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🧭 On Today’s issue of NWI Explored🧭
Everything Happening in NWI in April
A Recap of Local and State News
Today’s Headlines
Weather Forecast for NWI
The Call to Explore:
Welcome back, everybody, to your Monday edition of NWI Explored for 4/13/2026. How has everyone been enjoying our first taste of Spring weather for more than a single day? The rain isn’t going anywhere, unfortunately, but all of the downpour will lead into something greater - the blossom of Spring. There’s a lot to talk about on this Monday edition of the newsletter, but we still want to make sure we’re covering everything that matters to the readers.
If you all, the Explorers, don’t mind, send us your recommendations! Shoot us an email at [email protected] and let us know what your favorite local spot, restaurant, bar or third space is and we’re going to put together a list of the Explorers favorite spots around NWI. We want the community to share what matters to them and, in turn, help build the NWIE community even further. Let us know!
On top of that, we just wanted to give another hearty thank you to all of the people who have continued to support us in this first half of a year that we’ve been creating NWI Explored. We have such big plans - more than two people can really manage, truth be told - and seeing how much everyone has gotten out of the newsletter so far has been a real joy. We just crossed 6,000 subscribers this past Friday which is also incredible and super encouraging. It seems that we’re doing something right! Thank you all, again, and let’s get exploring!
What kind of content do you want to see from NWI Explored?
📆📆This Week in NWI 📆📆
A brief rundown of some local government happenings we think you should know about
Below, find summaries of what the Northwest Indiana School corporations will be discussing and considering in this weeks school board meetings
LaPorte Community School Corporation
Meeting on April 13th at the Educational Services Center (1000 Harrison St.) or on YouTube
LCSC will be discussing possible changes to their administrative structure, as well as mulling over a contract with the local YMCA for a expanded before and after school childcare program. Also presented will be the online school calendar for the 2026-2027 school year.
East Porter County School Corporation
Meeting on April 13th at the Admin Office Board Room, Kouts (502 E. College Ave) or on YouTube
EPC School Board will be considering a long list of improvements to their schools, including: new carpeting for Kouts and Morgan Township High Schools; a new roof for the corporation office; and, resurfacing of the Kouts High School tennis court.
Metropolitan School District of Boone Township
Meeting on April 14th at Hebron Elementary School (307 S. Main St.) or on YouTube
MSD School Board will be considering contract extensions for its three principals, amendments to its 2026-2027 school year schedule, and others.
Lake Station Community Schools
Meeting on April 15th at Hamilton Elementary School Gym (2900 Lake St.) or via Zoom
Agenda has not been published at time of writing
School City of Hobart
Meeting on April 16th at Hobart High School (2211 E. 10th St) or on YouTube
Agenda has not been published at time of writing
Below, you can find a list of the town/city council meetings that will be happening this week as well as a list of local government public forums and the like
The Indiana Utility Regulatory Commission will be holding multiple listening sessions across the state, with one in Gary on Monday. For those who wish to attend, the session will take place at Gary Public Library, in the Roma K. Ivey Community Room on Monday, April 13th from 5:30 - 7:30pm.
Sentinel Data Centers Open House will be taking place at Lowell High School on Thursday, April 16th at 6pm. This open house will be regarding a proposed data center construction project for Eagle Creek Township, just a few miles east of the high school. Lake County Plan Commission had noted this public forum would be the leading reason for deciding whether or not to rezone the land from agricultural land to light industrial. Make your voices known!
Hammond Common Council
Monday, April 13th at 6 p.m.
Hammond City Hall, 2nd Floor (5925 Calumet Ave.)
Find the full agenda right here
Winfield Plan Commission
Tuesday, April 14th at 6 p.m.
Winfield Town Hall, 10645 Randolph St.
Find the full agenda right here
Valparaiso City Council, Monday, April 13, at 6 p.m.
Chesterton Town Council, Monday, April 13 at 6 p.m.
Highland Town Council, Monday, April 13, at 6:30 p.m.
Merrillville City Council, Tuesday, April 14, at 6:30 p.m.
Dyer Town Council, Thursday, April 16, at 6 p.m.
Your Midweek Forecast for 4/12/26
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🏘The Lowdown 🏘
Every issue of NWI Explored comes with The Lowdown: a roundup of the most important news and happenings around the Region and Indiana writ large.
Region health care systems have a variety of plates currently spinning, including working with Chicago hospitals to keep patients closer to home and reinvesting into new technology and upgrades to provide better care to locals.
Studies conducted by Methodist Hospitals found that 1/3 of NWI residents go to Chicago to seek complex care, even if they would prefer to stay closer to home to do so. To help combat that, Methodist Hospitals has entered into clinical partnerships with the University of Chicago in order to better adapt their care offerings and complex care options so as to keep NWI residents close to home. The hospital system also invested in a da Vinci surgical robot, making it easier to perform open-heart surgeries locally. Methodist Hospitals also entered into a partnership with Synergy, which is affiliated with the UChicago system, to expand behavioral health offerings at the Northlake campus in Merrillville.
In terms of expansion and reinvestment, Methodist is using robotic technology for bariatric, colon, OB/GYN and cardiac procedures to provide better, more consistent care across the board. Money is being put toward advancing their cardiac programs over the next year, increasing quality of general care and patient services, and taking steps to invest in the latest in oncology services and emerging technologies.
Franciscan Health is building an expansion to the Dean and Barbara White Cancer Center in Crown Point, expanding their ability to provide advanced cancer treatments. They also plan to partner with Mary Free Bed Hospital in Grand Rapids, MI to greater expand their rehabilitation services at the Munster hospital.
Franciscan has also worked to cut costs a lot in the past couple of years, with plans to do so again this year - cutting $100 million in expenses hopefully in the 2026 calendar year. On top of that, to provide wider care and reinvest into healthcare services, they are constructing a new facility in St. John, expanding outpatient support across NWI, and establishing new operating procedures to make their hospitals destinations for local care with regards to more specific services, not trying to be a jack of all trades.
Powers Health has opened up a lot more symposiums and presentations to the public so that they can be more knowledgeable about what services their local providers offer. This education effort also goes for their staff, providing information to healthcare providers in their hospitals about local referrals that they can make for complex care.
Powers opened their first ambulatory surgical center for joint replacement in Crown Point recently, with expansions coming for behavioral health services in the form of a 40-bed unit in East Chicago. Other reinvestments have come in an expansion of footprint across the Region - opening emergency departments and medical offices in Valpo, with a new two-story medical building aiming to be completed in 2028.
An explosion at the Gary Works steel mill shook the Region on Friday night, with individuals as far as Valpo saying they could hear and feel the blast.
USW District 7 Director Mike Millsap, commenting on the explosion, said that a transformer exploded at the steel mill along the lakeshore, with no reported injuries. Operations were not affected and there was no need for evacuations. The sound of the explosion came from a failsafe system that activated after the affected transformer had an electrical failure. Luckily, the preventative systems worked perfectly - preventing any additional tripping of breakers or production issues.
Indiana residents have the highest average utility bill in the Midwest, based on reporting from a new study by the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory.
The average electricity bill in Indiana has reached over $154 a month, which tops the list of all other states in the Midwest - like Ohio ($149), Illinois ($127), Wisconsin ($120) and Missouri ($142). The lowest average monthly utility bill in the Midwest is shared by Iowa and Minnesota, sitting at $117 a month. Estimates have Indiana utility rates rising by around 28.9% since 2014 and by 11% since just last year.
Six proposals have been made to the City of Gary on what to do to reshape and revitalize the dormant Genesis Center property.
The Genesis Center has been unused since 2020, closing its doors after the costs to operate continued to rise. Offers and plans to purchase the property were made and agreed to, with the acquisition by an out-of-state tech firm planned, but payment was never made. Since then, the site has sat dormant. Find the six different proposals made by six different companies - all with completely unique visions of what the space could be made into to best serve the City of Gary.
Agape Education Foundation proposed a multi-use development with sports entertainment, housing, retail and office space at its core.
Gary Cultural Center for the Arts proposed the space be used for a community arts and culture space, open to the public.
CDC Construction proposed the space be used for an entertainment center, ballroom and bowling space.
TRINITY Group Construction wants to use the spot to build a sports and entertainment space, with housing zones reserved on the lot as well.
Luxe Life submitted plans for housing on the property, with later plans for a mixed-use development to follow suit - bringing retail, hotel and restaurant space as well.
New Frontier Ventures Corp. wants to turn the space into a senior-living space, with some area reserved for mixed-use property.
Denver-based company Vault 44.01 Ltd. has been given a U.S EPA permit to build a $60 million carbon capture and sequestration project in Randolph County.
Plans are to build the site, which will capture and store up to 450,000 metric tons of CO2 annually and have a capacity to store 13.5 million metric tons over the next 30 years.
Purdue Northwest professor of criminal justice Nicky Jackson will be launching a tour across the Midwest, featuring the subjects of some of the most high-profile criminal cases in popular history.
The Crime Unfiltered tour will be hosted by Jackson and feature contributions and the stories of such true-crime fascinations as John Ramsey (father of JonBenet Ramsey), Nichole Schmidt (mother of Gabby Petito), and Shawn Licari and Melissa Perry (subjects of documentary “Unknown Number: The High School Catfish). There will be four stops across the Midwest this summer, with Jackson conducting interviews with the subjects followed by a group Q&A session. Find the tour dates right below
June 6, The Vic Theatre, Chicago
June 7, The Pabst Theater, Milwaukee
June 18, The Egyptian Room @ Old National Centre, Indianapolis
June 19, Royal Oak Music Theatre, Royal Oaks
➡️What’s In, What’s Out? ➡️
A quick summary of the businesses around NWI that have come and those that have gone
OAX Haus coffee shop is opening up in downtown Schererville imminently. Bringing the flavors of Oaxaca to the Region, owners Cathy Ramirez and Christopher Serratos are planning to open in May with a slate of coffees, lattes, refreshers and sandwiches - with special drinks injecting that unique, Oaxacan flair. All of their coffee will be sourced from the Ixxa Roastery in Hammond (Robertsdale) with plans to eventually source from an actual Oaxacan roaster.
Plumb Full Bakes and Makes opened their doors in Michigan City this past Saturday at their 3513 Windsor Rd. spot. The new bake stand is offering a wide variety of baked goodies - including cinnamon rolls, blueberry muffins, bundt cakes, artisan bread and pie. Owner Angel Onax is serving up family recipes handed down from her grandmother and mom, making almost everything from scratch. Also on offer at Plumb Full is some handmade crocheted items, further emboldening the home-spun and family-made identity of the stand. Stay tuned on their Facebook for their weekly menus and how to pre-order.
Bed Bath & Beyond, which closed its last brick and mortar stores in the Region in 2023, is seemingly returning from the grave. The retail chain has plans to acquire the Container Store chain for $150 million and turn those locations into a Bed Bath/Container hybrid. So, while they aren’t fully returning to the Region, there will be brick and mortar Bed Bath & Beyond stores in Chicagoland once again - even if its in this odd, mish-mash version.
Chef Chris Pavlou, of Radius Restaurant in Valpo and Crown Point, is looking to expand Radius’ footprint in downtown Valpo. Initial plans had set the restaurant taking space in the old Chase bank building, but when renovations proved to be too expensive, Pavlou made a move to acquire the former Pikk’s Tavern location - hoping that spot would be closer to what he envisions to be an expansion of their flagship location. The shape and scope of this downtown Valpo expansion to Radius is unknown at this time, but more details should be available soon.
Yummy Bowl, the fast casual Mongolian stir-fry and sushi restaurant, will be coming to Valpo and to the Southlake Mall area. The chain will open its Valpo location at 2420 Laporte Ave soon, with them also taking over the former Tilted Kilt location at the Southlake Mall site. Yummy Bowl offers build-your-own-bowl options full of Mongolian favorites, while also having sushi, ramen and fried chicken available on their menu.
We, of course, have to report on some of the closures of businesses here in the Region. Find details of those closures below
China Koon has shuttered its doors in Griffith after over three decades of operation. A longtime landmark of the 45th Ave and Broad Street intersection, China Koon served up Mongolian and Cantonese classics like Kung Pao chicken and Mongolian beef to locals for a long time. I know a number of people that will sorely miss their Szechuan pork and teriyaki chicken.
Vita del Lago is closing down their operation in downtown Michigan City. Offering upscale cuisine from the Mediterranean and with favorites like their Bucatini alla Siciliana and Spanish Seafood Paella, they are sure to be missed as one of the few high-end options in the Uptown Arts district. The restaurant will be holding a liquidation sale for all of their kitchen equipment and restaurant supplies, which will be taking place from April 23rd through the 25th.
Another blow to downtown Michigan City comes in the form of Uptown Social, a wedding and special events venue set up in a historic 19th-century church, shuttering its doors as of recent. Opening in 2020 after the lot sat vacant for decades, it hosted weddings and special events for the past few years. New owners took over a couple of years ago and renovated, but they are now looking to sell or lease the property to interested parties.
☑️Recurring Reminders for NWI Locals☑️
EARLY VOTING IS OPEN TO ALL INDIANA RESIDENTS AS OF TUESDAY, APRIL 7TH.
BELOW, YOU CAN FIND A LIST OF ALL THE EARLY VOTING SITES.
For the near future, I will be leaving this information about early voting sites in the newsletter each edition so that all Explorers know where they are able to vote early for Indiana’s primary coming up.
Lake County Early Voting Sites
All sites, other than Crown Point, will be open from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Mondays, Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Fridays through May 1; 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. Thursdays; 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. on April 25 and May 2; and 9 a.m. to noon May 4.
Lake County Government Center Admin Building, 2293 N. Main St, Crown Point
Open from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Mondays, Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Fridays through May 1; 8:30 a.m. to 7 p.m. Thursdays; 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. on April 25 and May 2; and 8:30 a.m. to noon May 4.
Carrie Gosch Early Learning Center, 4001 Indianapolis Blvd, East Chicago
Gary Public Library, 220 W. 5th Avenue
Hammond County Courthouse, 232 Russell St.
Wicker Park Breezeway, 8554 Indianapolis Blvd, Highland
Police Communications Center, 705 E. 4th St., Hobart
Lowell Town Hall, 501 E. Main St
Munster Town Hall, 1005 Ridge Road
Schererville Town Hall, 10 E. Joliet St.
St. John Township Assessor, 9157 Wicker Ave.
Winfield Government Complex, 10645 Randolph St.
Porter County Early Voting Sites
All Porter County sites will be open from 8:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays through May 1; 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. Tuesdays and Thursdays; 8:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. on April 25 and May 2; and 8:30 a.m. to noon May 4.
Chesterton Town Hall, 790 Broadway
Hebron Community Center, 611 N. Main St.
Portage
NIRPC Building, 6100 Southport Rd.
North County Complex, 3560 Willowcreek Rd.
Valpo
Porter County Admin Building, 155 Indiana Ave.
Union Township Fire Station #2, 267 N. 600 W
Valparaiso Fire Training Center, 355 Evans Ave
LaPorte County Early Voting Sites
LaPorte County Complex, 809 State St, Meeting Room 2
April 7th -10th
Tuesday, Thursday, Friday: 8am - 4pm
Wednesday: 10am - 6pm
Michigan City - 8th and Wabash, 302 W. 8th St.
April 7th to May 4th
Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, Friday: 8am -4pm
Wednesday: 10am - 6pm
LaPorte County Fairgrounds, 2581 W. State Rd 2
April 13th - May 4th
Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, Friday: 8am - 4pm
Wednesday: 10am - 6pm
Rolling Prairie - Wills Township Community Center, 6981 E. 350 N
April 21st - May 4th
Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, Friday: 8am - 4pm
Wednesday: 10am - 6pm
Wanatah Town Hall
April 21 - May 4th
Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, Friday: 8am - 4pm
Wednesday: 10am - 6pm
Starke County Early Voting Sites
Starke County Courthouse, 2nd Floor
April 7th -30th
Weekdays from 8am to 4pm
Saturday, April 25th from 8am to 3pm
Saturday, May 2nd from 8am to 3pm
Monday, May 4th from 8am to noon
North Judson-Wayne Township Fire Department
April 23rd and 24th from 11am to 5pm
April 25th from 9am to 2pm
Koontz Lake Sewer District Building
April 30th and May 1st from 11am to 5pm
May 2nd from 9am to 2pm
Jasper County Early Voting Sites
Jasper County Courthouse
April 7th to May 1st - 8am to 4pm
April 25th and May 2nd (Saturdays)
8am to 4pm
American Reformed Church
April 7th to April 30th
9am to 6pm
April 25th and May 2nd (Saturdays)
9am to 4pm
Free tax sessions, focused on property taxes and how they are calculated, are available to NWI residents at the following locations, on the following dates
4:30-5:30 p.m., April 13, Hebron Library
4:30-5:30 p.m., April 14, Kouts Library
4:30-5:30 p.m., April 16, South Haven Library
5:30-6:30 p.m., April 20, Portage Library
6-7 p.m., April 21, Chesterton Library
6-7 p.m., April 28, Valparaiso Library
🎟️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.
Tiny’s Coffee Bar in Miller Beach has recurrent events every single week. Check out their page to find the full slate of events.
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
Coffee Creek Farmers Market will be running every single Wednesday from April 8th to October 28th, 3-7pm at the Coffee Creek Pavilion Parking Lot. Find full info about the market 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.
In partnership with the NWI Ultimate League, we want to issue a special announcement about their spring leagues!
NWI Ultimate, with partnership of the Portage Parks Department, is the preeminent local ultimate frisbee league for NWI. Featuring COED divisions for all ages, these leagues are open to new players and seasoned experts. Find all the information at the link right here or in the infographic below.
Local Theatre
A Rundown of all the local theatre companies and their upcoming productions.
Chicago Street Theatre, Valparaiso - info here
Well-Suited Theatre - April 17th
Teenfest 2026 - May 22nd-24th
Memorial Opera House, Valparaiso - info here
La Porte Little Theatre, LaPorte - Info Here
Moon Over Buffalo; running from May 1st to 10th
4th Street Theater, Chesterton - Info Here
Hamlet; running from June 5th to 21st
Beatniks on Conkey, Hammond - Info Here
The Nerd; running April 10th to 19th
Footlight Players, Inc, Michigan City - Info Here
The Legend of Georgia McBride; running from April 9th to 19th
Indiana Ballet Theatre Company - Info Here
Swan Lake - April 18th (two performances - 1pm and 7pm)
Marian Theatre Guild, Whiting - Info Here
Show runs from April 18th to 26th
Towle Theater, Hammond - Info Here
Doublewide Texas; running from May 1st to 17th
Valpo University Theatre- Info Here
Ticket information and the full schedule can be found right here.
What to Expect in April
Running Vines Winery in Chesterton has a slate of events, specials and programming for the whole month of April - including singo events, trivia nights, live music and brunch specials. Find their full schedule below.
Tulip Tyme at Harvest Tyme Farm is now open to the public. Wander through the fields of over 300,000 tulips and take in the beauty and serenity of NWI spring. Concessions will be available, but the amusement rides will not be in operation. Learn more at Harvest Tyme’s website right here.
Valpo Parks Department will be hosting a Spring Kids Closet Sale on April 18th at Butterfield Family Pavilion (Old Fairgrounds). 20 booths will be open full of gently used kids’ clothing, toys, furniture and more. Vendor spots are open for all and admission to the sale is only $3.
Seasons Lakehouse Restaurant in Crown Point is hosting a Back to the 80s Brunch on April 12th, starting at 10am. Bottomless buffet, specialty cocktails and a DJ spinning only the best throwback jams: this morning excursion is sure to take you back to the good ol’ days.
Up Your Alley in Schererville is hosting a Paint & Sip on April 13th, from 6pm to 8pm. Open to children 6yrs+ and a parent painting partner, the night is themed around Painting Partners with the painting being a “Butterfly Kisses” painting. Find info right here.
Byway Brewing in Hammond is hosting a cannabis themed trivia night on April 14th, starting at 6pm. 21+ event, obviously.
Fuzzyline Brewing in Highland will have a Comedy Hour night on April 14th, featuring comedians Tyler Galban, Jezzi Realz, and Ari Sanchez. Doors open at 6, show starts at 7pm. The next day, April 15th, they will also have a Paint + Drink event where participants can paint a Blushing Bunny painting.
White Rhino in Dyer is hosting a Wine Tasting event on April 15th, starting at 6:30pm. Sample up to 10 different wines, paired with gourmet snacks and acoustic tunes courtesy of Marco Villareal. Find more info right here.
Stoney Run County Park, courtesy of Lake County Parks, is holding a S’mores Stroll on April 17th, starting at 7pm. Take a stroll around the park and then enjoy a cozy campfire evening underneath the stars, roasting marshmallows and taking in the night air.
2026’s Run the State 5K/Hike will be taking place on April 18th, starting at 7:15am. In partnership with Anthem and the Indiana Department of Natural Resources, this race is put on by Invest In Your Health Indiana. Register at the link above or right here.
Hammond Civic Center brings you a South Shore Roller Derby Double Header on April 18th. 10 Things I Hit About You will be taking place at 5pm, find full info right here.
Chellberg Farm in Porter will be holding an Open House on consecutive Saturdays starting on April 18th. See the historic farm and visit with the animals in this outing that will definitely be a fun trip with the family. Full info can be found right here.
A free screening and afterward discussion of Ken Burns’ The American Revolution (courtesy of Lakeshore Public Media) will be taking place at Valparaiso University’s Harre Union on April 22nd, at 3pm. The program will feature clips from the 12-part series and discussion with historians. Find more info right here.
On April 23rd, 7pm, Go down to The Hangar Grill Pub in La Crosse for a bout of Chicago Trivia! Paired with the night of trivia are some Windy City classics - Italian beefs, Chicago dogs, Maxwell Street Polish, and (of course) some Chicago Handshakes to wash it all down.
Avenue 912 will be hosting a screening of The Rocky Horror Picture Show on April 24th. Obviously, if you know you know. This is an all-ages event, but there will be a full bar available for the 21+ folks.
Coming to the Hammond Civic Center on April 25th, an unforgettable night of action will ensue when Armored Medieval Martial Arts comes crashing through town. Top fighters from all over the world will be duking it out in full armor, bashing each other with swords, maces and shields across 10 epic bouts. Find tickets and full details right here.
Lubeznik Center for the Arts in Michigan City will be hosting a Commune + Market event from April 25th to the 26th. Tens of artists and local creatives will be in attendance, offering an enticing mix of fine arts and crafts.
Cedar Lake Farmers Market at Harvest Tyme will be taking place on April 25th + 26th, from 10am to 6pm. Shop incredible local vendors and stroll through the hundreds of tulip blooms on the Harvest Tyme farm. Support local and find unique handmade goods, all in the beautiful Springtime of NWI. Full info can be found right here.
Water Fest will be taking place on April 25th, courtesy of the City of Hobart. Take in a day at Robinson Lake, meeting with the community and learning more about the natural resources that make our surroundings so unique. Family-friendly event with so much to do. All the info can be found right here.
Live Music For the Month of April
Hobart Art Theater
Dixon’s Violin @ Sixty Three Social (April 16th)
Vinegar Tom at Valparaiso University (April 16th to 19th)
The 77 Experience at Hard Rock Cafe (April 17th)
The Isley Brothers @ Horseshoe Casino Hammond (April 17th)
The Elephant March @ Joy Bomb Social Center (April 17th)
Echoes of Pompeii @ Memorial Opera House (April 18th)
The Steepwater Band and Parker Barrow @ Memorial Opera House (April 24th)
Kenny Wayne Shepherd Band @ Hard Rock Casino (April 24th)
Wayne Baker Brooks @ Hard Rock Cafe (April 25th)
Abacab - The Music of Genesis @ Theatre at the Center (April 25th)
The Indigos @ Hard Rock Cafe (April 25th)
More Events to Come…
That’ll do it for this Monday Edition of NWI Explored.
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.”
