While the weather may try to disagree, it’s still winter in the Region, and there are plenty of ways to celebrate that fact this weekend! From ice skating in Valpo, cozy band performances in Chesterton, Crown Point, and Hobart, to La Porte’s weekend-long WinterFest, there’s something for everyone to enjoy!
Take a look at our list of 10 Fun Things To Do in Northwest Indiana and be sure to add some to your calendar!
Enjoy some music and wine with Running Vines Winery
This Friday, GNL’s very own Keegan Darr will be performing at Running Vines Winery from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. Grab some friends and a glass of wine and enjoy live music at a beautiful venue. Support a local business while supporting a local musician! Learn more here.
Enter a winter wonderland at the City of La Porte’s Winterfest
The city of La Porte is holding its annual Winterfest event this weekend, and it’s shaping up to be packed to the brim with fun activities. Friday afternoon kicks off with La Porte’s downtown being transformed into a free ice sculpture gallery. Saturday is packed with a softball tournament, winter bike ride, and glow-in-the-dark scavenger hunt. Sunday wraps up with a pancake breakfast, ice skating, and horse-drawn carriage rides! Learn more here.
Hit the ice with Valpo Parks during open skate hours
Valparaiso Parks and Recreations’ Central Park Plaza is open this weekend to ice skaters across the Region! The rink is open to the general population this Thursday from 7 p.m. to 10 p.m., Friday from 2 p.m. to 10 p.m., Saturday from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m., and Sunday from 12 p.m. to 5 p.m. Come out and enjoy this beautiful venue with friends and family! Learn more here.
Learn about the bees with PNW
Have you been wandering about the dramatic impact honeybees have on the Region? Do you want to run away from your job to start an apiary? Just think bees are neat? Purdue University Northwest has just the event for you! On Saturday at 2 p.m. in the Gabis Arboretum, Nicky Jones of Earthling Bee Co. is presenting “About Honeybees,” a program designed to get you familiar with our buzzing friends. Learn more here.
Find beauty in the streets of Chicago with Michele Stutts and IU Northwest
Chicago-based artist Michele Stutts and Indiana University Northwest are giving locals in the Region a chance to reflect on the everyday beauty of their lives with a gallery of art pieces created from found objects. The forgotten remnants of human civilization are recycled here to make statements on sociopolitical ethics, beauty, and mental health. Learn more here.
Begin to understand the uniqueness of painting with South Shore Arts’ “Sense and Sensibility” exhibit
South Shore Arts has curated a gallery of eight artists whose work demonstrates how different a single medium can be used. The gallery is open this weekend on Thursday from 12 p.m. to 7 p.m., Friday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., Saturday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., and Sunday from 12 p.m. to 4 p.m. Come reflect on the many ways painting can be used to address life’s many meanings. Learn more here.
Sing along to your favorite Disney jams with The Little Mermen
The Little Mermen are coming to the Hobart Art Theater this Sunday to bring the Region the ultimate Disney cover band experience! Featuring costumed band members and a repertoire spanning nearly a century of Disney music canon, the Little Mermen will you have singing along to songs all the way from “The Little Mermaid” through “Encanto.” The show starts at 3 p.m.; don’t be late! Learn more here.
Connect with the human condition at Lubeznik’s “We Are Us” display
Lubeznik Center for the Arts is helping visitors discover what it means to be with the “We Are Us: The Human Condition” gallery. The gallery explores how the arts, accessible through time and across language and cultural barriers, can reveal basic human components. Learn more here.
Catch a performance at Aftermath Cidery and Winery
Aftermath Cidery and Winery has two nights of back-to-back musical entertainment lined up for the Region this weekend! On Friday, Jake Kerwin from Valparaiso-based musical duo Jake and Jake will be performing live from 7 p.m. to 10 p.m. Saturday will feature a performance from alternative rock band stop.drop.rewind beginning at 7 p.m. Learn more here.
Take a hike at Mount Baldy with national park rangers
The rangers at Indiana Dunes National Park are arranging a hike up to the summit of Mount Baldy for some beautiful views of Lake Michigan. Join them this Saturday at 9 a.m. to take in the sights and some fun facts along the way. Learn more here.
