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The Call to Explore:
It’s February! It’s Thursday! That means it’s the a new issue of NWI Explored, for February 12th, 2026!
Welcome back everyone to your regularly scheduled dose of NWI news, events, and brief asides. One question I have for everyone: do you want more visuals in the newsletter? The balance between providing as much information as possible and making the email that goes out untenably long is always a tough one, so we want to gauge interest in how the newsletter is presented! Let us know via [email protected] or shoot us a DM on Instagram. We’re still winding back up from a brutal January, but rest assured 2026 will be a big year for NWI Expl
🧭 On Today’s issue of NWI Explored🧭
A Frontline View of February’s Events in NWI
The Lowdown on NWI and Indiana News from This week
The Weather Forecast for the Weekend of February 12th
Today in NWI
Today in NWI
We’re going to keep it light on news today since Monday was such a packed newsletter. Alongside your forecast for the weekend, I wanted to give an update to a topic discussed in Monday’s issue, alongside a couple other local stories and headlines. Did we miss something? Let us know by sending us an email at [email protected]
Valparaiso City Council rejected a resolution to condemn the actions of ICE agents and DHS officials after 2.5 hours of deliberation. Citizens made their opinions known, split on the hot button issue and its relevance to the day-to-day actions of the City of Valparaiso itself. Council members echoed the frustration and anger of citizens at this particular issue, but voted to reject the resolution to focus more on governing the city they represent. Members also said that Councilman Robert Cotton, D-2nd, jumped the gun on drafting this resolution, imploring him to collaborate and communicate with fellow councilmembers in the future.
Transgender Hoosiers are no longer able to change their “sex” designation on their Indiana driver’s license or State ID card, even if they have a physician’s or court order recognizing their gender. This administrative rule change was initially proposed in June of last year, with it being ratified by Republican Gov. Mike Braun last month.
Lake County Council voted unanimously in favor of an ordinance that would mandate project labor agreements be enforced and adopted in any event where the county is providing financial support to the building project.
The City of Portage and Portage Mayor Austin Bonta created a proposal for the Chicago Bears to move to their area. View their proposal at the link right here.
Here is your weekend forecast for February 12th.
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.
Cleveland-Cliffs, steelmaker and Region mainstay, reported huge losses in 2025: totaling $1.4 billion.
The steelmaker lost $714 million in 2024, with the fourth quarter of 2025 reporting a loss of $235 million. Cleveland Cliffs has operations in East Chicago, Gary, Burns Harbor and New Carlisle and is one the largest employers in the Region. Their liquidity as a company is now projected to be about $3.3 billion.
On a similar note, Indiana has once again led the nation in steel production for 2025, holding their crown as the top steelmaking state in the entire United States.
Indiana made 23 million tons of steel last year, an increase of about one million tons from 2024 - with the whole of the United States producing ~90 million tons of steel in 2025, and ~87 million tons the previous year.
Ford, which is one of the largest employers in the greater Calumet Region, lost $8.2 billion last year. It reported a net loss of $11.1 billion in its fourth quarter, its worst loss in years.
BP’s profit report states that the energy giant - whose Whiting refinery employs thousands around the Region - lost $3.4 billion in its fourth quarter, which equals out to annual profits falling to $7.5 billion for 2025 (down from $9 billion in 2024).
Special shout out to Nyesha Barnes, founder of nonprofit initiative Daughter of Promise and Gary teacher, who was recently the focal point of a profile from NWI Times Metro columnist Jerry Davich.
The piece details Barnes’ story and profound impact that teachers had on her in building her career and giving back to her community in profound ways. I implore all of the Explorers to give this article a read because it is a truly spectacular read. You can find the article right here.
Westchester Township History Museum in Chesterton plans to invest ~$5 million to expand their space next door to the historic 1885 Brown Mansion.
The Westchester Public Library System plans to restore the mansion that the museum currently sits in and build a two-story barn-esque museum building directly next door. Exhibits, a gift shop, administrative offices, research collections, storage space and more profound programming are among the projects and departments that will move into the new building: which will be erected on the site of the old Chesterton Middle School (which is also being turned into a new YMCA.) The historic mansion will be dedicated to tours and thematic programming.
Indiana University announced plans to build a bronze statue of longtime and legendary basketball coach Bob Knight inside of Assembly Hall.
Bob Knight led the IU Mens Basketball Team to national championships in 1976. 1981 and 1987. He remains the most lauded and respected coach in the history of IU sports.
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.
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]!
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.
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.
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.
Over at the Valpo University Center for the Arts, take a Valentines Day trip through the Kaliedoscope - a modern-contemporary dance concert put on by IBT Artistic Director Amanda Tuohy. This is their annual dance concert and is always a compelling collection of movements and styles, applying the creativity and revelatory power of dance to this inspiring experience. Find out all the info you wanna know right here.
Hard Rock Casino will be hosting a Night with Musiq Soulchild on February 15th, with special guest Ro James. 13 time Grammy nominee and multi-platinum recording artist Musiq Soulchild will be taking the stage at Hard Rock in Gary to bring his particular brand of R&B excellence to NWI. Find tickets and all the info right here.
Maestro Kirk Muspratt will be returning to NWI for his 25th Anniversary Season, sharing a lifetime of stories at the Theatre at the Center on February 15th. There will also be a meet and greet with the Maestro following the concert. Find out more right here.
February 16th is Jazz Night at Shoreline Brewery. Enjoy live jazz music, endless pours of beer, and great food - with performances by Bill Romer and Friends. Find out more right here.
Horseshoe Casino in Hammond will be welcoming Brit Floyd - the preeminent Pink Floyd tribute experience group - to their stage, as they embark on a world tour. The Moon, The Wall and Beyond is the new production from the group and serves as a wide-spanning tribute to not only the music, but the visuals and scale of Pink Floyd. Find out more right here.
Hard Rock Casino is hosting a Elite Fight Night 29: Havoc at Hard Rock on February 20th. This MMA event is part of the EAFL, a nationally competitive team vs team, state vs state MMA organization. This is one of the preeminent amateur MMA productions and is sure to be a way to watch some of the best amateur talent in the country. Find more info right here.
Also on February 20th, Hobart Art Theater will have Anthem’s Grand Illusion: A Styx Tribute in the house. ANTHEM is a live musical experience covering a lot of the classic rock sphere - from Styx to Bon Jovi to Alice in Chains. This night is sure to be a great one, so grab your tickets asap at the link right here.
From February 20th to 22nd, the Jean Shepherd Center in Hammond will be hosting PICKLEMANIA: the Horseshoe Hammond February Challenge. 12 professionally surfaced pickleball courts will be in use as a round robin tournament takes place over all three days, with a full bar and lounge right inside the facility. This is sure to be one you athletes don’t want to miss. Find out more right here.
Join Mayor of Hammond Thomas M. McDermott, Jr. and the 219 Day Committee for the 10th annual 219 Day Celebration! This years celebration will return to the Hammond Civic Center, taking place on February 21st, from 6-11pm and admission is free. Find out more at the link right here.
February 21st will see international AC/DC tribute band BONFIRE return to the Hobart Art Theater for the 7th consecutive year. This will be the band’s 26th anniversary, so the show is sure to be an absolute barn burner. Find tickets and more information at the link right here.
Courtesy of Michigan City’s Uptown Arts District, Shelf Ice Brewfest, on February 22nd, is hoping to bring some light to the doldrums of February. Tents full of Indiana’s best craft breweries, wineries, cideries and distilleries, live music, market tents, and fire pits will make this a day sure to excite. Food trucks will line the street, with winter activities, ice sculptures and all the fun you can stomach. Find tickets and more info at the link right here.
Exhorder, New Orleans-based heavy metal band, will be taking the Hobart Art Theater stage on February 22nd. Since reforming in 2017, they’ve taken their groove-laden thrash sound even further and refined into a well-oiled machine of thrash. Find tickets and even more information right here.
Grunge-Fest will be coming to the Hobart Art Theater on February 27th. Two huge tributes to classic bands of the Grunge movement - Hollow (Alice in Chains Tribute) and Creep (Stone Temple Pilots Tribute). Find tickets and all the info right here on their website.
February 27th will see Wu-Tang Clan legends Method Man and Redman take to the Hard Rock Casino stage in Gary. These are two of the most celebrated and worthy rappers of their generation, so its sure to be a night worth the price of admission. Find tickets and further info right here.
Hard Rock Live will be hosting a Jumpin Back to the 90s show from Chicago House icon Julian Jumpin’ Perez. Live performances from a smattering of 90s House and Electronic artists will be just one part of the night you won’t want to miss. La Bouche, Quad City DJs, CharVoni (Black Box), 2 In A Room, Betty Dee (Sweet Sensation), The Cover Girls, and the Outhere Bros — all scheduled to perform! Find tickets and more info at the link right here.
The Hobart Art Theater will be hosting the Red Not Chili Peppers on February 28th for a huge Red Hot Chili Peppers tribute show. Find tickets and more info at the link right here.
That is all for your Monday dose of NWI Explored! Let us know what we can do better and, as always, we will see you on Thursday! Be good to one another and…
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.”
