waiting for their power to be restored. If you are a SNAP recipient and experienced food spoilage as a result of the power outages, click here to apply for replacement SNAP benefits.

Residents whose homes or businesses were partially or completely destroyed in last week’s storms can ask for their property to be reassessed for property tax purposes due to current condition. LaTonya Spearman, Lake County Assessor, has been urging locals who have experienced significant storm, flood or fire damage to file a State Form 137R with their county assessor’s office to see if your property is eligible for reassessment. The form can be found on the Indiana Department of Local Government Finance website (click here) by searching for “Form 137R”.

Hammond Public Library (564 State St., Hammond)

Salvation Army of Hammond-Munster Corps (8225 Columbia Ave., Munster)

Calumet College of St. Joseph (2400 New York Ave., Whiting)

Lincoln Community Center (2450 Lincoln St., Highland)

Indiana Welcome Center (7770 Corinne Drive, Hammond)

Heritage Hall (4506 Tod Ave., East Chicago).

Center Township Trustee Food Pantry (1450 E. South St, Crown Point)

Ross Township Trustee Office (26 W. 73rd Ave, Crown Point)

Nunez, Callahan, Roxana, Washington, Riley, Kennedy Jones, and Leon Kendrick Parks in East Chicago

Riley Hall (1005 State Road 312, East Chicago)

Unity Center (3623 Guthrie St., East Chicago)

Jean Shepard Community Center (3031 JF Mahoney Dr., Hammond)

Hammond Sportsplex (6330 Indianapolis Blvd., Hammond)

Munster Lions Social Center (8751 Lions Club Dr., Munster)

Woodland Village (5757 Melton Road, Portage)

Portage Police Department Public Parking Lot (6260 Central Ave, Portage)

Free Events are highlighted in GREEN

Hard Rock Cafe & Council Oak Bar Schedule (Free performances at Hard Rock Casino)

Hard Rock Casino Upcoming Performances

Horseshoe Casino Upcoming Performances

Hobart Art Theater Upcoming Performances

Wicker Memorial Park Summer Concert Series

Heartthrob 3.0 @ Founders Square Park (August 29th)

Hometown Jams: Scotty McCreery @ Central Park Plaza (August 30th)

Crown Point Farmer’s Market

Cedar Lake Farmer’s Market

Miller Beach Farmers Market

The Sunday Vibe Market

Coffee Creek Farmers Market

Griffith Central Market

Farmed and Forged Market

The Edge of Liberty Craft Fair

Chesterton European Market

Valparaiso Farmers Market

Market on the Square

Hobart Summer Market on the Lake

Summer Market on Main

The Market on the Plaza

Demotte Market in The Park

Here we will try to aggregate all of the weekly specials available to Explorers around the Region. If you own a local business and want people to be aware of your weekly specials or events, let us know by sending an email to [email protected]!

Every Thursday this summer is Music on the Porch Day at Fair Oaks Farms. Clock in for some live tunes while looking out at the scenic farmland of Fair Oaks Farms. Click here for a schedule and more info.

Every Tuesday, from 4-8 pm, is Crown Point Car Cruise Night this summer. Meeting at Bulldog Park each week, take in some classic cars and take a classy drive around town!

Tuesday is Trivia day at White Rhino in Dyer. Find out more about this weekly event at the link here. Wednesday at White Rhino is Bingo night, starting at 6:30pm.

18th Street Brewery has its weekly Music Trivia and Karaoke night every Wednesday. Doors open at 4pm, with trivia starting at 6pm. Find out more here. On Thursday nights, they also host a weekly Line Dancing night with host Mizz Coco. Find out more here.

Shady Creek Winery hosts a weekly live music event each and every Sunday. Find a schedule of upcoming artists at the link here.

Anderson’s Winery in Valpo hosts weekly live music each and every weekend. Find a schedule of upcoming performances at the link right here.

Find out info about the classes and everything the Chesterton Art Center has going on here. The Center constantly has events for beginners, young artists, and apprentices alike, so anyone looking to build their skills and learn new ones should keep tabs on what the Chesterton Art Center has going on.

Off Square Brewing in Crown Point hosts a weekly Bingo Night on Thursdays, running from 7-9 pm each and every week. One lucky number can make you the big winner of the night! Find further info here. They also host a weekly Trivia Night on Wednesdays from 7pm.

Up Your Alley in Schererville has regular specials all week, perfect for families and groups of friends. Monday is a bowling special, Tuesday is Laser Tag, Wednesday is Dark Rides, and Thursday is the Arcade. Find more info and the specific deals available each week right here.

Every Monday, from 7-9 pm, Journeyman Distillery in Valpo hosts a Trivia Night. Three rounds of trivia keep the night alive, with teams of up to six people fight to win the grand prize every week. Find more info right here.

Lighthouse Restaurant in Cedar Lake has a weekly wine special running through dinner service. Happy hour specials and heavily discounted bottles every single Wednesday!

Every second Saturday each month, Beale Pottery in Westville hosts a “Make Cool Stuff Club”. This is a group that meets to, well, make cool stuff in the form of pottery! Find more info about the spot and their events right here.

On the last Tuesday of every month, Downtown Highland hosts a restaurant crawl. This community event always features a bunch of the local spots offering specials and deals, so its a great way to spend an evening hopping from meal to meal. Find more info right here.

Tiny’s Coffee Bar in Miller Beach has recurrent events every single week. Check out their page to find the full slate of events.

Marina Shores Yacht Club in Portage has Live Music Thursdays every 3rd Thursday of the Month! Find more info right here about lineups and performances.

Sip Coffee House in Highland has a Wednesday Game Night every single week from 6-9pm. In partnership with the Northwest Indiana Board Game Association.

Valparaiso Pathways Committee holds Free community rides once a month during the warmer months. Click here to look at their schedule of group rides across the city.

Conway Observatory in Lowell hosts open houses once a month for all ages to come in and take a look into the deep stretches of space. Totally free and with different focuses at each open house, you can learn about a host of cool space topics across the year. Find their schedule at the link right here.

Getting into photography or a seasoned vet looking to get out there and shoot more? Lake County Parks Photo Club has regular meetings every 2nd Wednesday at Turkey Creek Golf Course, with regular field trips out in the NWI expanse. Find more info and the full schedule at the link right here.

Gibson Woods Nature Preserve in Hammond holds a weekly Hike through nature every Wednesday. Find their full schedule right here. Pre-registration is required.

Miller Beach Arts and Creative District holds a free community yoga session every Sunday, beginning at 10am at the District building. Find info and other event listings here.

For all the fellow writers out there, Tiny’s Coffee Bar in Miller Beach holds a weekly writing group each and every Saturday, starting at 10:15am. Sometimes all it takes to spark inspiration is being around fellow creatives. Find more info about the group right here

The Dig the Dunes Beer Run & Wine Walk will be starting up on April 23rd, running once a month through the summer and early fall. A new spot in the Dunes area will be selected each month, with a 2-3 mile walk/run taking place before the group kicks back to enjoy a drink along the lakeshore. Find full information at the link right here and find the schedule right below.

Starting on April 25th, and running every Saturday through August, Indiana Dunes National Park’s 1966 Hiking Challenge begins! 19 hikes that cover 66 miles of the Dunes Park trails, celebrating the foundation of the park in 1966. Every Saturday at 8:00 am, hokes will take place in different areas of the park ranging from 1-7 miles. Complete them all and you earn a free 1966 Hiking Challenge sticker to show off to the world. For more details and specifics, click here.

Whiting Cruise Night runs every month on the 3rd Wednesday, starting on May 20th and running through the summer. Find more information about the event right here.