More than half one million guests used to crowd the shoreline alongside Lake Michigan in the Miller neighborhood for the Gary Air Show, one of the Region’s greatest weekend occasions of the yr.
Northwest Indiana’s native air present has been grounded since 2016, a sufferer of the town of Gary’s restricted funds.
But now a gaggle of business people hopes to convey again the air present that has traditionally featured U.S. Army Golden Knights, U.S. Air Force Thunderbirds and daredevil pilots.
“A group of Northwest Indiana business people are working to bring the air show back to Gary,” South Shore Convention and Visitors Authority Board Member Brent Brashier mentioned at Thursday’s assembly on the Hammond Sportsplex. “I can’t say which teams, but big ones have signed on. The Federal Aviation Administration has cleared it.”
Brashier mentioned it was too early in the method to announce any particulars at this level.
The in style three-day occasion final took flight at Marquette Park in Gary’s lakefront Miller part five years in the past. Historically, it has usually taken place in July.
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The weekend-long air present had throngs of spectators who flocked to the seashore, paying just for parking as there was no admission payment.
Former Gary Mayor Karen Freeman-Wilson discontinued the air present, saying it was too pricey to stage as a result of of ongoing monetary troubles. The South Shore Convention and Visitors Authority took it over one yr, shifting the placement to Fair Oaks Farms down in Newton County, the place it was finally canceled as a result of heavy rains made the bottom too muddy for big crowds.
Gary had been looking for sponsors to defray the price of the occasion, which options navy jets, stunt pilots and aerial acts like wingwalkers. The occasion’s earlier sponsors included Boeing, B. Coleman Aviation, the Gary Jet Center, Sage-Popovich Inc., all of which have operations on the Gary Airport, in addition to different companies in the neighborhood like Centier Bank, Methodist Hospitals and 18th Street Brewery.
The SSCVA is unlikely to arrange the air present once more however would help it coming again, board president Andy Qunell mentioned.
“We would of course support any event that’s going on in the community, in the Region,” he mentioned. “We always want to support that. That’s our goal. If Gary decides to do another air show, of course we’ll support it like we support Hammond’s Festival of the Lakes and Griffith’s Rock ‘N‘ Rail Festival.”
The SSCVA is also contemplating selling that the Chicago Air and Water Show levels on the Gary/Chicago International Airport, as all the opposite Chicagoland airports are both too small or busy to function a launching pad for all of the navy flight groups.
Many people and photographers crowd outdoors the Gary airport to watch the planes take off and land. That presents a possibility to appeal to extra guests, SSCVA Board Member Tom Dabertin mentioned.
“It’s been popular without any real publicity,” Dabertin mentioned. “There were maybe 300 to 400 cars there on Sunday without any promotion. We’re reaching out to the mayor’s office to look at capitalizing on the number of people, maybe by having food trucks, booths or festive events out there.”
NWI Business Ins and Outs: SoHo Sweets Creamery, Balkan grocer, Filipino restaurant, dental workplace and furnishings retailer open; Pepe’s closes
Open
Soho is not only a stylish neighborhood in New York City or London anymore.
SoHo Sweets Creamery and Cafe is now serving scoops of ice cream in downtown South Holland.
The ice cream store and cafe moved right into a historic house at 16129 South Park Avenue. It serves Sherman’s ice cream, breakfast, lunch and Smalltown Coffee from Crown Point.
It provides takeout and dine-in in a contemporary however quaint ambiance.
SoHo Sweets Creamery and Cafe sells ice cream by the news, ice cream sandwiches, shakes, sizzling fudge sundaes and root beer floats. The espresso menu consists of drip espresso, chilly brew, espresso, mocha, latte and Americana.
Food choices are gentle, reminiscent of a breakfast burrito, smoked gouda and egg on a house-made biscuit, Cajun biscuits and gravy, a parfait, an egg and cheddar croissant and brown sugar bourbon oatmeal.
SoHo Sweets is open from 6:30 a.m. to 8 p.m. Tuesday via Friday and from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. Saturday and Sunday.
Joseph S. Pete
Open
A brand new Balkan grocer is providing imported ethnic fare in Northwest Indiana.
Aroma Euro Market opened in Lincoln Ridge Plaza on U.S. 30, a couple of mile east of U.S. 41. The small market, which is regionally owned and operated by the Krajisnik household, leased 2,100 sq. ft at 212 W. Lincoln Highway.
It aspires to be Northwest Indiana’s go-to spot for all issues Balkan.
“We are very happy to open in this highly trafficked plaza. Aroma is a perfect fit for the area,” said Myles Rapchack with Latitude Commercial, which represented Aroma Euro Market in the deal. “I have no doubt they will be extremely successful as their passion for the business showed throughout the entire process. They are going to be a great addition to Schererville and the surrounding communities.”
The retailer has an in depth deli promoting all kinds of sausages, bacon and different cured meats. It sells a spread of imported groceries from Eastern Europe, together with mineral water, juices, sauces, seasonings, soup shares, pasta, sweets and breakfast cereals. It additionally carries wine, espresso, tea, pickled fish, greens and cooking pans.
Aroma Euro Market is open from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. Monday via Friday, from 8 a.m. to 7 p.m. on Saturday and from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Sunday.
Joseph S. Pete
Coming quickly
Hammond’s Couch Potato Furniture is now completely inert, however it is going to quickly get replaced by a brand new furnishings retailer.
Icon Home Furniture plans to open in the previous Couch Potato Furniture area at 7111 Indianapolis Boulevard in Hammond.
The retailer signed a long-term lease for the 11,500-square-foot storefront, which has been used as a furnishings retailer because it was constructed in 1956. Icon Home Furniture will promote couches, dinner tables, dressers, beds and different furnishings to the native neighborhood market.
“With its giant showroom and open area design, this is a perfect location for a furnishings retailer,” said Antony Miocic of Crown Point-based Latitude Commercial, which brokered the transaction. “Hammond residents could keep in mind this constructing as being Leonard’s Furniture for a lot of years. I hope Icon Home Furniture stays with the neighborhood so long as Leonard’s did.”
Joseph S. Pete
Open
Tropical Islands Cuisine is bringing “food and traditions closer to home” in Merrillville.
The restaurant at 40 W. eightieth Place in Merrillville specializes in genuine Filipino-Asian delicacies like boodle sa biloa, crispy seafood kare-kare, lechon kawali, rooster curry, tropical rooster inasal, pinoy barbecue, pritong isda, pork adobo, menudo, eggrolls, noodles and jasmine rice. It provides an array of seafood, pork and pinoy dishes, in addition to tropical home specials. One can get squid grilled in banana leaves, Filipino sweet-style spaghetti with Siopao pork asado or pork asado in steamed buns.
Tropical Islands Cuisine additionally provides smoothies, bubble teas, desserts and tropical fusion juices. It has a bar with karaoke and an Asian grocery retailer.
The restaurant has a buffet on Sundays and delivers free inside five-miles with a minimal order of $50, as long as clients tip the supply driver.
For extra info, name 219-262-7890, e-mail [email protected] or discover the business on Facebook.
Joseph S. Pete
Open
Smiles on Randolph opened “Indiana’s state-of-the-art dental med spa” on U.S. 30 in unincorporated Crown Point, simply east of the Hobart metropolis restrict.
Dr. Chanbo Sim is the pinnacle of the ten,000-square-foot two-story facility at 8000 E. Lincoln Hwy. The newly constructed constructing options 25 dental rooms, a big convention room and personal affected person reception areas with the goal of offering an upscale expertise.
Smiles on Randolph provides a big selection of dental providers, together with normal dentistry, emergency surgical procedure, restorative dentistry, beauty procedures and orthodontics. It additionally supplies beauty providers like botox fillers, coolsculpting and chilly sore laster therapy.
The dental workplace is open from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Monday and Wednesday, from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. Tuesday and Thursday, from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Friday and from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday.
For extra info, go to smilesonrandolph.com or name 219-356-8000.
Joseph S. Pete
Relocating
NWI Eye & Laser Center is relocating to a brand new location at 851 Eastport Centre Drive in Valparaiso.
Chester Architectural & Construction Services will quickly break floor on a brand new constructing for the attention care middle.
NWI Eye & Laser Center provides an array of eye care providers, together with eye exams, eyeglasses, eye surgical procedure, eye illness therapy and LASIK corrective procedures.
For extra info, name 219-464-8223 or go to www.nwindianaeyeandlaser.com.
Joseph S. Pete
Reopen
After greater than a month’s hiatus to reassess as a result of of the labor scarcity, The Wurst is once more serving artisan meats in downtown Griffith.
The acclaimed complete animal butcher, which received a glowing profile by a Chicago Reader meals critic, reopened 130 N. Broad St.
It’s debuting new worldwide sausages made with regionally sourced meat, together with South African Boerewors, Linguica, Fwereh, Jamaican Goat Curry, Welsh Lamb Sausage, Morcilla and Navajo Blood Sausage. It additionally continues to carry sausage favorites like Polish, Italian, Loukaniko, Kolbasz, Andouille, Chorizo, Cajun Boudin, Cevapi, Longanisa and Merguez.
There’s extra on the best way and we did not neglect Oktoberfest is true across the nook.
Joseph S. Pete
Open
Amici’s Grill and Pizzeria opened its second location at 1409 Lincolnway in Valparaiso.
The in style Italian restaurant on Ridge Road in Highland established its second location close to the Valparaiso University campus. The restaurant serves pizza, pasta, salads, sandwiches and its well-known garlic knots.
The Valparaiso location even have gyros plates, burgers, Greek fries, spicy baked feta, fried provolone and a Tzatziki plate.
For extra info, go to www.amicigrill.com or name 219-286-6293.
Eloise Marie Valadez
Closed
Pepe’s has closed in Calumet City.
The longstanding regional Tex-Mex chain lengthy had an eatery at 943 River Oaks Drive close to the River Oaks Center. The family-friendly restaurant, which has a number of areas throughout Northwest Indiana and Chicago, is understood for its tacos, Chihuahua cheese-stuffed tacos, burritos, enchiladas and margaritas, in addition to each day foods and drinks specials it runs all through the weeks.
If you desire to your business to be included in a future column, e-mail [email protected].
Joseph S. Pete
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NWI Business Ins and Outs: Spice & Tea Exchange, Gloria Jean’s Coffee, Jamba Juice and Chop Shop open; The Pink Sheep Boutique plans enlargement
