The City of Whiting kicked off the 2026 Pierogi Fest on Friday, July 24. The Pierogi Fest tradition started decades ago as a small neighborhood celebration of Eastern European and has since evolved into one of Northwest Indiana’s most recognizable summer traditions.

Each year, visitors can explore a variety of food blends, entertainment, culture, and activities that have made Pierogi Fest so special over the years. As a result, this multi-day festival has served as an attraction for people of all ages.

“I think it really comes to the fact that the community rallies behind it,” said Joe Murzyn, executive director of the Whiting Robertsdale Chamber of Commerce. “I’m the only paid employee here, and it takes an army of volunteers to make sure that everyone comes in and has a good time. I think it’s sticking to the core of making it an ethnic festival while mixing a little bit of everything when it comes down to the food vendors and the entertainment.”

One of the festival’s most beloved traditions is the Polka Parade, which features local businesses, community organizations, elected officials, and volunteers dressed in costumes as they make their way through downtown Whiting. The parade reflects the overall personality of Pierogi Fest, which embraces community traditions while encouraging attendees to celebrate with a sense of humor and creativity.

The Polka Parade set the tone on opening day. Other fan favorite events include the Polka Dance Contest on Saturday, July 25, and the Pierogi Toss and Eating Contest on Sunday, July 26.

For performers, this year’s Pierogi Fest is celebrated on four stages. There will be exciting entertainment acts on each stage such as:

• Beer Garden Stage – Polka Confetti, Creatures of Habit, The Static Age, Day by Day, Polkaholics, I’m With Frank, Big City, Beatle Jam, Bats Outta Hell
• La Porte Avenue Stage – Steve Hurd, Elvis Diet, Nomad Planets, Danny Donuts and Grandpappy, Sgt. Sauerkrauts Band, Metropolly, Caught on Cline, Help Hounds, GOOD VIBEZ
• Olivier Stage – Polkaholics, The Happy Wanderers, Eddie Karosa Jr. and the Boys of Illinois, Buscia Cooking Show, Mr. Pierogi’s Songfest, Michelle’s Dance Center, Take Five, Polonia Polish Folk Dance Ensemble
• Sheridan Avenue Stage – Crosstown Exotics, EZ TONES, Eddie Wojcik, Soundz of Santana, The Dlayma Show, Steve Kellogg Magic, Hoosier Strings, Genie O and the Windy City Brass, Derek Caruso and the Blues Fuse, PROST, Phil Angotti

Downtown Whiting is completely transformed into a lively festival grounds every year for Pierogi Fest. Of course, the pierogi remain at the celebration. However, visitors are able to sample traditional versions of the popular Eastern European dish, along with unique variations for food options that are offered by vendors.

“We have one of the most professional-looking food trucks I’ve seen here, called Mustache Lily’s Pizza,” said Murzyn. “We have I Love Grill and Lemonade, and we have Boba Time. We’re trying to have a healthy mix of vendors and not just a bunch of pierogies, although we want the pierogies to feature predominantly. At the end of the day, this is Pierogie Fest, and we wanted to make sure that we’re sticking to our roots.”

Guests also have the opportunity to take part in competitions and demonstrations at Pierogi Fest. Creating an experience that is memorable for the attendees has not only been the main objective for the City of Whiting in creating the event, but also to ensure that the celebration only continues to grow every year.

Founded in 1889, Whiting has long been a part of the Northwest Indiana community. Combining a celebration like Pierogi Fest with the culture and history that this city has to offer for local residents is what keeps this event feeling like a staple tradition for many years, with the hope to continue it for many more.

“I just want to say thank you to all the volunteers that made this happen,” said Murzyn. “I want to say thank you to our mayor, our streets department, our fire department, our parks department, and everyone else involved in taking Pierogi Fest from an empty street to a street full of thousands of people here for a good time.”

To check out the full schedule of performers for the rest of Pierogi Fest weekend, you can visit pierogifest.net/schedule. For additional information on the City of Whiting and its upcoming events, visit whitingindiana.com.

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Previously, Michigan City ran an event solely using food trucks to bring crowds in. When the city began to see stagnation, it turned to Victor Tieri, owner of Harbor Country Adventures. Tieri’s experience with his Michigan City concert series, Live at the Lakefront, allowed him a unique perspective on the food truck event. He proposed organizing live music to accompany the food trucks.

“There’s no two greater things that bring people together than good food and good music, and we need more of that in the world right now,” Tieri said. “It’s just a great marriage between bringing the city together, the food trucks, and the music. Everybody enjoys it.”

Following the addition of music, the festival added the opportunity for local vendors to pitch booths and sell their goods or services to community members attending the event. This year, vendors included jewelry, face paint, books, rosaries, and pastries, among many others.

Under Tieri’s changes, the event has bloomed. This festival hosted three music acts, all local and varied in their instruments, genres, and aesthetics. The bands included Midwest Hype, Rick King’s Royal Hustle, and Disco Stew.

On top of Tieri’s work, various groups provided support, both logistically and financially, to the event. Arnett Construction, the premiere sponsor of the event, played a large role in the funding of an event that remains free to the public. Harbor Country Adventures, Tieri’s company, also provided a large amount of assistance in setting up the event.

Terry Greetham, Director of Special Events for the City of Michigan City, noted the heavy role that community teamwork played in bringing the event together.

“I’m very grateful for Mayor Angie and all of the city departments, the Michigan City Park and Recreations Department, especially the maintenance staff. They’ve got to take care of not only Washington Park, but all of the parks in Michigan City,” Greetham said. “Then we throw a festival like this, and they still come down and help us out. And of course, the Michigan City Police Department is here, making sure everybody’s staying safe.”

Looking to the future, both Greetham and Tieri want to expand little by little to help keep the momentum going. Greetham noted the importance of building up, rather than rapidly expanding the scope of the festival.

“If you go from small and then try and make it really big, it doesn’t always work that way. Every year, we just want to expand a little bit at a time,” Greetham said. “People come down, they enjoy it, and then, later on, we hope they’ll remember it and say ‘We’re going to do that again next year.’”

Tieri highlighted his specific hopes for the way the event platforms its artists and small vendors.

“I’d like to see the opportunity for our craft vendor booths to be more of a jumping off point for some of our local businesses that are just starting out and don’t have brick and mortar places,” Tieri said. “There’s great people in the community that are doing stuff out of their houses or wherever, and to give them an opportunity to showcase their talents or their wares is a goal of ours. Same thing with our local musicians, we love giving them the opportunity to play live, original stuff.”

For Tieri, his attachment to Michigan City and willingness to help draws from a well of gratitude for the city and the things it offers to the Northwest Indiana region.

“I’d like to thank everybody in the city of Michigan City for giving me the opportunity to partner up with them. We are the crown jewel of the lakefront, and there’s nobody that has what we have to offer,” Tieri said. “It’s such a great place, and I love it. I’m very thankful to have my business located in Michigan City.”

For more information about future Michigan City events, you can visit the city’s website.

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The Burn Em’ team understood the assignment and honored the holiday the way they knew best– by bringing people together. A specialty terpene-infused pilsner was just one of the stars of the show, offering a familiar aroma and easy drinking delight. The food featured piled-high stoner bowls to satiate even the hungriest of guests, grub that sure left its mark. The Back Room, Burn Em’s new airy event space, set the stage for a day jam-packed with festivities and local bands. In total, the event offered a jammy lineup from local talent– Mo & Co, Lunar Ticks, Stealin’ the Farm, and the Parliament Funk cover band to close out the event, America Eats Its Young.

“The music space has finally evolved into what I’ve really been picturing it to be,” said one of the Founders, Steve Murray. “We’re doing music every weekend, and it’s been just getting that community feel where artists have a place to perform, display their art, and play their music. That’s what we wanted since the beginning, and now it’s finally all coming together.”

Event Goers were jamming well into the night– dancing, laughing, and simply enjoying the company. The community’s support for Burn ‘Em Brewing over the years has continued to grow, along with the brewery itself. Burn ‘Em Brewing is approaching almost three years at its new location—1215 E 2nd Street, Michigan City —and has the community to thank for remaining loyal through the relocation and growth.

“We’ve had our own little community in Michigan City for a long time, and they’ve been super loyal to us and was what kept us going through COVID. They’re what has helped us get open here and kept us going,” said Murray.

Moving locations was challenging, and Burn ‘Em Brewing couldn’t have succeeded without the loyal support of the community.

“A lot of money went into opening this location. If we didn’t have our people, our community to stand by our side the entire time, we might not have made it through. We might not have made it through COVID,” said Murray.

“Michigan City has always been so accepting of us, and it’s been an amazing place to live and grow. The city works with us, letting us close the street. We have to go through all the legal stuff to do it, but for them to be supportive and let us do this kind of thing, it means the world.”

If Saturday’s event did not strike a chord with you, fear not. Burn ‘Em Brewing is looking forward to a busy summer season and more events down the line.

“We have one big event coming up on June 20. It’s called Psych Fest, and it’s a psychedelic rock festival. We partner with Roxy Music Out of La Porte, and they bring out the student band. The students get a section in the middle of the concert to play their music,” said Murray

“We feature beginner bands, ages 10 to 13, and advanced bands, ages 15 to 17. It’s amazing to see these kids perform for a crowd—they’re passionate and playing their hearts out. The experience could help inspire their music careers,” said Murray.

The event season is heating up, and your friends at Burn ‘Em Brewing are keeping the beer cold. For information on events, visit burnembrewing.com/events. Or check out their events page on Facebook as the details roll.

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Longtime Region favorite El Salto Mexican Restaurant is making that happen with a full-service catering menu designed to handle everything from backyard open houses to 100+ guest weddings.

“We are full-service catering,” said Chief Operations Officer Jose Mendoza. “We have three basic options on our website, but if people want to customize certain things, we are more than happy to do custom food.”

El Salto’s catering options include pickup, delivery within a five-mile radius of its locations, or full on-site service. For larger events, the team can provide staff, buffet-style service, plated dinners and even full bar packages—an option Mendoza noted many customers don’t realize is available.

“If you have a venue, we’re able to work with the venue and have our bartenders service there,” Mendoza said. “Usually, people will do food and bar service, and since we’re one company, we’re able to give them a better price point. It’s the same margaritas that people love in the restaurant, just on the go.”

Summer is especially busy for the catering team, with graduation parties and weddings filling the calendar. At the Valparaiso location alone, more than 15 weddings with guest counts over 100 are booked this season. Corporate lunches and office events also keep the team active year-round, helping sustain consistent demand across different types of gatherings.

Packages start at $12 per person for the taco bar, which includes ground beef, shredded chicken or both, along with rice, beans, tortillas, chips, salsa and salad. The Fajita Fest package is $13 per person, while the Fiesta Grande package is $16 per person and features expanded entrée and appetizer options.

Customers can also enhance their menus with a la carte items such as tamales, flautas, quesadillas, mini burritos, enchiladas, guacamole and queso dip. These add-ons allow hosts to tailor menus to fit the style and size of their event without overcomplicating planning.

For those with dietary restrictions, flexibility is built into the process.

“We’re pretty vegetarian-friendly,” Mendoza said. “If people want to add vegetarian options, that’s never a problem.”

In addition to food and bar service, El Salto can provide equipment such as warmers and chafing dishes, along with service staff to help manage events. The goal is to allow hosts to focus on their guests rather than logistics.

The catering operation reflects the same family-driven approach that built the restaurant brand. Founded and operated by the Mendoza family, El Salto has grown into five Northwest Indiana locations in Valparaiso, Munster, Merrillville, Schererville and Cedar Lake. 

For Mendoza, catering is another way to stay connected to the community the family business has served for decades while continuing to grow its reach.

“It shows that we’re able to be versatile and provide a good experience in different situations,” he said. “Any event that needs service, we’re able to be there.”

For more information on El Salto, or to book a catering package, you can visit elsaltorestaurant.com.

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Here are a few of our favorite coffee spots #INElkhartCo: 

@theelkhartbrew

The Electric Brew 

They’ve got two locations to satisfy your needs – The Electric Brew Goshen at 118 E. Washington St. (574-533-5990) or The Electric Brew – Downtown Elkhart at 113 E. Lexington Ave. (574-575-5354). 

@mainstreetroasters

Main Street Roasters 

Oh, the smells are so enticing. You can’t miss this stop in the heart of downtown Nappanee at 105 N. Main St. Catch a whiff of freshly brewed coffee, cookies and brownies, or beans being roasted just next door.  

@thelegendarygrind

Legendary Grind Café & Coffee Bar 

This charming coffee shop is nestled in the back of the Middlebury Mercantile at 108 S. Main St., Middlebury, but do make the effort. It’s worth it for the coffee, espresso drinks and paninis! 

@ADECservices

ADEC Gaining Grounds Coffee House 

This bright and airy coffee house at 1671 W. Vistula Street, Bristol, IN. 46507 delivers a great cup of coffee. Even better, your purchases help to support the services that ADEC provides to people with intellectual and developmental disabilities. Some of the staff are ADEC clients, and you can enjoy artwork they created hanging on the walls. 

Nearby

Five Lakes Coffee, Shipshewana

A small batch roastery with walk-in or drive-thru service. Enjoy a hot, iced or frozen beverage. 0920 N St. Rd 5, Shipshewana, IN.

Check out more dining options here.

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Forks up! Savor the South Shore Restaurant Weeks returns February 23 through March 8, inviting residents and visitors to dig into the region’s vibrant food scene. During the 14-day culinary celebration, more than 30 local restaurants will offer specially priced three-course meals or exclusive menu deals showcasing their signature flavors.

“Savor the South Shore is all about celebrating the incredible creativity of our local restaurants while giving diners a fun reason to explore new favorites,” said Phil Taillon, President/CEO of the South Shore Convention and Visitors Authority. “It’s a win-win—you enjoy great meals at a great value, and our restaurants get the spotlight they deserve.”

And the perks don’t stop at dessert! Diners are encouraged to check in at participating restaurants using the South Shore Passport App for a chance to win an exclusive $250 gift card prize package. Each check-in counts as an entry, and the more you dine, the better your odds. One lucky winner will be selected the week of March 9.

Find participating restaurants and menus online at savorthesouthshore.com. No coupons or discount codes are required, just ask for the Savor menu when you dine.

Learn more and plan your culinary adventure at savorthesouthshore.com.

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