It’s February! It’s Monday! That means it’s your Monday dose of NWI Explored!

Welcome back everyone to your regularly scheduled dose of NWI news, events, and brief asides. One question I have for everyone: do you want more visuals in the newsletter? The balance between providing as much information as possible and making the email that goes out untenably long is always a tough one, so we want to gauge interest in how the newsletter is presented! Let us know via [email protected] or shoot us a DM on Instagram. We’re still winding back up from a brutal January, but rest assured 2026 will be a big year for NWI Explored and, of course, for all you - The Explorers. On with the newsletter!

A Frontline View of February’s Events in NWI

The Lowdown on NWI and Indiana News

The Weather Forecast for the Week of February 16th

Today in NWI

To start off, each county of NWI had their official filings for candidates in the May 2026 primary go through this weekend, so below you will find the links to find all candidates for contentious races across the Region.

You can also find the federal and state candidates who have filed for candidacy and are vying for party nomination ahead of the May 5 primary at the link right here.

Over in the NWI Times, U.S. Rep. Frank J. Mrvan, D-1, wrote an op-ed pleading for relief from the state government on behalf of Region constituents experiencing rising energy costs. Give it a read at the link right here.

Mayor of Gary Eddie Melton has said that the repeated pitches from the city to develop a new home for the Chicago Bears within the Steel City might bear fruit for the town in other ways. He has said that the media attention has sparked interest from other developers for unrelated projects in the city of Gary, pitching new construction near the Hard Rock Casino and at Miller Beach primarily.

Lastly, this is your forecast for February 16th and the ensuing midweek forecast. It looks like we’re going to have a stretch of thawing, actually enjoyable weather before we go through the last gasp of winter weather. Enjoy the breezy taste of spring this week, Explorers!

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

USW workers at the BP Whiting Refinery took to the streets to protest the proposed pay cuts from the energy monolith, of which contract negotiations have stalled in recent weeks.

Along similar lines, USW Local 12775 has rejected a NIPSCO proposal to dissolve the construction line department entirely - after 80 years of operation- and transfer the affected linemen to individual districts.

Hard Rock Casino donated $125,000 to Community HealthNet this past week, with the money going toward CHN’s sexual assault care, pregnancy support, and breast cancer awareness services.

A bird flu outbreak, of which led to the destruction of over 300,000 ducks and 700,000 chickens in northeast Indiana at the end of last year, could have spread to a turkey farm in southwestern Indiana as well.

The lowdown on what new businesses are coming to the Region, and what businesses we have to say goodbye to.

Lowell has a new dessert shop with a unique concept: giving customers the chance to roast their own s’mores at their own tables. Toasted S’mores has opened a brick and mortar spot in downtown Lowell after operating as a food truck for years. The location offers a variety of s’mores options - between different flavored marshmallows, chocolate, and even graham crackers. Each table in the establishment has a fire pit on the tabletop, with the option to roast the delights yourself (or, you can have the kitchen do it for you as well.) Give them a look at 422 E. Commercial Ave in Lowell.

18th Street Brewery/Distillery has moved down the street from their original location - from 5417 Oakley to 474 Fayette St.. This comes with an effort from owner Drew Fox to scale things back a bit and get back to their roots - delivering top-shelf beer, well-made spirits, and great pub food to boot. 18th Street is going from 37,000 sq. ft to 8,000 in this effort to combat inflation and changes in the market, as well as get back to what they believe to be a more true-to-form operational cadence.

Crave Cookies has opened a location at 116 Indianapolis Blvd in Schererville. The Utah-based chain has local owners, making large gourmet cookies the size of a person’s hand (somewhat akin to the work of a Crumbl Cookies, perhaps). The location will have an open kitchen, allowing patrons to see into the experimental process as the kitchen crafts up unique dessert options for Region locals with a sweet tooth. The flavors are always rotating, so no two visits will yield the same result.

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

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.

Chicago Street Theatre, Valparaiso - 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.

February 16th is Jazz Night at Shoreline Brewery. Enjoy live jazz music, endless pours of beer, and great food - with performances by Bill Romer and Friends. Find out more right here.

Horseshoe Casino in Hammond will be welcoming Brit Floyd - the preeminent Pink Floyd tribute experience group - to their stage, as they embark on a world tour. The Moon, The Wall and Beyond is the new production from the group and serves as a wide-spanning tribute to not only the music, but the visuals and scale of Pink Floyd. Find out more right here.

Hard Rock Casino is hosting a Elite Fight Night 29: Havoc at Hard Rock on February 20th. This MMA event is part of the EAFL, a nationally competitive team vs team, state vs state MMA organization. This is one of the preeminent amateur MMA productions and is sure to be a way to watch some of the best amateur talent in the country. Find more info right here.

Also on February 20th, Hobart Art Theater will have Anthem’s Grand Illusion: A Styx Tribute in the house. ANTHEM is a live musical experience covering a lot of the classic rock sphere - from Styx to Bon Jovi to Alice in Chains. This night is sure to be a great one, so grab your tickets asap at the link right here.

From February 20th to 22nd, the Jean Shepherd Center in Hammond will be hosting PICKLEMANIA: the Horseshoe Hammond February Challenge. 12 professionally surfaced pickleball courts will be in use as a round robin tournament takes place over all three days, with a full bar and lounge right inside the facility. This is sure to be one you athletes don’t want to miss. Find out more right here.

Join Mayor of Hammond Thomas M. McDermott, Jr. and the 219 Day Committee for the 10th annual 219 Day Celebration! This years celebration will return to the Hammond Civic Center, taking place on February 21st, from 6-11pm and admission is free. Find out more at the link right here.

February 21st will see international AC/DC tribute band BONFIRE return to the Hobart Art Theater for the 7th consecutive year. This will be the band’s 26th anniversary, so the show is sure to be an absolute barn burner. Find tickets and more information at the link right here.

Courtesy of Michigan City’s Uptown Arts District, Shelf Ice Brewfest, on February 22nd, is hoping to bring some light to the doldrums of February. Tents full of Indiana’s best craft breweries, wineries, cideries and distilleries, live music, market tents, and fire pits will make this a day sure to excite. Food trucks will line the street, with winter activities, ice sculptures and all the fun you can stomach. Find tickets and more info at the link right here.

Exhorder, New Orleans-based heavy metal band, will be taking the Hobart Art Theater stage on February 22nd. Since reforming in 2017, they’ve taken their groove-laden thrash sound even further and refined into a well-oiled machine of thrash. Find tickets and even more information right here.

Grunge-Fest will be coming to the Hobart Art Theater on February 27th. Two huge tributes to classic bands of the Grunge movement - Hollow (Alice in Chains Tribute) and Creep (Stone Temple Pilots Tribute). Find tickets and all the info right here on their website.

February 27th will see Wu-Tang Clan legends Method Man and Redman take to the Hard Rock Casino stage in Gary. These are two of the most celebrated and worthy rappers of their generation, so its sure to be a night worth the price of admission. Find tickets and further info right here.

Hard Rock Live will be hosting a Jumpin Back to the 90s show from Chicago House icon Julian Jumpin’ Perez. Live performances from a smattering of 90s House and Electronic artists will be just one part of the night you won’t want to miss. La Bouche, Quad City DJs, CharVoni (Black Box), 2 In A Room, Betty Dee (Sweet Sensation), The Cover Girls, and the Outhere Bros — all scheduled to perform! Find tickets and more info at the link right here.

The Hobart Art Theater will be hosting the Red Not Chili Peppers on February 28th for a huge Red Hot Chili Peppers tribute show. Find tickets and more info at the link right here.

On Thursday, we will start looking ahead to the events coming up in the month of March. The time crunch really got to us this weekend, so we weren’t able to build our events list quite as far in advance. Thanks for your patience!