Welcome Explorers to your Thursday dose of NWI Explored. Hope your midweek has been halfway decent, considering the weather wasn’t particularly cooperative. It’s the last Thursday post for the year, since we’ll be posting the second entry of the week on Friday for the next two weeks. We’re hoping to make this the be-all end-all for everything you’ll need to do to cap off the holiday season. Without any further preamble, let’s get into the newsletter.

The Lowdown on all the NWI News you need to know about

A roundup of every Holiday event remaining for the end of the Holiday season

Today in NWI recap

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Today, I was thinking a lot about the bedrock of our hometowns: of what this whole area had been built on once upon a time. The development of NWI has been incredibly varied, with the areas of yesteryear currently going under their own form of refresh and the areas that were nascent in the heyday of NWI currently being built up to insane degrees. When you look at what somewhere like Crown Point looked like —even six years ago— compared to the glut of development happening there now, it really makes you take a step back and reflect. We are a growing Region, with incredibly varied developments and phases of revitilization.

When we look at the roots of the Region, we see the company towns built up by the steel mills: Gary, Hammond, Whiting, East Chicago. All four of these towns, while particularly grounding parts of our makeup and history, are in need of modernization and revitalization to some degree. Regardless, it’s important to recognize where we’ve all come from and the environment’s that birthed us. For a lot of us, who were born here and have lived here for their entire lives. the below image is the machine that we owe a lot to. It’s a very interesting thing to ponder, so I wanted to share some of these thoughts.

Anyway, here is your forecast for the weekend here in Northwest Indiana. Enjoy some milder weather on this last weekend before Christmas.

Every issue of NWI Explored comes with The Lowdown: a roundup of the most important news and happenings around the Region.

In a statement released by Team President Kevin Warren, The Chicago Bears have announced that they are mulling a move to Northwest Indiana since efforts to secure public funding in Illinois for a new stadium have stalled.

Liberty Township is constructing a new fire station, costing around $4.5 million, which will take through the winter to finish construction

Republican Jennifer-Ruth Green, currently running to represent NWI in Congress, has violated multiple state ethics rules while holding her current position in Governor Mike Braun’s cabinet.

Region prosecutors have dropped charges against a former Gary police officer, originally charged for faking the severity of injuries sustained after slipping on ice outside of a station in an attempt to collect workers compensation.

Portage Township School Board of Trustees has approved a spending provision to construct a new middle school.

A bill has been introduced to the State Senate that aims to reduce drowning deaths in Northwest Indiana and across the State.

Amid contract talks stalling between the Porter County Commissioners and West Porter Fire Protection District, two weeks remain to reach a fire service agreement for 2026.

A new store has opened in the Southlake Mall in Hobart.

The years-long push to recognize the Calumet Region of Indiana and Illinois as a National Heritage Area seems to finally have movement, as both Indiana Republicans and Illinois Democrats have introduced a bill to request this special designation.

Every Thursday, we give you the best events and spots to check out during the weekend.

Miller Beach Arts and Creative District in Gary (540 S Lake St) is hosting a multimedia Trivia Night on Friday, December 19th at 7pm. This is the 5th season of their All in Jest Trivia series, where teams of six people compete in 6 rounds of trivia for the chance to win prizes and bragging rights. Trivia hounds, this event is right up your alley.

Deep River Waterpark is hosting a Christmas Movie Night this Friday from 4:30 to 7:30pm. Saturday will also see the park hosting an Ugly Sweater Contest from 6-7pm, and Sunday will be a Grinch-themed skate day, so there are a variety of events this weekend for all ages.

Fair Oaks Farms will be holding a two-day event this Friday and Saturday for families: the holiday experience Dairy Tales with Farmer Kringle. Meet Santa’s Brother, Farmer John Kringle, listen to christmas tales, take a ride on holiday themed busses around the farm, and enter the holiday-transformed Dairy Adventure. It’s fun for the whole family!

Hard Rock Casino (5400 W. 29th Ave, Gary) is hosting a few concerts and performances this weekend. The performers this weekend are:

Hobart Art Theater (230 Main St, Hobart) has a variety of shows this weekend right before Christmas. See this weekends shows below.

Barker Mansion in Michigan City (631 Washington St.) is hosting a Visit With Santa the whole weekend. Take the family out to meet Santa in the historic Barker Mansion and take a trip through history with special exhibits and experiences for the whole family. Click here to find exact times each day and to buy tickets.

Chicago Street Theatre in Valpo (154 W Chicago St) is giving their final performances of A Charlie Brown Christmas this weekend. Check out their website to find more information, including exact showtimes and tickets. And on Saturday the 20th, check out Classical Blast - Dark Side of the Yule @ 7pm. Their holiday show has become a tradition for many frequent patrons of NWI theater and it’s sure to be one you don’t want to miss.

Memorial Opera House in Valpo (104 Indiana Ave) will be hosting Maestro Troy Webdell and the South Shore Orchestra on Saturday, Dec. 20th for their annual Holiday Pops show. This Valpo tradition is sure to be a hit with families and people of all ages, as the orchestra guides you through music from around the world as well as Christmas standards. Santa will also be making a special appearance at each show. There will be a 2pm matinee and a 7pm show on Saturday.

Also at the Memorial Opera House this weekend, at 2pm on Sunday, is a performance of Echoes of Christmas: A Christmas Tribute to Pink Floyd. Learn more here.

Catch the last weekend of the Indiana Ballet Theatre Company’s production of The Nutcracker Ballet. Shows will be happening daily this weekend, with the show concluding on Sunday the 21st. Find tickets and more information here. Shows are at the Indiana University Northwest Auditorium.

Beale Pottery in Westville (1038 N 550 E) is hosting a couples Pottery Date Night this Saturday, Dec 20th, from 5-8pm. Beginner friendly, but with it’s own share of challenges, this pottery night is centered around providing couples with new experiences for their night out.

Chesterton Art Center is hosting a meditative art class on the practice of Suminagashi (floating ink style) this Saturday, from 10am to Noon. These mesmerizing, swirling designs use both black and colored ink to create a gentle, meditative effect on the artist. Seems like a fun entry into a new artform for any physical art inclined people!

Dunes State Park is hosting a Winter Snakes Hike on Saturday, Dec 20th, starting at 2pm. Head to the Nature Center to see native snakes up-close and personal and learn more about their place in our particular ecosystem. Learn more about this program here. The Parks are also having a Tracking hike the same day, at 10am, which you can find more information about here.

Local artist Trell is hosting a listening party for new music this Saturday, Dec 20th at Tiny’s Coffee Bar in Gary (555 S Lake St). The theme of the night is 90s Urban Chic. Special guest performers, great food, handcrafted cocktails, and a party built for dancing and connection: sure to be a party you won’t want to miss.

Santa’s Candy Cane Express at Hesston Steam Museum in LaPorte (1201 E. 1000 N) will be running this weekend from Noon to 4pm. It’s fun for the whole family, as you can board the Candy Cane Express and enjoy a cup of cocoa, ice cream, or lunch from Doc’s Soda Fountain. Snow or not, the train will be running on schedule.

Enjoy a festive lunch with Santa at Lighthouse Restaurant in Cedar Lake (7501 Constitution Ave) this Sunday at Noon. Gather the family, bundle up, and enjoy a holiday themed afternoon capped off by photo opportunities with Santa and a wholesome meal.

If your holiday season isn’t complete without a little of bit of bar hopping, we have the perfect event for you. This Sunday, Dec. 21st from Noon to 6pm, is the Deck the Square Holiday Bar Crawl in Downtown Crown Point. Start at any of the participating restaurants, grab a passport, and make your way through the holiday wonderland of boozy bar festivities. The bars/restaurants participating are:

That’s not your only opportunity for a pub crawl this weekend, though. White Rhino in Dyer (101 Joliet St) will also be hosting a Holiday Pub Crawl on Sunday, Dec 21st. Wear your ugly sweaters and sing along to the Christmas songs all night during this festive crawl. Transportation is provided. Sign-up and tickets required. Find more information here.

Enjoy a festive holiday brunch with Santa at Journeyman Distillery’s American Factory in Valpo (258 S. Campbell) this Sunday, Dec 21st from 10am to 2pm. There are three buffet sessions, capped off with a photo with Santa and a bevy of holiday activities for the whole family. Seasonal cocktails, holly jolly atmosphere, and a hearty brunch buffet round out this great cap off to the last weekend of the holidays.