Every week, 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!

Polls will switch out on each week’s Thursday edition, so you’ve got a full week to respond!

It’s official: The Chicago Bears have announced their intention to build their new stadium in Hammond, Indiana - leaving their longtime home of Soldier Field in downtown Chicago.

An exact location for the future stadium campus has not been determined yet, nor has a construction timeline, but it is expected to go up around the city-owned Lost Marsh Golf Course - near Wolf Lake. We’ve all heard every variation and spin on this particular story by now and it’s all that anyone can talk about around these parts. It remains to be seen what all will come of this project, but as a 49ers fan, I can’t say I feel any certain regard for the Bears moving closer to my home.

Republican Governor Mike Braun has announced plans to continue the suspension of state gasoline excise tax and state sales tax on gasoline, for at least another month.

The suspension of these tax collections on gasoline began in April, with Indiana gas prices dropping by 62 cents by the end of the month and holding at this lower rate through May and into June. Currently, Indiana is among the lowest in the country in gas prices.

South Shore Line passengers, listen up: There will be no service to the Museum Campus and Van Buren Street stations on June 13th and 14th to accommodate a construction project. Passengers will be bussed between Millennium Station and 18th Street Station on those days.

Those travelling between St. John and Cedar Lake who use Parrish Avenue should know that Lake County Council is expected to approve a measure by the county highway department to install all-way stop signs at Parrish and 117th Ave. This measure is to prevent crashes at this intersection, which have been on the uptick as of late.

Motorists beware: Ramps from both eastbound and westbound Interstate 80/94 to Southbound Cline Avenue are closing today and will be closed through mid-August. Seek alternate routes like southbound on Kennedy Avenue or Burr Street in order to avoid the construction. Also, an eight-day closure of Broadway from 20th Ave. to 21st Ave. will take place to improve the railroad crossing there. Allow for extra time to travel through these areas.

The City of Hammond is auctioning off 28 lots in Memorial Park to allow for the property to be used for residential development. The auction takes place on June 25th at Hammond City Hall (5:30 pm). The 28 parcels of land sit along the extensions of Noble Ave. and Ray Ave..

Democratic State Convention delegates has nominated Beau Bayh for secretary of state. Son of former Indiana governor/senator Evan Bayh, Beau Bayh was selected to represent the party that hasn’t won a statewide election in 14 years here in Indiana.

President Trump has pardoned former Republican Congressman from Indiana, Steve Buyer. Buyer represented portions of NWI and had been convicted of insider trading in 2023, meant to serve 22 months in prison after he was found to use confidential information from his consulting work to purchase stock of companies ahead of market upticks. He is said to have made over $350,000 from these trades, which is defined as illicit personal gain.

Despite almost a full month of early voting days and 12 hours to vote on Election Day, more than 4 in 5 registered NWI voters did NOT vote in the May 5 primary election. Voter turnout in Porter County was the lowest of all NWI counties, with only 14.5% of county voters participating (19,249/132,756 registered voters). While a slight improvement from the 2024 primary elections, it is still a worrisomely low turnout.

After deeming repairs to be too costly, the city of Michigan City has demolished Millennium Fountain - an iconic monument that was built along the Lake Michigan shoreline in 2000. The fountain was shut down a few years ago due to deteriorating basin walls, drain clogging and numerous other faulty components that made it work improperly. The public plaza will now be made more open for public events and outdoor concerts.

Two new segment extensions are underway on the Marquette Greenway as of this past Friday. The towns of Burns Harbor and Porter received grants from the Indiana Department of Natural Resources to expand the multi-use trail. Porter will be using it’s $2.1 million grant to add 1.04 miles of trail from Babcock Road to Howe Road, and Burns Harbor will be using their $5 million grant to build 0.82 miles of trail extension from the existing terminus of the Marquette Greenway by Ind. 149 to Babcock Road. Burns Harbor’s work also entails extensive grading, building of retaining walls and a boardwalk to cross under the Norfolk Southern Railroad and over the Little Calumet River.

Emagine Portage, the movie theater that was recently acquired by Belgium-based Kinepolis, has launched a new concessions menu featuring Michigan favorite snack food brand Better Made products. “The Summer of Better Made” is a limited time offering at their theaters, including the Portage theater local to us.

Below, find a rundown of the local council meetings and commission meetings that will be taking place this week- as well as what they will be discussing and deliberating on.

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

Chicago Street Theatre, Valparaiso - info here

Memorial Opera House, Valparaiso - info here

Canterbury Theatre, Michigan City - Info Here

La Porte Little Theatre, LaPorte - Info Here

4th Street Theater, Chesterton - Info Here

Beatniks on Conkey, Hammond - Info Here

Footlight Players, Inc, Michigan City - Info Here

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.

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.

June
June 10 — Leann Stutler
June 12 — Marco Villareal
June 17 — Keith Scott
June 19 — Jason Blake
June 24 — Andre Detti
June 26 — Peter Warren

Starting on June 6th and running the subsequent TWO weekends, it’s the return of Johnson’s Farms Strawberry Festival Weekends! Strawberry U-pick days for the whole family, activities for the kids, and a wide variety of strawberry treats will all be available on these three consecutive weekends.

Opening on June 6th, Whoazone - Floating Waterpark will be open for business at Whihala Beach in Whiting. One of the best kept secrets of NWI, Whihala Beach will be some of the best fun you can have on Lake Michigan this summer. Kids can jump, bounce, run, play and splash on the Whoazone floating waterpark - from June 6th until August 16th.

Below, you can find the June Schedule for the Gary Railcats and all the associated promos they’re running this month!

You can also find 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.

Valpo Parks’ FREE community bike rides continue with this months ride: the Ice Cream Ride! Kids of all ages are welcome with no registration required. The ride will be on June 8th and will be meeting at Tower Park at 5:30pm.

Live in the ‘Ville will be Schererville (Hessville)’s kick off of Summer 2026 and it’s sure to be something you don’t want to miss. Food trucks, vendors, live music, a beer garden, fire performers, live wrestling, street performers: what else could you want!? Be there or be square when it kicks off June 12th through the 13th.

Schererville’s summer kick-off festival returns! Schererville Fest will be returning to Peter G. Redar Memorial Park this June 10th through the 14th. Live music, cold beer and drinks, bingo, food trucks, local vendors, carnival rides, games and a parade: all taking place over five jam-packed summer days. Learn all about it right here!

The season opener for NWI’s very own fun ball team, the Region Razzles, will be taking place on June 11th at Whiting’s Oil City Stadium. The Region Razzles are the Region’s answer to the phenomenon of the Savannah Banana’s, so this is sure to be fun night you won’t want to miss out on.

Dyer Summer Fest is returning for its 35th year! Taking place from June 11th through the 14th in Central Park, get ready for Live music, fireworks, carnival rides, vendors, food trucks, a beer garden, and games for all ages! Kick off summer in a big way at Dyer Summer Fest!

Broad Street Blues and BBQ Festival returns to Central Park in Griffith once again, this year kicking off summer starting on June 12th and running through the 14th. This three-day festival has plenty of live music, plenty of BBQ, and plenty of beer. Top all of that off with a fireworks show on Saturday night and you’ve got one heck of a way to welcome in the warmer months.

Partake on a fairy themed adventure with the 10th Annual Fairy Festival, taking place in Hawthorne Park (Portage) on June 13th. This annual family event benefits local non-profits and allows kids of all ages to partake in an immersive experience that really lets them feel like they’re transported to a fairy forest. Find out more about the event and what its supporting right here.

Summer Greek Fest returns to the Region, taking place on June 13th & 14th at St. Demetrios Greek Orthodox Church in Hammond. The whole weekend will be celebrating Greece - with food, pastries, music and a gathering of friends and family in celebration!

The Town of Munster will be holding a celebration of America’s 250th Birthday on June 14th in Heritage Park, starting at Noon. Live music, old time food and beverages, a costume contest, prizes, raffles, and so much more will be available to all ages as the town and its residents gather to celebrate the birth of our nation.

Byway Brewing will be holding a Walking Dead Trivia Night on June 16th. Test your knowledge of the ever-present, mega-successful horror franchise and grab a pint of something nice at the same time. This event is FREE to attend.

Four Corners Winery is hosting a Cocktails + Canvas Night on June 17th. Unwind, sip and paint your worries away during this fun social night event, where the drinks and the creativity are allowed to flow freely!

Hendricks Cocktail Creation Tasting Event will be taking place at Asparagus on June 17th. Enjoy cocktails made with three unique expressions from Hendricks, paired with a selected appetizer and all the good vibes you can handle. Tickets can be found at the link above.

Join the folks at Lighthouse Restaurant for a Caribbean Castaway Social Experience, featuring Planteray Rum, taking place on June 18th. A great experience to take your dad out to for Father’s Day, the event will be a high-energy night of connection and indulgence - courtesy of Planteray Brand Ambassador Victor Bouvier.

Fun for the whole family is on the docket for Dino Day Party in the Park in Peter G Redar Memorial Park in Schererville on June 19th. Fun, food and all the dinosaurs you can handle will be available at this roaring good time.

Hammond’s Annual Juneteenth Celebration will take place on the holiday (June 19th), at 1200 Highland St. The day of unity, freedom and empowerment will be topped off with a live DJ, local vendors, free activities for families, community engagement projects, and so much more! FREE to attend.

Rock out at ROXX Fest 2026 when it comes around on June 19th and 20th, at Portage Mall Outdoor Festival Area. Two days full of live music, great food, and community building will make sure this weekend is one for the ages. See the details down below.

June Events will be continually added as we move through the early part of the month!

More to come!