What made 2021 so entertaining? It was theatre productions, annual festivals, community events, 5Ks, holiday celebrations, art shows, parades, and so much more. No matter the occasion, the Region knows how to keep the fun alive and bring people together to make memories, and this past year was no different.
In no particular order, here are the top 10 entertainment articles from Valpo.Life in 2021:
The Valparaiso High School Drama Club put on their annual Mocha Madness Improv Show Thursday night, continuing a beloved tradition of creative shenanigans on the VHS stage. Director Matt McCann described the format of this year’s improv show.
When GreatNews.Life Executive Director Jenny Craig-Brown came up with the idea for All About the Girls (AATG), her main goal was to create an event where women are brought together, reminded of how powerful they are when connected with one another, and offer a space for sharing of stories and experiences with others. What Craig-Brown didn’t know at that time – just six years ago – was how much the event would grow from that first year and just how much it would inspire people just by giving women the opportunity to be themselves.
Valparaiso was alive and poppin’ during the 42nd annual Popcorn Fest on Saturday, September 11.
While the City of Valparaiso has always enjoyed commemorating Indiana legend Orville Redenbacher, this year offered a little more to celebrate. Last year’s Popcorn Fest was canceled due to COVID-19, so it was especially exciting to return to a Valpo staple so many missed back in 2020.
The Valparaiso Noon Kiwanis hosts the Valparaiso Corn Roast Fest every year. On the day of the Fest, Central Park Plaza is blocked off and turned into an entertainment destination for the evening.
Every summer, downtown Valparaiso sees the annual Pup Crawl hosted by Lakeshore PAWS. It is one of Lakeshore PAWS’ largest fundraisers and it allows everyone in town to join in to help the local organization.
Culver’s is famous for its custard and cheese curds, but it has much more to offer on its extensive menu.
Looking beyond its different variations of butterburgers and chicken, Culver’s offers seafood dishes as well as a variety of homestyle favorites.Â
There is perhaps no better way to spend a summertime Saturday afternoon than sampling some of the best micro-brews available. Unless, of course, you can support a terrific organization while you imbibe. For the VNA of Northwest Indiana, that’s exactly what they had in mind for their first-ever Hops for Hospice event, held this weekend at the Porter County Expo Center.
After the entire community spent so much time apart, Harley-Davidson of Valparaiso couldn’t wait to invite the community to their first US 30 Cruise-In of the summer on Friday. With about 500 cars, a couple thousand people, and beautiful weather, the evening was a huge success and a true foreshadow to the summer weekends yet to come.
With warm weather here to stay, people are looking for fun attractions to keep them active and get them outside to enjoy the summer sun. For the Valparaiso community, look no further than Zao Island and the new attractions it has coming this summer.
The return to the stage has been a dream for Chicago Street Theatre as it kicks off its 2021 season with the main-stage performance of “James and the Giant Peach” this weekend. The show has a dozen aspects that make it a performance to remember, according to Chicago Street Theatre board member and secretary Erin Sharpe, but the one aspect that stands out to her the most is the show is in-person.
