City of Hammond brings nostalgia to the Region Rats at 10th annual 219 Day Celebration

Plenty of people live in Northwest Indiana, but the people who wear their hometown on their backs are the ones who earn the “Region Rat” label. On Saturday, February 21, the City of Hammond invited the residents of the Region to an all-night party to celebrate memories of Northwest Indiana while making new ones.

Aileen Ibarra, special events coordinator for the City of Hammond, values 219 Day as one of the greatest annual celebrations that Northwest Indiana has to offer.

“We’re super excited to put this event together every year,” Ibarra said. “This is our 10th year, and 219 Day is just about having fun. We get a chance to bring the community out and celebrate our theme of ‘Region Reunion’ this year. We’re seeing a lot of people with their different swag from high school.”

The 219 Day celebration opens up the doors to the Hammond Civic Center for people to network with hundreds of residents throughout the Region.

“People have been able to come to the Hammond Civic Center on this day for the past decade and see old friends that they haven’t seen in a long time, or make new ones,” Ibarra said. “We have held 219 Day here since we first started it up. This building is so historic, and we love welcoming everyone into it to celebrate another year.”

With the support of countless vendors and volunteers who helped organize a series of activities for the attendees, 219 Day allows adults to have a good time with their friends and family members. 

This year’s celebration featured live entertainment from the Boy Band Review and DJ Dale, along with food vendors such as Pizza Hut and The Hotdog Guy.

Hoodies and t-shirts themed around the pride of the Region were available at the event and online prior to the event. Various Region craft and domestic beers were available for everyone ages 21 and older. Manic Meadery made a reappearance this year to serve some of the Region’s favorite meads.

One of the biggest activities that takes place every year is when everybody gets a swing at the Region Rat pinata, including the life-sized Region Rat mascot himself. This year, it took 20 swings before the candy came pouring out. 

“We have everything put together into one here tonight,” Ibarra said. “We have our selfie booth, our lockers, and some old memorabilia hanging around. We even have some backyard high school games and other fun games such as air hockey and jenga. We even have a caricature here to do drawings of people. There’s a lot to have fun with here and be nostalgic about.” 

After a decade of success with 219 Day, the event has become an essential attraction for the Region residents who have the most enjoyment with representing where they’re from. 

“It’s super rewarding for not only the City of Hammond, but for any Region Rat,” Ibarra said. “About 10 years ago, when this concept came to be, people were like, ‘Why are you calling yourself a Region Rat?’ For us, it’s about taking pride in who we are. We want to own it.”

Region residents from eight different decades of high school classes, from the 1950s to the early 2020s, came together for this night of nostalgia. The City of Hammond loves seeing the combination of new and old faces every year, and hopes this tradition will continue to carry on for future generations.

“This is personally my favorite event that we do,” Ibarra said. “Some of it is because I got to help organize it, but it’s also because I’m a Hammond girl through and through. I went away from school, and then came back because I love it here in the Region.”

For more information on the City of Hammond, you can visit  gohammond.com.