In Valpo, we live, we work, and of course, we play. In 2022, we found time to sing along at concerts, grab tickets to festivals, celebrate holidays like the Fourth of July, Halloween, and of course, Popcorn Festival, attend theatre productions, and cherish the moment with those around us to create new memories.
We’re grateful to live in a Region that offers so much to do with new and exciting opportunities arising each year, and 2022 was no different. Thank you to our partners for inviting us to such cool events this year to help share the good news with others, and thank you to the greater community for always bringing the fun.
In no particular order, here are the top 10 entertainment articles on Valpo.Life to recap the good news in 2022!
All About the Girls Part 7: resilient women dive into the true grit of womanhood
On Thursday night, GreatNews.Life’s All About the Girls Part 7 (AATG) event invited talented women from the Region to share each other's company. AATG attendees enjoyed drinks and hors d'oeuvres while intently listening to each speaker.
There was time to mingle before and after the main event, but when speakers shared their stories, audience members hung on each and every word. A raffle was drawn in which four winners won gifts including a kitchen aid and dinner with two speakers.
Valparaiso dips its paintbrush into the art scene for Third Annual Art Festival
The gray drizzle in the forecast did not put a damper on Saturday's colorful art festival put on by Valparaiso Events and Amdur Productions.
Being the third of its kind, Valparaiso Events held the event on Indiana Avenue and Lafayette Street, just south of Central Park Plaza in downtown Valparaiso. Operating in tandem with the Valparaiso farmer’s market, attendees were able to float between both events.
Schiralli Art Gallery makes its debut in Valparaiso
The Schiralli Art Gallery is set to open its doors on Wednesday, July 20 to the Northwest Indiana community. Located at 702 Lincolnway in Valparaiso, the gallery is the perfect place for a quiet, relaxing getaway for those looking to step back from the fast-paced atmosphere that has taken over most of our everyday lives.
Artist and Gallery Owner Rocco Schiralli noted that he hopes visitors have what he calls a “beyond, beyond experience.”
Zao Island is not just an entertainment center, but home to some of the most memorable rhythm games of the 2000s
The early 2000s are known for a list of iconic things: overly colorful tracksuits, Britney Spears, so many boy bands, the heartbreaking ending of the sitcom “Friends,” phones that could be slammed on the ground without getting a single scratch. The list goes on.
What was truly iconic during that time was the rise of rhythm games—games that challenge people through music. Many of them are not as widely available anymore as they once were in their glory days, but entertainment centers like Zao Island fight to keep them alive in their arcades.
Aftermath Cidery’s and Running Vines Winery’s 2022 Festival of Magic brings more than just magic to the community
Muggles ditched their regular clothes and donned a set of robes for Aftermath Cidery and Running Vines Winery’s annual Festival of Magic on Saturday, July 30. What started as a simple Harry Potter-inspired drink is now a three-day festival that spans two cities and attracts hundreds of people from all over Northwest Indiana. Unlike He-Who-Shall-Not Be-Named, this event is something people won’t be able to stop talking about.
“Me and a lot of my team are big Harry Potter fans. We love the books, love the movies. So, we made a Butterbeer cider when we opened seven years ago, and when it came off tap people were really sad. So we decided five years ago to make a celebration every time we released Butterbeer again. And it kind of just blew up from a release party to this entire festival between Valpo and Chesterton,” said Nicki Caylor, owner of Running Vines Winery and Aftermath Cidery.
The Lakes of Valparaiso Summer Party brings together residents and staff for an unforgettable night of bonding and fun
The overwhelming sense of community was a wonderful thing to behold at the Lakes of Valparaiso Summer Party on Friday, July 29.
Residents came to the party as strangers, but after hours of fun entertainment including a cornhole tournament, a hula-hooping contest, a frozen t-shirt race, and a water balloon toss, the Lakes residents left as friends.
Memorial Opera House Team committed to offering quality theatre to Porter County residents and beyond
Memorial Opera House (MOH) offers the finest quality theatre in northwest Indiana…often compared to Chicago level production quality. In large part, it is due to a world-class staff that has worked together for years. The more time they spend together, the better quality of the productions that are offered.
“We all have various backgrounds in the theater, design and education,” said Scot MacDonald, MOH Executive Director “Myself, along with Scott ‘Stretch’ Miller (Technical Director) and Natalie Klobuchar (Administrative Coordinator), all came from part-time staff about 10 years ago.”
Valparaiso’s 43rd Annual Popcorn Festival brings community spirit to life
Energetic and cheerful: those were the words of the day in Valparaiso during the 43rd Annual Popcorn Festival on Saturday, September 10.
Way back in 1979, Valparaiso threw its first-ever Popcorn Festival to celebrate and appreciate the life of Orville Redenbacher, the king of popcorn. Today, 43 years later, Valparaiso is still celebrating bigger and better than ever before. Everyone was ecstatic and proud to be carrying on this community tradition.
VHS premieres “Valpo’s Got Talent” this weekend
The Valparaiso High School (VHS) drama club opened their annual "April Antics" performance on Thursday evening. Auditions for the variety show, themed "Valpo’s Got Talent," began in March and the show was written and directed by students.
This is the first time in two years that the school has been able to host their spring show and the students could not have been more excited to be back on stage.
Wheeler’s Bearcat Theatre Company presents “Puffs” a Magical Comedy running April 22-24
Wheeler’s Bearcat Theatre Company is bringing a (mostly) familiar fantasy world to life this spring with their production of “Puffs: Or Seven Increasingly Eventful Years at a Certain School of Magic and Magic.” A comedic retelling of Harry Potter, it tells the story of Wayne Hopkins and the often neglected “Puffs” house.
The setting of “Puffs” is a little different to the one that’s dominated pop culture for the last two decades, with the adventures of Harry, “Hermeoone,” and Ron taking a backseat as the students of the Puffs house look to find their place in the wizarding world. The Bearcats celebrate opening night this evening, April 22.
