The Cardinal Hotel in Highland, a new boutique hotel at Indianapolis Blvd. and Main St., has opened a bar and cafe in its lobby known as “The Nest”. Casual fare like wings, pizza, paninis, chips and drinks are available to the public, whereas guests can expect breakfast buffets and lunch service. The Nest serves the public from 4-10pm Thursday through Saturday.

Taking over the Tootie’s Bar and Grill spot in downtown Crown Point, Uptown Kitchen has opened its doors for business. Coming courtesy of Venny Valle, local restauranteur and owner of Veleros Restaurant in Valpo, Uptown Kitchen is a traditional breakfast and lunch spot serving up classics and modern favorites alike. Whether you’re looking for a family spot to grab Sunday breakfast after church or a big plate of steak and eggs after a late night out, they’ve got you covered. Uptown Kitchen is open daily and serves from 6 am to 3pm.

Rita’s Italian Ice & Custard will be opening soon inside of the Linc development of downtown Valpo. Rita’s offers water ice in dozens of different flavors, milkshakes, concretes, frozen lattes, custard and more. An exact timeline of opening has not been given at this time.

In the eternal war of competing coffee shop openings across NWI, a few more have been added to the frontlines. 7 Brew is opening a location along U.S. 41 in Schererville soon and planning new locations in Hobart and Portage soon as well. Biggby Coffee has also opened a second location in Crown Point on Main St.

Another longtime neighborhood favorite is shutting its doors after decades of service. Town Club, in Highland, will be closing after 79 years of business. Owners Mark and Tina Hines, the fourth owners of the location, are selling the building so that they can retire.

Gary/Chicago International Airport has broken ground on a new air traffic control tower, a project totaling $18.3 million in mostly federal funding. This new construction is double the size of the current tower and will stand around 105 feet tall. This, paired with other developments at the airport, are being done to upgrade the airport’s capabilities in dealing with freight and incoming traffic. An August 2028 completion date is expected.

Porter County Indiana Young Democrats are planning to appear before the Valpo City Council next Monday, Sept. 28, to urge the council to pass a similar resolution to that of Chesterton with regards to the usage of Flock Safety cameras. Chesterton Town Council voted unanimously last week to cancel existing contracts with Flock Safety in light of local controversies and police misuse of the technologies. The PCIYD is aiming for the same type of resolution, emphasizing the need for more profound restrictions and safety measures with regards to the surveillance technology.

The Michigan City Police Department announced that they are creating new restrictions and protections surrounding their usage of Flock Safety cameras, coming in the wake of widespread unease and controversy around the cameras and their prevalence locally. Officers will have to pass specific training in order to use the technology and overall use will be restricted to specific cases. Audits will take place on the system quarterly and case numbers must be given at the time of searching the database.

SNAP recipients in NWI will have up to 60% of their monthly benefit amount automatically refunded to their account later this month if they received their benefits for August shortly before the August 11th derecho. Even recipients who received benefits in late July will get a refund up to 30%. All residents of Lake and Porter County who receive SNAP will be eligible for these automatic refunds.

Crown Point and Amazon are planning yet another fulfillment center along I-65 and E. 101st Avenue. The 1.2 million-square-foot facility will be opening soon and will employ around 500 people with a starting wage of $24 an hour + benefits. This will be the third fulfillment center in the area, as Merrillville operates two other warehouses north of this one.

Hard Rock Cafe & Council Oak Bar Schedule (Free performances at Hard Rock Casino)

Hard Rock Casino Upcoming Performances

Horseshoe Casino Upcoming Performances

Hobart Art Theater Upcoming Performances

Gabis Arboretum Acorn Concert Series

Hometown Jams Presents: Niko Moon @ Bulldog Park (September 19th)

Stop.Drop.Rewind @ The PAV (September 19th)

Hometown Jams Presents Mitchell Tenpenny @ Bulldog Park(September 27th)

DJ Pauly D @ Bulldog Park (October 2nd)

Crown Point Farmer’s Market

Cedar Lake Farmer’s Market

Miller Beach Farmers Market

The Sunday Vibe Market

Coffee Creek Farmers Market

Griffith Central Market

Farmed and Forged Market

The Edge of Liberty Craft Fair

Chesterton European Market

Valparaiso Farmers Market

Market on the Square

Hobart Summer Market on the Lake

Summer Market on Main

The Market on the Plaza

Demotte Market in The Park

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.

The Golden Leaf in Chesterton hosts a recurrent, one-of-a-kind experience that shows you the art of cigar making from start to finish. “The Cigar Maker Experience at The Golden Leaf” is a walk through cigar history that puts you into the tradition and culture of a long-standing trade. They host this event often, but dates tend to sell out ahead of time!

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.