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The Call to Explore

Hello, Explorers! Welcome to your Thursday edition of NWI Explored as we enter a short week before America’s 250th Anniversary. There is undoubtedly a lot going on for everyone this week as we all attempt to wrap up our business before the long weekend, so we’re going to have an abbreviated schedule this week in NWI Explored as well! Today, we’re going to be highlighting all of the America 250 and July 4th Events we can find, as well as a preview of what the rest of July has in store for us all AND some of the news that you might’ve missed this week.

Let us know if there are any America 250 or July 4th events that we’ve missed via the poll down below in the meantime. Good luck this week to all of you and we hope you’re able to brave the intense heat wave we’re going to get throughout the week! See you all on Thursday!

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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!

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📆The Lowdown📆

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

The agreement between the City of Hammond and Chicago-based developer Decennial Group to build a $7 billion, 450,000 sq. ft. data center project along the shores of Lake Michigan has expired. The end of the four party agreement between the aforementioned parties, Hammond Redevelopment Commission and CoreWeave (the prospective tenant of the proposed data center) hinged on Decennial satisfying several conditions before moving forward with the project. Since those conditions weren’t met and the City of Hammond refused to grant any further extensions, the plans have been allowed to expire.

The Indiana chapter of the American Civil Liberties Union has challenged the placement of, in their opinion, a state-sponsored religious display that violates the concept of separation of church and state - a massive limestone monument depicting the Ten Commandments that would be placed on the lawn of the Indiana Statehouse. A permanent injunction was already issued the first time this monument was proposed in 2002, but Todd Rokita - Republican Attorney General of Indiana - convinced a federal judge to take another look at the case in an attempt to instate the monument once again. Since its placement on government property was denied two decades ago, the 7-foot tall monument has sat in front of a Bedford church.

A new superintendent of Valparaiso Community Schools has been selected by the Board of Trustees following their meeting on Tuesday. Current School Town of Highland superintendent Brian Smith has been selected as the new superintendent of Valpo Schools. Smith served the School Town of Highland for 13 years and will take over the position from recently resigned superintendent Jim McCall on this upcoming Wednesday.

WIPB, a PBS station located in Muncie, has sold off Bob Ross’ “Mountain Summit” painting at auction for $320,000 in order to help benefit the fledgling station. The PBS station, commonly referred to as Ball State PBS, is the site where Bob Ross filmed his famous show “The Joy of Painting” for 30 of its 31 seasons. After receiving significant federal funding cuts, WIPB opted to auction off this painting in order to help curb mounting operation costs.

🎆America 250/4th of July Celebrations 🎆

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.

Summer Schedules!

  • Free Events are highlighted in GREEN

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.

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.

July Promotions for Gary Railcats!

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.

July Events (Outside of America 250/ 4th of July themed events) will be added throughout the month!

A Preview of July’s Big Events!

Johnson’s Farms Blueberry Fest Weekends @ Johnson’s Farm Produce (Hobart) (July 5th & 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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