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It’s Monday, January 26th, 2026 and this is your Monday dose of NWI Explored. The reality of January in NWI is that every day can bring some type of weather that just infinitely delays and depresses and that was the experience for many this past weekend. The blistering cold prevented much from happening, with snow overnight into Sunday just adding to the absolute mess that befell the majority of the US. What can ya do?
Either way, we’re here, we’re alive, and we’re ready to see what NWI has in store for us. This is NWI Explored and here is your exploration guide for January 26th.
🧭 On Today’s issue of NWI Explored🧭
Last Minute January Event Guide
Today in NWI
The Lowdown on NWI News
A Sneak Peek at What February Has to Offer
Today in NWI
Thanks to the weather this past weekend, there really isn’t much happening in NWI on any given day right now. We’re all sort of in a holding pattern, waiting out the bracingly cold wind and errant snow showers. With that being said, we’re just going to move into the midweek forecast and get started on the Lowdown.
This is your midweek forecast for NWI.
What kind of content do you want to see from NWI Explored?
🏘The Lowdown 🏘
Every issue of NWI Explored comes with The Lowdown: a roundup of the most important news and happenings around the Region.
Due to inclement weather covering practically the entire state, Governor Mike Braun signed an executive order declaring a State of Emergency in Indiana.
Braun’s reasoning was sound, as it was a necessary provision in order to address the ongoing and future response efforts. The whole state is getting smattered by a different permutations of inclement winter weather, with central and southern Indiana getting the brunt of it - with high winds, subzero temps, and huge accumulations of snow. Indiana’s National Guard is also active and ready to respond in the event that areas with dangerous road conditions experience even further misgivings.
The Porter County Conference Tournament in Basketball has ended in a very similar fashion to last year: The Kouts pulled out a victory in a 79-60 game against Washington Township.
This is the 13th PCC Tournament Title in school history and Kouts is ranked No. 1 in Class 1A, according to the USA Today polls. Kouts has thoroughly cemented itself as one of the preeminent small school basketball programs in the entire state, with three regional titles in the last five years and runner-up to a state championship in 2021.
In similar news, the Porter County Conference Tournament in Girls Basketball also concluded this weekend, with Morgan Township beating out Kouts in a 53-52 victory.
The efforts of Morgan Township lead the program to their sixth PCC title, and their first since 2020. This win was a total flip of the last meeting between Kouts and MT, with their last game ending in a 38 point deficit for Morgan Township.
A multitude of school boards will be meeting this week. Find more details, such as meeting times and brief agendas, below.
School Town of Munster will be meeting today, Jan 26th at 6pm in the Admin Building. This is a joint meeting with the Town of Munster board to address the public. The meeting serves as a State of the Schools and State of the Town double-feature.
Portage Township Schools will be meeting today, Jan 26th at 5pm in the Admin Building. The Board will be voting on the naming of Portage High School’s Gymnasium, as well as other topics.
Tri-Township Consolidated School Corporation is meeting today, Jan 26th at 6pm in the Tri-Town Schools Cafeteria. The full agenda isn’t available, but they will consider a new cap of 25 non-resident students per grade level.
River Forest Community School Corporation will be meeting Tuesday, Jan 27th at River Forest Learning Center. This will be an executive session, closed to the public, centering on employee job performance.
School City of East Chicago will be meeting on Tuesday, Jan. 27th. They will be considering the closing of Carrie Gosch Early Learning Center, of which the School Superintendent recommended closure of earlier this month.
Duneland School Corporation is meeting on Tuesday, Jan 27th at 5pm in the Admin Center. This is another executive session, with no listed agenda, and will be closed to members of the public.
Michigan City Area Schools is meeting on Tuesday, Jan. 27th at 6pm in the Admin Building. The School Board is considering a variety of topics, including updating the dormant fund resolution and re-negotiating the mileage rate for employees.
We updated you all on a land transfer bill that would be affecting the people of Winfield a few weeks ago. There has been a new update on this legislation.
State Sen. Rick Niemeyer stated on Wednesday that he will allow the controversial “disannexation” bill - that would have pulled a significant amount of acreage away from the town of Winfield and gave it to neighboring Crown Point - to die at the Statehouse. 400 acres of land currently under Winfield’s supervision would have been transferred to Crown Point, benefitting LBL Development who is currently seeking to build a 4,000 unit subdivision in nearby unincorporated Lake County. This development would cut into the town limits of Winfield, requiring the rezoning that this bill detailed. The full bill could be revived before the end of the legislative session in March, however, so the foot should not come off the gas on the end of Winfield Town Council.
What’s In, What’s Out?
On occasion, we like to update the Explorers on the businesses around NWI that are closing, those that are opening, and any other changes that may come to our local business sphere. This is What’s In, What’s Out!
Brian and Bonnie Luick, long time employees of local Miller Beach favorites Miller Pizza and Flamingo Pizza respectively, are opening their own restaurant in Miller Beach. Driftwood Grill will be opening sometime in March or April, hoping to fill the hole left in the absence of Miller Bakery Cafe. Driftwood will offer lunch and dinner, with brunch on the weekends. Brian Luick has said the place will be a casual spot for steak, pasta, good seafood, and, of course, pizza.
Brothers Breakfast and Lunch will be opening their Valparaiso location in the next few weeks. Taking over the former TGI Fridays location on Silhavy Road, this offshoot from the popular NWI Round the Clock chain will offer a very similar menu to their Merrillville location. This should fill the hole left by the downtown Valpo Round the Clock location, which closed a few years ago to make way for the Lincolnway development.
Golden Buffet in Valparaiso opened this past weekend. The spiritual successor to long-standing local favorite Dynasty Buffet, Golden is under new management and was subject to profound remodeling. Chinese favorites galore are on offer, as well as seafood and a sushi bar. Golden Buffet is open for lunch and dinner buffets, as well as to-go orders.
CreataSpacePlace, the gathering space that offered locals digital content creation spaces and resources, will be closing in Hobart at the end of March. The business hoped to provide services to people hoping to create content and grow social media footprints in an affordable manner, but are looking forward to the future in pursuit of growing into something larger and more expansive.
What’s Going On in NWI?
Every issue of NWI Explored, we give you the best events and spots to check out for the next month!
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.
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.
The Paul H. Douglas Center for Environmental Education is hosting an Artist-in-Residence art display this month. The Artist-in-Residence program gives professional artists the opportunity to live in the Dunes Park for two weeks in exchange for a piece of art reflecting support for the national lakeshore. These pieces are all on display, completely free to view. Learn more about this really cool project here.
Miller Beach Arts and Creative District is hosting ten artists from this year’s community art show for a live discussion of their artistic process, as well as the unifying themes of their work on exhibition. Voices: Artists Talk is a free live conversation covering everything from how artists can use their creative output to reflect uncertain times to responsibility as a member of a local community. Find out more info right here.
At the Memorial Opera House in Valpo, Megabeatles! will be returning to the historical stage for their 11th year in a row. This tribute band is made up members from the Crawpuppies and Chris & Lou and always puts on a great show. Beloved hits, deep cuts, and all the nostalgia you can handle are all on the menu. Find tickets and further info right here.
Byway Brewery in Hammond is hosting another entry in their Byway Comedy Series on January 29th at 6:30pm. This comedy night is headlined by Ruben Ramirez, with featured performers being Mike Maxwell, Noah Wolf, Sonal Aggarwal, and Cecilia Conzalez. Find tickets and more info right here.
Running Vines Winery is hosting a Disney-themed “Name That Tune!” night on January 29th, with special hosts Kyla and Kim from the Burns Harbor Park Foundation. A percentage of profits from this night will be donated to them directly, supporting their amazing community work. Find out more info right here.
Hard Rock Cafe will be hosting America Eats It’s Young, a tribute performance of the seminal funk album Mothership Connection, on January 31st. This is a free event that starts at 9pm, but it is 21+. Find out more info right here.
County Line Orchard will be hosting their annual Big Barn Beer Fest on January 31st, from 2-6pm. Over 40 different breweries will be in attendance and with unlimited samples, it’s sure to be a time to remember. All proceeds from the event will be going to support the Boys and Girls Club of Greater Northwest Indiana. Find more info right here.
Award-winning comedy legend Lewis Black will be taking the stage at Hard Rock Casino in Gary on January 31st. Show starts at 7pm. Find more info right here.
Love old arcade cabinets? Want to show off your gaming skills and compete for prizes? Haunted Hills Attractions in Merrillville will be hosting a Arcade High Score Tournament on January 31st. Compete for prizes and rack up points to get to the top of the leaderboard. $20 gets you entry. Find out more at the link right here.
The Porter County Master Gardeners Association will be hosting their 20th Annual Gardening Show at the Porter County Expo Center on January 31st. More than 100 exhibitor and vendor booths will be available, with children’s educational activities, presentations by local gardening speakers, workshops, and free seeds and bulbs from garden and commercial donors. To learn more, you can click here!
Rogers Lakewood Park in Valpo will be hosting an Ice Fishing Derby on January 31st. This is a family event, so everyone is welcome to head out and try their hand at ice fishing. The fishing contest will be supplemented by a raffle, prizes, and all the winter fun you can handle. Find all the info right here.
A Sneak Peek at February
Kick off February with some local goods and handmade treats from the Miller Beach Winter Farmers Market. These markets run once a month, from 12 to 2pm at the Marshall J Gardner Center for the Arts. Find out more right here.
On select Sundays, including February 1st, the Center for Visual and Performing Arts in Munster will be hosting a Sunday Brunch. Open to all, guests can partake in a two-meat carving station, signature entrees, complimentary beverage service, and a full breakfast menu. Prices vary between ages, info of which you learn more about here.
South Shore Roller Derby is looking for recruits! Swing by NEO New Vistas High School Sportsplex in Portage on February 3rd and 10th to find out what SSRD is all about. These are free informational nights, with an opportunity to watch a practice up close, ask league members about the culture of the sport, and find out how you can fit into the crew. Find out all the info right here.
Valparaiso University will be putting on a dance performance the whole weekend of February 6th. The dance ensemble takes the stage to put on a performance of Finding Free, directed by Salena Elish. Find tickets, more info, and everything else you need right here.
February 7th will see the classic John Mellencamp tribute band, Small Town, take the Memorial Opera House stage. All the favorite tracks, played with high-level musicianship and energy. Also, check out Ashlyn - a 14 year old NWI based rising country artist, who will be opening for Small Town. Find out more info right here.
Memorial Opera House in Valpo will be hosting Red Revolution: The Taylor Swift Experience for the second year in a row. This is the ultimate Swiftie celebration, with powerhouse vocalist Tiffany Lidster taking the stage to belt out all the Taylor favorites. High energy doesn’t even begin to describe what this night has in store, so click here to find out more.
Hobart Art Theater will be hosting a Chicagoland Stand Up Comedy Show on February 7th. Join them for a night of endless laughs with some of the hottest local comedians, hosted by comedian Susana Rodriguez and headlined by Nick Cobb. Find out more information about the night and the full lineup right here.
Multi-platinum recording artist Keith Sweat will be taking the Horseshoe Casino stage on February 7th. Who does it better than him? Nobody! Find out more right here.
On the weekend of February 7th, Journeyman Distillery will be hosting a Winter Artisan Market at their Valpo location. More than 130 talented makers and craftspeople will be selling their wares and presenting their art, with everything from jewelry to home decor to self-care items to food. Drinks and food will be available on-site from Journeyman as well. Find out more information right here.
Off-Square Brewing in Crown Point will be hosting a Galentine’s Day Brunch - DJ’d by DJ Nasty Boy Noel. Guests will be greeted with a welcome glass of champagne and rose, and that’s where the event only begins. A special menu and drink specials round out what is sure to be a great time! Find out more info right here.
NWI Comic-Con is February 7th! A full-day of family friendly, affordable geek culture and comic book fun is right around the corner and you won’t want to miss it! Visit the Lake County Fairgrounds to take part in vendor booths, VIP guests, Artist Alley, Cosplay Contests, and even more. Find out more info right here.
David Pendleton, ventriloquist extraordinaire, will be hosting two shows on Valentines Day at the Hobart Art Theater. 7pm and 9pm will the start times for the two shows, so you can’t miss your shot for some lovey-dovey laughs this Valentines Day. Find out all the info you need here.
Valentine’s Dinners and events will be hosted at the following NWI restaurants and spots:
The Theatre at the Center will be putting on the Midwest premiere of Kristyn Estes’ new comedy “The Swingset” on February 14th. This play follows retired couple Jake and Abby as they face the new challenges and surprises that come from the final stage of life. Find tickets and further info right here.
Thanks for checking out NWI Explored today and for coming back each and every Monday and Thursday. We’re still putting into motion the bigger plans we have for 2026, but we promise that NWIE as you currently know it is only going to get bigger, better, and stronger. We’re very excited to hear from all you Explorers and get the necessary feedback we need to make sure we’re meeting the expectations of our loyal readers. If you want to let us know what we’re doing right, wrong, or in-between, drop us an email at [email protected]. Otherwise, we will see you all on Thursday!
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
