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The Midweek Forecast for This Week in NWI

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🏘️The Lowdown🏘️

A lowdown on what’s happening in NWI and the State of Indiana writ large.

McKenya Dilworth Smith has been named the new president of the Gary Historical and Cultural Society. The GHCS has worked for the past 50 years to preserve the stories and oft-forgotten history of the historic Steel City. McKenya leads the Morning Bishop Theatre, the Gary Arts Council, Gary TEDx and many other community initiatives, so her appointment to president of the Historical and Cultural Society was well-deserved. The board was unanimous in their vote for her appointment as well, as she hopes to increase the Society’s programming and turn the Gary Land Company Building into a museum open to the public.

In partnership with this weekend’s Sand + Steel Art Fest in Valpo, the Indiana Dunes Tourism Board are launching the Indiana Dunes Arts + Culture Trail through their newly launched app. The trail will feature 14 different locations across Duneland that help tourists and locals to experience the arts and collect new Sand + Steel themed postcards. Destinations like the Chicago Street Theatre, Porter County Museum, Village Gallery at Pines Village Retirement Community, and the Indigenous Cultural Trail are just some of the spots along the Arts + Culture Tail for people to discover. Learn more about the Trail and what the Indiana Dunes Tourism Board is all about right here.

Jasper County Commissioners voted unanimously to approve Amazon Web Services’ planned $7 billion data center at a 304-acre spot near the NIPSCO R.M. Schahfer Generating Station. Amazon is adamant that the data center will employ around 250 people in and around Wheatfield, helping to deliver infrastructure that will directly help the regional needs as well.

NIPSCO has once again been ordered to keep the R.M. Schahfer Generating Station in Wheatfield operational for another 90 days past its scheduled retirement. The U.S. Department of Energy has continually issued orders to extend the station’s operation and NIPSCO has complied since the first order came in December of last year. The continued operation of these coal-fired units could - in a manner- be some of the reason rates around the Region have spiked as of late, as the cost of maintaining and running these units past their scheduled retirement has been quite costly for NIPSCO.

Franciscan Alliance CEO Kevin Leahy has announced that he will be stepping down from his position at the end of this year. Leahy has been with Franciscan Alliance for 48 years, building multiple new facilities across the region and rehabilitating old units into new treatment facilities. He will stay on as a consultant through 2027 while a nationwide search for his replacement takes place.

Merrillville Town Council has decided to extend the town’s disaster declaration through to mid-July after the EF2 tornado around 10 days ago tore through town and damaged some 200 homes. The extension will run through July 22nd and will allow the town to bolster recovery efforts more thoroughly for all those affected.

the Food Bank of Northwest Indiana has announced extra mobile market dates to expand their capability of meeting the extraordinary need by those affected by last weeks tornadoes. Below, you can find a schedule of these expanded dates.

  • Monday, June 22: St Helen Church, 302 North Madison St, Hebron

  • Tuesday, June 23: YMCA Hobart Club, 601 West 40th Pl., Hobart

  • Wednesday, June 24: Midwest Training Ice Center, 10600 White Oak Avenue, St. John

  • Wednesday, June 24: Hidden Lake, 6355 Broadway Avenue, Merrillville

  • Thursday, June 25: Project Love Food Pantry, 7124 West 137th Place, Cedar Lake

  • Friday, June 26: St. John Community Center, 1515 W Lincoln Highway, Schererville

Traffic Notices:

Beginning this Wednesday, the right lane and shoulder on eastbound Interstate 94 will be closed between 249 and US 20 for pavement patching. This closure will be in effect until early July at the earliest.,

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..

Below, find a rundown of the local councils and town meetings that will be taking place this week.

  • Valparaiso City Council

    • Monday, June 22nd at 6pm @ City Hall

      • Consideration of the final passage of rezoning that will allow for the construction of the Cumberland Corner project - an attainable housing project that has been subject to a lot of controversy by locals and within the council itself. A Full agenda can be found right here.

  • Hammond Common Council

    • Monday, June 22nd at 6pm @ City Hall

      • A public hearing on a planned Economic Revitalization Area, as well as an ordinance that would add several new bike path rules to the city code. Also on the docket, a consideration that would unite Hammond an Lake County on the Cameron Street Light Project. Full agenda can be found right here.

  • Winfield Town Council

    • Tuesday, June 23rd at 7pm @ Winfield Government Center

      • New regulations on electric bikes is the main topic on discussion at this meeting. A full agenda can be found right here.

  • Crown Point Plan Commission

  • Lowell Town Council

    • Monday, June 22nd at 7pm

  • Porter County Council

    • Tuesday, June 23rd at 5:30pm

  • St. John Town Council

    • Tuesday, June 23rd at 6pm

  • Merrillville Town Council

    • Tuesday, June 23rd at 6:30 pm

  • Lake Station City Council

    • Thursday, June 25th at 7pm

🌽Farmer’s Market Rundown🌽

A look at the local farmer’s markets and the like that will be running imminently

What’s In, What’s Out? ⬅️➡️

A look at the businesses that are coming and going all around NWI

  • Golazzo Pizza Co. has opened up for business in the Lincoln Kitchen in Valpo. Coming courtesy of Mermaid Straw owner Adam Harrington, Driver’s Gallery owner Jon Shelton, chef Will Garrard, and attorney Cole Galloway, Golazzo Pizza Co. promises to offer Italian-style pizza like you would find back in the old country. Using simple, clean ingredients and only offering thin-crust, personal pizzas, this is no-frills, rootsy pizza at its finest. Golazzo offers a traditional Margherita, a Hawaiian and a Diavola, with a special Nutella dessert pie available as well. Two more pizza styles will be coming in the weeks following opening and you can find all of them courtesy of the Lincoln Kitchen.

  • The Center Circle Soccer Social Club will be opening soon in Valpo, coming from the same team that brings you Golazzo Pizza Co.. Opening next to Driver’s Gallery at 3206 Cascade Dr., Center Circle promises to be a golf social club in spirit, but for the “beautiful game”: soccer. An indoor, year-round soccer field is the main attraction, with year-round leagues, a social club and a 24-hour gym rounding out the amenities. Center Circle hopes to be a place where the public can share in their collective love for soccer -whether its playing, watching or just basking in the glow of the sport. To learn more about CCSC, click here to visit their website.

  • Normal Block Entertainment has opened their new location in downtown Valpo, tripling their original footprint at their old spot. The new location is located at 13100 Lincolnway and owner Kyle Reynolds has taken the new-ness of the spot to heart. He’s added a full retro arcade, with vintage arcade cabinets like Pac-Man , Mortal Kombat, Donkey Kong and more adorning the walls. Reynolds also hopes to host more events in the space, expanding their presence in all things nerdy and gamer. Carrying around four times the inventory they had at their old location already, it sure seems like Normal Block is just getting started on their full-scale takeover.

  • Frank From Chicago, a Chicago-style hot dog joint, has opened its doors in the Southlake Mall off of US 30. It’s located on the lower level near the H&M. Frank from Chicago offers classic Chicago dogs, vegan dogs, chili cheese dogs, and a variety of other hot dog specialties.

🎟️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

La Porte Little Theatre, LaPorte - Info Here

4th Street Theater, Chesterton - Info Here

  • Hamlet; running from June 5th to 21st

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.

June is Here!

  • 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.

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.

Every Friday throughout the Summer, take to Sheridan Plaza in Whiting for a FREE , all ages concert.

Red Wine and Brew Fest returns to LaPorte this week into the weekend!

Take part in a shopping, dancing and indulging evening experience on these select Thursday night events all summer long.

Take part in Food Truck Friday across multiple weeks this Summer!

A nod to the geography and industry of NWI, Sand + Steel Art Fest returns to Central Park Plaza in Valpo this weekend. Free concert, interactive experiences, and fun for the whole family!

Celebrate Country Music Weekend and 250 Years of America this weekend in Downtown Griffith. A smattering of live music, BBQ and drinks a flowing: what’s not to love about that.

45th Annual Brickyard Run returns to downtown Hobart this weekend on June 27th! Multiple races for all different age groups, complete with awards and friendly competition.

The Annual ArtBash Gala returns to the Great Hall at Purdue University Northwest -Westville. Open Bar, silent and open auctions, a wonderful dinner: all in honor of and benefitting the Lubeznik Center for the Arts.

FREE EVENT!! BULLDOG BLOCK PARTY is Crown Point’s biggest summer celebration and it’s completely free. Headlined by a live performance from local musician Jaybenz and featuring tons of DJ sets and amazing food, this is sure to be a highlight of the summer!

Greater Gary Music Fest - Free seating has sold out, but premium seats are still available!

FREE ADMISSION to the Region Eats Food Festival! Located in Centennial Park in Munster on June 27th, sample a wide variety of mouth-watering dishes from tons of local food trucks and eateries. Live music will be provided by the unProfessionals Band and there is also a Beer Garden for the 21+ folks.

Live Entertainment in June!

June Events will be continually added as we move through the 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.

  • 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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