🧭 On Today’s issue of NWI Explored 🧭
The latest in Region news, from Cleveland Cliffs’ big new decisions ⚙️ to what times each city has Trick-or-Treating on Halloween 🧛🏽♂️
🎉The biggest events happening all around the Region for Halloweekend 🎉
⬅️ A Flashback to the Spooky History of the Region ⬅️
Going Forward with NWI Explored
One of the dominant legacies of the Region: Steel!
Today in NWI
☀️ Weather Across the Region:
High of 54 degrees Fahrenheit/ Low of 44 degrees Fahrenheit
Sunny, with slight gusting winds that will bring a brief chill to the air
🗓 What’s Going on This Week
Same as it is every year, Halloween is this week. Hoosiers of all ages will be joining in the celebrations, whether it be through trick-or-treating, bar-hopping, or sitting at home and doing A Nightmare on Elm Street marathon.
Movie theaters, such as the Valpo Cinemark, Portage Emagine, and the various AMCs across the Region, will have some Halloween themed special screenings for patrons. The 50th Anniversary re-release of The Rocky Horror Picture Show, a 40th anniversary re-release of Back to the Future, and a specialty screenings of each film in the Twilight saga are all available to Region film buffs this weekend.
How about them Hoosiers!? My alma mater, Indiana University, and their football team (as most of you probably know) is still undefeated at the time of writing. Never in my lifetime did I think that the “basketball” school would become very suddenly good at football, but it’s a welcome change from being terrible at almost everything. For the Cream & Crimson!
📰 Now, on to the news! 📰
🏘The Lowdown 🏘
Every Thursday, NWI Explored is your go-to source for what’s happened, what’s happening, and what the hottest ticket in town is. Come back every single week to make sure you’re fully prepared for everything Northwest Indiana has to offer you.
Cleveland Cliffs Makes Big Changes
Cleveland Cliffs Plant, Indiana Harbor
Cleveland Cliffs, the largest flat-rolled steel producer in North America and a huge employer for the Region across multiple plants, have announced huge changes to their business. First off, Cleveland Cliffs has announced a huge partnership with Nippon Steel, who has spent to the tune of $50 billion acquiring U.S Steel and expanding their presence in the United States. This partnership with Cleveland Cliffs is just another step in their massive expansion into the U.S steel industry.
Not only that, but Cleveland Cliffs has also secured $400 million in contracts from the Department of Defense, spelling huge work ahead for the steel giant. On top of that, the Department of Energy has chosen to not rescind over $500 million in grants to the steel manufacturer, securing their place at the top of their industry. This all comes alongside Cliffs innovation into stamping steel for the automotive industry, a bid that will allow them to expand their business even further.
Lots of implications for the Calumet region, as the steel industry still sits as the most significant employer in the Region.
UChicago Expands further in Crown Point
UChicago Medicine Campus, Crown Point
UChicago’s 130,000 square foot medical facility built in Crown Point two years ago is seeing a sizable expansion. A 7,442 square foot expansion is planned to be built after hours incrementally, to be finished next year at some time. UChicago has said that the current facility has seen a huge influx of patients: beyond even what high projections had said. This expansion will add to the absolute deluge of construction taking place at this particular stretch of 109th St in Crown Point. Our Crown Point readers will know how absolutely swamped this area gets during the middle of the day and the influx of industry and fast food joints continues to add to that traffic.
What’s In? What’s Out?
Every year, the Region is blessed with new restaurants and hotspots, but that means something has to be lost in the process. This is a rundown of what’s new, what’s gone, and what to look forward to in the world of Region foodies.
Eat, at Hohman and Sibley in Hammond, has opened for limited regular hours for the first time. Owner Raymundo Garcia (who also owns El Taco Real) decided to open the restaurant to the public in order to help revitalize the downtown area of Hammond
Nothing Bundt Cakes has come to Valpo! Taking the place of the old Quiznos, near the Target on Laporte Ave, Nothing Bundt cakes has become a favorite of many in recent years: offering personal-sized bundt cakes in a wide variety of flavors.
Taking the place of Burgerhaus in Schererville will be Lincoln and Wicker, a new venture from Chicago-based chef Jay Ruff. It’s menu will be a mix of New American fare with some high-end items as well, and will be open for lunch and dinner.
Dyer has welcomed Huang House to it’s streets, opening a spot on Sheffield Ave. Huang House offers traditional Chinese fare, but it’s menu will be refined on what people tend to order more of and what others can take or leave. Both lunch and dinner will be offered.
What’s Happening Around Town?
🎃These are the times every single town in Northwest Indiana will be holding Trick-or-Treating tomorrow, October 31st 🎃
Boone Grove: 5 p.m. to 8 p.m.
Cedar Lake: 5 p.m. to 7 p.m.
Chesterton: 5:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m.
Crown Point: 5 p.m. to 8 p.m.
Dyer: 4 p.m. to 8 p.m.
East Chicago: 4 p.m. to 7 p.m.
Gary: 5 p.m. to 7 p.m.
Griffith: 5 p.m. to 7 p.m.
Hammond: 5 p.m. to 7 p.m.
Hebron: 5:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m.
Highland: 5 p.m. to 7 p.m.
Hobart: 5 p.m. to 8 p.m.
Lakes of the Four Seasons: 4 p.m. to 7 p.m.
Lake Station: 5:30 p.m. to 8 p.m.
LaPorte: 5 p.m. to 7 p.m.
Lowell: 5 p.m. to 8 p.m.
Merrillville: 5:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m.
Michigan City: 5 p.m. to 7 p.m.
Munster: 5 p.m. to 7 p.m.
New Chicago: 5 p.m. to 7 p.m.
Portage: 5 p.m. to 8 p.m.
Porter: 5:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m.
Schererville: 5 p.m. to 7 p.m.
St. John: 5 p.m. to 8 p.m.
Valparaiso: 5 p.m. to 8 p.m.
Whiting: 5 p.m. to 7 p.m.
Winfield: 5 p.m. to 7 p.m.
What’s Coming Up?
Here are all the hottest Halloweekend activities we’ve compiled for all of our lovely Region readers!
Haunted Hills Haunted House (7611 E Lincoln Highway, Merrillville) is open for it’s final weekend of frightening fun. Halloween night will feature a Halloween Party from 7pm to 11pm, while November 1st is their last night of scares, 7pm to 10pm.
Jim St. James and Friends will have their regular Thursday night performance at Zorn Brew Works (605 E 9th St, Michigan City). Show begins at 7:30pm.
Halloween events will be had at:
Burn’em Brewery (1215 E. 2nd St, Michigan City)
Shady Creek Winery (2030 Tryon Rd, Michigan City)
Journeyman’s American Factory (258 S. Campbell Street, Valparaiso)
Lake Street in Miller Beach
Marshall J Gardner Center for the Arts (540 S Lake Street, Gary)
End Zone Bar and Grill (314 Main St, Hobart)
John’s Place (1613 N Cline Ave, Griffith)
Knuckleheads (204 W Barker Ave, Michigan City)
If we missed anything, drop a comment here to let everyone else know!
The Memorial Opera House (104 Indiana St, Valparaiso) will be doing performances of The Rocky Horror Picture Show all weekend! Join them on Halloween night after their performance for The Time Warp Ball, a special party to celebrate the holiday AND the 50th Anniversary of the original film.
Marina Shores Yacht Club (5987 Dune Harbor Dr, Portage) will be hosting it’s fourth annual Costume and Halloween Party on Saturday. There will be door prizes, costume contests, cash and card bar, and live music.
Fair Oaks Farms will be having a Pumpkin Smash Bash on Saturday from Noon to 4pm. This event will be to celebrate the end of harvest season and feature a whole bunch of messy, family-oriented activities.
Signing off!
Thank you so much for reading the very first official issue of the NWI Explored Newsletter! We want this project to be ever-evolving and morph to fit the needs of it’s readers, so please feel free to let us know what works, what doesn’t, and what you’d like to see from us going forward. Drop a comment down below, send us a DM on Instagram, or comment on any of our posts over there as well.
We hope you have a wonderful and safe Halloweekend and we will see you back here on Monday (and over on our Instagram, don’t forget 🙂).
Happy Exploring,
Eric & Luke
The NWI Explored Team
I used to dream about escaping my ordinary life, but my life was never ordinary. I had simply failed to notice how extraordinary it was. Likewise, I never imagined that home might be something I would miss.
-Ransom Riggs
