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We Want to Hear From You!

On occasion, we will be cycling in a new poll for the Explorers to answer about NWI. Favorite spots, underrated meals, hidden gems and a whole bunch else will be covered. These polls will help us to build the definitive NWI Explored guide to the Northwest Indiana, completely based on input from all of you! So, make your voices heard and answer our weekly poll!

This week's question

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📆The Lowdown📆

A recap of the general goings-on around NWI and Indiana writ large.

As of Sunday night, ~1,100 NIPSCO customers remained without power following the bout of storms that whipped through NWI on the Fourth of July. Around 300 homes in Hammond, 200 in Gary, and over 100 in LaPorte and Michigan City are among those included. Most of these customers are expected to have their power returned by the end of the day Sunday, but we will update this post with an edit should there be any update from NISPCO. A total of 32,000 customers were without power immediately following the July 4th storms, which featured wind gusts up to 60 mph and torrential rainfalls. Hammond Mayor Thomas McDermott Jr. claimed that Hammond received around 3 inches of rain in an hour-and-a-half on Saturday evening, with most reports across the Region landing somewhere in that area.

The South Shore Line will be adding an extra line on the Monon Corridor to alleviate the stress put on commuters following the freight train derailment on the Lakeshore Corridor that happened late last month. Repairs are still in progress to the Lakeshore Corridor, so alternatives and additional services are in order. The South Shore Line has been operating on its weekend/holiday schedule since, with an additional westbound train from Munster/Dyer at 5:15am and eastbound train from Millennium Station at 4:35pm helping to alleviate some of the stress. Passengers will continue to be bussed from the Hammond Gateway and East Chicago Stations, with delays expected until repairs can be completed.

In response to controversy following a promotional social media post, the City of Hammond has dropped BP as a sponsor for the 2026 Festival of the Lakes. Hammond Mayor Thomas McDermott Jr. took to social media on Sunday to say that even though BP has long been a sponsor of the summer festival, their involvement this year with the ongoing laborer lockout at the energy giant’s Whiting refinery - which is still ongoing since March and has left more than 800 workers without jobs or pay - sends the wrong message to the public. McDermott also instructed the city to refund BP their sponsorship and remove the energy company as a sponsor, reinforcing the town and mayor’s loyalty with the locked out laborers and USW Local 7-1.

East Chicago native and Oscar-winning screenwriter Steve Tesich has been given the honor of having his personal writings and records stored in the Indiana University Archives at the Herman B Wells Library at IU Bloomington. Five cartons of records, spanning from the 1960s to the late 90s, are now available via their Archives Online platform. These records include personal notes, drafts of screenplays for “Breaking Away” (of which he won his Oscar for) and the Region-set film “Four Friends”, and peeks into his writing process.

Following a unanimous agreement from the Indiana Supreme Court on June 29th, state--mandated reports containing detailed data on each abortion performed in Indiana will not be released to the public. Despite pressure from anti-abortion groups like the South Bend based Voices for Life and members of the state government including Republican Gov. Mike Braun and Attorney General Todd Rokita, the court has decided to let stand a Court of Appeals decision to bar the Indiana Department of Health from providing Terminated Pregnancy Reports to any person or entity outside of the department following Indiana’s near-total abortion ban- which was enacted in August 2023.

Following social media claims that they were not optimized for capture by automated license plate recognition (ALPR) cameras, the Indiana BMV has stated that the recently released “Blackout” plates are just as likely to be captured by ALPR cameras as any other license plate in the state. There is no impact on police priority when enforcing traffic laws due to these blackout plates. It’s simply a style preference.

Below, find a list of the cities and school boards who are meeting this week.

  • Monday, July 6th

    • Crown Point City Council @ City Hall: 6 p.m.

    • Gary Common Council: 6 p.m.

    • LaPorte Common Council: 6 p.m.

    • Munster Town Council: 6:30 p.m.

  • Tuesday, July 7th

    • Whiting City Council: 6:30 p.m.

    • Michigan City City Council: 6:30 p.m.

    • Griffith Town Council: 7 p.m.

    • Merrillville Community School Corporation: 6 p.m.

  • Wednesday, July 8th

    • St. John Town Council: 10 a.m.

    • East Chicago Common Council: 6 p.m.

    • Schererville Town Council: 6:30 p.m.

  • Thursday, July 9th

    • Gary Community School Corporation Board: 4:30 p.m.

    • Griffith Public Schools: 6 p.m.

⬅️What’s In, What’s Out ➡️

A rundown of the local businesses that are coming to the area and those who have closed their doors recently.

  • Arrenello’s Pizza, long-beloved Chicago suburbs staple, has opened a new location in St. John to join their Highland and Tinley Park locations. The new family-owned spot at 8750 W. 109th Ave (in the Gates of St. John Main Entrance) is utilizing a lot of the equipment and cooking tools from the family’s recently closed Glenwood location, making sure that the new spot is authentic to the Arrenello’s name. If you’re looking for some classic stuffed, deep-dish or tavern style Chicago pizza, Arrenello’s is open for business in St. John now.

  • Big O’s Barbeque and Catering has opened its doors at 5252 Hohman Avenue in Hammond. Providing meals for weddings, grad parties and any other style of event you may have, Big O’s offers a variety of barbeque staples like ribs, hot links, brisket and all of the fixings. The spot also offers individual meals everyday, pre-packaged for breakfast, lunch and dinner.

  • Georgia-based flooring retailer Floor & Decor has opened a 57,000 square foot warehouse store and design center in Schererville. The massive location at 1516-30 Highway 41 offers a variety of flooring options, as well as installation materials, countertops, decor, and more- all catered to homeowners, contractors, interior designers and tradespeople.

  • The recently closed down Zombie Club, a staple of downtown Crown Point, will be replaced by another bar called Public Enemies Pub. Official opening dates haven’t been offered yet.

  • Green is Good by Kate has shuttered its doors in Crown Point after over a decade of serving the town with chef-prepared, grab-and-go healthy meals. The owner took to social media to thank the community for many years of support, but her decision to close down due to raising expenses, growing competition and other challenges was the best path forward for the team. She did say, however, that pop-up appearances at farmers markets, for the holidays or for catering are definitely options in the future.

Your NWI Weather Forecast For This Week

🎶🎶Live Music in NWI! 🎶🎶

🌽Farmer’s Market Rundown🌽

A look at the local farmer’s markets and the like that will be running imminently

🎟️What’s Going On in NWI?🎟️

Every issue of NWI Explored, we give you the best events and spots to check out during the current month.

Local Theatre

A Rundown of all the local theatre companies and their upcoming productions.

Chicago Street Theatre, Valparaiso - info here

Memorial Opera House, Valparaiso - info here

Canterbury Theatre, Michigan City - Info Here

  • Tintypes - June 23rd to July 3rd

  • Calvin Berger- July 8th-18th

  • The Taffetas :A Musical Journey Through the Fabulous Fifties - July 22nd-August 1st

La Porte Little Theatre, LaPorte - Info Here

4th Street Theater, Chesterton - Info Here

Beatniks on Conkey, Hammond - Info Here

  • Children’s Show - July 9th-12th

Footlight Players, Inc, Michigan City - Info Here

  • The Foreigner - August 7th-16th

Indiana Ballet Theatre Company - Info Here

Marian Theatre Guild, Whiting - Info Here

Towle Theater, Hammond - Info Here

Valpo University Theatre- Info Here

Ticket information and the full schedule can be found right here.

July Events will be continually added throughout the month!

Summer Schedules!

  • Free Events are highlighted in GREEN

Here is the schedule for the Lake County Corn Dogs Baseball team below! The Lake County Corn Dogs are a pre-professional, independent baseball team based out of Crown Point in the Northern League.

Every Friday throughout the Summer, take to Sheridan Plaza in Whiting for a FREE , all ages concert.

Find the week-to-week schedule for the South Shore Adult Baseball League right here!

The historical local baseball team, the Deep River Grinders, have their summer schedule listed right here as well.

Journeyman Distillery’s third annual Summer Music Series - a twice-a-week live music experience out on the lawn in front of the distillery. Grab a cocktail or a handcrafted meal and lay out under the string lights for a great night of courtyard music and vibes. Find the June schedule below.

July Promotions for Gary Railcats!

Valpo Downtown Summer Concert Series Schedule!

The Biggest Events of July!

A new art installation has opened at the Lubeznik Center for the Arts in Michigan City. Kindred Spirits: Margaret Wharton and Betsy Odom is now on display, available for viewing everyday until October.

Whoazone, Whiting’s Floating Waterpark, is open daily for business throughout this summer until mid-August.

Johnson’s Farms Blueberry Fest Weekends @ Johnson’s Farm Produce (Hobart) (July 12th)

Paint the Town: LaPorte’s 2026 Mural Festival in Downtown LaPorte (July 8th-12th)

St. John Festival @ Corner of 41 and 93rd (St. John) (July 9th-12th)

Downtown Valpo’s Summer Concert Series Begins on July 9th, running every Thursday through August 27th

Journeyman Distillery’s Americon takes place on July 11th at the Valparaiso location.

Carpenter Creek Cellars’ Creek Fest takes place on July 11th as well.

Decades Music Fest in Centennial Park (Munster) is on July 11th.

Red, White and Brews courtesy of Shoreline Brewery (Michigan City) is kicking off on July 11th

Valpo Food Truck Fest will be taking place in Sunset Hill Farm County Park on July 11th.

The always-popular Festival of the Lakes returns to Wolf Lake on July 15th-19th. This years lineup is as follows: The Ultimate Freestyle Experience; Jelly Roll; The Offspring; Moneybagg Yo & Kevin Gates; Banda El Recodo

The Northwest Indiana Symphony will once again be doing their South Shore Summer Music Festival this year - a traveling swath of performances across NWI throughout the month of July. They begin in Lansing, IL on July 17th, then go to: Valpo - July 22nd; Gary - July 24th; Crown Point - July 25th; Munster - July 28th; Griffith - August 1st.

Taste of Crown Point @ Bulldog Park (Crown Point) (July 17th & 18th)

Festa Italiana @ Villa Cesare Banquets and Events (Schererville) (July 17th-19th)

Paranormal Cirque Inferno @ Southlake Mall (Merrillville) (July 17th-20th)

Recurrent Events:

  • 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.

Happy Exploring,

Eric & Luke, The NWI Explored Team

❝

“My hometown... was always there, at all times, unchanging. What I think... is not that we go back to our hometowns, but that someday our hometowns come back into each of our hearts.”

Jiro Tanaguchi

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