Amid the buzz of activity that is the holidays, don’t forget to slow down and experience what makes the season special. Here, chefs and designers dish on how to make your home celebrations sparkle. Families and friends remark on the traditions that have become annual staples. Plus, find ways to calm your mind and connect with the community.
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HOME OF THE ISSUE Family First
Mark and Debbie Carnes’ charming East Side home turns 100 in 2025. Making the celebration special is a sentimental fact: The home was built by Mark’s grandfather and now has housed four generations of the Carnes family.
LOCAL FLAVOR Noche Cantina & Cocina
Authentic Mexican cuisine, high-end cocktails, and balcony seating are drawing crowds to one of West Franklin Street’s newest restaurants.
ON THE COVER Add a dash of nostalgia to your holiday cookies with candy-centered creations. Go to evansvilleliving.com to find chef Donnie Mays’ recipe for these stained glass cookies. Photo by Zach Straw.
DONNIE MAYS
IN EVERY ISSUE
10 Editor’s Letter
A slick new video board adds some sizzle to the Ford Center
GOOD LIVING
19 Worth the Drive
A new museum in Terre Haute, Indiana, tells the story of Hoosier legend Larry Bird
20 In the Spotlight
Barbara Long found lasting friendship across the pond
20 Center of Attention
Claire Schmitt’s board game delivers the goods for Christmas
21 We Were Curious Hurricane-displaced animals head for Vanderburgh Humane Society
CULTURE
23 Art Talk
Meet the creative couple behind Adventure Glassworks’ stained glass beauties
24 On Stage
EP Concertmaster Jack Bogard followed a spark to the stage
25 Behind the Scenes
Cruise ship performer Carly Jerstad details life on the high seas
25 Shelf Life
26 Way Back When
Remembering the off-Broadway run of Evansville playwright John Jennings’ “Riverwind”
27 Entertainment Center
The North High School Huskettes high kick into the holiday season
28 The Guide
30 Social Life
DEPARTMENTS
35 Lasting Legacy
Clint Keown’s athletic feats and largerthan-life character leave an indelible mark on the community
39 Around the World
Kazakhstani orphans get a helping hand from Linda and Larry Wicker
HOME
&
STYLE
54 Get Inspired
Discover a new use for heirloom ornaments through Christi Goodman’s handiwork
54 On the Market
A “near-perfect mid-century modern” is for sale on the East Side
55 Creating
Paint your own pottery and more at Fired Up! Joe Shmoe’s Art Studio
FOOD & DRINK
65 In the Kitchen
Vintage stained glass cookies offer a tasty dose of nostalgia
66 Think Drinks
Say “cheers” to the new year with seasonal cocktails at Hush on Main
67 What We’re Trying Now
Potato balls, sliders, tarts, and more emerge as customer favorites for Turn Table at Arcademie
74 Dining Directory
Peruse the cuisine of Tri-State restaurants
75 Fresh Takes
The latest dining scene news
FINAL DETAIL
112 Everyone loves a parade
Special Advertising Sections
Newburgh Collective After page 16
Meet the shops, restaurants, and businesses making this Warrick County community unique
Holiday Gift Guide After page 32
Find everything you need for each person on your shopping list with this guide of area products and services
Doctor Profiles & Excellence in Nursing 83
Discover the Tri-State medical professionals who make health care their top priority
WNIN 106
Explore WNIN’s upcoming program highlights, guide listings, and station-wide happenings for December and January
EDITOR & PUBLISHER
Kristen K. Tucker
PRESIDENT,
Todd A. Tucker
GROUP
EDITORIAL
Jodi Keen
Managing Editor
John Martin
Senior Writer
Maggie Valenti Staff Writer
DESIGN
Laura Mathis
Creative Director
Chanda Ramsey Art Director
Hadley Mitchell
Digital Marketing Coordinator
ADVERTISING
Jessica Hoffman Senior Account Executive
Jennifer Rhoades
Senior Account Executive
Logen Sitzman
Sales and Marketing Coordinator
CIRCULATION
Gregg Martin
Distribution and Circulation Manager
CONTRIBUTORS
Mary Bolin
Gordon Engelhardt
Katie Henrichs
Michelle Mastro
Donnie Mays
Adin Parks
Denae Raine
Natalie Reidford
Nick Shelton
Audra Straw
Zach Straw
Timothy Weir
TUCKER
Todd A. Tucker President Kristen K. Tucker Vice President
MISSION STATEMENT
The staff of Evansville Living strives to inform, instruct, amuse, and entertain our readers, helping them get the most out of living in Evansville and the surrounding area. With each issue, we provide a targeted audience of active, well-educated consumers for our advertisers. We look to positively chronicle the many unique aspects of living in Evansville and the TriState to benefit our community.
SUBSCRIPTIONS
Subscriptions are $18 for one year; $24 for two years; or $30 for three years. To start a new subscription, renew an existing subscription, or to change your address, visit evansvilleliving.com/subscribe; call 812-641-5919 or 818-286-3122 from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. CT Monday through Friday, or send an email to elbcs@magserv.com.
CALENDAR ITEMS, COMMUNITY UPDATES, DINING GUIDE
Please email events@evansvilleliving.com information NO LATER than eight weeks prior to the magazine cover date. Details may be edited or deleted for space.
ADVERTISING
Take advantage of Evansville Living’s prime advertising space. Call us at 812-426-2115 or visit our website.
Todd A. Tucker, President Kristen K. Tucker, Vice President
CONNECT WITH US
Follow our updates on social media: Facebook, facebook.com/evansvilleliving X, twitter.com/evansville Linkedin, linkedin.com/ company/tucker-publishing-group Instagram, @evansvilleliving
SAVORING THE SEASON
Every fall, the staff of Evansville Living invests time in planning issues for the following year. We map out major feature stories in advance so we may list them in the media kit — the tool that provides advertisers with all the information and data they need to place ads in Evansville Living. Plus, some stories involve photography and reporting months out. It was in this meeting last year that we decided the November/ December 2024 issue would feature the holidays in a package called “Savor the Season.”
In late August, when it was time to begin putting the feature package together, we asked ourselves, “What did we envision when we labeled it ‘Savor the Season?’” A year removed from the original decision, we were not exactly sure what we meant. Were we thinking mostly food? What about mood? Nostalgia? As it turns out, yes, that’s what we were thinking. Our package of special ways to savor the season begins on page 44. To get in the spirit, I asked members of the Tucker Publishing Group, Inc. staff how they savor the season:
Laura Mathis, Creative Director
Every Christmas Eve night, I prepare a hearty breakfast casserole and wake up early to bake it. We enjoy it while sipping mimosas and opening presents. I don’t know why I think I can only make it for Christmas!
Todd Tucker, President
I always am the first up Christmas morning. While waiting for my family to rise, I make my coffee, sit by the Christmas tree, and think of all the wonderful family members no longer with us. I get teary every year.
Jennifer Rhoades, Senior Account Executive
Watching Christmas movies throughout the season is something we like to do as a family. Some favorites are “Home Alone,” “Elf,” “Mister Magoo’s Christmas Carol,” and “Love Actually.” We’ll have the movies on in the background as we decorate the Christmas tree or bake cookies.
Logen Sitzman, Sales and Marketing Coordinator
I always look forward to playing cards and other games for hours at Thanksgiving and Christmas. It’s a great way to spend quality time with family I don’t get to see very often.
Jessica Hoffman, Senior Account Executive
My family enjoys picking out a live Christmas tree each year. Nothing beats the smell of a live tree. We reminisce about where the ornaments came from as we decorate.
Hadley Mitchell, Digital Marketing Coordinator
My family loves doing puzzles during the holidays! We get a new puzzle every year and will spend hours at a time working on it!
Jodi Keen, Managing Editor
My family winds down around the fireplace in my parents’ living room. Even my childhood dog, a Dalmatian named Domino, would crowd her way between us for the best spot by the hearth.
Gregg Martin, Circulation and Distribution Manager
Every year, the entire family would gather around to sing many Christmas carols before we would exchange gifts. It was my sister on piano and myself on a snare drum and sleigh bells.
Chanda Ramsey, Art Director
I enjoy gathering with my family at the “Farm House,” a home that has been in my family for more than a hundred years. Walking in the side door to the heart-warming smells of traditional holiday meals prepared by grandmas, moms, aunts, and cousins is the best.
Maggie Valenti, Staff Writer
When I think of the holidays, there are the presents shared around a tree, obviously. But more importantly, I envision my family cooking together with televised football games in the background and enjoying a nice meal together, including dessert.
John Martin, Senior Writer
The holiday season for me is a time for reconnecting with God and with my roots. My first several Christmases were spent with my grandparents, and I always spend ample time reflecting on those memories and lessons they passed on.
May your holidays be merry and bright! As always, I look forward to hearing from you.
Kristen K. Tucker Editor & Publisher
TUCKER FAMILY CHRISTMAS TREE, 2023
SIMPLY THE BEST
Praise for the Best of Evansville Awards, September/October 2024
Thank you, Evansville! For 12 years running, you’ve named Brinker’s Jewelers the Best Jewelry Store, and we couldn’t be more grateful.
Brinker’s Jewelers via Instagram
Another huge thank you to Evansville Living for including me in their Best of the City edition! I can’t thank ELM enough for their recognition.
Bud’s Farm Market via Facebook
I won an Evansville Living editors’ pick award in this year’s Best of Evansville for loving this city too much. It’s truly an honor.
Heather Vaught via Facebook
We are beyond honored to be the recipient of the readers’ pick for the Write-In Category Award!
The Thrift Store by Evansville Rescue Mission via Facebook
TRAIL BUDDIES
A quick thank you for serving as a sponsor for this year’s Party in Paradise. We couldn’t host events like this without the support of community-minded businesses like yours.
Laurel Meny, Warrick Parks Foundation
1 E-MAIL
Send your notes to letters@evansvilleliving.com
2 MAIL
Letters to the Editor may be sent to Letters, Evansville Living, 25 N.W. Riverside Drive, Ste. 200, Evansville, IN 47708.
SHOUT OUT
The Pits want to give a huge thank you to Evansville Living Publisher & Editor Kristen Tucker for giving us a shoutout (“It’s About Time,” September/October 2024) — our second feature in a row for this great magazine! Much love from The Pits, Kristen!
The Pits via Facebook
A FAMILIAR TUNE
We thank our friends at Evansville Living for this wonderful article by Timothy Weir about the Evansville Philharmonic and celebrating our 90th season (“A Dream Fulfilled,” September/October 2024)! We appreciate your support and all you do in the Tri-State.
Evansville Philharmonic via Facebook
EMPOWERING WOMEN
We are so thankful for the partnership to have our 2024 Women’s Conference Leadership, Woman of Empowerment, and Top 20 Women Leaders published in the Best of Evansville edition!
Junior League of Evansville via Facebook
FUNNY BONES
Who knew we would be so popular (“Skeleton Crew,” September/ October 2024)!
Evansville Bones via Facebook
3 EVANSVILLELIVING.COM
Visit us at evansvilleliving.com, click on “Contact Us” at the top of the page, and fill out the form with your feedback.
Proud Parents During an autumn visit to their hometown, Phil and Cheryl Lawrence stopped by Evansville Living to pick up copies of the July/August 2021 issue featuring their elder son, Philip, on the cover.
High Class May/June 2024 Evansville Living joined Paula and Bob Guzzo on a private tour in August of Highclere Castle — where “Downton Abbey” is filmed — in Hampshire, England. Their son, Scott, was a fan of the show before his death in 2023.
Grand Adventure Carolyn Kissel, John Kissel, Linda Temme, Don Temme, Joyce Waters, and Steve Waters enjoyed a scenic cruise on the Columbia and Snake rivers in Oregon and Washington in August. The friends broke out the July/August 2024 issue of Evansville Living during a visit to Mount St. Helens.
Crown of the Continent Cecilia and Randall Kuester — and the March/April 2024 issue! — enjoyed waterfalls, mountains, glaciers, wildflowers, and more stunning scenery during their 47th wedding anniversary vacation to Glacier National Park in Montana.
TIME FOR CHANGE
The Ford Center displays a new scoreboard
The Evansville Thunderbolts’ 2024-25 opening game Oct. 18 doubled as the unveiling of the Ford Center’s new scoreboard.
“Everyone likes a big, new electronic,” says Scott Schoenike, executive director of VenuWorks, which manages the Ford Center and Victory Theatre. “It gives you a better experience — bigger, brighter, clearer.”
The Ford Center, featured in November/ December 2011 Evansville Living when it opened in 2011, cost $127.5 million to design and build. More than a decade later, updates required an additional $9 million, including nearly $3 million for the new scoreboard.
Schoenike says challenges with replacement parts and outdated software prompted a new scoreboard, made by Brookings, South Dakota-based Daktronics. Its primary display is one 360-degree screen, 15 feet high and 97 feet around, with 5.9-millimeter pixel spacing. Schoenike says the new
BY MAGGIE VALENTI
scoreboard has 500 extra square feet of screen compared to the previous model. Two more screens circle the new scoreboard: an upper ring display, 2.5 feet by 97 feet, and a lower ring display, 2 feet by 77 feet. The screens boast improved HD display, and Daktronics updated displays throughout the center to produce crisper, cleaner images.
“It competes with the big Division I schools,” says Schoenike, who hopes it will help recruit players to the University of Evansville’s men’s basketball team, which plays home games at the Ford Center.
“There is nothing better than seeing your face 20 feet high.”
During the Thunderbolts’ first home game, fans witnessed a new feature — a race on the ice with a track projected by the scoreboard. Schoenike says the projections are customizable to a hockey rink or basketball court.
“You can do a million things with this one,” Schoenike says.
REAL MUSIC VARIETY
Good Living
FRIENDS AROUND THE GLOBE P.20
ALL FUN AND GAMES P.20
A TRIBUTE TO THE ‘HICK FROM FRENCH LICK’
BY JOHN MARTIN
Larry Bird’s legendary basketball journey started, of course, in Indiana. He was a scruffy standout at French Lick’s Springs Valley High School and then led the Indiana State University Sycamores team that went 33-1 in 1978-79 and was runner-up in the NCAA Tournament.
During Bird’s 13-season run with the Boston Celtics, he captured three MVP awards, three NBA titles, two NBA Finals MVP awards, and an Olympic gold medal.
Bird’s story is shown in vibrant, engaging detail at his namesake museum which is connected to the Terre Haute Convention Center but is its own entity.
Guests are greeted with a video that highlights Bird’s Hall of Fame career and interviews with rivalturned-friend Magic Johnson and teammates such as Kevin McHale and the late Bill Walton.
Memorabilia includes jerseys, including one Bird wore with the 1992 U.S. Olympic “Dream Team,” and Celtics championship rings.
Interactive elements take guests through Bird’s career, showing how skill and tireless work created a superstar who was humble but still known to talk trash with Johnson and other on-court adversaries.
Displays recap how Bird first enrolled at Indiana University but quickly returned home to French Lick after feeling overwhelmed by IU’s large campus. He took a job with the French Lick Street Department and played some amateur basketball, where he caught the attention of then-ISU Coach Bill Hodges. The rest is hoops history.
Before leaving the museum, step into the shooting cage and test your free-throw skills after reading some tips from Bird himself — the legend shot 89 percent from the line during his pro career.
The cage “makes it fun,” says Tennille Wanner, general manager of the museum and the Terre Haute Convention Center. “Even if the young folks don’t really know Larry Bird, they can come in and shoot hoops.”
Admission to the museum is free – something Wanner says Bird, 67, insisted upon. He attended the museum’s grand opening in May 2024, and “he was impressed with the space and how they told the story,” Wanner says. “He was able to see things from his past he hadn’t thought about in a really long time.”
Terre Haute museum celebrates basketball icon Larry Bird
HOOP DREAMS
FULL CIRCLE The Larry Bird Museum in Terre Haute chronicles the basketball legend’s Indiana upbringing, Hall of Fame career with the Boston Celtics, and return to the Hoosier State as head coach and an executive with the Indiana Pacers.
Kindred Spirits
International travel plans spark an unexpected friendship
ONE OF BARBARA LONG’S most cherished friendships came about in a way she never anticipated.
The Evansville resident and her husband, Jim, planned a trip to Great Britain in May 2020 for their 20th anniversary, with a highlight being a “Downton Abbey” day at filming location Highclere Castle.
The COVID-19 pandemic nixed those plans, but in the process, Barbara communicated often with Pam Frye, who founded travel agency British Heritage Chauffeur Tours with her husband, Michael.
As the two women traded many emails about rescheduling, a friendship blossomed. Discussions went deep, with topics including Michael’s severe neurological condition and the death of Barbara’s father during the pandemic.
CENTER OF ATTENTION
BY JOHN MARTIN
“She was my sounding board through that,” Barbara says. “I can honestly say there isn’t a subject that’s out of bounds. Family, politics, we talk about it all. I think it was one of the really good things that came out during the pandemic for me. I don’t think I would have cultivated the friendship otherwise.”
Barbara finally met Pam in person when she and Jim traveled to London, England, in December 2023. “We met for a Spanish lunch, and the minute she came in, I knew it was her, and I hadn’t even seen a photo,” she says.
For the most part, the friendship remains rooted in email. Barbara and Pam have traded 160 or so, and Barbara has saved each one.
“ We both enjoy writing,” Barbara says. “We occasionally will text on What’s App. But I think she enjoys the writing, and I do, too.”
‘THE ULTIMATE HOLIDAY RACE’
Claire Schmitt’s board game delivers big rewards
Many of us grew up playing board games with our families at the holidays. Claire Schmitt, 13, went a step further – she created a game of her own.
It’s called Delivering Presents, and the Holy Redeemer Catholic School eighth-grader explains that brainstorming the game seemed a natural thing to do.
“I like Christmas, I like playing games, and I enjoy doing crafts, so I just put those things together and made a Christmasthemed game,” says Claire, the daughter of Matt and Stacy Schmitt.
With the goal of being the first to reach the North Pole — “The ultimate holiday race! Will you take first place?” — players roll dice to move their character around the board. They must navigate four circular neighborhoods and successfully deliver presents to houses.
Claire concocted the game in 2021 and tested it, of course, with her family. She first used a cereal box decorated with crayons.
Her hard work paid off. At last year’s
Young Inventor Challenge hosted at the Chicago (Illinois) Toy and Game Fair, an upgraded version of Delivering Presents won the Best Pitch Senior Award. The contest strives to connect professionals in the toy and game industry with young innovators.
“Judges would walk around the room, ask questions about your game, and watch you play it,” Claire says. “I felt pretty good about my pitch.”
BY JOHN MARTIN, WITH NICK SHELTON
To Claire, the experience is proof positive that creativity knows no bounds – even if you’re young. “Anybody can create stuff,” she says. “You don’t have to be a certain age. You can do it if you try.”
CLAIRE AND RACHEL SCHMITT
BARBARA LONG AND PAM FRYE IN LONDON, ENGLAND
FLYING TO THE RESCUE
Vanderburgh Humane Society takes displaced animals under its wing
BY MAGGIE VALENTI
Vanderburgh Humane Society already was operating over capacity in early October when CEO Kendall Paul received an urgent email.
Hurricane Milton was making landfall Oct. 9 on Florida’s West Coast. In anticipation of taking in pets displaced by the Category 3 storm, national nonprofit Best Friends Animal Society asked VHS to accept animals in Florida who already were vetted and awaiting adoption.
That meant quickly making room at VHS. BFAS stepped in by sponsoring free adoptions for animals in VHS’ care, and by Oct. 12, more than 250 animals were adopted or fostered.
Meanwhile, VHS simultaneously manned its West Side Nut Club Fall Festival booth and juggled regular tasks like assisting Evansville Animal Care & Control, says Director of Advancement Amanda Coburn.
“The thing about disasters is, it’s never a convenient time,” she says. “It’s a testament to the dedication of our team.”
The nonprofit Wings for Rescue, which uses its own fleet of planes to remove shelter animals from dire situations, flew 37 animals — 21 dogs from Pinellas County Animal Services in Largo, Flor-
ida, and 16 cats from Animal Welfare League of Charlotte County, also in the Sunshine State — to Evansville’s Tri-State Aero on Oct. 19. Volunteers retrieved pets inching down the conveyor belt from the plane’s cargo area and loaded them into a truck for the trip back to the shelter at 400 Millner Industrial Drive. After a mandatory quarantine, they will go up for adoption.
This was not VHS’ first pet transfer. It rescued animals relocated from Puerto Rico to escape Hurricane Maria in 2017 and was among several Evansville organizations that took in pets and provided supplies to shelters affected by the December 2021 tornadoes in Western Kentucky.
Warrick Humane Society also sheltered animals from Washington County, Tennessee, which experienced massive flooding related to September’s Hurricane Helene.
“It’s nice to be able to be a helping hand, because you never know when our community might experience a tornado or flood and need assistance ourselves,” Coburn says.
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For nearly 25 years, Evansville Living magazine has brought you the BEST in local personalities, events, places to visit, beautiful homes, and gardens throughout the Tri-State.
CONCERTMASTER JACK BOGARD P.24 WABASH ON BROADWAY P.26 CALENDAR OF EVENTS P.28
A TOUCH OF GLASS
Elberfeld couple’s small business is a passion project
Lindsey and Mickey Riecken always have been creative people who loved stained glass. Their online marketplace, Adventure Glassworks, allows their artistic visions to run wild.
The couple started the business in 2022, operating it out of a combined home and shop at the former Washington Avenue Church Camp in Elberfeld, Indiana, which they bought about eight years ago.
Inspired by an aunt who created a stained-glass piece, Lindsey decided to give it a try – she bought a church window and has since branched out to other projects.
The Rieckens started using only a dremel. Their techniques have been refined to incorporate a grinder, soldering iron, and copper foiling.
ART TALK
BY JOHN MARTIN
“We learned from YouTube and trial and error,” Lindsey says.
Colorful glass creations currently featured on the Adventure Glassworks website include an art deco candleholder, a sun catcher made from hanging shapes, and a stained-glass Rubik’s Cube lamp.
The Rieckens produce sun and moon transom panels, and Christmas trees are popular items. Besides a glowy one with the traditional red and green, the Rieckens are working this year on a sugar plum-themed tree, with lighter hues. Trees range from 28 inches to six feet.
The Evansville natives have taken their work — particularly the trees — to big area craft shows in the last couple of years, such as the Vanderburgh County 4-H Fair, Castle Band Craft Show, and Montgomery, Indiana’s Chandelier Barn Market.
Their instincts play off one another – Mickey likes straight lines, while Lindsey prefers crazy, curvy ones. Besides creating their own wares, they also do repair work, if they can find the glass. Mickey enjoys doing that, Lindsey says, because “it’s a puzzle.”
Mickey works in his family’s construction business, and Lindsey is with eXp Realty. Adventure Glassworks is a side job, but Lindsey describes it as a passion project, and she hopes it could become a full-time business in the future.
“When you love it, you love it,” she says.
NOTES FROM A DRIVEN BOW
Concertmaster Jack Bogard’s musical path to Evansville
BY TIMOTHY WEIR
The sound of an Irish fiddle is what pulled Evansville Philharmonic Orchestra Concertmaster Jack Bogard into a life of music.
Growing up in Cincinnati, Ohio, his walk past a former Irish pub called The Dubliner provided the spark.
“I heard its musicians playing,” he says. “I pointed to the fiddle and said, ‘I want to do that.’”
By second grade, he was taking lessons at Cincinnati’s Riley School of Irish Music.
“Irish fiddle became my musical language,” Bogard says, citing critically acclaimed Irish fiddler Martin Hayes as having the most impact on his artistic approach to music.
After learning largely by ear, classical violin lessons came next. From Celtic and classical, he also learned bluegrass, folk, and jazz.
“Gradually, I learned to express the different ways music made me feel through my violin,” he says.
After earning his bachelor’s degree in jazz at Cincinnati Conservatory of Music and a Solo Performance in Orchestra diploma from Indiana University, it was time to perform.
Bogard joined the Evansville Philharmonic violin section
in 2021 and was promoted to concertmaster in 2023, leading the string section and assisting Music Director Roger Kalia. He also is the Eykamp String Quartet’s first violin and an adjunct music professor at the University of Evansville.
“Jack’s calm demeanor and thoroughness encourage collaboration and inspire confidence in his peers,” Kalia says. “His skills as a violinist set a high standard for artistry and elevate our string section to even greater heights.”
Bogard’s diverse musical experience “leads to a different way of learning the music we play, including how to interpret music and theory behind the music we play,” says philharmonic principal cellist Graham Cullen.
B ogard jumped headfirst into Evansville’s culture. He lives in a Haynie’s Corner Arts District carriage house and plays on the philharmonic’s wiffleball team. Handier with a bow than a bat, “I can hit the ball – sometimes,” Bogard admits.
You also can hear him at Haynie’s Corner’s Front Porch Fest. Just listen for a fiddle.
STRING ALONG evansvillephilharmonic.org
THE EYKAMP STRING QUARTET’S JACK BOGARD, MICHAEL CHU, GRAHAM CULLEN, AND MARK HATLESTAD
High Seas Performance
The Cold Winter: Battle on the Ohio River
Chris Underwood 2024, Independently Published
“Slowly the bow of the boat began to leave the dock and swing to starboard. The historic ship had no bow thrusters or other modern maneuvering equipment. Old-style methods were the only solution for leaving the dock.” – page 42
BY MAGGIE VALENTI
Carly Jerstad talks about her experience as a singer and dancer on cruise ships
IT’S BEEN CLEAR since Carly Jerstad was three years old that her path would lead her to the stage. That journey has taken her to Celebrity Cruises’ ships, performing as a singer and dancer.
“I always knew she was going to be a performer,” her mother, Kalah Georgette-Vowels, says of the F.J. Reitz High School alumna.
While attending Ball State University, Jerstad competed in color guard and the Phantom Regiment Drum and Bugle Corps. She was in the Evansville Civic Theatre’s performance of “Urinetown” in 2013 and Evansville Vanderburgh School Corp.’s Summer Musicals from 2012 to 2015, including in the titular role in 2015’s “Mary Poppins.” She’s also a Shannon’s School of Dance lifetime student.
Why did she make the transition to performing on cruise ships? “It seemed like a really great opportunity,” Jerstad says. “I have been performing my whole life.”
Her first six-month jaunt began in September 2022 on the Celebrity Summit, which cruised from New England to Miami, Florida, and the Caribbean. Jerstad performed two shows during that inaugural contract, including classic Broadway and West End musicals combined in one show called “Broadway Cabaret.”
For her second six-month cruise, she was placed aboard the Celebrity Equinox in January 2024. The cruise took her to Miami, the Caribbean, and Mediterranean Europe. This time, she performed in four shows — and her mother got to tag along.
“I was thrilled to see her perform,” says Georgette-Vowels, whose first time on a cruise in July was to watch her daughter
perform. “The best part was hearing the crowd cheer.”
Jerstad also conducted safety training and briefings for guests and kept up with safety drills and rehearsals.
“It’s very unique living and working among your friends for six months, [but] being on vacation for six months is exhausting,” she says.
While she has several creative projects ongoing in New York City, she is open to the possibility of returning to work on a cruise — but not anytime soon.
“I’m enjoying readjusting to life here in New York City,” she says. “I have goals and aspirations here that I’d like to pursue which requires me to stay in one spot for a while.”
Book three of Ohio writer Chris Underwood’s dystopian fiction series moves into the Evansville area. A chunk of the U.S. loses power as a debilitating snowstorm descends. Desperate residents scavenge for supplies and land on an unexpected target for survival along the Ohio River: the USS LST-325.
This Fierce People: The Untold Story of America’s Revolutionary War in the South
Alan Pell Crawford 2024, Knopf
“The war, by this time, had dragged on for years. … If it were to be brought to a successful conclusion, it would be in the South, and General George Washington, back in New Jersey, hoped that [Johann von Robais] [Baron] de Kalb could be of more use there than in the North.” – pages 8-9
When the fight to evict the British from American territories entered a stalemate in 1780, battles began between patriots and loyalists in the South. Alan Pell Crawford, an Evansville native, casts a new light on what Americans think they know about how the Revolutionary War was won.
Lies My Teacher Told Me: A Graphic Adaptation
Nate Powell and James Loewen 2024, The New Press
“The past is usually portrayed as a simple-minded morality play, with two common messages to be extracted: ‘Be a good citizen,’ and ‘You have a proud heritage — after all, look at what America has accomplished.’” – page 3
Nate Powell, an award-winning cartoonist in Bloomington, Indiana, illustrates James Loewen’s 1995 confrontation of how American history is presented in textbooks. Amid Powell’s graphic novel drawings is Loewen’s original thesis: “We’ve got to do better.”
SHELF LIFE BY JODI KEEN
CARLY JERSTAD CONDUCTING SAFETY TRAINING
CARLY JERSTAD WITH HER MOTHER KALAH GEORGETTEVOWELS
SECRET MUSIC MAN
John Jennings parlayed a love of theater into a off-Broadway hit
BY MICHELLE MASTRO, WITH MAGGIE VALENTI
John Jennings enjoyed writing musicals and plays in his youth. In his 30s, the Evansville native wound up on a big stage.
He penned the music and book for the Southwestern Indiana-inspired musical “Riverwind,” which ran off-Broadway in December 1962. The musical was performed in smaller theaters throughout New England, but today, Jennings’ work largely has flown under the radar — even among residents of his hometown.
Jennings’ sister, Joan Jennings Greif, doesn’t want people to forget her brother or his talents. Now in her late 80s, she has saved volumes of memorabilia and newspaper clippings of nearly everything her brother published, including his early works as a budding music man.
“He was such a virtuoso on the piano,” Joan recalls. “He never refused to play or sing for us. He was such an entertainer.”
Jennings also had a great sense of humor and could play any song he heard by ear.
It’s this skill of picking up a song and carrying a tune that propelled him to become a strong playwright. For all his plays, Joan says, he would write everything — script, dialogue, and music. He produced a musical every year while attending F.J. Reitz High School and at least two while studying at Vanderbilt University in Nashville, Tennessee.
After service in the U.S. Navy, Jennings set his sights on Broadway. He produced “Riverwind” when he first went to New York; its off-Broadway debut at the Actors’ Playhouse sold out. The musical plot reverberated with audiences: Set at a quaint inn on the banks of the Wabash River, three couples reignite their love against a sweeping score focused on bass, percussion, and piano. In reviews, theater critics enjoyed the plot’s “middle-age charms,” and New York Times critic Howard Taubman wrote that “‘Riverwind’ comes to life when it breaks into song.”
After “Riverwind,” Joan says, her brother worked on a few other music projects, but none panned out. Jennings was busy crafting something new for Broadway when he became ill and died at age 54. The Feb. 10, 1988, issue of the New York Times included a story memorializing him.
Although Jennings’ life was short, his work continues to live on. Joan’s son — an Evansville periodontist named for his uncle — first saw “Riverwind” in college when it was performed in New Harmony, Indiana, in the 1980s. John Greif hopes area theater programs would be interested in performing the musical, thus carrying on his uncle’s music.
“I think he left quite a wonderful legacy to Evansville,” Joan says.
WHERE THE WIND CARRIES YOU Joan Jennings Greif saved newspaper clippings, playbills, theatrical posters, and myriad other memorabilia from her late brother John’s playwriting career. A highlight was the 1962 off-Broadway debut of “Riverwind,” a Southwestern Indiana-influenced musical starring theater actor Lawrence Brooks, pictured here with John.
The Real Kickers
The North Huskettes dance team lines up for Peppermint Pops BY
MAGGIE VALENTI
THAT’S NOT THE RADIO CITY ROCKETTES sharing the stage at Evansville Philharmonic’s Peppermint Pops holiday concerts. The polished, high-kicking, green-donned dancers are the Huskettes of North High School.
The team performs at pep rallies and cheers at Huskies’ athletic events, but the addition of Peppermint Pops appearances in 2022 brings it more into the community spotlight. As a dancer, Taylor Farmer had performed at Peppermint Pops and, when she took over coaching the Huskettes in 2021, asked if EP would like a Rockettesstyle kick-line for future performances. For EP’s 90th season, the dance team will perform two routines.
Although the Huskettes have been around since former North teacher Jane Bernhardt founded the dance team in 1969, they have seen several firsts recently. In January, the Huskettes made history as North’s first dance team to compete in hiphop, jazz, and game day routines at the Universal Dance Association’s national championship in Orlando, Florida. On the horizon is the 202526 Indiana High School Dance Association competition season.
Four of this year’s graduating members — Taylor Deckman, Colby Watson, Makenzie Sartore, and Madalyn Crabtree — were recruited
as freshmen by Farmer, who considers them her founding members.
“I like that we can get out in the community, and not just perform for parents or students,” Sartore says.
“It’s one of our favorite things that we do in the season,” Farmer adds. “I want to make my dancers really happy … why not make it fun while they’re here?”
Says Deckman, “My favorite part is the community, the girls around us. We lift each other up.”
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Culture THE GUIDE
NOVEMBER
NOVEMBER 17
Celebrating Women in Music
Enjoy music penned by women composers, starting with Felix Mendelssohn’s sister Fanny, followed by the works of Elaine Hagenberg, Gabriela Ortiz, and Ruth Gipps. Mayor Stephanie Terry narrates Stacy Garrop’s work “The Battle for the Ballot.”
Victory Theatre, 600 Main St., evansvillephilharmonic.org
NOVEMBER 21
A Night of Songs & Stories
Country music icon Trace Adkins headlines this concert for Major League Baseball legend Don Mattingly’s Mattingly Charities, which benefits underserved youth in Evansville. The charity concert has raised $905,813.16 since 2015.
Victory Theatre, 600 Main St., mattinglycharities.org
NOVEMBER 21-24
As You Like It
This pastoral comedy written by William Shakespeare and adapted and directed by adjunct professor Christia Ward packs themes of love, gender, sexuality, and injustice.
University of Southern Indiana Performance Center, 8600 University Blvd., usi.edu
NOVEMBER 21-24
John Proctor is the Villain
Directed by University of Evansville theatre studies major Evelyn Hipp, this coming-of-age story is told through the lens of teenagers studying Arthur Miller’s classic “The Crucible.” Expect a funny show about matters of patriarchy and power.
University of Evansville May Studio Theatre, 1800 Lincoln Ave., evansville.edu
Editor’s Note: Event dates were accurate as of press time. Before attending, check with the organization or venue for the latest event news. Find a full calendar of events at evansvilleliving.com/events.
NOVEMBER 23
Southern Indiana Comic Book Show
Zap! Pow! Browse tables of vintage comic books and collectibles with other fans, and come prepared to buy, sell, or trade.
Washington Square Mall, 5001 Washington Ave., Southern Indiana Comic Book Show on Facebook
NOVEMBER 23
Indiana Vintage Market In Evansville for the first time, this sixth annual market features 50-plus vendors selling mostly vintage clothing with other items mixed in, such as home goods and records.
Old National Events Plaza, 715 Locust St., events.humanitix. com/indiana-vintagemarket-6-evansville
NOVEMBER 28DECEMBER 1
90th Annual Hadi Shrine Circus
Evansville’s Thanksgiving weekend tradition continues, featuring the Cortes Family on the flying trapeze, daring jumps and flips on the “wheel of death,” aerialist Aidan Bryant, and the hilarity of the Hadi Shrine Funsters.
Ford Center, One S.E. Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd., hadishrinecircus.com
IF YOU’RE SEARCHING for ways to give back this season, look no further than the Evansville Salvation Army’s Thanksgiving Community Meal. The organization needs volunteers to provide meals for fixed- or no-income families on Nov. 27. Later that day,
Haynie’s Corner Arts District hosts a volunteer-staffed Neighborhood Thanksgiving that is open to the public. Donations are welcome. Roll up your sleeves and help pack more than 2,200 free food baskets for families Nov. 26 at Evansville Rescue Mission’s Gobbler Gathering. Stretch before your own big meal by running in the 35th Annual Turkey Day 5K benefiting Evansville Goodwill Industries on Nov. 28.
NOVEMBER 28JANUARY 1, 2025
Ritzy’s Fantasy of Lights
Get into the holiday spirit by enjoying gleaming light displays at this longtime Easterseals Rehabilitation Center fundraiser. Plus, see if you can spot Andy the elf on your drive!
Garvin Park, North Main Street and Heidelbach Avenue, ritzysfantasyoflights.com
GATHER ROUND
DECEMBER
DECEMBER 1
Evansville Symphonic Band 2024 Annual Holiday Concert
Usher in December with a free performance of holiday favorites by the Evansville Symphonic Band, which includes musicians, educators, and seasoned professionals.
Central High School, 5400 First Ave., evansvillesymphonicband.com
’TIS THE SEASON
CHRISTMAS ON NORTH MAIN PARADE makes its triumphant return Nov. 24, and the season doesn’t stop there. The City of Evansville will christen its new professionally decorated Christmas tree Nov. 30 during Light-Up River City. Explore Southwestern Indiana’s German heritage at Christkindlmarkts at Germania Maennerchor, Newburgh Museum, and in Ferdinand, Indiana, in November. Introduce some action to the holidays with the Rotary Santa Run on Dec. 7, then attend A Downtown Christmas for shopping and festive activities. File last-minute gift requests with St. Nick at Mesker Park Zoo & Botanic Garden’s Breakfast with Santa on Dec. 7 and 15, and the West Side Nut Club’s Santa Land on Dec. 14-15 and 21-22. Venture outside Evansville for Christmas in New Harmony on Dec. 7-8 and the Garden Club of Henderson, Kentucky’s Candlelight Christmas Tour on Dec. 13. Marvel at dazzling light displays at the Newburgh Holiday Light Parade on Dec. 1 and Newburgh Winterlights walking tour throughout December. Newburgh Celebrates Christmas with a parade Dec. 7, followed by a holiday tour of festively decorated homes.
DECEMBER 2
Straight No Chaser
It’s not Christmas in Evansville without a tour stop by the a cappella group with roots at Indiana University. Expect holiday classics, pop favorites, and more.
Old National Events Plaza, 715 Locust St., sncmusic.com
DECEMBER 4
A Nostalgic Night with Macaulay Culkin
Following a Screening of “Home Alone”
Following a special screening of the 1992 classic film, star Macaulay Culkin appears onstage to answer audience questions. You guys give up? Or are you thirsty for more?
Old National Events Plaza, 715 Locust St., homealonetour.com
DECEMBER 7
Castle Bands Craft Show
Browse handmade crafts, apparel, accessories, furniture, decor, and more at this fundraiser for Castle High School’s highly successful marching band program.
Castle High School, 3344 S. State Route 261, Newburgh, Indiana, castlebands.org
DECEMBER 14
Wreaths Across America
Honor U.S. military veterans by placing a wreath at their graves in area cemeteries.
Oak Hill Cemetery and Arboretum, 1400 E. Virginia St; Locust Hill Cemetery & Arboretum, 3800 Kratzville Road, wreathsacrossamerica.org
ALL I WANT FOR CHRISTMAS IS THE ARTS
THE SEASON isn’t complete without cheerful tunes. Enjoy Candlelight Vespers on Dec. 4 at the University of Evansville’s Neu Chapel and the Evansville Philharmonic’s annual Messiah by Candlelight on Dec. 20 at Trinity United Methodist Church. Two productions of The Nutcracker are planned — one by Ballet Indiana on Dec. 14-15 at the Victory Theatre, and another Dec. 7-14 by the Children’s Center of Dance Education in Henderson, Kentucky, New Harmony, Indiana, and Evansville. Snap up a ticket for the philharmonic’s Peppermint Pops featuring the North High School Huskettes (read more on pg. 26) on Dec. 7-8 or Cirque Musica Holiday Wonderland on Dec. 10. On Dec. 15, the Greater Evansville Figure Skating Club spins a holiday tale with What Christmas Means to Me, while community members bring Charles Dickens’ A Christmas Carol to life at Henderson, Kentucky’s Preston Arts Center.
DECEMBER 28-29
Evansville Tennis Center
End of Year Smash 2024
This doubles and mixed doubles round-robin tournament, divided by age and skill, helps fundraise for pickleball programming.
Evansville Tennis Center, 5428 Davis Lant Drive, evansvilletennis.com
DECEMBER 31
Evansville Thunderbolts New Year’s Eve
Ring in the new year as the professional hockey club faces off with the Huntsville, Alabama, Havoc. Stay after the game for on-ice fireworks.
Ford Center, One S.E. Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd., evansvillethunderbolts.com
CHRISTMAS CANDLELIGHT TOUR, HENDERSON, KENTUCKY
BALLET INDIANA’S THE NUTCRACKER
BAPTISTTOWN EMANCIPATION FESTIVAL Aug. 10, Evansville African American Museum 1. Kathy McCreary and Ted McCreary 2. Talmadge Vick, Marcia Lynch, Watez Phelps, and Kori Miller
HUEY HELICOPTER FLY-IN Aug. 10, Evansville Wartime Museum Mayor Stephanie Terry and Michael Tiemann
FELLOWSHIP LUNCH Aug. 15, Drake’s David Ragland, Jerome Stewart, Frank Patton Jr., and Stan Gouard
DAY OF CARING Sept. 20, around Evansville Chris Pagan, Karen Figueroa, Karen Meyers, John Sloat, and Forrest Gottman
WEST SIDE NUT CLUB FALL FESTIVAL Oct. 7, West Franklin Street Barbara Lord and Donna Condi
VICTORY INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL Sept. 12, Showplace Cinemas East Matthew Ulm, Jordan Barclay, Ryan McCurdy, and Jakob Bilinski
DISHES FOR WISHES Sept. 14, Burdette Park O’Day Discovery Lodge Front Row: Troy Kirbach, Amanda Watters, Denise Weisheit, and Pat Young Middle Row: Laura Woods, Kelly Kirbach, Bev Goebel, Mike Woods, Joann Moskowitz, Jay Moskowitz, and Kawn Watters Back Row: Brian Bohrnstedt, Susan Bohrnstedt, Rick Goebel, and Scott Weisheit 1.
‘THERE WILL NEVER BE ANYONE LIKE HIM’
Community remembers sports legend Clint Keown
BY GORDON ENGELHARDT
Whether you put a bat, a ball, a club or playing cards in his hands, Clint Keown’s talents were astonishing. He was the stuff of legend, perhaps the most well-rounded, versatile athlete in Evansville history.
Never mind that the curly-haired, colorful figure didn’t cast an imposing shadow. Although fleet of foot, Keown was a modest 6-foot-1 and 175 pounds and could not jump out of the gym.
“I believe Keown is arguably one of the best athletes to ever come out of the city of Evansville,” says Andre Thomas, who played on William Henry Harrison High School’s football and basketball teams in the late 1990s against Keown, who was two years older and attended Reitz Memorial High School.
Currently Harrison’s athletics director, Thomas characterizes Keown as the ultimate competitor.
“God blessed him with amazing ability,” Thomas says. “But I think he worked as if he didn’t have any talent. That, with his love for competition, is what really set him apart from everyone else.”
Keown’s life tragically was cut short Sept. 22 in a single-vehicle car wreck while driving back to Evansville from playing golf in Robinson, Illinois. The 44-year-old was driving a Tesla on County Road 1400 E., near County Road 900 N., in Crawford County, Illinois, when his car struck a guardrail, rolled several times, and landed in a ditch. Matthew Redd, a longtime friend and passenger in the vehicle, suffered serious injuries and remained hospitalized in Evansville at press time.
“Matthew is up and responsive and doing well,” Jeremy Redd, Matthew’s brother, told Evansville Living on Oct. 18. “He had some traumatic brain injuries, three or four fractures of the skull. He had broken bones in his face and fractured vertebrae in his neck.”
“We expect him to have a full recovery eventually, but some issues are expected,” he adds.
Keown is survived by his wife, Hannah, their four-year old son Colby and two stepchildren, Liam and Leighton. His visitation
Sept. 25-26 at Holy Rosary drew an estimated 1,500 people, including Jim Crews, Keown’s coach on the 1998-99 UE men’s basketball team, plus his Aces teammates Jeremy Stanton, Craig Snow, Adam Seitz, Chuck Hedde, and Curt Begle.
Before Keown was laid to rest Sept. 27, Memorial students and faculty members paid tribute by lining Benninghof Avenue as the private procession of family members and pallbearers went around the school before moving on to the St. Joseph Catholic Cemetery burial site. “ You could feel the unity of the community as the procession came through,” Memorial athletics director Chad Dockery says.
ALWAYS SMILING Whether relaxing on a family vacation or scoring an invitation into IU basketball legend Bob Knight’s home, Clint Keown had a way of turning an ordinary situation into a lasting memory.
“THE GROUP ALL GOT A PICTURE WITH COACH KNIGHT AND HAD A NICE VISIT. CLINT WAS ABLE TO DO THINGS THAT WOULD GET MOST PEOPLE ARRESTED OR BEAT UP.”
— Jeff Anderson, Clint’s mentor and lifelong friend
WANT TO MEET BOB KNIGHT? NO PROBLEM.
Keown’s confidence seemingly knew no bounds. There are endless stories of his antics, but one is well-documented. Jeff Anderson, who starred on Memorial’s basketball team a few years before Keown and who became a mentor and, later, a lifelong friend, was an eyewitness. Anderson was driving a group transport back from Indianapolis after Memorial defeated East Noble 21-3 in the Class 4A state championship football game on Nov. 30, 2019, at Lucas Oil Stadium. They stopped in Bloomington to get Mother Bear’s pizza for the ride home. Anderson casually mentioned that legendary former Indiana University coach Bob Knight had recently moved back to Bloomington and lived close to campus.
“With no hesitation, Clint said, ‘Let’s stop by and say hello.’ It was 9 p.m., and I told Clint we would drive by his house on the way out of town but could not cold call at such a late hour,” recalls Anderson, president and CEO of Anderson Capital Partners. “Needless to say, Clint jumps out of the van and knocks on the door. After a few moments of introduction with Mrs. Knight, who was in her robe, Clint, Drew Hart, and Frank Jung disappear into Knight’s home for 10 minutes.”
Inside, Keown reminisced about his recruiting visit to IU years earlier and welcomed Knight back to Indiana.
“The group all got a picture with Coach Knight and had a nice visit,” says Anderson, who was a nervous wreck waiting outside. “… Clint was able to do things that would get most people arrested or beat up.”
Anderson was part of another story in which Keown displayed his athletic prowess at a young age. Casey Keown, Clint’s younger brother, says that as a kid, Clint stole a key to Memorial’s gym and had an understanding with the school’s janitor. The Keowns — parents Rick and Julie Keown, plus Clint, brothers Casey and Cory, and sister Katie — lived right across the street from Memorial’s gym, at 517 Benninghof Ave., and Clint snuck in there often. Even at age eight, he was comfortable with the pressure.
That day in 1988, the Tigers were practicing on the court, and Coach Rich Risemas was not happy to be interrupted by a child.
“He grabbed Clint from the corner of the gym and told him that if he hit two free throws, we could all go home,” Anderson says. “If he missed either of the two free throws, he was going to run our (butts) off for another 30 minutes. Clint, with his yellow, worn biddy basketball and big ears, calmly steps to the line and sinks two free throws.”
The Memorial basketball players put Keown on their shoulders and marched him into the locker room.
and Cory, Clint grew up with a love of sports, and he channeled that into his career as a professional poker player. The Keowns’ brother Cory was the first to pass away, in 2016.
“We knew he was going to be clutch in life when he could do that as an 8-year-old gym rat,” says Anderson, who went on to play for Kent State University.
SWITCHING GEARS
Just like his confidence, Keown’s creativity on the court and the field were boundless. Naturally right-handed, he made a left-handed double-pump scoop shot in the lane in the waning seconds that helped seal a victory over Drake University in 1999 during his freshman season playing for the University of Evansville men’s
ALL IN THE FAMILY Like his siblings Casey, Katie,
“HE WAS SOMEWHAT OF A CHARACTER. HE WAS AN AMAZING ATHLETE.”
— Quentin Merkel, former Reitz Memorial High School baseball coach
basketball team. He successfully pulled off the “hidden ball trick” against Jasper, Indiana, in the Class 3A baseball regional at Bosse Field in his senior season at Memorial in 1998.
Q uentin Merkel, Memorial’s oldschool coach, says he didn’t mind Keown’s antics “as long as they helped us win.”
Keown didn’t play football until his junior year at Memorial. That didn’t stop him from quickly finding success. One year later, he was an all-state wide receiver, even drawing an assistant from the University of Michigan to a Memorial practice. Keown didn’t take up golf seriously until his 20s but still managed to play on minor league golf tours before regaining amateur status in 2020.
Not one for a “regular job,” Keown made his living as a professional poker player. In fact, he cited burnout after playing one season of Class A ball in the Cincinnati Reds’ organization. The real reason was Keown joked that he could make more money playing poker. Merkel wasn’t surprised.
“He was somewhat of a character,” says Merkel, an Indiana Baseball Hall of Fame coach who guided Memorial to three state championships. “He was an amazing athlete.”
Not many people would have the audacity to pull off the “hidden ball trick” in a postseason game. But Keown wasn’t most people. Playing center field in the 3A regional baseball game against Jasper in ‘98, Keown twisted his body sideways, pretending he had missed catching a base hit. The Jasper runner attempted to stretch his hit into a double, but Keown quickly fired the ball to second. He also employed the “hidden ball trick” with Memorial shortstop Josh Todd to pick off a Jasper runner at second. Despite Keown’s daring, Jasper still won that game, 5-3.
Still the fifth-leading scorer in city basketball history with 1,766 points, Keown was a 1998 Indiana All-Star and runner-up to Tom Coverdale in Mr. Basketball voting. As a freshman at UE, Keown was a top reserve on the Aces’ 1998-99 NCAA tournament team — the last time the Aces made it to the Big Dance. However, he and UE coach Crews were known to butt heads, and Keown left early in his sophomore season.
Over Christmas break, Keown called former Memorial teammate Sam Garau, who was playing baseball at NCAA Division II University of South Carolina Aiken.
“He said to me, ‘Sammy, I want to play baseball. Do you think you can get
me on your team?’” Garau recalled. “I told him I’d call the coach and see what he says. I remember calling (USC Aiken) Coach (Kenny) Thomas and telling him, ‘Coach, I’ve got a really good friend that was playing DI basketball at the University of Evansville and has decided he wants to play baseball. Would you consider giving him a shot?”
Garau vouched that his friend was all-state in three sports in high school and would be the best athlete he had ever coached.
“Coach Thomas said he’d think about it and let me know the next day,” says Garau, who works alongside Anderson as vice president of Accelerated Growth Capital. “He must have made a few calls that corroborated what I told him, because he called me the next day and said he’d love to have him.”
Keown became a two-sport standout at USC Aiken, finishing second in the nation in scoring in 2002 with a 24.7-point average in basketball. In the spring of 2003, Keown set a Peach Belt baseball record with 52 stolen bases in 56 attempts in 53 games. He ran a 6.4 60-yard dash that season on scout day, and the Reds signed him to a Major League Baseball free-agent contract on the spot.
Keown stopped playing baseball after that one season at Class A Dayton, Ohio, however. Saying he could make more money playing poker turned out to be true.
“Clint always had a knack for gambling,” says Casey, who shared his brother’s love of sports and in February opened baseball-centric pizza shop Casey’s Dugout on Lincoln Avenue. He hung around Ellis Park at age 13 and had older people place his bets. Keown was so successful as a professional poker player that he traveled all over the world. But he traded in the poker table for real estate when his son Colby was born. A dedicated family man, he relished time spent with nieces, nephews, and loved ones, particularly after the 2016 deaths of his 34-year-old brother Cory and cousin Christopher Alvey.
“Many people know of Clint’s escapades and hijinks, but not many really know how big of a heart he had,” Garau says. “… There will never be anyone like him. Life will just not be the same without him around.” MEMORIAL TIGER, CLINT KEOWN, EVAN
FOR ONE CHILD, THE WORLD
Linda and Larry Wicker support the livelihoods of orphans in Kazakhstan
BY MAGGIE VALENTI
PHOTOS PROVIDED BY LINDA WICKER
Antares is one of the brightest stars known, even if it is not visible to the naked eye. That is a comforting message for orphaned children in Northern Kazakhstan who receive support from the Antares Foundation. Newburgh, Indiana, residents Linda Wicker and her husband, Larry, have been actively involved with the organization for 11 years and describe Kazakhstan as their “second home.”
“You’re not going to change the world with one child, but for that one child the world will change,” says Linda, who serves as the foundation’s president and also works parttime at Evansville’s Lampion Center, which offers counseling for children and families.
Antares Foundation, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit co-founded in 2004 by Georgia resident Laura Rosier, provides services Kazakhstani orphans otherwise may not receive. This includes sending sponsored packages with gifts, money, and supplies for health care — eyeglasses, hygiene items, or vitamins — orphanage outings, holiday events, and birthday parties. Still, the organization’s largest areas of focus are sponsoring children in Northern Kazakhstan orphanages and supporting them once they age out of orphanages and become what the Antares Foundation calls “post-orphans.”
The Wickers have three biological children — Miranda, Denise, and Brad — but their desire to adopt led them to Kazakhstan, a Central Asian country they knew nothing about. In 2006, after a three-day journey from the U.S. to Kazakhstan, the couple finalized the adoption of teenage siblings Alex and Oksana. Profoundly moved by the number of orphanages and the lack of resources, they eventually would adopt two more Kazakhstani teenagers, first Daniel and then Grisha.
“Each trip and each experience there opened our eyes to the more needs they have,” Linda says.
The Wickers became aware of the Antares Foundation when the organization contacted Linda with photos of Alex and Oksana when they were younger. Today,
“KINDNESS AND LOVE DON’T STOP IN YOUR NEIGHBORHOOD.”
— Linda Wicker
the nonprofit facilitates sponsorships of kids in five different orphanages: Poludino, Sokolovka, Ayirtausky, Children’s Village, and Archangelka Shelter, which houses orphans for six months before they go to an orphanage. The organization sponsors 107 out of 252 children in partner orphanages, leaving 145 orphans without sponsors.
Linda says the organization lost a lot of its sponsors during the COVID-19 pandemic. Why sponsor a child? “Because they deserve it,” Linda says. “Kindness and love don’t stop in your neighborhood.”
Individuals, families, or organizations can sign up to sponsor a child starting at $15 per month. Sponsors also exchange monthly letters with the children, translated to and from Russian.
Fedya, a child the Wickers met during their visits, has come to the U.S. twice for eye surgeries and treatments. While here, the Wickers enrolled him in school and he attended their church, 1on1, in Newburgh, which also works closely with the Antares Foundation. Since 2018, they
FAMILY CALLING Since 2006, Linda and Larry Wicker have made multiple visits to Kazakhstan to work with orphans on behalf of the Antares Foundation. The couple’s grandson Judah Scholl and adopted sons Daniel and Alex joined them on a trip in August.
have sponsored Sasha from the Sokolovka Orphanage, and they stay connected via social media.
Sponsors also can visit Kazakhstan and meet the children they support. Linda has been around a dozen times after her first trip in 2006, while Larry has made at least nine trips. In August, they took their 17-year-old grandson, Judah Scholl, for the first time, along with their adopted sons Daniel and Alex and three others with the Antares Foundation.
S choll’s interaction with orphans on his inaugural trip made a lasting impact.
“It’s cool to see how much they appreciate your attention, that you understand that they’re equal,” he says. “One act of kindness can change everything. I’m glad we were able to do some good. I will continue to do that.”
He also noted the difference in cuisine — including the use of horse meat and milk — the large number of stray cats, and the lack of certain comforts, like a warm shower.
“We take for granted things we don’t even realize we take for granted,” he says.
Playtime and lunch factor into each visit. At Children’s Village, lunch was pilaf made by a local chef and paid for by the Wicker’s adopted son, Alex, who grew up in Sokolovka. One child cried after a meal because, according to a local coordinator, she was not used to people being kind to her.
“When you see or hug a kid, I can’t describe it, it’s just love,” says Larry, a U.S. Army veteran and former AstraZeneca employee. “They know people halfway around the world love them. No matter how much you love, you will get 10-fold back.”
Children at the orphanages also get a special event day. During the Wickers’ August trip, orphans at Children’s Village, Sokolovka, and Poludino spent a day at the
TIME FOR FUN During visits from Antares Foundation officials and sponsors, Kazakhstani orphans enjoy a special day out, with stops at amusement parks, City Park in Asthana, or for a lakeside picnic lunch.
“WHEN YOU SEE OR HUG A KID, I CAN’T DESCRIBE IT, IT’S JUST LOVE. THEY KNOW PEOPLE HALFWAY AROUND THE WORLD LOVE THEM. NO MATTER HOW MUCH YOU LOVE, YOU WILL GET 10-FOLD BACK.”
— Larry Wicker
port and participation. An English Club, The American Corner, also invited the group to lead a discussion on kindness at a library in Petropavlovsk.
City Park — a place many of the kids had never been to — which was funded by donors and sponsors. Orphans at Ayirtausky enjoyed a lakeside picnic lunch.
“ The kids get motion sick because some have never been in a car,” Linda says, but the excitement still is palpable.
“As we leave, the kids already look forward to next year.”
Children at Ayirtausky also performed a traditional Kazakhstani dance for sponsors and presented the Antares Foundation with a certificate of appreciation, thanking the organization for their sup-
Post-orphans present the Antares Foundation with a different challenge. These children often age out of orphanages in their mid-to-late teens and are encouraged to learn a trade. However, the Kazakhstan government rarely provides them with enough support to live independently. Support comes from 1on1 Church’s resource and handicraft programs, through which post-orphans sell crafts. The Wickers often sell these items — hand-carved wood and Kazakhstan souvenirs, knitted items, jewelry, pillowcases, and more — at area art shows and church events. All proceeds go to the post-orphans, helping them chip away at their monthly expenses. Many post-
SHARING
orphans also need a driver’s license, school supplies, bedding, hygiene items, and phones. This year, 43 children aged out of the five orphanages supported by the Antares Foundation — eight kids were only 15.
While sponsors are in Kazakhstan, post-orphan meetings are held with each orphanage to discuss individual needs, goals, and dreams.
“They don’t get any parenting. They hold onto hope through the program,” Linda says.
The need in the community and love for the children are what draw the Wickers back to Kazakhstan.
“People ask, ‘Why do you go back every year?’ How can you not?” Linda says. “Each year, I see more, another need or another orphan. We’re there to help the orphans because everyone deserves to be loved.”
ANTARES FOUNDATION antaresfoundationinc.com
LOCATION: Central Asia
POPULATION: 20,485,000
CAPITAL: Astana
OFFICIAL LANGUAGES: Kazakh and Russian
INDEPENDENCE DAY: Declared independence from the Soviet Union (U.S.S.R) on Dec. 16, 1991
INTERESTING FACT: Kazakhstan is the ninth largest country in the world (1,820 miles east to west and 960 miles north to south)
LOVE Larry and Linda Wicker’s first involvement with Kazakhstani orphans came in 2006 when they adopted siblings Alex and Oksana. Since then, they’ve returned to the orphanages multiple times. “As we leave, the kids already look forward to next year,” Linda says.
Ways to usher in the holidays through food, family, fun, and more
By Evansville Living staff
The holiday season tends to come into focus as temperatures get colder and days get shorter. For many, this time of year calls for reflections on faith while also soaking in the love of friends or family. Our traditions are as diverse as our people, and EvansvilleLiving sought to capture a slice of the holiday season through the eyes of chefs, crafters, holiday party hosts, and spiritual advisers.
Circular Joy
Adorn your door with natural elements this season
Awreath often is one of the first things greeting guests who walk through your home’s front door, so why not make sure it’s setting the best impression? Here are three natural wreath ideas to help your home welcome the holidays.
Eucalyptus
Emerald Design owner Whitney Muncy says evergreens such as cedar, pine, and spruce are especially popular at this time of year. “They give a seasonal look and are long-lasting as fresh greenery,” she says. Eucalyptus, used in this wreath made for Evansville Living, also works perfectly in wreaths because it’s durable and available year-round, Muncy adds. Other natural elements can give wreaths a certain style. “If someone wants a natural, organic look, then pine cones and mosses may be a good choice,” she says. “Grasses can give a wreath a bohemian style, and berries and dried flowers can add color.” Feeling inspired? Sign up via Emerald Design’s e-newsletter for the in-store wreath bar now through January, as well as a wreath-making class Nov. 30 during Small Business Saturday activities.
Grapevine and Berries
Denise Cummings, a team member with Colonial Classics, says she goes into every wreath-making endeavor with few rules. For Evansville Living, Cummings "started with grapevine branches and foraged throughout our tree beds," she explains. “I selected some different textures and colors that pop and looked very natural.” She used Nandina berries and pine cones in one wreath, and faux berries with no pine cones in the other. Each has various evergreen foliage and can be topped off with a neutral-toned bow. “It’s just going into your own backyard and the woods looking for textures and colors, grouping them together and repeating that pattern, wrapping them with floral wire and overlapping as you go around,” Cummings says. Colonial Classics will host a wreath-making class this season, most likely in late November.
Florals
Randi Gehlhausen, vice president of retail with Zeidler’s Flowers, says the inspiration for a wreath can start from sources such as Pinterest or a do-it-yourself idea sparked from within. Fall is the perfect time to undertake such a creative process, she adds, because of the “cooler temperatures, all of the autumn colors that seem to turn everyone’s head. We can use our resources that have grown and flourished through the summer months.” To craft a wreath that seamlessly transitions from autumn to winter, designer Marilyn Benton used white pine, cedar, magnolia, seeded eucalyptus, grevillea, Italian ruscus, foxtail fern, curly willow, scabiosa pods, lotus pods, caspia, white hypericum berries, pink mink protea, wheat stalks, green amaranthus, helleborus, succulents, and green moss. “Many of these natural items can be found in the outdoors and are very accessible,” Gehlhausen says.
Eucalyptus wreath by Emeral Design
Grapevine and berries wreath by Colonial Classics
Autumn floral wreath by Zeidler's Flowers
Happy Hearts and Full Bellies
Set the table with these chef-recommended dishes
Since food takes a starring role at holiday gatherings, we asked area chefs to share their favorite crowd-pleasing dishes. If you’re going to whip up the entire meal or contribute one item, consider bringing some of these chef-approved suggestions to the table.
Beef Bourguignon
By Katy and Hubert Mussat, co-owners, Farmer and Frenchman
“Hubert’s mother (who had Italian heritage but was French born) inspired our beef bourguignon recipe that is used in the restaurant. It is a crowd pleaser, with a decadent flavor that brings up images of family-style dinners. Serving from a large china platter onto expectant guests’ plates makes the dish communal and hearty
and perfect for the holiday season. Julia Child’s method, explained in the recipe, is similar to the one Hubert’s mother showed us — she didn’t give us written directions, we just had to watch her do it to learn the technique. One thing we’ve learned is that short ribs hold the flavors the best, and that it must use a light red wine, like pinot noir. A bolder red wine will create a bitterness to the dish.” — Katy Mussat
Fried Chicken
By Kathy Holzmeyer, co-owner, The Log Inn
“Our family has grown up on grandma’s fried chicken every Sunday. Chicken just makes everybody happy. The way we serve our chicken is family style on big platters, and we share the food together with all our sides. All the dishes are passed around — everyone, of course, grabbing for those precious fried chicken pieces.”
Cauliflower Cheese Gratin from Charisa Perkins
Beef Bourguignon from Katy and Hubert Mussat
Fried Chicken from Kathy Holzmeyer
Seafood Ramen from Marvin Abadicio
Green Beans with Spiced Candied Walnuts from Doug Rennie
Cauliflower Cheese Gratin
By Charisa Perkins, head chef and general manager, Copper House
“My mom and I found this dish about a decade ago and have tweaked it over the years. It has now become a staple side dish for Thanksgiving and Christmas. Our family was always serving the same side dishes at holidays. I wanted to add something richer in flavor. The cauliflower really acts as a carrier for all the cheeses. It is a simple dish to put together but has a lot of flavor. It’s hard to go wrong with a lot of cheese and cream. Because of that, it very rarely has any leftovers because everyone loves it so much.”
Green Beans with Spiced Candied Walnuts
By Doug Rennie, co-owner, Just Rennie’s Catering
“This is a wonderful side. The fresh crisp French green beans, with the flavor and texture of the sun-dried tomatoes and the spiced candied walnuts, plus hints of crumbled bleu cheese, pair with tenderloin of beef, pork, chicken, or seafood. It is a very festive dish because of the appearance and texture.”
Seafood Ramen
By Marvin Abadicio, executive chef, Domo Japanese Hibachi Grill, Sushi and Ramen
“What really stands out about this ramen dish is the quality of seafood and mixed vegetables — it is so fresh and cooked to perfection. It has a delicious savory taste, and the flavor is incredibly well-balanced with a complex spice blend, such as pepper flakes, chili powder, oyster sauce, soy sauce, paprika, sake, mirin, and dashi broth.”
Wassail (Mulled Cider)
By Scott Schymik, owner, and Reid Small, general manager, Sauced
“The word ‘wassail’ comes from the Old Norse saying ‘ves heill’ which meant ‘be in good health’ or ‘good fortune.’ Wassailing was a celebration full of singing, dancing, and drinking (typically in an
apple orchard) to ensure a plentiful harvest. Over the years, it became a beloved holiday libation that was consumed to bring good fortune in the coming year. I personally enjoy wassail because it just tastes like Christmas. That, coupled with the Old World meaning behind it, just makes for a lovely, comforting libation to enjoy with family and friends.”
Bourbon Bread Pudding
By Katy and Hubert Mussat, co-owners, Farmer and Frenchman
— Reid Small
“Our family’s Christmas dinner featured bourbon heavily, but not for drinking — for cooking desserts! Famed bourbon balls, fudge, and candies were a fixture. I never learned the candy-making, but I did learn my mom’s bourbon bread pudding, which knocked the socks off of my new French in-laws at our first Christmas dinner together.” — Katy Mussat
Pumpkin Cheesecake
By Doug Rennie, co-owner, Just Rennie’s Catering
“This is so special and festive because of the pumpkin pie spice, and the creaminess of the cheesecake makes this a special family favorite dessert during the holiday season. You will be the star of the show!”
Hungry for more? Find the recipes for these menu items at evansvilleliving.com.
Bourbon Bread Pudding from Katy and Hubert Mussat
Wassail from Scott Schymik and Reid Small
Pumpkin Cheesecake from Doug Rennie
Where to see the lights
Get in the spirit by cruising by these holiday displays
One of the delights of the season is appreciating the sparkle of holiday lights. Don your matching pajamas, fill a thermos with hot chocolate, and drive through five neighborhoods that get their shine on.
Highland
Drive through this North Side neighborhood and check out homes off Old State Road with yards full of inflatable holiday characters and lights strung around fences and poles.
Melody Hill
A holiday glow envelopes this swath of northern Vanderburgh County, including a “Veggie Tales” nativity scene on Cypress Court west of Oak Hill Road and a “Silent Night”-themed display on Swinging Way just off St. George Road.
Burkhardt and Newburgh roads
Don’t skip over this four-way stop perched on a hill — neighboring homes join forces to set up a dazzling drive-thru display.
Jennings Street, Newburgh, Indiana
There’s more at stake than just bragging rights for these light displays: Businesses and residences compete for prizes in the river town’s annual decorating contest.
Christmas Lake Village,
Santa Claus, Indiana
Up for a longer drive? Head to the annual Festival of Lights in Christmas Lake Village, a gated community of nearly 1,000 homes around three lakes in Santa Claus, Indiana. Cruise through nine miles of light displays Dec. 14-15 and guess which homes you think will win Judges’ Favorite, Kids’ Favorite, Reason for the Season, and Best Lights. Admission is free, and cash donations will benefit an area charity.
Find a map of more residential light displays by searching “Evansville Christmas lights 2024.”
With Friends Like These
Holiday gatherings have become an integral part of this group of girlfriends
As the saying goes, you are born into your family, but you get to pick your friends. So, why not spend the holidays with your best friends?
This was the rationale behind a group of girlfriends’ weekly Thursday dinners, which have grown to include a grand yearly Friendsgiving, complete with color-coordinated outfits, a gift exchange, and holiday games in a reserved room at a restaurant they select together.
“I wanted to do something to fight isolation,” Kari Akin, one of the founding members of the group, explains. “We share a commonality: Our parents are similar in age, we’re dealing with the same things.”
The seed was planted in October 2019, when Akin, Mary Elizabeth Small, Gretchen Ross, and Heather Howery-King joined Evansville Living’s Best of Evansville party. The quartet frequently attended charity and community events and had dinner together.
On March 20, 2020, Small and Akin toasted Ross’ birthday with cocktails at the former Amy’s on Franklin. As the COVID-19 pandemic was ripping the rug out from under everyday life, “I wondered if I’d ever get to join my friends for a cocktail inside ever again,” Akin says.
She, Small, Ross, and Howery-King began regularly dining together on restaurant patios in June. By August, they were inviting others and set up a private Facebook group to coordinate their meals and events. Ever since the group – which has grown to around 15 women – dines together nearly every single Thursday.
The group is committed to supporting small businesses by dining at local, unique restaurants in Evansville, Newburgh, Indiana, and Henderson, Kentucky.
The girls do more than dine out: They have vacationed in Chicago and Las Vegas, created vision boards for the new year, and supported each other at weddings and funerals. Surveying dinner menus, they often borrow each other’s reading glasses.
“We have a sister bond,” says Diana Cherry, another regular.
M arida, the new Mediterranean restaurant in Newburgh, will host the group’s fifth annual Friendsgiving in December.
Family and other friends are invited along to other outings, but Thursday dinners have a sacred place among this group.
Says Akin, “Thursdays are for the girls.”
— By Michelle Mastro, with Jodi Keen
Inaugural Friendsgiving at Hometown Roots, 2020
Family, Fraternity, 5K
Father-daughter duo Jim and Amy Seibert make the Turkey Day 5K a tradition
Waking up every cold Thanksgiving morning to run Evansville Goodwill Industries’ Turkey Day 5K is a father-daughter event for Jim and Amy Seibert. Though they register as individuals, the two Mater Dei High School graduates have participated in the 5K together for the past seven years.
“Once you start going, it’s not too bad,” says 25-year runner Jim about the cold. “Once we started doing it, we didn’t want to stop. We don’t want to break our streak.”
They first ran the 5K together for two years and have walked subsequent races. The father-daughter duo uses the race as a bonding moment and to prepare for a large family meal.
Amy, who has been running for seven years, describes the holiday season with family as festive but “hectic.” She enjoys “getting up early before the craziness of Thanksgiving and hanging out with my dad.”
Th ousands have joined the starting line over the past 35 years — some run dressed as turkeys or pilgrims — including Amy’s sister, Leigh, if she’s in town. This year, Cash Brown, Amy’s son, will be there too, extending the family’s participation to three generations.
“We meet a lot of people and see a lot of people we know,” Jim says. “There are a lot of people in the running community; we enjoy going out and seeing everyone.”
Family and fraternity are not the only reasons the Seiberts run the 5K. Supporting a good cause like Evansville Goodwill Industries also motivates them to the starting line every year. The race fundraises for The Excel Center Southeast program, which provides a free high school education to adults and held its first classes at its new facility in August.
Though knee issues have prevented Jim from running the race, he does not expect to stop participating anytime soon.
“I will do it ‘til I can’t anymore,” he says.
Community and Caring
Hanka family’s Christmas party has been a hit for years
University of Southern Indiana political science professor Matt Hanka and his wife, Ann, love entertaining at their East Side home, and their Christmas party is a favorite occasion for both the hosts and the attendees. Matt tells Evansville Living how the annual gathering has become something to savor.
“ We’ve hosted our party every year since 2011, except 2020 because of the COVID-19 pandemic. We have between 30-50 people. Some have come as far away as Lexington, Kentucky.
Sometimes, we’ve had a contest for the best ugly Christmas sweater, and one year we had karaoke. Annie makes a great spread that includes smoked salmon, tomato caprese basil skewers, pigs in a blanket, prosciutto rollups, shrimp, sausage balls (which are addictive), and other appetizers. Usually, we serve chili, spaghetti, or pizza. Guests bring whatever dish they want to complement what we pre-
pare. We have an extensive bourbon collection — more than 80 bottles ranging from Jim Beam to top-shelf bourbon such as an 18-year Elijah Craig and a 15-year Pappy Van Winkle — and all kind of spirits, beer, and wines. An old friend declared that we have ‘the best bar in the Tri-State.’
We pass around a basket to collect donations for two organizations each year, and one year, we raised $510. We have raised money for Tri-State Food Bank, Albion Fellows Bacon Center, Meals on Wheels, Ark Crisis Children’s Center, Aurora, Vanderburgh County CASA, Parenting Time Center, Dream Center Evansville, Building Blocks, and United Caring Services, along with the City of Pigeon Forge Fire Relief Fund, when there were wildfires in East Tennessee in 2016, and the Team Western Kentucky Tornado Relief Fund for the tornado victims in December 2021.
Invitations through the years for the Hanka Christmas Fest
We love hosting parties and gatherings at our home. We like bringing people from different walks of life together to celebrate, and it’s a great opportunity to see people we normally don’t see all year. Community is in our bones and in our DNA. It’s important for us to continue to build and maintain community, and our parties hopefully accomplish this.”
Jim Seibert and his daughter Amy Seibert
Finding Respite
Restore bonds and instill peace with these tips
COLLECTED BY EVANSVILLE LIVING STAFF
Searching for calm and connectivity during a hectic holiday season (and after a contentious election)? Here are three pieces of advice for slowing down, centering, and reconnecting with our common humanity.
The Rev. Mary Beth “MB” McCandless Pastor, First Presbyterian Church
“As a new pastor in Evansville, I am mindful of the rush toward the holidays. My daily antidote for ‘busyness and hurry’ centers around rising early to enjoy an unhurried, mundane routine, a leisurely cup or two of coffee, and an easy walk to
my office. I like to arrive early to create space in my morning before everyone gets there. All this helps me remember that I cannot do or be all of the things. The following captures my heart, and may help you:
You are known by God. You are loved by God. That is enough. You are enough.”
Cecile Martin
Owner, Bodyworks Massage Therapy
“In all the teachings on stress reduction and relaxation I’ve come across over the years, by far the most simple and momentary act is to bring your focus to your breath. You don’t have to go anywhere or add anything to your list of things to do, as your breath is always with you. Focusing on the breath is one of the body’s most powerful self-healing tools. Shifting your thoughts from stressors you are facing to watching the inflow and outflow of breath calms the mind and quiets the senses. There is a science behind how this works. Take a few moments now, close your eyes, focus on your breath, and watch what happens.”
Lynn Kyle
Executive director, Lampion Center
“The holiday season is a perfect time to lower stress, increase connection, and share kindness! Slowing your pace and taking a breath is a good start. Then, reach out to connect with someone you haven’t seen lately. Remember that helping others actually increases your happiness (as well as theirs).
There are things we CAN do to make a difference:
• Slice and bake some cookies with your kids to give away.
• Run an errand for someone who can’t.
• Pay it forward in the drive-thru line.”
Home & St yle
ARE YOU IN OR OUT?
Prepare for New Year’s Eve with these festive, flexible items BY
Make your night one to remember this holiday season. No matter how you choose to celebrate — cozying up with friends and family or spending a night on the town — these items will make you feel and look good.
STAYING IN GOING OUT
1. State of Day women’s 3-piece fluid-knit pajama set, Macy’s, $89.50 2. World’s Softest Cozy Collection socks, The Newburgh Mercantile, $21 3. Kantha recycled sari cloth blanket/throw, Rare Bird gifts & goods, $72 4. Birkenstock Zermatt wool felt slippers, Oak Modern, $99.95
$89.99. 2. Gibson & Latimer sequin
$149. 3.
Home & Style
BACK IN TIME
Christi Goodman’s Christmas decor taps into nostalgia BY
MAGGIE VALENTI
When Christi Goodman first made a Christmas wreath using vintage ornaments and a glue gun, she thought, “That was fun!”
Her inspiration came from a club that once displayed a wreath made from ornaments. She and her husband, Charles, have collected antique Christmas decor for more than 30 years, so she had the materials to make one herself. Christi started selling her homemade Christmas decorations at the former BJ’s Home Accents in Newburgh, Indiana. For 11 years, they also have been featured at pop-ups and stores like Tickled Pink Vintage. She sells her decorations through her business, Vintage Googie — a nickname she and her daughter, Natasha, use for each other.
“It keeps me busy during the winter months,” the F.J. Reitz High School alumna says.
Besides wreaths, Christi crafts candelabras and centerpieces. She also fulfills special requests from families to take their vintage ornaments, passed down through generations, and create something new. Charles helps with the mechanical elements of her decorations, which can range from six inches to three feet.
Th e ornaments — from the 1950s-’70s — are sourced from church, garage, and estate sales and flea markets. Much of Christi’s process involves rummaging in her basement workspace, envisioning how holidaycentric objects fit together.
“I like putting a bunch of random things together and seeing how it all comes together,” she says.
The decor is so popular that some people she meets eventually realize they own something she made: “Oh, you’re the one who makes those,” they’ll say.
“People are going crazy for vintage Christmas,” she says.
ON THE MARKET
Geometric Cool
Zillow Gone Wild loves this mid-century
modern residence
BY JODI KEEN
TUCKED IN A CORNER of the Hebron-Meadows Historic District, this home is eye-catching for the way it stretches out its stone-sided arms under a red, low-slung roof. Inside, you’ll discover the mid-century modern home of your dreams. Built in 1958 for Webb Brasseale, who established Evansville’s first modern car wash in 1948, the three-bedroom house projects post-war cool with geometric stained glass, terrazzo floors, and floor-to-ceiling windows around the family and dining rooms. Cheerful pops of tomato red and bright orange paint dress up walls and ceilings surrounding the three-sided central hearth.
The home’s listing has won fans both here and afar. Even national real estate page Zillow Gone Wild was impressed, proclaiming in September that the 2,444-square-foot abode is “a near-perfect mid-century modern.”
The backyard leaves plenty of room for gathering around the in-ground swimming pool, making this corner lot a perfect place to celebrate a residential real estate victory.
950 S. MEADOW ROAD
ANYONE CAN PAINT
Painted ceramics make special holiday gifts at Fired Up!
The most memorable gifts often are crafted by hand. There’s no talent required — it’s the thought that counts.
Christie Marshall, owner of Fired Up! Joe Shmoe’s Art Studio, says the Christmas season is one of the shop’s busiest times. Her philosophy when opening the art studio 22 years ago was that any Joe Shmoe could create something special.
Customers come in to create platters, mugs, cookie jars, cups, plates, platters, Santas, reindeer, ornaments, snowmen, and ceramic trees, which the studio starts ordering in September. Choose a ceramic item, paint a design, and then it goes into the kiln and is ready to take home within a week.
“It’s a one-of-a-kind gift — can’t get any more personal,” says Marshall, a former dental hygienist. “As a mom, I cry if I get gifts like that.”
A more popular request is for children to create ceramic ornaments from their handprints, one of the few items the art studio makes itself. Children press their hand into clay, Marshall puts it in the kiln, paints an elf, reindeer, Santa Claus, or whatever they want onto the handprint, and puts the ornament back into the kiln. Marshall says that ornaments like these — plus footprints for babies — are often gifts for grandparents since “the kids get to do it themselves” and, luckily, they “are usually not that messy.”
“I have many repeat customers that have a collection and can see how their children have grown each year,” Marshall says.
Vintage Christmas trees, sporting a glowing star and lights, are another popular ceramic because of the nostalgia for childhood Christmases that they tap into.
“People go crazy over these trees,” she says.
As Dec. 25 draws closer, Lana Mandel of Evansville, a Fired Up! customer, says it is “standing room only.” Mandel describes creating ceramics as “addicting,” while Janet Bullington, also of Evansville and a fellow regular, describes it as “relaxing.” The studio also hosts field trips, fundraisers, and workshops as well as many date nights.
“It’s an art outlet for all ages, from young children to senior citizens,” Bullington says.
“People walk in off the street, [and it’s] incredible to see what they can produce,” Marshall says.
BY MAGGIE VALENTI
All in the Family
Four generations of Carneses have called this evolving East Side residence home
BY JODI KEEN • PHOTOS BY ZACH STRAW
Although he didn’t set out to, Mark Carnes has proven that you can go home.
Next year, the brick abode he shares with his wife Debbie on Evansville’s East Side will turn 100 years old. Even more impressive: it has never left the Carnes family. Built by Mark’s grandfather, Robert “Rufus” Carnes, in 1925, ownership changed from his grandmother, Edith, to Mark in 1983 but always had a Carnes under its roof.
“We liked the area, and we loved the home,” says Mark, who grew up nearby on Blackford Avenue as one of five children to Paul and the late Marlys Carnes and graduated from William Henry Harrison High School. “We knew it was sound and sturdy.”
Four generations of the Carnes family have lived at the approximately 3,000-square-
FAMILY HOME Mark and Debbie Carnes have resided at the same brick abode at Alvord Boulevard and Bellemeade Avenue since February 1983, but the Carnes family’s roots go back to its beginning. Mark’s father, Paul, was raised on this corner lot in the home built by his father, Rufus, in 1925.
foot residence on the southwest corner of South Alvord Boulevard and Bellemeade Avenue. It served as one of the first homes on the block, something certified by the neighborhood’s original plat map passed down from Mark’s grandfather. In fact, that stretch of Bellemeade was considered out of town until it was incorporated into the City of Evansville in 1927.
Rufus, a practical man and metal purchaser by trade, did not want to fuss with extra amenities. Among the things considered a luxury was an automatic garage door opener — the handle to manually raise the door worked just fine. Rufus astutely
MARK AND DEBBIE CARNES WITH PAUL CARNES (SEATED)
positioned the home’s front door on Bellemeade rather than Alvord because he was convinced the former — then a streetcar line — would be turned into a major thoroughfare. He eventually was proven right.
Mark’s grandmother responded to these limitations by throwing her energy into decorating. Walls frequently were repainted or covered in new wallpaper to give things a refreshed look. When the couple moved in, the walls were covered in green and birch tree paper sporting a horseand-buggy print. She also changed up the flooring, going from the original oilcloth floors to linoleum, then tile. Mark recalls his grandmother sponge-painting the floor’s rough spots by hand.
A STUDY OF CONTRASTS Mark and Debbie Carnes balance neutrals and cool tones with gray and black elements to give their home uniformity. Strategically placed mirrors and fixtures bounce light around the rooms. Hues pop up via dots of greenery and Debbie’s ever-changing decorations — she dresses the house for every season.
The home is filled with childhood memories for Mark, who recalls the frequent scent of his grandmother baking apples, being a bit scared by the dark attic, and — to his eternal chagrin — not being allowed to leave the breakfast nook until he had cleaned his plate. When Paul and his sister, the late Martha Wiggers, decided to list their mother’s home for sale in 1982, Mark and Debbie remarked that they wished they could buy it. Paul, now 96 and still living in Evansville, retorted, “We didn’t think you’d want it!” The couple jumped at the chance and — diligent archivists that they are — documented spending their first night in their new home with their only child on Feb. 23, 1983.
Mark and Debbie set to work updating their new home, one room at a time. The original kitchen layout forced the refrigerator to jut out. Mark relocated the pantry and removed a few doors to make it fit better. The downstairs “TV room” where the family would watch “The Lawrence Welk Show” on Saturday nights eventually became a comfortable primary bathroom with his and her sinks. Fehrenbacher built a mantel for the new fireplace, as well as cabinets in the primary bathroom. They also refinished the attic into a comfortable one-bed, halfbath suite with a sitting room.
Mark — who studied landscape architecture at Purdue University and is naturally handy with design — has spearheaded or handled many renovations himself. He owns Decorating Supplies & Equipment Inc., a company founded by his father, Paul, in which Mark works alongside his son, Justin — another multi-generation endeavor.
The home, though, is far from devoid of traces of the Carnes family’s legacy. Mark and Debbie saved the original windowpane and shutters from the second-floor dormer — added by Rufus when his daughter Martha moved back in — and hung them on the dining room wall. The furniture inviting guests to enjoy the flower-enveloped patio belonged to Mark’s mother. And the breakfast nook still stands.
“It’s so funny, to everybody who walks in, it’s their favorite thing in the house,” Mark laughs. “And when I talk about enlarging the kitchen and all this, they all go, oh no, you can’t.”
“It’s so funny, to everybody who walks in, [the breakfast nook is] their favorite thing in the house. And when I talk about enlarging the kitchen and all this, they all go, oh no, you can’t.” — HOMEOWNER MARK CARNES
Even a neighborhood fixture for a century has a few surprises up its sleeve. Mark and Debbie removed the shutters and two large maple trees from the front yard, painted the home’s original red brick white, and had Mistletoe & Ivy install yard lighting to literally spotlight the new-look exterior. Passersby often have stopped and gazed upon the house as if seeing it for the first time.
Decorative details, like the scalloped metal awning fashionably protecting the cedar roof, now are more visible. The black, powder-coated metal screens around the patio are no ordinary privacy screens. The six-foot-tall panels sport a floral design sketched by Mark and laser cut by a friend who owns a precision metal-cutting and welding business in Michigan. The daffodil design softens an otherwise edgy element on the wraparound porch, which features a stone retaining wall draped in cascades of flowers and plants.
HEARTFELT HERITAGE Evidence of four generations of the Carnes family is sprinkled through the house. The attic, renovated by Mark and Debbie into a sitting room and bonus bedroom, contains a dormer window added when Mark’s aunt Martha moved back in later in life. The patio sports wrought iron garden furniture that belonged to Mark’s late mother, Marlys. Mark still has the home’s blueprints from when it was one of the first established plots on the block.
MARTHA, EDITH, AND PAUL CARNES
Since November 1992, Custom Sewing Services has been dedicated to delivering exceptional craftsmanship, impeccable design, and outstanding customer service. Owner Jennifer Raben works alongside her daughters, Laura Emmons and Sarah Dobrzynski. The business has an impressive workroom where all fabrication is done for exquisite upholstery, drapery, bedding, and pillows. With all work taking place in house, the company has full control over quality. Custom Sewing Services even ships completed designs throughout the country and offers both residential and commercial services.
Laura Emmons, Jennifer Raben (owner), and Sarah Dobrzynski
The enclosed sunroom has become one of Debbie’s favorite spots. A minisplit keeps the space at a comfortable temperature.
“If I’m reading or something, I want to be out there,” says Debbie, a North High School graduate and member of the Wessel family of Evansville Vanderburgh School Corp. coaches and teaches.
Mark credits his wife’s talent for making their modern farmhouse-styled home a comfortable, inviting retreat. Debbie decorates for every season, with hand-selected faux and real greenery and tasteful decor spilling out onto the home’s walkways along Alvord and Bellemeade.
“Christmas was my favorite when I was a little kid,” she says. “And my mom and dad loved Christmas. They didn’t decorate crazy. But I could still remember when Colonial Classics first opened, going with my mom and dad, and we would go specifically just to see the Christmas stuff.”
Th at youthful affection for the sprawling nursery and landscape center changed her life in more ways than one: As a young adult in the 1970s, Debbie was hired by the late Jim McCarty to work at Colonial and subsequently fell for a coworker — Mark. The young couple often visited Mark’s grandparents’ home for family gatherings. Now, they are carrying a Carnes family hallmark into its centennial year.
“We’ve caught ourselves several times saying, ‘We’ve done this to grandma’s house,’” Mark says. “And my brothers and sisters, and Dad especially, have said, ‘It’s not grandmother’s house. It’s your house.’”
p Jeremy Bethel, Sam Mills, Cherie Simpson, Nick Wood, and Ray Butler.
Food & Drink SPARKLE AND POP
BY JODI KEEN
Preparing recipes handed down over generations is an excellent way to feel at home during the holidays. Baking stained glass sugar cookies pulls a double win by appealing to all ages and putting a twist on Grandma’s recipe with crushed hard candy.
Donnie Mays, chef and author of the cookbook “I’ll Bake You Happy,” says there’s no need to limit yourself to one kind of candy — melted Lifesavers, crushed suckers, and even gummy bears provide enough adhesion to keep the dough together and pack a colorful punch in the cookie’s center. Better yet, streak several candy colors for a true stained glass look. That said, make sure you choose candy that works well as a flavor companion with the dough’s almond extract (or double up the vanilla extract, if you’re not an almond-flavor fan). About the dough: Chilling it for an hour will make it easier to handle and cut out shapes. Finished cookies also freeze well — “perfect for personal use or parties,” Mays says.
For a show-stopping finish, dab granulated sugar around the cookies’ edges.
“My favorite part of making these cookies is no doubt seeing the finished product — the red and green candy just add the most gorgeous finish to such a simple sugar cookie,” Mays says.
WORTH EVERY SIP
Enjoy underground holiday cocktails at Hush on Main
BY JOHN MARTIN
It’s the first holiday season for Hush on Main, and the Downtown speakeasy is rolling out a cocktail menu sure to put patrons in a festive mood.
Open since late March in the subterranean space on Main Street formerly occupied by High Score Saloon, Hush has stirred up a following of Downtown diners, special occasion revelers, and craft cocktail connoisseurs. To prepare for the season’s ramped-up festivities, owner Brendon Meier, bar manager Luna Lichlyter, and bartender Daisy Undercuffler brainstormed new creations that add a dash of holiday drama.
How does a Hot Apple Toddy sound for a fall or winter evening? It packs dark rum, hot apple cider, and an autumn spice blend into your glass.
“ The flavors come together really well,” Undercuffler says. “It’s pretty warming for someone coming in from the cold.”
For a yummy tart taste, try the Sugar Plum Fairy, a vodka-based concoction with plum liqueur, “and a little bit of citrus to balance it,” Undercuffler says.
The Peppermint Espresso Martini is a creation of Lichlyter’s. “It’s like a spiked Starbucks,” says floor manager Emily Hines. A
BOTTOMS UP! Hush on Main is marking its first holiday season with a menu of special cocktails. Bartender Daisy Undercuffler, owner Brendon Meier, and floor manager Emily Hines are ready to greet customers of the underground speakeasy with a Noggtini, Sugar Plum Fairy, Peppermint Espresso Martini, or Hot Apple Toddy.
crushed peppermint candy rim adds sweetness. Undercuffler and Meier predict the Peppermint Espresso Martini will be a hit with customers.
Finally, there’s the Noggtini, Meier’s favorite among the quartet of Hush’s holiday cocktails. Set aside any preconceived bias against eggnog and try it, Undercuffler says; this isn’t eggnog poured from a carton. “We are using fresh cream and fresh ingredients,” she says.
The holiday cocktails will go on sale Nov. 14, and starting that date, musician Lindsey Williams will play at Hush on Thursdays. Williams sits on the board of Audubon Kids Zone of Henderson, Kentucky, and $1 for every holiday cocktail sold during his performances will benefit that charity.
Meier looks forward to having diners, and drinkers, come underground and raise a glass to the holidays.
“It’s going to be exciting,” he says. “People can come in here and enjoy their Christmas parties, and things we create for them, and we can get their feedback.”
Turn Table’s savory sliders, crispy potato balls, and more score new fans
BY MAGGIE VALENTI
The flavorful smell wafting from the kitchen at Arcademie bar and arcade is the latest venture from Turn Table.
Friends DeAndre Wilson and Jeff Gott wanted to start a business together since they met as students at North and Benjamin Bosse high schools, respectively.
“ The ambition and imagination were there, that counts for a lot,” Wilson says.
Cooking up burgers, sandwiches, and stick-to-your-ribs sides, Turn Table operated at several pop-up locations and restaurants between 2016 and 2017. After having trouble finding a permanent base, in 2018, Wilson and Gott hit pause.
Turn Table didn’t start serving again until this past May when Your Brother’s Bookstore co-owner Adam Morris connected Gott and Wilson with Arcademie owner Carl Arnheiter, who was looking for a food provider.
“ There are a lot of learning curves,” Wilson says. “‘Entrepreneurial spirit’ means you have to just dive in.”
The menu launched with a Thai chicken sandwich and homemade blueberry lemon pastries. It since has expanded to include smash burger sliders and chicken sliders, which feature seasonal changes. For autumn, the burger siders included bacon, and the chicken sliders were topped with an apple cider glaze. Gott’s favorite dish to prepare is the turnt wrap supreme because it’s “simple but amazing,” he says — braised beef wrapped in a tostada with pickled onion, diced tomato, and avocado.
Don’t skip the crispy potato balls, a customer favorite that fries potatoes with garlic, cheese, butter, and herbs. The menu also includes a papaya salad, marinated to be sweet and spicy with the addition of carrots. For dessert, try turnt tarts with a blueberry lemon filling and topped with blueberry lemon icing.
Jarrod Hawkins, a childhood friend of Wilson’s, began volunteering shortly after the business restarted. He helps Gott prepare food behind the scenes while Wilson plates the food and serves hungry crowds.
“I didn’t have any background in cooking. The way Jeff prepares made it very easy to learn,” Hawkins, also a North graduate, says of Gott, a former chef at Rolling Hills Country Club in Newburgh, Indiana.
“He picked it up like that,” Gott says, adding a snap.
The rebooted menu has found plenty of fans.
“ The feeling has been great. Crazy, but in a good way. I want this to keep going,” Wilson says. “People are loving it.”
TURN TABLE AT ARCADEMIE
22 N.W. Sixth St. 5-10 p.m. Wednesdays; 5-11 p.m. Thursdays; 5 p.m.-1 a.m. Fridays and Saturdays facebook.com/TurnTableLLC
GOOD EATS Word is out on Turn Table’s fresh-from-the-grill menu at Downtown bar Arcademie. After a six-year hiatus, DeAndre Wilson and Jeff Gott, plus Jarrod Hawkins, are cooking up juicy burger sliders, tangy chicken sliders, wraps, and fan-favorite crispy potato balls.
Food & Drink LOCAL FLAVOR
MODERN MEXICAN
Noche brings south-of-the-border flavor to the West Side
Noche Cantina & Cocina opened in January 2024, and it was an instant hit: Social media feeds were filled with praise for the new West Side culinary destination.
Managers and staff at Noche have worked ever since to sustain that momentum, with positive results. It’s evident especially at dinnertime on weekends, when the sidewalk level and upper floor dining spaces are bustling with patrons.
“Everyone wants to get dinner and drinks as a combo, and not just one or the other, on Friday and Saturday nights,” says General Manager Blake DeWeese.
The Evansville region, of course, has multiple Mexican restaurants, many of the Americanized variety and a few others that are more authentic. Noche is in the latter camp, and it’s unique to the market for a few reasons.
First, it’s the only Mexican place on the West Franklin Street corridor. Second, DeWeese points out as he shakes up some drinks behind Noche’s bar, it pairs authentic cuisine with high-end craft cocktails.
Let’s start with the food, prepared under the keen supervision of kitchen manager Victor Perez, whose 20 years in the industry have taken him through numerous American and Mexican restaurants’ kitchens.
“I love cooking,” Perez says. “It’s part of my heritage, and I love people.”
Perez and his team make everything fresh, including the dips. We recommend the sampler of house salsa, jalapeno cilantro ranch, and a choice of guacamole, classic queso, chorizo queso, or street corn dip.
Di ps obviously require chips. At Noche, chips and tortillas are supplied by Tortilleria La Milpa of Newburgh, Indiana, and the tortillas marry up perfectly with an extensive list of tacos designed for multiple palates.
Chicken on the Beach tacos wink at a favorite Evansville dish and are Noche’s best seller; they feature grilled adobo chicken, Spanish rice, queso fresco, pico de gall, chipotle aioli, and crema. Chipotle chicken tacos are close behind, with other taco choices like voodoo chicken, carnitas,
Appetizers include The West Sider Nacho. True to its surrounding neighborhood, the plate starts with barbecue Grippo chips topped with brisket, street corn, pico de gallo, barbecue and ranch sauce drizzles, and queso.
Burritos are stuffed with your choice of protein and other fillings, and they come covered in queso. Other entrees are rice bowls and quesadillas – again, you pick the protein – and Chicken on the Beach. There’s also a taco shell salad with shredded chipotle chicken and a grilled elote salad topped with adobo chicken.
Room for dessert? Try churros or deepfried tres leches.
Noche’s commitment to freshness extends to its drink menu.
“For all the cocktails, we use lime juice, lemon juice, and grapefruit juice that’s all freshly squeezed,” DeWeese says. “We order the fruit, and we hand-juice it.”
The top-selling drink easily is the Noche Margarita. That drink and the La Fuego
Margarita – jalapeno-infused tequila adds some kick – comprise about 60 percent of Noche’s cocktail sales, DeWeese says. In all, Noche has more than a dozen cocktail options, plus wine.
NOCHE’S CUSTOMIZABLE STREET TACOS
“Everyone wants to get dinner and drinks as a combo, and not just one or the other, on Friday and Saturday nights.”
—General Manager Blake DeWeese
Noche servers also tote out numerous Mexican beers, including a non-alcoholic Corona.
Noche’s building at 2215 W. Franklin St. used to have an insurance office at ground level, with an apartment on top. You’d never know that these days – the property underwent a full makeover, but diners are not greeted by the typical colorful décor found at most Mexican restaurants.
The clean, modern look with high ceilings and tile floors was created by West Side
DeWeese worked at other restaurants Patel owned before taking the general manager’s role at Noche upon its January debut.
“I started at the Rooftop with Richie, and I have followed him with everything he’s done, from The Landing in Newburgh, to Birdies, to Pip’s Pub,” DeWeese says. “I was there for two years, and I learned the ropes before we did something like this.”
The fact that Patel owns other restaurants is advantageous from a staffing standpoint because it creates cross-training and
but DeWeese says that Patel cited a need for one “reset” day.
“It’s hard as a small business to take any days off, but I feel like we’ve earned it here,” DeWeese says.
With some early success behind them, DeWeese and his crew strive to do even better and make new Noche fans.
“We’re still trying to hit the nail on the head when it comes to service and food, and we continue to do that,” he says. “It’s important, because there a lot of first impressions every day.”
VICTOR PEREZ, RICHIE PATEL, AND BLAKE DEWEESE
LA FUEGO MARGARITA, QUEEN OF THE SOUTH, AND MAMACITA MEZCAL COCKTAILS
THE WEST SIDER NACHO
DINE IN - CARRY OUT CATERING
• WE GOT YOU COVERED •
Dining in or carry out, Prime Time has you covered with awardwinning burgers, rice bowls, steaks, pasta, and of course prime rib. Having an event? Book one of our party rooms! Catering? As a licensed caterer of food and bar, we cater weddings, parties, corporate events, and employee appreciation. You name it, and we can cater it. With experience in catering events from 10 to 2000 people, we’ve got you covered! Prime Time is a locally veteran-owned business that supports the community we live in. For your next event, dine-in, or catering, it’s Prime Time Pub and Grill in Newburgh and Evansville.
Holiday Parties & Catering
Dining Directory
FINE DINING
CAVANAUGH’S: 421 N.W. Riverside Drive (inside Bally’s Evansville), 812433-4333. Steaks, fresh seafood, overlooking the Ohio River, and entertainment in the piano bar.
RED GERANIUM: 520 North St., New Harmony, IN, 812-682-6171. Contemporary American fare.
UPSCALE DINING
BAR LOUIE: 7700 Eagle Crest Blvd., 812-476-7069. Full bar, expansive menu with a variety of appetizers, a large hamburger selection, and signature martinis. Catering available.
BIAGGI’S RISTORANTE ITALIANO: 6401 E. Lloyd Expressway Ste. 3, 812421-0800. Italian cuisine from scratch including monthly chef features, authentic pastas, chicken parmesan, and bruschetta, plus gluten-free options. Catering available.
BONEFISH GRILL: 6401 E. Lloyd Expressway, 812-401-3474. Wood-burning grill, fish, steaks, soups, salads, and its famous Bang Bang Shrimp. Catering available.
BRU BURGER BAR: (Best Restaurant for a Burger) 222 Sycamore St. in the former Greyhound bus terminal, 812-302-3005. Signature chef burgers, classic sandwiches, salads, appetizers, desserts, and an extensive drink menu.
CAMBRIDGE GRILL: 1034 Beacon Hill (at Cambridge Golf Course), 812868-4653. Salads, sandwiches, pizzas, entrées, and an expanded wine menu.
THE COLLECTIVE: 230 Main St. (above COMFORT by the Cross-Eyed Cricket), 812-909-3742. Fresh specialty appetizers and entrées with an extensive beverage list.
COMFORT BY THE CROSS-EYED CRICKET: (Best Restaurant for Brunch) 230 Main St., 812-909-3742. Full breakfast menu, home-style favorites, sandwiches, steaks, and salads.
COPPER HOUSE: 1430 W. Franklin St., 812-909-8089. Unique cuisine meets comfort food including shrimp and grits, burgers, apricot salmon, goat cheese bites, and signature cocktails. Event space available.
CORK ‘N CLEAVER: (Best Restaurant for a Celebratory Dinner) 650 S. Hebron Ave., 812-479-6974. Steak, prime rib, chicken, seafood, salad bar, soup, and sandwich lunches.
COSMOS BISTRO: 101 S.E. First St., 812-437-5281. A local chef-inspired rotating menu of duck, lobster agnolotti, venison tartare, oysters on the half shell, and more.
ENTWINED WINE AND COCKTAIL BAR: 303 Main St., 812-550-1393. A robust list of wine, beer, and cocktails, plus appetizing plates of starters and shareables.
FARMER & FRENCHMAN: 12522 U.S. 41 S., Robards, KY, 270-748-1856. Café featuring cheese and charcuterie trays, salads, Neapolitan pizzas, pasta, sandwiches, desserts, beer, and Farmer & Frenchman house and European wines. Catering available.
HAUB STEAK HOUSE: 101 E. Haub St., Haubstadt, IN, 812-768-6462. A la carte menu. Steak, prime rib, seafood, chicken, pork, vegetable side dishes, and desserts.
HOUSE OF COMO: 2700 S. Kentucky Ave., 812-422-0572. Baked chicken dishes, lamb chops, fish entrées, and oversized steaks with Lebanese and Middle Eastern influence. Catering available.
R’Z CAFÉ AND CATERING: 104 N. Main St., Fort Branch, IN, 812-615-0039. Classic comfort food to modern cuisine, including breakfast and lunch combinations as well as daily specials.
SAMUEL’S: 113 S.E. Fourth St., 812-777-0047. A wide range of shareable bites for the table, specialty entrées, and sandwiches rotating seasonally for those 21-plus only. Open for lunch and dinner.
Listing Key
UNLESS OTHERWISE NOTED, restaurants are accessible to people with disabilities and accept major credit cards. City and county ordinances prohibit smoking in many facilities. We suggest calling ahead to check which venues are exempt. Evansville Living has made every attempt to present an accurate guide. Please notify us of significant changes in a restaurant’s management, location, or menu. This directory is compiled by editorial staff and not based on advertising.
RESTAURANTS THAT DEFINE OUR CITY
SCHYMIK’S KITCHEN: 1112 Parrett St., 812-401-3333. Globally influenced restaurant with a full bar with brunch available on Sundays.
PRIVATE CLUBS
EVANSVILLE COUNTRY CLUB: 3810 Stringtown Road, 812-425-2243. Executive chef on staff. Diverse menu selection including prime steaks and fresh seafood. Member-only dining.
OAK MEADOW COUNTRY CLUB (THE MEMBERS GRILL): 11505 Browning Road, 812-867-1900. Chef-created menu in full-service dining room and diverse options ranging from traditional to cutting edge. Breakfast served on weekends. Member-only dining.
ROLLING HILLS COUNTRY CLUB: 1666 Old Plank Road, Newburgh, IN, 812925-3336. Executive chef on staff. New and classic dishes including chicken, steak, seafood specials, and pastas. Member-only dining.
DELIS
BOWLIFY SUPERFOODS: 250 N. Burkhardt Road, 812-303-2874; 8390 High Pointe Drive, Newburgh, IN, 812-518-1364; 900 Main St. (inside Main Street Food & Beverage). Acai bowls, smoothies, rice protein bowls, and avocado toasts. Catering available.
CHICKEN SALAD CHICK: 1414 Hirschland Road, 812-594-9820. More than 12 flavors of chicken salad, soups, sides, and desserts. Catering available.
CRISP & GREEN: 6436 E. Florida St. Ste. 104, 812-602-1772. Salads, bowls, wraps, smoothies, and more.
THE DELI: 421 N.W. Riverside Drive (inside Bally’s Evansville), 812-4334000. Deli sandwiches, salads, hot dogs, and pizza.
THE DELI AT ONB: One Main St. (inside Old National Bank), 812-4245801. Fresh soups, salads, sandwiches, paninis, desserts, and daily specials. Catering available.
FIREHOUSE SUBS: 1031 N. Green River Road, 812-909-4445. Hot and cold sandwiches with toppings such as smoked turkey, sliced chicken, and veggies. Kids eat free on Wednesdays and Sundays. Catering available.
THE GRANOLA JAR CAFÉ & BAKERY: 1033 Mount Pleasant Road, 812-4371899; 5600 E. Virginia St., 812-401-8111. Specializes in house-made granola along with sandwiches and deli salads plus vegetarian and vegan options. Catering available.
HONEYBAKED HAM: 1446 N. Green River Road, 812-471-2940. Boxed lunches, sandwiches, salads, as well as whole, half, or slices of ham. Variety of desserts and side items. Catering available.
JASON’S DELI: 943 N. Green River Road, 812-471-9905. Sandwiches, salads, and other healthy meals with fresh ingredients and no artificial trans fats, MSG, or high fructose corn syrup, plus a 22-foot-long salad bar and free ice cream with every order. Catering available.
JIMMY JOHN’S: 701 N. Burkhardt Road, 812-401-5400; 130 N. St. Joseph Ave., 812-402-9944; 330 Main St., 812-402-5653; 2320 N. Green River
Road, 812-402-5747; 8680 High Pointe Drive, Newburgh, IN, 812490-7111. Deli-style sandwiches, fresh-baked bread, vegetables prepared daily, and cold-cut meats. Catering available.
MCALISTER’S DELI: 2220 N. Green River Road, 812-618-2050; 5301 Pearl Drive, Ste. 100, 812-228-4222; 3788 Libbert Road, Newburgh, IN, 812-490-3354. Deli sandwiches, salads, spuds, soups, and sweet tea.
OLD TYME DELI & MEAT SHOP: 307 N. First Ave., 812-401-1030. A traditional deli and meat shop offering plate lunches.
PANERA BREAD: 220 N. Burkhardt Road, 812-476-7477; 5201 Pearl Drive, 812-250-7088; 4015 Gateway Blvd., Newburgh, IN, (inside Deaconess Orthopedic Neuroscience Hospital) 812-706-6386. Breads, sandwiches, paninis, soups, salads, and specialty coffee drinks. Catering available at Burkhardt and Pearl locations.
PENN STATION EAST COAST SUBS: 137 N. Burkhardt Road, 812-4797366; 4827 Davis Lant Drive, 812-402-7366; 5310 Pearl Drive, 812-434-7366; 8887 High Pointe Drive, Newburgh, IN, 812- 4017366; 1111 Barrett Blvd., Henderson, KY, 270-826-7361. Grilled, made fresh-to-order sub sandwiches, homemade hand-cut fries, fresh baked cookies, and fresh-squeezed lemonade. Catering available.
WHICH WICH: 6401 N. Green River Road, 812-867-0826. An extensive menu of customizable sandwiches and sides. Catering available.
BAKERIES, COFFEEHOUSES, AND ICE CREAM
2ND STREET BISTRO & BAKERY: 111 S. Second St., Boonville, IN, 812573-8887. Sandwiches and freshly baked breads, desserts, cookies, cakes, pies, and more.
3 CHICKS FUDGERY: 305 Main St., Mount Vernon, IN, 812-307-3454. Fresh fudge, gourmet coffee, hand-dipped ice cream from JB’s Barnyard, and unique gifts. Catering and food truck available.
BASKIN-ROBBINS: 3960 N. First Ave., 812-550-1500. Premium ice cream, plus bakery treats and custom ice cream cakes and pies.
BE HAPPY PIE COMPANY: 2818 Mount Vernon Ave. Ste. B, 812-449-7718. 6225 E. Virginia St. Ste. C, 812-916-9454. Made-from-scratch bakery specializing in sweet and savory pies, sweet rolls, brownies, cookies, scones, petite cheesecakes, coffee cakes, and cookie pies.
BEA SWEET TREATS: 4111 Merchant Drive, Newburgh, IN, 812-454-7728. Custom cakes and cookies, macarons, cinnamon rolls, and other baked goods.
BEANS & BARISTAS: 800 N. Green River Road (inside Eastland Mall), 812-475-8566. Full coffee bar, gourmet coffees and teas, Italian sodas, and various pastry treats. Retail gourmet coffee beans, teas, and unique gifts.
BLACK LODGE COFFEE ROASTERS: 610 Church St., New Harmony, IN, 812-682-2449. Pour-overs, cold brew, iced coffee, espresso, and more.
BUBBLE PANDA: 1524 N. Green River Road, 812-760-2728. Bubble tea shop offering milk and ice teas, slushies, smoothies, and lattes.
2024 “Best of Evansville” winner
Regional Restaurant outside of Evansville and Newburgh, Indiana
PHOTO BY ZACH STRAW
BLT&A CHOPPED SALAD WITH SEARED CHICKEN FROM BAR LOUIE
BUBBLE TEATALK: 619 N. Burkhardt Road, Ste. G, 812-598-5235. Bubble and milk teas, smoothies, slushies, and more.
CLEO’S BAKERY & BROWN BAG LUNCHES: 9 W. Jennings St., Newburgh, IN, 812-853-0500. Full bakery with cookies, scones, muffins, cupcakes, coffee, and lunches including signature sandwiches paired with a choice of chips, pickles, and homemade soup. Catering available.
COOKIES AND CUPCAKE BY DESIGN: 419 Metro Ave., 812-426-1599. Cookie bouquets, custom-decorated cookies, cupcakes, cookie cakes, and other baked goods. Local delivery is available.
CRUMBL COOKIES: 939 N. Burkhardt Road Ste. B, 812-965-4133; 5435 Pearl Drive, Ste. 2, 930-212-0677. Delivery and carry-out homemade, gourmet cookies. Catering available.
D-ICE: 800 N. Green River Road (in Eastland Mall food court), 812-3199071. Thai-fried ice cream rolls and bubble tea.
DONUT BANK BAKERY AND COFFEE SHOP: 210 N. St. Joseph Ave., 812-426-1011; 2128 N. First Ave., 812-426-2311; 1031 E. Diamond Ave., 812-426-0011; 5 N. Green River Road, 812-479-0511; 1950 Washington Ave., 812477-2711; 3988 State Highway 261, Newburgh, IN, 812-858-9911; 1200 Lincoln Ave., 812-402-4111; 4800 W. Lloyd Expressway, 812-401-2211; 1303 W. Broadway St., Princeton, IN, 812-385-3711; 2630A U.S. 41, Henderson, KY, 270-212-0181. Donuts, coffee, cookies, other baked goods, and smoothies.
DUNKIN’: 3960 N. First Ave., 812-550-1500; 850 N. Green River Road, 812-303-5797; 848 S. Green River Road, 731-259-4112; 3955 Orchard Lane, Newburgh, IN; 2222 U.S. 41, Henderson, KY, 270-297-0299. Donuts, pastries, breakfast sandwiches, and a variety of coffees.
ELBIE’S ICE CREAM: 70 S.E. Front St., Elberfeld, IN, 812-403-3778. Seasonal ice cream stand with specialty dishes, ice cream nachos, unicorn sundaes, and more.
FARM 57: 3443 Kansas Road, 812-677-5757. House-made pastries plus coffee, ice cream, and drinks. Seasonal live music and food trucks on Wednesdays.
FIRE & ICE: 606 Main St., Ste. B, New Harmony, IN. Serving ice cream, milkshakes, honey-glazed hot ham, chili, and more.
GAYLACAKE: 320 N. Main St., 812-454-9791. Specializes in order-only cupcakes, cookies, special occasion cakes, and other baked goods.
GREAT HARVEST BREAD COMPANY: 423 Metro Ave., 812-476-4999. Freshbaked bread, breakfast items, sandwiches, salads, homemade soups for lunch, and specialty sweets. Catering available.
HOMETOWN NUTRITION: 300 Main St., Ste. 1A, 812-401-0058. Smoothies, boosted teas, protein shakes, and more.
HONEY MOON COFFEE CO.: (Best Coffee Shop) 612 S. Weinbach Ave., 812-602-3123; 1211 Tutor Lane, 812-893-2945; 2903 Mount Vernon Ave., 812-470-3205; 20 W. Water St., Newburgh, IN. 812-746-8168. Curated coffee and drinks, Hong Kong-style bubble waffles, all-day breakfast items, and Graeter’s ice cream.
INSOMNIA COOKIES: 318 Main St., Ste. 100, 930-500-4814. Late-night bakery specializing in delivery and carry-out warm cookies.
JOE BREWSKI COFFEE: 10 N.W. Sixth St. Specialty cold brews and lemonades.
KWENCH JUICE CAFE: 1211 Tutor Lane, Ste. A, 812-550-1125. Vegan smoothies, juice shots, and acai and pitaya bowls.
LIC’S DELI AND ICE CREAM: (Best Milkshake) 800 E. Diamond Ave., 812-424-4862; 4501 Lincoln Ave., 812-477-3131; 2001 Washington Ave., 812-473-0569; 11 N.W. Fifth St., 812-422-2618; 8700 Ruffian Lane, Newburgh, IN, 812-858-0022. Deli-style soups, salads, sandwiches, locally made ice cream, choco-cremes, and sorbets.
MAYSE FARM MARKET: 6400 St. Joseph Ave., 812-963-3175. Homegrown fruits and vegetables including tomatoes, strawberries, sweet corn, and pumpkins, plus a bakery with pies, cakes, rolls, fruit breads, and more.
MILK & SUGAR SCOOP SHOPPE: 2027 W. Franklin St., 812-602-1423; 10931 IN 66, 812-625-1087. Premium ice cream shop.
MISSION GROUNDS: 1107 Washington Square, 812-421-3808. Specialty coffee, tea, lemonade, whole beans for sale, and pastries.
MR. BUBBLE TEA: 503 N. Green River Road, 812-550-3166. Smoothies, Asian beverages, and bubble tea in different flavors.
MULBERRY JEAN’S ACCENTS: 600 State St., Newburgh, IN, 812-4905835. High tea served with sandwiches, desserts, an extensive collection of premium coffee beans, and a variety of looseleaf tea.
NOTHING BUNDT CAKES: 6436 E. Florida St., Ste. 100, 812-758-7856. Serving full-size and miniature specialty cakes for any occasion.
ORANGE LEAF FROZEN YOGURT: 701 N. Burkhardt Road, 812-401-5215. Up to 70 flavors of frozen yogurt.
PANADERÍA SAN MIGUEL: 2004 Washington Ave., 812-814-8037. Traditional Mexican bakery with cakes, pastries, and bread.
PARLOR DOUGHNUTS: 204 Main St., 812-303-4487; 301 N. Green River Road, 812-303-5906. Specialty doughnuts and coffee from Proper Coffee Roasters. Green River Road location also serves breakfast items and milkshakes.
PENNY LANE COFFEEHOUSE: 600 S.E. Second St., 812-421-8741; 601 E. Boonville New Harmony Road, 812-626-0007. Fair trade organic espresso and espresso drinks, gourmet coffees, Italian sodas, fresh-baked pastries, and vegetarian soups.
PIECE OF CAKE: 210 Main St., 812-424-2253. Customized cakes, cookies, coffee, sodas, breakfast items, and more.
REVIVE ENERGY AND NUTRITION: 1211 Tutor Lane. Boosted smoothies and teas, protein shakes, and more.
RIVER CITY COFFEE + GOODS: 223 Main St., 812-550-1695. Espresso bar, brewed coffees, pour-overs, and teas.
RIVER KITTY CAT CAFE: 226 Main St., 812-550-1553. Coffee, tea, croissants, cookies, biscotti, and savory pastries.
RIVERTOWN ICE CREAM AND GRILL: 521 State St., Newburgh, IN. Seasonal walk-up eatery offering soft serve ice cream, floats, sundaes, dipped cones, and more, plus corn dogs, burgers, and chicken tenders.
SCOOTER’S COFFEE: 535 E. Diamond Ave., 812-916-9487. A coffee shop with hot, iced, and blended drinks, smoothies, teas, and baked goods.
SMALLEY COFFEE: 2955 Newton St., Jasper, IN. Handcrafted drinks including tea, coffee, and frozen drinks.
STARBUCKS: 624 S. Green River Road (inside Barnes & Noble), 812475-1054; 504 N. Green River Road, 812-476-7385; 6401 E. Lloyd Expressway, Ste. 16, 812-401-1771; 4700 W. Lloyd Expressway, 812-549-4053; 4650 First Ave., 812-421-0461; 601 Walnut St., 812423-5002; 9919 Pointe View Drive, Newburgh, IN, 930-203-0463; 7755 IN 66, Newburgh, IN, 812-858-0234. Specialty coffees, teas, and baked goods.
TF ICE CREAM: 1002 E. Walnut St., Boonville, IN, 812-715-3367. Ice cream, sherbet, barbecue, chili dogs, and more.
TROPICAL SMOOTHIE CAFE: 2101 N. Green River Road, 812-2979727. Smoothies, flatbreads, wraps, salads, and sandwiches. Catering available.
DINERS, CAFÉS, AND FAMILY RESTAURANTS
10-8 CAFÉ: 4209 U.S. 41 N., 812-413-0129 and 812-413-9355. A cafe with breakfast, appetizers, pizza, sandwiches, burgers, and specialty coffee from the makers of White Swan Coffee Lab.
BIG-TOP DRIVE IN: 1213 W. Maryland St., 812-424-7442. Burgers, sandwiches, chicken strips, and ice cream.
BURGER BANK: 1617 S. Weinbach Ave., 812-475-2265. Mini-burgers, cheeseburgers, fries, and more.
THE CAROUSEL: 5115 Monroe Ave., 812-479-6388. Classic American cuisine.
CARRIAGE INN: 103 Gibson St., Haubstadt, IN, 812-768-6131. Plate lunches, sandwiches, soups, salads, steaks, and assorted dinner entrées.
CATFISH WILLY’S SEAFOOD & COMFORT CUISINE: 5720 E. Virginia St., 812-401-2233. Seafood favorites like crab, lobster, shrimp, gator, and Southern comfort food. Patrons can order Hoosier Burger Co. items.
CHEF LO ON THE GO: 900 Main St. (inside Main Street Food & Beverage). Serving sandwiches like smash burgers, catfish sandwiches, and shrimp po’boys.
CLEAVERS: 5501 E. Indiana St., 812-473-0001. Sandwiches including pulled pork, Chicago-style Italian beef, pork loin, and steak.
COMMANDER’S GRILL: 118 W. Locust St., Boonville, IN, 812-7150055. A sandwich shop with fried chicken, salads, steaks, and pork chops.
CROSS-EYED CRICKET FAMILY RESTAURANT: 2101 W. Lloyd Expressway, 812-422-6464. Sandwiches, fish dishes, breakfast items, country-style dinners, and more.
THE DAIRIETTE: 711 Atkinson St., Henderson, KY, 270-826-2401. Hamburgers, tenderloins, fries, milkshakes, and soft-serve sundaes.
DADE PARK GRILL AT ELLIS PARK: 3300 U.S. 41 N., Henderson, KY, 812-425-1456 or 800-333-8110. Clubhouse dining.
THE DINER BY MELE’S: 550 N. Green River Road, 812-402-1272. Regional specialties, Mexican-inspired dishes, and all-day breakfast.
DISHES BY DANI: 421 Read St., 812-470-2615. Serves salads, fruit bowls, parfaits, warm-up meals like taco bowls and stir fry, and sweets like cakes, pies, and brownies. Catering available.
DOWNTOWN GRILL: 900 Main St. (inside Main Street Food & Beverage). Serving sandwiches including Philly Cheesesteaks, Cubans, Italians, Subs, and hotdogs.
FRESH TAKES
NOW OPEN
Sazón y Fuego, the newest establishment from restaurateur Randy Hobson (Pangea Pizzeria, Second Language, and Pangea Kitchen) offers diners Latin American cuisine including pollo con mole, ropa vieja, picanha, and more at 8666 Ruffian Lane, Newburgh, Indiana. Marida Mediterranean Restaurant, One E. Water St., Newburgh, has opened in The Landing’s former location and offers a Mediterranean menu of kebabs, lahmacun, lamb shank, and more. Industry Bar, serving beer and cocktails at 101 S.E. First St., has replaced Myriad Brewing Company’s Evansville taproom, which closed in September. Myriad has condensed operations to its taproom at 8245 High Pointe Drive, Newburgh. BlueBird Hot Chicken food truck serves hot chicken, deepfried pickles, cornbread waffles, and more from a renovated school bus
NIBBLES
Lauren and Nick Burch have sold Jennings Street Public House, 300 W. Jennings St., Newburgh, to brothers Zach DeHaven, who owns Fat Boy’s Pizza, and John DeHaven. The pair will operate the establishment under the name Haven’s Bar Twisted Tomato Pizza Co., 2333 Saint George Road, revealed new menu items including chicken alfredo, pizza burger, and pepperoni cheese bread. Japanese Restaurant Osaka, 422 Bell Road Ste. 7, Newburgh, has added Indonesian cuisine including mie goreng, sate ayam, and chicken rendang. The Carriage Inn, 103 E. Gibson St., Haubstadt, Indiana, is for sale. Josh Pietrowski, Scott Schymik, and Alan “A.C.” Braun will begin new brewing operations for Patsy Hartigan’s Irish Pub in Myriad’s former space at the McCurdy Building. Thai restaurant Thai Lanna will replace Thai Orchids at 601 E. Boonville New Harmony Road in early December. Kite & Key Café, 2301 W. Franklin St., offers a new breakfast sandwich 6-8 a.m. for early risers that features a hard-cooked egg, cheddar cheese, and a sausage patty on an English muffin.
DEARLY DEPARTED
The Granola Jar, 333 State St., Newburgh, closed Sept. 13. Bobaccinos Cafe, 3848 N. First Ave., ceased operations after Sept. 15. Heady’s Pizza, 4120 N. First Ave., has closed its doors. Enigma Bar & Grill, 4044 Professional Lane, Newburgh, has closed its bar but says new plans are on the horizon. Myriad Brewing Company’s Evansville Taproom, 101 S.E. First St. Ste. 1, has closed.
Dining Directory
FEED MILL RESTAURANT & BAR: 3541 State Highway 60-E., Morganfield, KY, 270-389-0047. Seafood and barbecue.
FRANKIE’S RESTAURANT: 6840 Logan Drive, 812-490-3172. A wide range of American fare across dedicated menus for breakfast, lunch, and dinner.
G.D. RITZY’S: 4810 University Drive, 812-425-8700; 4320 N. First Ave., 812-421-1300; 601 N. Green River Road, 812-474-6259. Hamburgers, grilled chicken, chicken strips, hot dogs, peanut butter and jelly sandwiches, ultra-thin shoestring-style French fries, old-fashioned ice cream, and milkshakes.
GASTHOF AMISH VILLAGE: 6747 E. Gasthof Village Road, Montgomery, IN, 812-486-4900. Amish-style buffet with bakery. Catering available.
HOMETOWN ROOTS: 136 Second St., Henderson, KY, 270-212-3653. Southern comfort food like mac and cheese, pulled pork, and fried chicken. Catering available.
THE HORNET’S NEST: 11845 Petersburg Road, 812-867-2386. Soups, sandwiches, salads, daily lunch specials, steaks, seafood, and chicken, plus brunch.
JOURNEY FISH AND CHICKEN: 825 S. Green River Road, 812-303-2420. Sandwiches, gyros, fried fish, and fried chicken.
JUICY SEAFOOD: 865 N. Green River Road, 812-303-6869. Seafood boils, fried seafood, and appetizers.
KITE & KEY CAFÉ: 2301 W. Franklin St., 812-401-0275. Breakfast and lunch options and desserts, with an in-house coffee shop serving coffee, espresso drinks, tea, hot chocolate, smoothies, frappes, and pastries.
THE KORNER INN: 15 W. Main St., Elberfeld, IN, 812-983-4200. Daily lunch specials, sandwiches, burgers, and dinners.
LIBBY AND MOM’S: 2 Richardt Ave., 812-437-3040. Home-cooked meals for breakfast, lunch, and dinner.
LOG INN: 12491 County Road 200 E., Haubstadt, IN, 812-867-3216. Fried chicken, ham, roast beef, and fiddlers.
MAIN STREET FOOD & BEVERAGE: 900 Main St. Food hall with patio offering Latina American and Venezuelan fare alongside sandwich shops and acai bowls.
MAJOR MUNCH: 101 N.W. First St., 812-306-7317. Cheeseburgers, chili, grilled chicken sandwiches, grilled cheese, and catfish.
MERRY-GO-ROUND RESTAURANT: 2101 Fares Ave., 812-423-6388. Traditional American cuisine.
MISTER B’S: (Best Restaurant for Wings) 1340 Hirschland Road, 812402-2090; 2611 U.S. 41, Henderson, KY, 270-826-1111. Pizza, wings, sandwiches, soup, salad, and pasta. Catering available.
MR. D’S: 1435 S. Green St., Henderson, KY, 270-826-2505. Drive-in classic American cuisine mushrooms, chicken strips, fried chicken, chicken liver, chicken sandwiches, and more all hand-breaded with Colonel Jim’s Breading. Breakfast and charcuterie board catering are available.
NELLIE’S NORTH: 6600 N. First Ave., 812-437-5215. Serves breakfast, lunch, and dinner including dishes like omelets, skillets, crepes, steak burgers, sandwiches, and catfish. Catering available.
NELLIE’S RESTAURANT: 8566 Ruffian Lane, Newburgh, IN, 812-629-2142. Breakfast and lunch items, such as omelets, pancakes, waffles, sandwiches, burgers, and salads.
THE NEW FRONTIER RESTAURANT AND BAR: 12945 IN 57, 812-867-6786. Bloody Mary bar, appetizers, sandwiches, soups, salads, steak, fried chicken, and pork chops.
THE NEW OLD MILL: 5031 New Harmony Road, 812-963-6000. Steaks, chicken, catch of the day, sandwiches, soups, and salads.
OLEA BAR & GRILL: 108 2nd St., Henderson, KY, 270-577-6055. Burgers, wings, tacos, sandwiches, and salads are offered plus a menu of cocktails, beers, ciders, house wines, and more.
PATTIE’S SAND TRAP AT FENDRICH GOLF COURSE: 1900 E. Diamond Ave., 812435-6028. Burgers, sandwiches, chicken, salads, and a variety of snacks.
PIER 17 CAJUN SEAFOOD RESTAURANT AND BAR: 600 N. Green River Road., 812-303-6338. Cajun classic appetizers like fried calamari and seafood from shrimp and oysters to catfish served in combo specials, fried baskets, and boils.
PIPS PUB: 19501 Elpers Road, 812-612-0334. A full menu of bone-in wings, strombolis, wraps, chicken strip and catfish baskets, and more.
THE RED WAGON: 6950 Frontage Road, Poseyville, IN, 812-874-2221. Catfish, oysters, and grilled salmon.
ROCKIN CHICKEN INDI: 2519 N. First Ave. South American-influenced ribs, chicken, seasoned potatoes, plus burgers and more.
ROOSTER’S DEN: 3988 Haley Drive, Newburgh, IN, 812-706-3555. Family recipes and homestyle cooking.
SAY’S RESTAURANT: 500 Church St., New Harmony, IN, 812-270-4183. Comfort food made with seasonal local ingredients.
SIDEWALK CAFE: 228 Second St., Henderson, KY, 270-831-2233. Gourmet chicken salad, Italian beef, tomato basil turkey wrap, loaded potato soup, and strawberry cake. Catering available.
SILVER BELL RESTAURANT: 4424 St. Wendel Road, Wadesville, IN, 812963-0944. Sandwiches, fiddlers, pizza, and vegetable side dishes. Family-style fried chicken dinner specials.
THE TIN FISH: 707 State St., Newburgh, IN, 812-490-7000. Fresh fish flown in daily, clam chowder, salads, and sandwiches.
VFW 1114: 110 N. Wabash Ave. of Flags, 812-422-5831. Friday buffet, prime rib on Saturday, and brunch on Sunday.
YESTERDAZE BAR & GRILL: 101 S. Second St., Boonville, IN, 812897-0858. Daily lunch and dinner specials; sandwiches, wraps, salads, sides, and entrées.
ZACK’S DINER: 202 E. Locust St., Fort Branch, IN, 812-753-1230. Family restaurant serving breakfast all day and standard diner fare.
ZESTO: 102 W. Franklin St., 812-424-1416; 920 E. Riverside Drive, 812423-5961. Hamburgers, fish and chicken sandwiches, tenderloins, soups, and ice cream.
THE ZONE BY MARYSCOTTS: 433 Plaza Drive (in Southwind Plaza), Mount Vernon, IN, 812-643-5024. Chef-driven fresh scratch cuisine in a family-friendly restaurant with a sports theme.
AMERICAN FARE NATIONAL CHAINS
APPLEBEE’S: 5100 E. Morgan Ave., 812-471-0942; 5727 Pearl Drive, 812426-2006; 1950 U.S. 41 N., Henderson, KY, 270-826-9427. Soups, sandwiches, salads, and various dinner entrées.
BJ’S RESTAURANT AND BREWHOUSE: 1000 N. Green River Road, 812-5509320. Soups, salads, pizza, pasta, burgers and sandwiches, and other entrées. Catering available.
BOB EVANS: 1125 N. Green River Road, 812-473-9022. “Homestyle” American menu.
BUBBA’S 33: 1 N. Burkhardt Road, 812-901-6409. Fresh burgers, pizza, sandwiches, entrées, classic pub-style appetizers and sides, and a full bar.
CHEDDAR’S SCRATCH KITCHEN: 2100 N. Green River Road, 812-491-9976. Garden-fresh salads, homemade soups, and varied entrée selections including pasta, lemon pepper chicken, and tilapia.
CRACKER BARREL: 8215 Eagle Lake Drive, 812-479-8788; 2130 U.S. 60 E., Henderson, KY, 270-826-5482. Classic American cuisine.
CULVER’S: 1734 Hirschland Road, 812-437-3333; 4850 W. Lloyd Expressway, 812-492-8000. Butter burgers, frozen custard, cheese curds, and more.
DRAKE’S: 1222 Hirschland Road, 812-401-2920. Craft beer, burgers, and sushi.
FIVE GUYS BURGERS AND FRIES: 5402 E. Indiana St., 812-401-1773. Burgers, hot dogs, and Cajun fries.
FREDDY’S FROZEN CUSTARD & STEAKBURGERS: 2848 N. Green River Road, 812-909-4395; 5501 Pearl Drive, 812-303-6137. Steakburgers, sandwiches, and frozen custard.
GOLDEN CORRAL BUFFET & GRILL: 130 N. Cross Pointe Blvd., 812-473-1095; 1320 N. Green St., Henderson, KY, 270-869-9310. Large buffet selections, steaks, shrimp, and chicken. Weekend dinner menu begins at noon.
JAKE’S WAYBACK BURGERS: 115 Cross Pointe Blvd., 812-475-9272; 624 E. Diamond Ave., 812-422-4999. Burgers, hot dogs, and hand-dipped thick milkshakes.
JERSEY MIKE’S SUBS: 939 N. Burkhardt Road, Ste. A, 812-618-3939; 8850 High Pointe Drive Ste. A, Newburgh, IN, 812-758-4208. Serving cold and hot subs including BLTs, club sandwiches, Philly cheesesteaks, and more. Catering available.
LOGAN’S ROADHOUSE: 5645 Pearl Drive, 812-421-0908. American fare including hand-cut steaks, baby-back ribs, mesquite-grilled chicken, appetizers, salads, and seafood.
LONGHORN STEAKHOUSE: 320 N. Green River Road, 812-473-2400. Steak, chicken, ribs, seafood, sandwiches, and burgers.
OUTBACK STEAKHOUSE: 7201 E. Indiana St., 812-474-0005. Specialty steaks, chicken, seafood entrées, salads, and vegetable side dishes.
PANDA EXPRESS: 2445 Menards Drive, 812-479-8889. Chinese fast food like orange chicken, sesame chicken, and fried rice.
RAFFERTY’S: 1400 N. Green River Road, 812-471-0024. Soups, salads, sandwiches, and dinner entrées.
RED LOBSTER: 4605 Bellemeade Ave., 812-477-9227. Soups, salads, sandwiches, seafood entrées, fresh-catch, and daily specials.
RED ROBIN: 6636 E. Lloyd Expressway, 812-473-4100. A variety of hamburgers including the “Banzai Burger,” the “Royal Red Robin Burger,” and the “Whiskey River BBQ Burger.” Full bar menu. Catering available.
TERIYAKI MADNESS: 8833 High Pointe Drive, Newburgh, IN, 812-490-0048. Japanese inspired, Seattle-style teriyaki customizable bowls of chicken, steak, tofu, veggies, noodles, white rice, and fried rice.
TEXAS ROADHOUSE: 7900 Eagle Crest Blvd., 812-477-7427. Ribs, steaks, side items, and fresh baked bread.
PHOTO BY ZACH STRAW
BANANA FOSTER FRENCH TOAST FROM NELLIE’S RESTAUARNT
TGI FRIDAY’S: 800 N. Green River Road (in Eastland Mall food court), 812-491-8443. Specialty salads, sandwiches, burgers, steaks, chicken, pasta, and seafood entrées.
WINGSTOP: 499 N. Green River Road, Ste. B, 812-909-3445. Classic, bone less, and crispy wings in 11 flavors.
PIZZERIAS
ARCHIE & CLYDE’S RESTAURANT & BAR: 8309 Bell Oaks Drive, Newburgh, IN, 812-490-7778. Pizza, fried cheese ravioli, wraps, salads, soups, gyros, and barbecue.
AZZIP PIZZA: 5225 Pearl Drive, 812-401-3572; 8850 High Pointe Drive, Newburgh, IN, 812-518-3810; 2121 N. Green River Road, 812-9010490; 4660 N. First Ave., 812-250-8947. All personal sized pizzas (8 or 11 inches) made with one meat and all the vegetable toppings included. Thin and crispy pizza as well as thick-crust and 7-inch pizzas. Warm cookies, salad, and beer available.
CASEY’S DUGOUT: 2900 Lincoln Ave. A baseball-themed eatery serving specialty pizzas like Graham Slam, sandwiches, cheese bread, and Just Rennie’s cookies.
DONATOS PIZZA: 710 S. Green River Road, Ste. 3, 812-618-3868. Pizza, oven-baked subs, salad, calzones, wings, and desserts. Catering available.
FARM 57: 3443 Kansas Road, 812-677-5757. Wood-fired, brick-oven pizza from The Pizza Revolution and weekly food truck events.
FAT BOY’S PIZZA: 10722 Highway 662 W., Newburgh, IN, 812-518-3061. Local una-style pizza serving take-out orders only.
FETTA SPECIALTY PIZZA & SPIRITS: 118 St. Ann St., Owensboro, KY, 270-926-0005. Pizza with fresh ingredients on top of a thin crust with variations like buffalo chicken, chicken chorizo valentina, and chicken bacon ranch.
FRANKLIN STREET PIZZA FACTORY: 2033 W. Franklin St., 812-602-3028. Pizza, sandwiches, wings, appetizers, and salads.
GARDO’S ITALIAN OVEN: 13220 Darmstadt Road, 812-868-8071. Pizza, sandwiches, wings, appetizers, and salads.
GATTITOWN: 316 N. Green River Road, 812-473-3800. Buffet-style pizzas, pastas, salads, and desserts all in a kids’ festival-like arcade.
KIPPLEE’S STADIUM INN: 2350 E. Division St., 812-476-1936. Pizza, wings, and sandwiches.
THE LOBO LOUNGE: 1200 Edgar St., 812-550-1001. Pizza, adult beverages, and more.
LOMBARDI’S NEW YORK PIZZA AND WINGS: 3311 N. Green River Road, 812-602-5255. Authentic New York-style pizza sold by the slice or whole and buffalo wings.
LYLE’S SPORTSZONE PIZZA & PUB: 1404 E. Morgan Ave., 812-425-7729. Home of Lyle’s original loaded stromboli. Also serves pizza and sandwiches.
MOD PIZZA: 6401 E. Lloyd Expressway, Ste. C-102, 812-602-5525. Custom, artisan-style pizzas.
NATION’S PIZZA: 4120 N. First Ave., 812-437-4343; 2278 S. Green St., Henderson, KY, 270-212-3700. Pizza, subs, wings, and pasta. Late night delivery available.
NOBLE ROMAN’S: 222 S. Red Bank Road, 812-303-4010; 1216 Washington Square Mall, 812-473-4606. Pizzas, salads, breadsticks, garlic bread, hand-sauced chicken wings, pasta, and sandwiches.
PANGEA KITCHEN: 111 S. Green River Road, Ste. E., 812-401-2404. Offering authentic Neapolitan and Detroit-style pizzas, Thai cuisine, and Italian gelato.
PANGEA PIZZERIA: 401 N.W. Second St., 812-401-2500. Neo-Neapolitan pizza, scratch-made gelato from Pangea Kitchen, and Grande cookies.
PAPA JOHN’S: 303 N. Weinbach Ave., 812-477-7700; 4204 N. First Ave., 812-425-2345; 4814 W. Lloyd Expressway, 812-423-7272; 5436 E. Indiana St., 812-473-5200; 12414 Hwy. 41 N., 812-867-7272; 418 Center St., Henderson, KY, 270-826-4444. Offering a variety of pizza and topping options plus bowls, papadias, bites, wings, sides, desserts, and more.
PIZZA CHEF OF BOONVILLE: 423 W. Main St., Boonville, IN, 812-8971600. Pizza, sandwiches, and appetizers. Catering available.
PIZZA KING: (dine-in facilities) 220 N. St. Joseph Ave., 812-424-7976; 7777 State Highway 66, Newburgh, IN, 812-853-3368; 1021 S. Weinbach Ave., 812-476-4941. Pizza and baked stromboli-type sandwiches.
ROCA BAR AND PIZZA: 4600 Washington Ave., 812-422-7782. Sandwiches, salads, pasta entrees, pizza, steaks, and chicken plus breakfast options. Live entertainment and patio dining.
ROUNDERS PIZZA: 510 W. Mill Road, 812-424-4960. Specialty pizzas including the Nameless Special, a pie with the tomato sauce on top, and the Bavarian, a pie served with mustard.
ROUNDERS PIZZA TOO: 12731 N. Green River Road, 812-867-7172. Specialty pizzas including the Nameless Special and the Bavarian.
SAM’S PIZZERIA: 2011 W. Delaware St., 812-423-3160. Pizza, sandwiches, calzones, pasta, strombolis, wings, and breadsticks.
SANDY’S PIZZA: 609 S. Main St., Fort Branch, IN, 812-753-3972. Pizza, strombolis, sandwiches, and spaghetti.
THE SLICE: 2011 Lincoln Ave., 812-454-0983. Pizza by the slice or pie. Non-traditional varieties.
SPANKEY’S UNA CAFE: 15 Jefferson St. Ste. 101, 812-303-2810. Gourmet pizza, salads, sandwiches, dessert, and a full bar.
SPANKEY’S UNA PIZZA: 4404 W. Lloyd Expressway, 812-402-6776. A pizza joint with a variety of specialty pizzas such as The Westsider with an assortment of meat toppings, and strombolis.
STEVE’S UNA PIZZA: 1005 S. St. James Blvd., 812-477-5411. Dinner-only takeout, thin-crust pizzas, and extras.
TURONI’S FORGET-ME-NOT-INN: (Best Pizza) 4 N. Weinbach Ave., 812-477-7500. Pizza, salads, sandwiches, and fresh-brewed beers.
TURONI’S PIZZERY AND BREWERY: (Best Pizza) 408 N. Main St., 812424-9871. Pizza, salads, sandwiches, and fresh-brewed beers.
TURONI’S PIZZERY AND BREWERY NEWBURGH: (Best Pizza) 8011 Bell Oaks Drive, Newburgh, IN, 812-490-5555. Pizza, salads, sandwiches, and fresh-brewed beers.
BARBECUE
BAD RANDY’S HOT CHICKEN & BBQ LOUNGE: 1418 W. Franklin St., 812-4012332. Chicken is offered in varying degrees of spicy heat alongside French onion soup, tacos, steak frites, pasta a Maggio, and more.
BANDANA’S BAR-B-Q: 6636 Logan Drive, 812-401-9922. Pork, beef, chicken, and ribs specially prepared over a pit of select hardwoods for a signature smoked flavor.
CHEFWHAT BBQ & MORE: 422 Seventh St., Henderson, KY, 270-2120742. Fresh barbecue lunch specials are made to order daily including barbeque burritos, quesadillas, and breakfast on Saturdays. Catering available.
HAWG N’ SAUCE: 6580 Leonard Road, Mount Vernon, IN, 812838-5339. Barbecue entrées and home-style side dishes. Catering available.
HICKORY PIT STOP: 1521 N. Main St., 812-422-6919. Barbecue chicken, turkey, pork, mutton, brisket, ribs, and a variety of side dishes.
HOMER’S BARBECUE: 128 Second St., Henderson, KY, 270-869-2214. Local barbecue with smoked meats, craft sides, cold beer, and cocktails. Catering and food truck available.
J&B BAR-B-CUE AND CATERING: 48 S. Holloway St., Henderson, KY, 270-830-0033. Chicken, ribs, brisket, and pork with a variety of salads and sides. Catering available.
LONESTAR BAR-B-QUE AND SOUL FOOD: 2403 Washington Ave., 812303-3351. Barbecued brisket, tacos, pulled pork, ribs, and more Southern specialties.
MISSION BBQ: 1530 N. Green River Road, 812-213-0200. Barbecue, made-from-scratch sides, and sandwiches.
MOONLITE BAR-B-Q INN: 2840 W. Parrish Ave., Owensboro, KY, 270-684-8143. Daily lunch and dinner buffets, as well as a menu. An abundance of barbecue and other meats, plus country-style vegetables, corn muffins, a salad bar, and desserts.
TAYLOR’S GRILL ON WHEELS: 130 N. Water St., Henderson, KY, 270-854-4302. Classic Memphis-style smoked meats, barbecue favorites, loaded mac & cheese, and desserts. Take-out only. Catering available.
THOMASON’S BARBECUE: 701 Atkinson St., Henderson, KY, 270-8260654. Barbecue varieties of pork, mutton, ribs, chicken, ham, beef, or turkey, with sides like potato salad, slaw, and barbecue beans. Catering available.
ETHNIC
ASIAN
2ND LANGUAGE: 401 N.W. Second St., 812-401-2500. Authentic Asian cuisine, ramen, and desserts. Open for lunch and dinner service.
BIG BANG MONGOLIAN GRILL: 2013 N. Green River Road, 812-602-1400. Open-bar Mongolian grill stir fry, lunch and dinner options, and appetizers.
CANTON INN: 947 North Park Drive, 812-428-6611. Cantonese- and American-style appetizers, soups, poultry, beef, pork, and seafood dishes.
CHINA GARDEN: 501 N. Main St., 812-422-6699. Traditional Chinese fare like egg drop soup, hunan chicken, and moo goo gai pan.
CHINA KING: 590 E. Diamond Ave., 812-423-1896. Traditional Chinese entrées like lo mein, Szechuan pork, and Egg Foo Young.
CHINA VILLAGE: 8423 Bell Oaks Drive, Newburgh, IN, 812-858-8238. Soups, fried rice and noodles, specialties like hunan shrimp, and more.
CHOPSTICK HOUSE RESTAURANT: 5412 E. Indiana St., 812-473-5551. Buffet with traditional Chinese and American menu items.
CRAZY BUFFET: 701 N. Burkhardt Road, 812-437-8833. Chinese buffet with lunch specials and combination dinners.
DOMO JAPANESE HIBACHI GRILL, SUSHI, AND RAMEN: (Best Asian Restaurant) 215 N. Green River Road, 812-491-0003. Authentic Japanese dishes, bento boxes, sushi, ramen, and hibachi.
FUJI YAMA: 915 North Park Drive, 812-962-4440. Soups, salads, noodles, rice, sushi, hand rolls, chicken, beef, and shrimp dishes.
GANGNAM KOREAN: 518 Main St., 812-550-1171. Korean cuisine, rice and noodle dishes, seafood, and sushi rolls.
GOLDEN BUDDHA: 3221 Taylor Ave., 812-473-4855; 5066 IN 261, Newburgh, IN, 812-853-2680. Traditional Chinese cuisine featuring lunch specials and family dinners.
GRACIE’S CHINESE CUISINE: 12500 U.S. 41 N., 812-868-8888. Soups, seafood, and chicken- and pork-centric dishes.
JAYA’S RESTAURANT: 119 S.E. Fourth St., 812-422-6667. Authentic Korean cuisine and sushi.
JIMMY GAO’S SZECHWAN CHINESE RESTAURANT: 669 N. Green River Road (in Eastland Place), 812-479-7600. Extensive Sichuan menu, including Szechuan dumplings, bok choy, and pho.
JUMAK: 5720 E. Virginia St., 812-303-1705. Traditional Korean dishes such as bibimbap, yachae twigim, and bulgogi.
KANPAI: (Best Sushi) 4593 Washington Ave., 812-471-7076. International fare and Japanese sushi bar serving beer, wine, and sake.
KUNG FU CHICKEN: 325 S. Green River Road, 812-550-1145. Dig into wings, sandwiches, fried rice, lo mein, and more.
LIN’S ASIAN EXPRESS: 520 N. First Ave., 812-909-4210. Asian cuisine favorites including sushi, fried rice, and hibachi.
LINCOLN GARDEN: 2001 Lincoln Ave., 812-471-8881. Chinese appetizers, soups, lunch platters, and entrées including crab rangoon and General Tso’s chicken.
MA.T.888 CHINA BISTRO: 5636 Vogel Road, 812-475-2888. Specialties include lemongrass fish, Peking duck, and chicken lettuce wraps.
MAMA’S KITCHEN: 1624 N. Green River Road (inside Aihua International Market), 812-479-7168. Stir-fried dishes and soups.
OSAKA JAPANESE HIBACHI AND SUSHI: 5435 Pearl Drive, 812-303-0359; 4222 Bell Road, Ste. 7, Newburgh, IN, 812-518-1371. Hibachi-style and Indonesian cuisine, sushi bar, and specialty dishes for dinein and carry-out.
POKÉ PIRATE: 2013 N. Green River Road, 812-434-1725. Signature bowls and build-your-own poke.
POKÉ RIVER: 6240 E. Virginia St., 812-303-8003. Poke and sushi dishes, like poke bowls, sushi burritos, and poke salads.
ROPPONGI JAPANESE STEAK & SUSHI: 7221 E. Indiana St., 812-437-5824. Sushi, filet mignon, New York strip, and hibachi.
SAKURA: 4833 Highway 261, Newburgh, IN, 812-490-0553. Japanese cuisine like sushi, sashimi, fried rice, tempura, and hibachi dinners.
TASTE OF CHINA: 4579 University Drive, 812-422-1260. Traditional Chinese dishes such as Mei Fun, Chow Mein, and Egg Foo Young.
THAI BISTRO AND BAR: 5416 E. Indiana St., 812-303-3153. Authentic Thai cuisine, including Pad Thai, curry, papaya salad, crab rangoons, satay, and more.
THAI CHOW ORIENTAL FOODS: 1007 S. McCreary St., Fort Branch, IN, 812-753-3878. Classic Thai food.
THAI LANNA: 601 E. Boonville-New Harmony Road, Ste. 200, 812-612-0465. Curry dishes, drunken noodles, Thai custard, and more.
TOKYO JAPAN RESTAURANT: 3000 N. Green River Road, 812-401-1020. Hibachi grill: chicken, beef, shrimp, and scallops.
VIETNAMESE CUISINE: 4602 Vogel Road, 812-479-8818. Vietnamese fare, including traditional noodle dishes.
YANG’S SHABU SHABU: 4700 Vogel Road, 812-471-8889. Chinese, vegetarian, seafood, Japanese, and more.
YEN CHING: 406 S. Green River Road, 812-474-0181. Chinese weekday lunch specials and evening menu items.
ZUKI JAPANESE HIBACHI GRILL & SUSHI LOUNGE: 1448 N. Green River Road, 812477-9854; 222 Main St., 812-423-9854. Sushi and hibachi-grilled foods.
GERMAN
GERST HAUS: (Best Draft Beer Selection) 2100 W. Franklin St., 812424-1420. Traditional German cuisine, including soups, salads, sandwiches, and dinner entrées. Large imported beer list.
SCHNITZELBANK RESTAURANT: 393 Third Ave., Jasper, IN, 812-482-2640. Authentic German food, as well as American favorites.
INDIAN
ROYAL INDIAN CUISINE: 7799 Highway 66, Newburgh, IN, 812-518-4018. Authentic Indian cuisine like samosas, tandoori chicken, curry, and more.
TAJ MAHAL: 900 Tutor Lane, 812-476-5000. Tandoori chicken, paneer tikka, panjabi curry, kadai paneer, and more.
HOUSE SPECIAL PIZZA FROM TURONI’S PIZZERY AND BREWERY
PHOTO BY ZACH STRAW
YAK & YETI: 815 S. Green River Road, 812-909-2022. Himalayan family recipes passed down from multiple generations, including Tandoori lamp chops, momo dumplings, and several kinds of curry.
IRISH
PATSY HARTIGAN’S IRISH PUB: 203 Main St., 812-746-8848. Serving traditional Irish pub fare like pastrami and corned beef, plus its own light and dark beers.
ITALIAN/MEDITERRANEAN ANEAN
ANGELO’S: 305 Main St., 812-428-6666. Pasta, chicken, seafood, veal, and pizzas.
CAFÉ ARAZU: 17 W. Jennings St., Newburgh, IN, 812-842-2200. Pitas, wraps, shish kebabs, and rotating specials and desserts.
KABOB XPRESS: 3305 N. Green River Road, 812-402-0244. Hummus, stuffed grape leaves, falafel, fresh salads, sandwiches, gyro plate, and many kabob plate options.
LITTLE ANGELO’S: 8000 Bell Oaks Drive, Newburgh, IN, 812-853-8364. Italian cuisine featuring appetizers, sandwiches, pizzas, pasta, and chicken.
LITTLE ITALY: 4430 N. First Ave., 812-401-0588. Italian and Mediterranean pizzas, soups, salads, pasta, chicken, and sandwiches.
MANNA MEDITERRANEAN GRILL: 2913 Lincoln Ave., 812-473-7005. Stuffed grape leaves, gyros, shish kebabs, and more.
MARIDA MEDITERRANEAN RESTAURANT: 1 E. Water St., Newburgh, IN, 812518-3065. Turkish and Kurdish cuisine including kebabs, lahmacun, lamb shank, and more.
MILANO’S ITALIAN CUISINE: 500 Main St., 812-484-2222. Pizzas, pasta, baked sandwiches, and dinner entrées.
OLIVE GARDEN: 1100 N. Green River Road, 812-473-2903. Soups, salads, pasta, and luncheon entrées.
SAUCED: 1113 Parrett St., 812-402-2230. Pasta, steak, and seafood. Catering and event space available in The Ballroom.
SHAH’S HALAL FOOD: 222 S. Red Bank Road Ste. L, 812-602-1825. Middle Eastern fare plus gyros, sandwiches, falafel, kebabs, baklava, and more.
SMITTY’S ITALIAN STEAKHOUSE: (Best Restaurant for Outdoor Dining) 2109 W. Franklin St., 812-423-6280. Premium steak, pasta, pizza, and Italian favorites.
LATIN AMERICAN
AGAVES MEXICAN GRILL: 2003 Stapp Drive, Henderson, KY, 270-957-5028. Mexican fare like burritos, quesadillas, enchiladas, chimichangas, and margheritas. Catering available.
BURRITO EXPRESS MEXICAN GRILL: 900 Main St. (inside Main St. Food & Beverage). Authentic Mexican cuisine and local specials. Catering available.
CANCUN MEXICAN RESTAURANT: 341 S. Green St., Henderson, KY, 270-8260067. Fajitas, burritos, quesadillas, enchiladas, seafood, Mexican-style steaks, and more, plus a yearlong outdoor patio. Catering available.
CARIBBEAN CUISINE: 1010 S. Kentucky Ave., 812-303-0631. Caribbean and Haitian dishes like red beans and rice, oxtail, and fish.
CASA FIESTA MEXICAN RESTAURANT: 1003 E. Diamond Ave., 812-0437-5516. Traditional Mexican entrees, family specials, and 24-inch “monster” burritos.
CHAVA’S MEXICAN GRILL: 4202 N. First Ave., 812-401-1977. Authentic Mexican cuisine offering burritos, tacos, and more.
CHIPOTLE: 499 N. Green River Road, 812-471-4973; 2800 N. Green River Road, 812-916-4757; 4719 W. Lloyd Expressway, 812-435-10888; 1310 Hirschland Road, 812-916-4789. Tacos, burritos, salads, drinks, chips, and guacamole. Catering available.
DON JUAN AUTHENTIC MEXICAN GRILL: 4011 IN-261, Newburgh, IN, 812-518-3171. Taco salad, quesabirrias, sopes, flautas, and more Mexican cuisine. Catering available.
EL CHARRO MEXICAN RESTAURANT: 720 N. Sonntag Ave., 812-421-1986. Occasional mariachi band performances. Specialties include paella and chimichangas. Catering available.
EL MARIACHI MEXICAN RESTAURANT: 1919 N. Green River Road, 812-7770111. Street tacos, enchiladas, burritos, quesadillas, fajitas, and other Mexican cuisine.
EL PAISANO MEXICAN RESTAURANT: 311 S. Green River Road, 812-437-5089. Street tacos, burritos, tortas, and more.
EL PATRON: 943 N. Park Drive. 812-402-6500. The owners of El Charro opened this restaurant on the North Side, offering authentic Mexican cuisine.
FIESTA ACAPULCO: 8480 High Pointe Drive, Newburgh, IN, 812-858-7777. Authentic Mexican dishes, grilled steak dinners, and more.
GOLLITA PERUVIAN CUISINE: 4313 E. Morgan Ave., 812-303-5100. Authentic Peruvian cuisine like Peruvian minestrone, tamales, and papa a la huancaína.
HACIENDA: (Best Ranch Dressing) 990 S. Green River Road, 812-474-1635; 711 N. First Ave., 812-423-6355; 5440 Pearl Drive, 812-422-2055; 600 E. Boonville New Harmony Road, 812-401-2180. American-influenced Tex-Mex menu. Catering available.
HOT HEAD BURRITOS: 5625 Pearl Drive, 812-437-5010. Burritos, salad bowls, tacos, nachos, quesadillas to order with meat options including chicken, steak, pork, barbacoa, and taco meat. Catering available.
JALISCO MEXICAN RESTAURANT: 4044 Professional Lane, Newburgh, IN, 812-490-2814. Authentic Mexican cuisine.
LA CAMPIRANA: (Best Latin American Restaurant) 724 N. Burkhardt Road, 812-550-1585. 900 Main St. (Inside Main Street Food & Beverage). Fresh Mexican cuisine and fresh juice bar. Food truck available.
LA CATRINA MEXICAN RESTAURANT: 7799 SR-66, Newburgh, IN, 812-518-3334. Mexican-inspired burritos, enchiladas, tortas, and tacos, plus chicken wings, nachos, and seafood specials.
LA MEXICANA RESTAURANT: 920 Main St., 812-550-1165. A family-owned establishment serving burritos, fajitas, enchiladas, quesadillas, and seafood.
LAS AMERICAS STORE AND RESTAURANT, INC.: 1016 S. Weinbach Ave., 812475-3483. Offers Mexican ingredients for purchase and food made in house.
LOS BRAVOS: 3534 N. First Ave., 812-424-4101; 6226 Waterfront Blvd., 812-474-9078; 4630 W. Lloyd Expressway, 812-464-3163; 3311 Liberty Blvd., Boonville, IN, 812-897-3442. Traditional Mexican menu. Catering available.
LOS PORTALES MEXICAN GRILL: 3339 N. Green River Road, 812-475-0566. Authentic Mexican dishes, grilled steak dinners, and more.
Dining Directory
BUILD YOUR OWN BOKEH BURGER FROM BOKEH LOUNGE
LOS TORIBIO: 1647 S. Green St., Henderson, KY, 270-831-2367. Traditional Mexican cuisine.
LOS TRES CAMINOS: 12100 U.S. 41 N., 812-868-8550. Authentic Mexican cuisine including chimichangas, burritos, Mexican pizza, and quesadillas.
MOE’S SOUTHWEST GRILL: 6401 E. Lloyd Expressway (inside The Evansville Pavilion), 812-491-6637. Fresh Mexican cuisine. Catering available.
NACHOS GRILL: 821 S. Green River Road, 812-909-0030. Authentic Mexican fare made from scratch with fresh ingredients.
NOCHE CANTINA & COCINA: (Best New Restaurant) 2215 W. Franklin St., 812-277-3514. Serving fried truffle yuka fries, grilled elote salad, deep-fried tres leches, and more.
QDOBA MEXICAN GRILL: 922 N. Burkhardt Road, 812-401-0800; 5501 Pearl Drive, 812-401-0800; 2004 Lincoln Ave., 812-303-4036. Mexican fare. Catering available.
RIVIERA MEXICAN GRILL: 10604 Highway 662, Newburgh, IN, 812-4909936. Fajitas, quesadillas, nacho platters, taco salads, and more.
SALSARITA’S: 3910 E. Morgan Ave., 812-437-2572; 4077 State Route 261, Newburgh, IN, 812-490-5050. Mexican cuisine like burritos, tacos, taco salads, and its signature Quesorito. Food truck and catering available.
SAZÓN Y FUEGO: 8666 Ruffian Lane, Newburgh, IN, 812-227-6220. Latina American cuisine cooked charcoal grill including pollo con mole, ropa vieja, picanha, and more.
SUNRISE CAFÉ FAMILY RESTAURANT: 8401 N. Kentucky Avenue, 812-6260050; 2121 N. Green River Road Ste. 8. A family restaurant with a mix of Mexican and American cuisine.
TACOHOLICS KITCHEN: 122 First St., Henderson, KY, 270-957-5001. Enchiladas, quesadillas, fajitas, chimichangas, margheritas, Mexican street tacos, a full bar, and more. Catering available. Food truck called “Mini-Chimi” available.
TAQUERIA Y PUPUSERÍA MIRANDA: 2008 Washington Ave., 812-492-9992. Specializing in authentic Salvadorian Pupusas and street tacos with a variety of fillings.
SPORTS BARS
BUFFALO WILD WINGS GRILL AND BAR: (Best Place to Watch Sports on TV - tie) 715 N. Green River Road (in Eastland Place), 812-4719464; 5405 Pearl Drive, 812-423-9464. Chicken wings cooked with various seasonings, burgers, salads, and chicken.
BURGH HOUSE AT SHOWPLACE FEC: 8099 Bell Oaks Drive, Newburgh, IN, 812-842-2563. Specialty burgers, sandwiches, pizza, pasta, and drinks.
CHASER’S BAR AND GRILL: (Best Place for Trivia) 2131 W. Franklin St., 812-401-1699. Sandwiches, pizza, burgers, salads, and lunch specials. Catering available.
CORNER POCKET BAR & GRILL: 1819 N. Fulton Ave., 812-428-2255. Soups, salads, sandwiches, plate lunches, pizzas, stuffed baked potatoes, and appetizers.
THE DIVE BARGE: 1801 Waterworks Road. This seasonal riverside 21 and over bar offers burgers, shrimp, wings fries, hotdogs, and more.
DOC’S BAR: (Best Place to Watch Sports on TV - tie) 1305 Stringtown Road, 812-401-1201. Appetizers, salads, sandwiches, burgers, pizza, and desserts. Family room and kids’ menu available. Free Wi-Fi and full bar.
FRANKLIN STREET TAVERN: 2126 Franklin St., 812-401-1313. Drink specials and pizza.
FROGGY’S RESTAURANT & SPORTS BAR: 7247 Main St., Wadesville, IN, 812-673-4996. Burgers, pizza, wraps, strombolis, sandwiches, the famous pork steak, and more. Catering available.
HOOTERS: 4620 Lincoln Ave., 812-475-0229. Appetizers, wings, soups, salads, and sandwiches.
IRON HORSE BAR & GRILL: 203 N. McCreary St., Fort Branch, IN, 812-753-9918. Bar food and drinks. Bikers are welcome.
J’S SPORTSBAR & GRILL: 1602 Vann Ave., 812-401-2266. A menu of chili, wings, burgers, sandwiches, and more.
KC’S MARINA POINTE: 1801 Waterworks Road, 812-550-1050. Seafood options and full bar.
MOJO’S BONEYARD SPORTS BAR & GRILLE: 4920 Bellemeade Ave., 812-475-8593. Bar food including chicken wings, burgers, and strombolis.
NEIGHBORS: 4222 Bell Road, Ste. 1, Newburgh, IN, 812-269-7410. Classic bar food and favorites including sandwiches, smashburgers, and salads.
NEWBURGH TAVERN: 707 State St. Ste. E, Newburgh, IN, 812-518-1363. Serving beer and specialty cocktails.
O’BRIAN’S SPORTS BAR & GRILL: 1801 N. Green River Road, 812-4014630. Irish tavern food, Reubens, burgers, soup, and salad.
PRIME SPORTS: 4944 Old State Route 261, Newburgh, IN, 812-5183050. A greaseless kitchen serving pizza, wings, strombolis, and more.
ROOKIES RESTAURANT: 117 S. Second St., Henderson, KY, 270-8261106. Angus beef steaks, seafood, pasta, chicken, sandwiches, prime rib, and Arabian salad. Banquet room for events.
TIKI ON MAIN: 524 Main St., 812-424-5020. Burgers, hot dogs, gyros, small pizzas, fish dinners, and cold drinks. Open seasonally.
WINGS ETC.: 628 E. Diamond Ave., 812-909-2945; 8833 High Pointe Drive, Newburgh, IN, 812-490-0550; 401 Walker Drive, Henderson, KY, 270-205-4486. Chicken wings, burgers, wraps, salads, and wide beer selection.
TAVERN FOOD
3RD STREET SALOON: 118 S. Third St., Boonville, IN. Traditional pub food with unique homemade twists made with local meats.
BOKEH LOUNGE: 1007 Parrett St., 812-909-0388. Open daily at 11 a.m. Offering a full menu including steaks, kabobs, burgers, salads, sandwiches, and vegetarian meals. Brunch on Sunday and weekly specials.
THE BRASS RING: 231 S. Main, Haubstadt, IN, 812-632-8681. Serving smoked sausage dogs, bone-in wings, fish sandwiches, strombolis, and more. Also offers a pizza kitchen.
BUD’S ROCKIN’ COUNTRY BAR AND GRILL: 2124 W. Franklin St., 812-4011730. Southern comfort food, daily plate lunch and beer specials, and gourmet flatbreads. Catering available.
CRICKETS: 518 W. Main St., Newburgh, IN, 812-858-2782. Offering wings by the pound, appetizers, thin crust pizza, sandwiches and hoagies, and more.
DARMSTADT INN: 13130 Darmstadt Road, 812-867-7300. Soups, salads, sandwiches, and plate lunches. Dinner entrées include steaks, fried chicken, and seafood.
DEERHEAD SIDEWALK CAFÉ AND BAR: 222 E. Columbia St., 812-4252515. Soups, salads, sandwiches, and double-decker pizzas.
HIGHLAND INN: 6620 N. First Ave., 812-909-1500. Appetizers, salads, burgers, sandwiches, pizzas, and customer-favorite Bloody Marys.
THE HILLTOP INN: 1100 Harmony Way, 812-303-3732. Sandwiches including fried tenderloins, brain, fried bologna, fried fish, salad bar, steaks, chicken, and seafood entrées.
HORSTKETTER’S TAVERN: 5809 Stringtown Road, 812-423-0692. Traditional tavern serving cold beer and deli meats.
K.C.’S TIME OUT LOUNGE & GRILL: 1121 Washington Square, 812-437-9920. Soups, salads, sandwiches, and pizza. Plate lunch specials available.
KNOB HILL TAVERN: (Best Catfish) 1016 Highway 662 W., Newburgh, IN, 812-853-9550. Soups, salads, sandwiches, and dinner entrées including shrimp, steak, chicken, fiddlers, and hand-tossed pizzas.
LAMASCO BAR & GRILL: 1331 W. Franklin St., 812-437-0171. Tavern menu including soups, salads, and sandwiches.
LEROY’S TAVERN: (Best Place for Karaoke) 2659 Mt. Vernon Ave., 812-464-8300. Pizza, sandwiches, and Free Soup Saturdays during colder months serving goulash, chili, chicken noodle, vegetable soup, and potato among other soups.
METZGER’S TAVERN: 1000 Powell St., Henderson, KY, 270-826-9461. Traditional tavern appetizers, soups, sandwiches, and breakfast.
NISBET INN: 6701 Nisbet Station Road, Haubstadt, IN, 812-9639305. Homemade soups, desserts, and barbecue. Catering available.
PEEPHOLE BAR & GRILL: 201 Main St., 812-423-5171. Cheeseburgers, onion rings, fries, and the splitter (a fried hot dog).
PRIME TIME PUB & GRILL: 8177 Bell Oaks Drive, Newburgh, IN, 812-4900655; 12301 U.S. 41 N., 812-247-0093. Prime rib, burgers, half-pound burgers, salads, more than 30 bourbons, and more. Catering, food truck available, and doggy menu available.
THE ROOFTOP: 112 N.W. Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd., 812-550-1599. Breakfast, sandwiches, burgers, and pizza.
ROUTE 65 TAVERN: 10801 Main St., Cynthiana, IN, 812-622-2025. A family restaurant in the front and a tavern in the back that serves sandwiches, burgers, chicken quesadillas, shrimp cocktails, and more.
SNAPS BAR & GRILL: 1115 Main St., Jasper, IN, 812-848-7627. Sandwiches, burgers, salads, steaks, chicken, and pasta dishes.
THE SPORTSDEN BAR + GRILL: 701 N. Weinbach Ave., Ste. 110, 812-4798887. Strombolis, sandwiches, wings, and more.
SPORTSMAN’S BILLIARDS AND GRILLE: 2315 W. Franklin St., 812-422-0801. Cheeseburgers, tenderloins, cheese balls, and more.
ST. JOE INN: 9515 Saint Wendel Road, 812-963-9310. Soups, salads, sandwiches, plate lunch specials, fiddlers, steaks, and fried chicken dinners.
ST. PHILIP’S INN: 11200 Upper Mount Vernon Road, 812-985-5558. Soups, salads, sandwiches, and plate lunch specials. Dinner includes fried chicken, open roast beef, catfish, shrimp, and more.
YELLOW TAVERN: 521 Church St., New Harmony, IN, 812-682-3303. Must be 21 to enter, cash or check only. Traditional American food such as pizza, steak, and sandwiches.
ZAPS TAVERN: 3725 St. Philip Road, 812-985-2121. Tavern-style food including wings, burgers, and dinner entrées, plus ice cream from JB’s Barnyard. Catering available.
BREWERIES, WINERIES, AND CRAFT COCKTAILS
ARCADEMIE: 22 N.W. Sixth St. Craft cocktails and regional beer on tap.
BARKER BREWHOUSE: 96 N. Barker Ave., 812-437-5079. Serving an extensive selection of beers, including craft and brewed on-site, plus wines and non-alcoholic beverages, as well as some pre-packaged food items. Food may also be brought in or ordered for delivery.
BOUCHERIE VINEYARDS AND WINERY: 6523 Keyway Drive, Spottsville, KY, 270-826-6192. Wine tastings and winery tours.
CAP & CORK: 104 N. Water St., Henderson, KY. Craft beer, buffalo fries, ribeye, jalapeno cheddar sausage, and more on the menu.
DAMSEL BREW PUB: 209 N. Wabash Avenue of Flags, 812-909-1956. A microbrewery and restaurant serving pub food.
DUSTY BARN DISTILLERY: 6861 Carson School Road, Mount Vernon, IN, 812-454-0135. A distillery making bourbon, rye, and liqueurs with a tasting room open for sampling, cocktails, and bottle purchases.
HAVEN’S BAR: 300 W. Jennings St., Newburgh, IN, 812-518-4007. Local craft beer, wine, domestics, scratch cocktails, and spirits, plus a small food menu.
HAYNIE’S CORNER BREWING CO.: 56 Adams Ave., 812-909-2668. Craft ale, beers, and wine. Beer can be taken to go.
HENDERSON BREWING COMPANY: 737 Second St., Henderson, KY, 270-200-4314. IPAs, porters, farmhouse ales, and more.
HUSH ON MAIN: 323 Main St., Ste. F. 1920s speakeasy offering custom cocktails, appetizers, a dinner menu including pasta dishes, and weekend brunch.
INDUSTRY BAR: 101 S.E. First St. Dog-friendly bar with cocktails, rotating draft beer list, billiards, and bar games.
MO’S HOUSE: 1114 Parrett St., 812-401-3800. Craft cocktails made from scratch, ample lounge seating, patio space, and snacks.
MONKEY HOLLOW WINERY: 11534 E. County Road 1740 N., Saint Meinrad, IN, 812-357-2272. Local organic meats and cheeses, Saturday evening concerts in summer, and a tasting room.
MYRIAD BREWING COMPANY: 8245 High Pointe Drive, Newburgh, IN, 812-402-1515. House-brewed and guest beers, as well as wine and spirits. Carry-in food and food delivery are permitted, and food trucks often visit on weekends.
PEPPER’S RIDGE WINERY: 4304 N. County Road 200 W., Rockport, IN, 812-649-9463. Free wine tastings, picnic areas, pizza delivery, local meats and cheeses, wine slushies, and weekend live music.
RIVER CITY BREW WORKS: 405 Main St., Rockport, IN, 812-649-2739. Located in a historic building and offering regional craft beer, wines, and a food menu.
WINZERWALD WINERY: 26300 N. Indian Lake Road, Bristow, IN, 812-357-7000. German-inspired wines, flatbreads, salads, Bavarian pretzels, charcuterie trays, and paired wine and food flights.
CATERING
ACROPOLIS CATERING/VENUE 812: 1401 N. Boeke Road, 812-7584660. Greek-American cuisine, chicken, beef, lamb, salads, and desserts. Food truck available.
AGAPE GRAZE: 122 N. Weinbach Ave., 812-518-0008. Charcuterie catering and gift delivery services.
BAUERHAUS MOBILE CATERING: 13605 Darmstadt Road, 812-7599000. Customized menus from simple party trays with gourmet hors d’oeuvres to elegant seven-course meals.
DILEGGE’S: 607 N. Main St., 812-428-3004 or 812-459-9864. Fine Italian-American cuisine available for catering or special and private events, with food served in the inhouse banquet room outdoor dining.
FIELD 2 FORK CATERING: 17425 Owensville Road, 812-899-1010. Providing produce, meat, and local alcohol selections from fresh, local ingredients.
JAYSON MUNOZ CATERS: 4593 Washington Ave., 812-471-7076. Favorite dishes from Chef Jayson Munoz like bourbon chicken, tacos, and carb rangoon.
JUST RENNIE’S CATERING: 100 S.E. Fourth St., 812-401-8098. Specializes in fine foods.
KOKIES FOOD SERVICE & BANQUET CENTERS: 11917 Highway 66, 812-4238229. Offering a diverse menu, from tacos to lobster.
MARX BBQ: 3119 W. Maryland St., 812-425-1616. Barbecue chicken, pork, and ribs.
MILLER’S CATERING, BARBECUE, AND WEDDINGS: 10108 Schaeffer Road, 812-454-2744. Specializes in catering, barbecue, wedding packages, and fundraisers.
NORTH MAIN ANNEX GOURMET CATERING & DELI: 701 N. Main St., 812-250-4551. Gourmet catering from breakfast to dessert, and a daily, fresh-made menu of breakfast, salads, baked goods, and deli classics.
THE NEW HARMONY INN & CONFERENCE CENTER: 504 North St., New Harmony, IN, 812-682-6150 or 812-682-6168. Caters within a 50-mile radius of New Harmony, Indiana, and offers a variety of food from steaks to sandwiches.
PAPPA BEAR’S CATERING: 812-568-8890. Whole hog roasts, handsliced brisket, smoked pork chops, rib-eye steaks, pulled pork barbecue, pulled chicken, smoked chicken, side items such as twice-baked potato casserole, potato salad, and green beans, and desserts.
PIZZA REVOLUTION: (Best Food Truck) Downtown Evansville Farmers Market and various locations, 812-430-5945. Mobile wood-fired pizza and salads.
SCHNITZELBANK CATERING: 409 Third Ave., Jasper, IN, 812-6342584. Caters home-cooked favorites to elegant cuisine.
Through a detailed online voting process of doctors by their peers, this Top Doctors list showcases the region’s medical professionals. Meet this year’s Top Doctors, who practice a variety of specialties in the region.
Gregory Hayden, MDHayden Vision
Gregory Hayden, MD, specializes in precision LASIK and advanced technology cataract surgery. He has been recognized as one of America’s top ophthalmologists for LASIK and cataract surgery and was named a Top 10 doctor in Indiana, as well as ranking in the top 10 percent of doctors in the nation. Experience your best vision with the trusted expertise of Dr. Gregory Hayden at Hayden Vision, the Tri-State’s premier cataract and laser vision correction center since 2003. He can help free you from contacts and glasses with custom LASIK and provide unparalleled surgical expertise for cataracts and advanced lens implants.
Gregory Hayden, MD
ALLERGY IMMUNOLOGY
Majed Koleilat
Deaconess Clinic Allergy
812-479-3153
Anne McLaughlin
Deaconess Clinic Allergy
812-479-3153
Jason White
Deaconess Clinic Allergy 812-479-3153
ANESTHESIOLOGY
Pallavi Bhatt
Deaconess Anesthesia ServiceMidtown
812-450-2239
David Fish
Deaconess Anesthesia Service 812-450-2239
Lawrence Garcia-Reyes
Deaconess Anesthesia ServiceMidtown
812-450-2239
Paul Mick
Deaconess Anesthesia Service
812-450-2239
Mark Murray
Deaconess Anesthesia Service 812-450-2239
Kenneth Parker
Deaconess Henderson Hospital 270-827-7700
Rajesh J. Patel
Deaconess Anesthesia Service 812-450-2239
Mark Robinson
Deaconess Anesthesia Service 812-450-2239
Howard Rumjahn
Deaconess Anesthesia Service 812-450-2239
Dmitriy Sintsov
Deaconess Anesthesia Service 812-450-2239
Kevin Wilking
The Women’s Hospital 812-842-4200
CARDIOLOGY
Sridhar Banuru
Deaconess Heart Group
812-464-9133
Ashwani K. Bedi
Ascension St. VincentEvansville Heart Care 812-473-2642
Wenkory Philip R. Casino
Ascension St. Vincent - Evansville Cardiology Center for Advanced Medicine
812-473-2642
David B. Curtis
Ascension St. VincentEvansville Heart Care 812-473-2642
Umesh Jairath
Deaconess Heart Group 812-464-9133
Javier A. Jurado
Ascension St. VincentEvansville Heart Care 812-473-2642
Chandrashekar Kumbar
Deaconess Heart Group 812-464-9133
J. Michael Neahring Deaconess Heart Group - Gateway 812-464-9133
Umang M. Patel
Ascension St. VincentEvansville Heart Care 812-473-2642
Nathan Reed
Deaconess Heart Group 812-464-9133
Prasongchai Sattayaprasert Deaconess Heart Group 812-464-9133
Douglas W. Sheffer
Ascension St. VincentEvansville Heart Care 812-473-2642
Adeel Siddiqui
Deaconess Heart Group 812-464-9133
Robert Starrett
Deaconess Heart Group 812-464-9133
Satyam Tatineni
Deaconess Heart Group 812-464-9133
Prasanna Yelamanchili
Deaconess Heart Group - Gateway 812-464-9133
Venkata Yelamanchili Deaconess Heart Group 812-464-9133
CARDIOTHORACIC SURGERY
Dominic Cefali
Deaconess Heart Group 812-464-9133
Bradley S. Litke
Ascension St. VincentEvansville Heart Care
812-473-2642
Lee Wagmeister Deaconess Heart Group 812-464-9133
COLON AND RECTAL SURGERY
Santiago Arruffat Evansville Colorectal Surgery 812-999-3277
Deaconess Pulmonary Critical Care - Gateway 812-450-7720
Raghav Gupta Deaconess Pulmonary Critical Care
812-450-7720
Ahmed Jawad Deaconess Pulmonary Critical Care
812-450-7720
Jessica Jeffries
Deaconess Pulmonary Critical Care
812-450-7720
Roger F. Johnson
Ascension St. VincentEvansville Lung Care
812-485-6030
Christopher D. Nelson
Ascension St. VincentEvansville Lung Care and Rheumatology
812-485-6030
Robert A. Rieti
Ascension St. VincentEvansville Lung Care
812-485-6030
David Ryon
Deaconess Pulmonary Critical Care 812-450-7720
Jeffrey Selby The Lung Centre 812-401-5040
Matthew Tucker Deaconess Pulmonary Critical Care 812-450-7720
Anthony O. Uvieghara
Ascension St. VincentEvansville Lung Care
812-485-6030
RADIATION ONCOLOGY
Noah Taylor Deaconess Chancellor Center for Oncology 812-858-2273
RADIOLOGY
Julie M. Franz Evansville Radiology PC 812-422-3254
Daniel M. Riherd Evansville Radiology PC 812-422-3254
David M. Sullivan Evansville Radiology PC 812-422-3254
REPRODUCTIVE ENDOCRINOLOGY
Daniel Griffin
Boston IVF at the Women’s Hospital 812-842-4530
RHEUMATOLOGY
Richard Bell
Deaconess Clinic Rheumatology 812-426-9311
Shilpa D. Gaitonde
Ascension Medical GroupSt. Vincent Evansville Rheumatology 812-485-1400
SLEEP MEDICINE
John C. Rodrigues
Ascension St. VincentEvansville Sleep Medicine
812-485-7680
Manaf Zawahreh
Deaconess Sleep Center
812-450-3852
SPINE SURGERY
Jason M. Conaughty
Tri-State Orthopaedics
812-477-1558
Eric Goebel
Neurosurgical Consultants
812-426-8410
Robert T. Vraney
Orthopaedic Associates
812-424-9291
SPORTS MEDICINE
Zachary C. Hamby
Tri-State Orthopaedics
812-477-1558
Timothy S. Hamby
Tri-State Orthopaedics
812-477-1558
Shayne R. Kelly
Tri-State Orthopaedics
812-477-1558
Andrew T. Saltzman
Tri-State Orthopaedics
812-477-1558
UROLOGY
Adam Becker
Deaconess Clinic Urology 812-426-9855
Michelle A. Boger
Ascension St. VincentEvansville Urology 812-473-1111
TOP NURSES 2024
Lucy Armistead
Deaconess Health System
Ashlie Broster
Deaconess Health System
Amy Jo Burkett
North Park Family Practice
Paula Calvert
Ascension St. Vincent
Orthopedic Hospital
Shelby Girten
Deaconess Health System
Lori Grimm
Deaconess Health System
Sheldon Hannah
Deaconess Health System
Rhea Hayden
Hayden Vision
Tiffany Perkins
Deaconess Gateway Hospital
Dominic Plutino
Deaconess Health System
Ascension St. VincentEvansville Cardiology
Carla Salise
Surgicare
Melissa Schimmel
The Women’s Hospital
Marcella Scott
The Women’s Hospital
Summary. DataJoe Research is a software and research company specializing in data collection and verification, and conducts various nominations across the United States on behalf of publishers. To create the “top doctors” list, DataJoe Research facilitated an online peer-nomination process, also referencing government sources. In addition, DataJoe often conducts media analysis through Internet research to factor in public perception. DataJoe then tallied the nominations per category for each doctor to isolate the top nominees in each category. After collecting nominations and factoring additional information from the media analysis, DataJoe checked and confirmed that each published winner had a current, active license status with the state regulatory board. If we were not able to find evidence of a doctor’s current, active registration with the state regulatory board, that doctor was excluded from the
Kelsey Quiambao-Starks
Phillip M. Gilson
Ascension St. VincentEvansville Urology 812-473-1111
Michael E. Kottwitz
Ascension St. VincentEvansville Urology 812-473-1111
David Moore
Deaconess Clinic Urology 812-426-9855
Todd D. Renschler
Ascension St. VincentEvansville Urology 812-473-1111
Bill J. Samm
Ascension St. VincentEvansville Urology 812-473-1111
Charles Vincent Deaconess Clinic Urology 812-426-9855
VASCULAR SURGERY
Chandra S. Cherukupalli
Evansville Surgical Associates 812-424-8231
Prasad V. Gade
Evansville Surgical Associates 812-424-8231
Angela H. Martin
Evansville Surgical Associates 812-424-8231
Donald E. Patterson
Evansville Surgical Associates
812-424-8231
Alicia Stafford Evansville Surgical AssociatesSt. Vincent Campus 812-424-8231
H. Simon Tran
Deaconess Heart Group 812-464-9133
Natalie Scott
Tri-State Orthopaedic Surgeons
Haley Sisk
Ascension St. VincentEvansville Cardiology
Rachel Stratman
The Women’s Hospital
Briley Sutton
Ascension St. Vincent
Orthopedic Hospital
Kelly Talbott
Deaconess Health System
Kendra Thatcher
Tri-State Perinatology
list. In addition, any doctor who has been disciplined, up to the time-frame of our review process for an infraction by the state regulatory board, was excluded from the list. Finally, DataJoe presented the tallied result to the magazine staff for final review and adjustments.
Final note. We recognize that there are many good doctors who are not shown in this representative list. This is only a sampling of the huge array of talented professionals within the region. Inclusion in the list is based on the opinions of responding doctors in the region and the results of our research campaign. We take time and energy to ensure fair voting, although we understand that the results of this survey nomination are not an objective metric. We certainly do not discount the fact that many, many good and effective doctors may not appear on the list.
Senta Thompson
Ascension St. VincentEvansville Cardiology
Whitley Verble
Ascension St. Vincent Orthopedic Hospital
Cheryl Waninger
Ascension St. VincentEvansville
Tiffany Woolsey
Ascension St. VincentEvansville Cardiology
Disclaimers. DataJoe uses best practices and exercises great care in assembling content for this list. DataJoe does not warrant that the data contained within the list are complete or accurate. DataJoe does not assume, and hereby disclaims, any liability to any person for any loss or damage caused by errors or omissions herein whether such errors or omissions result from negligence, accident, or any other cause. All rights reserved. No commercial use of the information in this list may be made without written permission from DataJoe.
Questions? For research/methodology questions, contact the research team at surveys@datajoe.com.
Evansville Surgical Associates
Evansville Surgical Associates (ESA) was founded in 1969 when three surgeons combined their practices to form one surgical group. Since then, the practice has expanded to include 26 surgeons servicing 11 locations in 3 different states, making it the largest surgical practice in the Tri-State area. Vascular Surgical Associates, our vascular affiliate, is also the largest vascular practice in the region. ESA surgeons are certified by the American Board of Surgery, and many surgeons also have subspecialty training and certification in Vascular Surgery, Trauma/Critical Care, Minimally Invasive Surgery, and Colorectal Surgery.
Evansville Surgical Associates has seen a lot of growth this year. What locations and specialties has the practice added?
ESA has seen and experienced the need for high-quality surgical care in and around Evansville. With that need,
we have focused our reach into the neighboring states of both Kentucky and Illinois with emergency room calls, satellite clinics, and/or full-time surgeons in Henderson, Kentucky, Jasper, Indiana, and Mount Carmel and Eldorado, Illinois.
How does Evansville Surgical Associates attract top talent?
E SA is a unique healthcare organization, being 100% physician owned. We believe that through the leadership of our surgeons, we can bring a unique style of healthcare that you cannot get elsewhere. Prospective surgeons are intrigued by the opportunity to be a potential partner and make decisions with their surgical colleagues to continue bringing highquality care to the Tri-State. As we continue to meet the needs of our communities, we will always be on the lookout for the right surgeons to join our team.
Front row, from left to right: Dr. Katharine Lasher, Dr. Donald Patterson, Dr. Angela Martin, Dr. Erik Throop, Dr. Joshua Aaron, and Dr. Brian Schymik. Back row, from left to right: Dr. Alicia Stafford, Dr. Andrea Jester, Dr. Chandra Cherukupalli, Dr. Kristi Peck, Dr. Dharmesh Patel, Dr. Jay Woodland, Dr. Samir Gupta, Dr. Matthew Field, Dr. Anthony Kaiser, Dr. Henry Roberts, Dr. Prasad Gade, Dr. Roberto Iglesias, Dr. Todd Burry, Dr. Kevin McConnell, Dr. Mallory Bray, and Dr. Caleb Birchler.
Evansville Surgical Associates welcomes Dr. Flick, Dr. Kuhlenschmidt, Dr. Matheson, and Dr. Smith.
Do patients have to have a referral to see a surgeon?
This is mostly dependent upon your specific health insurance requirements. We recommend calling your insurance before making an appointment to gather the necessary information.
What does the timeframe typically look like as far as seeing patients referred in?
We are fortunate to have strong relationships with both Ascension St. Vincent and Deaconess Health System. With 11 clinic locations across the Evansville area, there are many opportunities for patients to make an appointment. Once we receive a referral, it takes 3-4 days to process the request. Call 812-424-8231 today to speak with one of our team members.
Deaconess Physician Center • 520 Mary St., Ste. 520 • 812-424-8231
St. Vincent Medical Building • 801 St. Mary’s Drive, Ste. 200 E.
St. Vincent Breast Center • 100 St. Mary’s Epworth Crossing, Ste. A200, Newburgh, IN
St. Vincent Warrick • 1116 Millis Ave, Boonville, IN
Wabash General Hospital • 1418 College Dr., Mt. Carmel, IL
Ferrell Hospital • 1201 Pine St., Eldorado, IL evansvillesurgical.com
JUAN CABRERA JR., MD
ADULT & GERIATRIC PSYCHIATRY
MEET JUAN CABRERA JR., MD
We're here to help. Our experienced treatment team provides an array of practice approaches to serve clients. We address a multitude of issues, ranging from everyday challenges in life to more chronic and/or severe mental health needs. Counseling for children, adolescents, and adults is available with a range of hours of availability.
Each staff member understands each patient requires highly specialized care that takes their personal experiences, genetic makeup, and more into account. We care, and we want to make sure our treatments are accessible to as many patients as possible. As a result, we accept an array of private insurances, private pay, Medicare, and Medicaid. Contact us today to schedule an appointment!
Growing up in Evansville for much of his life, Dr. Cabrera graduated from Harrison High School. He then obtained a double major in Chemistry and Biology from Indiana University. He stayed at IU for Medical School, a Psychiatry residency, and a Geriatric Fellowship. His private practice encompasses Adult and Geriatric psychiatry with a focus on treatment-resistant depression. He operates a certified Spravato Treatment Center, and he is the only provider of Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation in this region.
& ASSOCIATES
BELINDA DAVIS, MSSW, LCSW
Belinda Davis graduated from Western Kentucky University with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Child Development and Family Living. After her undergraduate career, Belinda obtained her Master of Science in Social Work from the Kent School of Social Work at the University of Louisville. Belinda is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker; she provides individual counseling services and couple’s therapy. She is trained in CBT, DBT, ACT, ERP, WET, EMDR, EFIT, Mindful Meditation, and the treatment of ADHD.
MINDIE HALTERMAN, PMHNP-BC
Mindie Halterman grew up in the Tri-State area and practiced nursing in many settings throughout her career. Her medical background and experience for more than 25 years include mental health, long-term care, geriatrics, pediatrics, family medicine, surgery, oncology, urgent care, inpatient care, administration, and management. She graduated from the University of Southern Indiana with a Master’s of Science in Nursing and obtained a board certification through the ANCC as a Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner. She has a passion for promoting mental wellness and will evaluate and treat patients for various mental health disorders. Alternative considerations for treatment resistant depression have become a crucial piece in her practice to improve patient outcomes. She is in network with most commercial, VA, and Medicare plans and will see pediatric, adult, and geriatric populations.
MARY ELLEN AUSTIN, PMHNP-BC
Mary Ellen Austin is a board-certified psychiatric mental health nurse practitioner. She earned her Bachelor of Science in Nursing from University of Southern Indiana and her Master of Science in Nursing from Northern Kentucky University. She has been diagnosing and treating psychiatric disorders across the lifespan since graduating in 2022. Mary Ellen enjoys traveling and supporting her children at golf and volleyball events.
BRUCE G. AHLEMEIER, MSW, LCSW
Bruce Ahlemeier graduated from the University of Evansville with a Bachelor’s degree in Liberal Arts. He obtained a Master’s degree in Social Work from University of Southern Indiana. He provides counseling for children, adolescents, adults, and couples. He is trained in CBT, DBT, Brief Focused Mindfulness Meditation, Greif Counseling, Trauma Centered therapy, and EMDR. He has more than 20 years of counseling experience. Bruce offers evening appointments and virtual appointments where permitted.
MELODY HARRELL, MSW, LCSW
Melody Harrell graduated from the University of Southern Indiana with a Bachelor’s Degree in Sociology with a criminal justice emphasis. She went on to earn a Master’s in Social Work from the same university. Melody maintains certification in eye movement desensitization and reprocessing (EMDR), and she is an ADHD Certified Clinical Services Provider (A-CCSP). She provides individual counseling for adults, as well as intensive EMDR sessions and ketamine-assisted psychotherapy.
LINCOLN KLINE, PMHNP-BC
Lincoln Kline graduated with a Bachelor of Science in Nursing from the University of Southern Indiana. While working fulltime, he pursued advanced education and earned a Master of Science in Nursing from Northern Kentucky University. Lincoln has extensive training in diagnosing and treating treatment resistant depression, as well as a wide range of psychiatric conditions, including ADHD, anxiety, bipolar disorder, and psychosis. Board-certified, Lincoln provides care to patients of all ages and is proud to accept VA insurance, ensuring veterans have access to quality mental health services.
Digestive Care Center of Excellence
Did you know that 45 is the new 50 when it comes to getting your colorectal cancer screening? So, if you’re 45 years or older, it’s important to schedule your colonoscopy.
Digestive Care Center is here to help you live life for the better by offering expert advice and care. Colon cancer is preventable. Our goal for you is early detection to help prevent colon cancer and other digestive diseases, and to provide better outcomes.
The specialized physicians at the Digestive Care Center of Excellence have decades of experience and have gained the trust of thousands in the Tri-State. We are proud of our Top Doctors and proud to be the region’s largest practice dedicated to the prevention,
diagnosis and treatment of digestive diseases and illnesses. Our board-certified gastroenterologists, nurse practitioners, and other specialists are helping our patients feel better, get better, and enjoy the life they deserve.
Our GI doctors provide expert diagnosis, treatments and surgical procedures for a wide variety of conditions that affect the digestive system including the esophagus, stomach, the small intestine, the large intestine, colon, the liver, gallbladder and pancreas.
The Digestive Care Center of Excellence is located off Epworth Road just north of the Lloyd Expressway. In this state-of-the-art facility, we offer numerous
services including our Provider Clinic, Outpatient Endoscopy Center, Pathology Lab, and Infusion Center. Additionally, we recognize digestive issues are never convenient, so our Urgent Care Clinic is open for walk-ins Monday through Friday.
As we continue to improve and serve our communities, we are always grateful for the feedback we get from our patients. Based on recent surveys, our patients rate their satisfaction level at 94 percent, which reflects our care team’s dedication and commitment to helping our patients live life … for the better!
Front row, from left to right: Rachael Drake, Aaron Holderman, Sara Richeson, Abby Dossett, Katie Luigs, Michael Snyder, Donald Bailey, Chad Potteiger, Lori Lynch, Vajravel Prasad, Ahmed Khan, and Konstantin Boroda Back row, from left to right: Sarah Long, LaDonna Schmidt, Wen Cai, Michael Rusche, Gardar Gislason, Aaron Pugh, and Jon Stauffer Not pictured: Jacob Grisham, Alexandra Klueg, Krista Land, Katlyn Langebrake, and Melissa Nurrenburn
Dr. Louis Cady arrived in Evansville in 1993 after training at the Mayo Clinic. While practicing, he began intense self-education by going to conferences to learn about how to treat conditions such as nutrient deficiencies, food allergies, and low hormones.
With Functional Medicine, patients are looked at from the ground up to identify health risk factors. It is determined if there are vitamin or nutrition deficiencies. Relevant gene testing takes place to see if an all-natural approach may work for people with depression and ADHD. Dr. Cady’s general orientation is to use the least amount of medicine necessary to treat a condition, but he certainly will use medication when the situation necessitates it.
Other aspects of Functional Medicine include assessing and treating hormone deficiencies. Insurance pays for the conventional lab testing. Cady Wellness Institute is particularly excited about their association with Biote. Biote pellets are robustly effective for hormone replacement therapy, lasting roughly six months for men and three months for women. Benefits include more energy and stamina; improved sex drive, muscle retention, and blood sugar; loss of visceral fat; and, in women, the elimination of hot flashes, night sweats, and libido issues.
Dr. Cady’s practice has always been steady and consistent, but his patients consistently asked if he had anything effective for weight loss. There are now many GLP-1 Agonists (Ozempic, Mounjaro, etc.) available. One of the dangers of GLP-1’s is decreased protein intake and muscle loss. If the stress applied to bones by the muscles lessens, the bones begin to atrophy. This is particularly relevant in the face, where people lose muscle and collagen as they age. The negative effects of GLP’s are what got Dr. Cady interested in Functional Aesthetics®. He wanted to find a way to prevent the negative side effects from happening to his patients.
Cady Wellness Institute now offers FDA-approved body contouring treatments including:
• EmFace
A non-invasive facial treatment that utilizes radiofrequency and muscle stimulation to tighten and lift the face.
• Exion
A highly effective skin rejuvenating treatment combining radiofrequency and ultrasound energy able to penetrate more deeply than traditional microneedling for better results.
• EmSculpt NEO
A treatment utilizing magnetic pulses and radiofrequency to build muscle and eliminate fat.
• Emsella
The Emsella chair treats stress urinary incontinence in women in as few as 6 treatments.
Functional Aesthetics uses technology and the body’s own natural healing resources to trim fat, build muscle, and restore fat pads and muscles in the face, as well as increase collagen.
T. Saltzman,
David L. Whitney,
J.
D.
Tri-State Orthopaedic Surgeons
This year, TSOS celebrates its 75th anniversary as an integral part of the health and well-being of our Evansville community.
Many of the reasons we celebrate this milestone are self-evident. Our practice cares for many thousands of our friends and neighbors every year: young, old, and everyone in between, neighbors with injuries, infirmities, and illnesses who depend upon our special medical care and expertise in their pressing time of need.
The care delivered by TSOS has become increasingly sophisticated over the past 75 years. What started as two surgeons in the relatively new specialty of “orthopaedics” in 1949 has blossomed into 22 doctors, 14 more advanced practice providers, and several hundred caring and compassionate staff members delivering phenomenal musculoskeletal care to our community.
Multiple subspecialties now are a part of this very specialized practice. Doctors work here who specialize in sports medicine, joint replacement, spine surgery, hand surgery, foot surgery, traumatic injuries, interventional pain, and pediatric orthopedics. Not only do we now care for our
neighbors in the greater Evansville community, our patients come to us from many miles away in Southwest Indiana, Southern Illinois, and Western Kentucky. This practice, and the Evansville medical community, has become a vibrant regional hub for health care services.
Tri-State Orthopedic Surgeons is a business woven into the fabric of Evansville and the region. We are two hundred individuals who are deeply committed to our community. We live down the street. We worship in the next pew. We see you at the grocery. Our kids play sports with your kids. We donate countless hours to service in our community. We serve on community boards. We give back and pay it forward every time we get the chance.
Caring for our friends and neighbors is our privilege – one that we embrace wholeheartedly. It has been an honor to be part of the tapestry that is Evansville for 75 years. We are grateful and humbled when you put your trust in us, so we thank you for that trust. We are proud of our past and looking forward to what the next 75 years will bring.
225 Crosslake Drive
812-477-1558
tristate-ortho.com
Front row, seated: Jason M. Conaughty, M.D.; William A. Ante, M.D.; Jeana J. Lee, M.D.; Peter A. Knoll, M.D. Middle row: Blaine T. Manning, M.D.; Zachary C. Hamby, M.D.; Braxton D. Facer, D.P.M.; Paul E. Perry, M.D.; Tyler J. Kelly, D.P.M.; Shayne R. Kelly, D.O.; Craig T. Carter, M.D.; Ryan A. Wetzel, M.D.; Glenn T. Johnson II, M.D. Back row: Christopher L. Sneed, M.D.; Timothy S. Hamby, M.D.; Paul T. Daines, D.P.M.; Jason T. Franklin, D.O.; Michael B. Boyd, D.O.; Andrew
M.D.;
M.D.; Nicholas
Rensing, M.D.; Terry
Fenwick, M.D.
• Joshua M. Aaron
• Mohammed Adeel
• William A. Ante
• Santiago Arruffat
VCMS Executive Board Past President
• William J. Blanke
• Michael B. Boyd
• Eric S. Brackett
• Mallory S. Bray
• Todd S. Burry
• Juan C. Cabrera Jr.
Medical Education Foundation Board Member
• Louis B. Cady
Medical Education Foundation Board Member
• Craig T. Carter
• Chris Chacko
VCMS Executive Board Past President
• Jugesh I. Cheema
• Chandra S. Cherukupalli
Congratulations to the Vanderburgh County Medical Society’s Members’ 2024 Top Doctors.
• Brent E. Cochran
• Kenneth Combs
• Jason M. Conaughty
• Scott Cordts
VCMS Past Executive Board Member
• David B. Curtis
• Michael W. Daugherty
• Omar M. Dukar
• Daniel Emerson
• Laura Finch
• Jason T. Franklin
• Julie M. Franz
• Prasad V. Gade
• R. Michelle Galen
Medical Education Foundation Board Member
• Gardar Gislason
• Reynaldo N. Gonzales
• Zachary C. Hamby
• Timothy S. Hamby
• Lee E. Hoagland
• Michael R. Hodges
VCMS Executive Board Past President
• M. Adam Hubbard
• Roberto C. Iglesias
VCMS Executive Board Past President
• Andrea L. Jester
• Glenn T. Johnson II
• Rupal S. Juran
• Shayne R. Kelly
• Peter A. Knoll
• Kathryn T. Lannert
• Jeana J. Lee
• Angela H. Martin
• Heather Matheson
• Kevin W. McConnell
• Ryan D. Meyer
• John P. Morgan
• Jamie Mull
• Christopher D. Nelson
• Dharmesh M. Patel
• Donald E. Patterson
• Ronald C. Perkins
• Paul E. Perry
• Sally G. Primus
VCMS Past Executive Board Member
• Aaron J. Pugh
• Nicholas J. Rensing
• Daniel M. Riherd
• Henry Roberts
• Michael B. Rusche
• Robert Rusche
• Andrew T. Saltzman
VCMS Past Executive Board Member
• Heather L. Schroeder
VCMS Executive Board President
• Brian W. Schymik
• Christopher L. Sneed
• David M. Sullivan
• Andrew W. Tharp
• Erik B. Throop
• David L. Whitney
• Jay H. Woodland
DAN HATEF, M.D.
North Park Family Practice Center
“We are proud to be named top family medicine physician and nurse practitioner in our area chosen by our peers.” This distinction demonstrates the enduring pursuit of excellence and exceptional qualities that Dr. William Blume, Amy Burkett, FNP-C, and staff have committed to patients and families, especially in the areas of pediatric care, women’s health, adult medicine, general orthopedic care, and geriatric care for 40 years. They are accepting new patients with same-day appointments available. Call North Park Family Practice Center at 812-422-7212 and visit drblume.me.
4501 N. Fourth Ave.
812-422-7212 drblume.me
Midwest Ear, Nose & Throat Surgery
For more than five decades, Midwest Ear, Nose & Throat Surgery has been a trusted provider for families across the Tri-State. Board-certified surgeons Dr. Ryan Palmer, Dr. Young Paik Paik, and Dr. Mark Logan Logan, along with Shay Glisson, FNP-BC, and Meghann Ray, PA-C, feel privileged to serve the Greater Evansville community. The doctors attribute their ability to provide exceptional care — from allergy and sinus care to thyroid conditions, hearing loss, and head and neck surgery — to the dedication of their medical assistants, audiologists, staff, and the area’s many other skilled healthcare providers.
1401 Professional Blvd.
812-473-2060 • midwestentsurgery.com
Four convenient locations in Evansville, Vincennes, and Tell City, Indiana, and Henderson, Kentucky
Amy Burkett, FNP-C and Dr. William Blume
Young Paik, MD, Mark Logan, MD, Ryan Palmer, DO
REAL MUSIC VARIETY
President’s Message December/January
Happy holidays, and best wishes for a brand-new year! If you’re like me, you are hustling and bustling. While you are involved with family and friends engaged in celebrating the season, I will ask you not to forget YOUR public media station, WNIN. End-of-year giving is always popular with many of our donors. Often, the donation is the regularly scheduled support for the work we do throughout the year, but sometimes the end of the calendar year is a great time for you to offer an additional gift that will certainly help WNIN and maybe give you a nice tax deduction.
Stock gifts are a popular option as we approach the end of 2024. Very few things these days pay off twice, but giving a gift of stock to WNIN-TV and/or WNIN-FM may just do it. If you are thinking about making a year-end
WNIN BOARD OF DIRECTORS 2024
A.J. Manion
Immediate
Past Chair
Susan Hardwick
Chair
Richard Kuhn
Vice Chair
Lawrence Taylor
Secretary
Nancy Hodge
Treasurer
Tim Black
President
Noah Alatza
Steven Bridges
Joshua Claybourn
Beau Dial
Stephanie Koch
Lindsay Locasto
Whitney Lubbers
Kim McWilliams
Tara Overton
Amber Rascoe
Stephanie Roland
Stacey Shourd
Thomas Silliman
Amy Susott
Alfonso Vidal
Daniela Vidal
Gene Warren
Amy Waterman
Jordan Whitledge
Matthew Wright
gift to celebrate and support the many ways we enhance our community, consider making that gift with appreciated stock or other marketable securities. Giving marketable securities including publicly traded stock, bonds, or mutual funds can be a tax advantaged way to make your generous gift to WNIN. Appreciated securities, particularly those held longer than one year, may reduce or completely avoid capital gains obligations and allow you to take a full tax deduction for the fair market value of the stock at time of transfer to WNIN. Once the transfer is complete, WNIN sells the stock and puts the proceeds to use supporting the programs and services you value and gives you the benefits of membership. We encourage you to talk to your tax or financial advisor to better understand the implications of such a gift to your individual tax situation.
Here are some of the advantages of giving a stock gift:
• Gifts of stock are easy.
• Gifts of stock can be handled through an electronic transfer (DTC), which is virtually immediate. That means you can make your gift as late as the last business day of the year.
• You may be able to take an unused asset to make a larger donation than you might normally be able to make.
• When long-term appreciated securities are donated, their tax deduction will be the fair market value of the security. Long-term securities are those held longer than one year.
• Since the stock itself is donated, you won’t have to pay capital gains tax.
If you plan to make a stock gift, we encourage you to contact your advisor or broker. You’ll simply need your DTC number, which your brokerage firm will supply to you. You’ll also need some basic information from WNIN, which you or your financial advisor may collect by calling 812-423-2973.
While it’s not necessary right now, the end of the year is also a good time to consider making planned estate giving arrangements. WNIN will continue to seek and depend on regular membership contributions from our friends, especially new generations of viewers and listeners. But in the long run, our future will depend, more and more, on special gifts from longtime friends who want to help WNIN become stronger and more stable for many years to come. One of the ways you may choose to express your deep commitment to public media is by naming WNIN in your will or trust. It is an easy way to make a lasting contribution to the good work WNIN does in the community without affecting your current financial security and freedom. One of the most satisfying things you will be able to do after making decisions about your family and friends in your estate or will is to include provisions that will benefit some of the worthy institutions and organizations you have supported during your life. Many of the most significant gifts that non-profits receive come from the estates of regular contributors who decide to share a portion of their accumulated assets later on. It’s an easy and a beautiful thing to do. Contact me, Tim Black, at 812-423-2973 or tblack@ wnin.org if you’d like to know more.
The end of the year is always a good time to include WNIN-TV and/or WNIN-FM on your gift list. While you embrace this season of giving with your family and your friends, please consider including your local public media stations in your gift giving plans. In fact, before the hustle and bustle gets to be too much, please consider making your gift, right now, at www.wnin.org or by calling us at 812-423-2973. You may also contact us to get more information about giving stock or making plans for a larger gift once your time in this life is done. Thank you when you do, and best wishes for a blessed 2025!
Sincerely,
Tim Black, President and CEO
WNIN Announces 2025 Winter Gala Speaker
WNIN Tri-State Public Media and Jeffrey Berger of Berger Wealth Services Group invite you to put on your best evening attire and join us for WNIN’s 2025 Winter Gala to be held on Saturday, Jan. 25, 2025, at the Bally’s Riverfront Event Center in Downtown Evansville.
This one-of-a-kind evening includes a multi-course dinner with the exclusive opportunity to hear from a national broadcaster, live entertainment, and plenty of socializing with all of your favorite WNIN personalities. Guests also can look forward to silent and live auctions featuring libations, experiences, and more.
WNIN is pleased to announce that this year’s speaker will be Jeremy Hobson, a prominent and trusted name in both public radio and journalism. His newest show “The Middle” is a live national call-in talk show aimed at elevating the voices of Americans who live in “the middle”— geographically, politically or philosophically — as well as Americans who want to meet in the middle to find solutions to the biggest issues the country faces.
“I’m so happy to have Jeremy Hobson come to Evansville for our Winter Gala. Jeremy is such a well-known public radio voice and personality, and we are one of the early adopters of his new show. Jeremy is a Midwestern guy, and I know he’ll feel right at home in the Tri-State while he’s here,” says Vice President of Radio Kenton McDonald.
To learn more about Jeremy and the work he does, tune in to his show live at 8 p.m. Thursdays on WNIN 88.3 FM.
Each year, the Winter Gala is held to directly support WNIN’s mission and efforts to enrich lives and empower our region through public media. Join us for a dynamic evening
that will support all your favorite WNIN programs and the communities we serve. Tickets will be made available for purchase in December, and individual tickets are $150 each to attend. WNIN currently is in the process of securing event sponsorships. Please contact Karen Robinson, Director of Events and Theater, to learn about the benefits of partnering with WNIN to create a one-of-akind event, while supporting your local public media station.
Follow us on Facebook and Instagram for more information as it becomes available.
WNIN Tri-State Public Media, Inc.
Karen Robinson
Director of Events & Theatre
812-423-2973 Ext. 136 krobinson@wnin.org
WNIN-TV Makes Good on Commitment to Local Content
On 9.1 WNIN PBS, local content is more than just a programming choice — it’s our mission. As part of our commitment to serving the Tri-State, WNIN-TV strives to create and air content that reflects the unique stories, people and issues of the community.
From locally produced documentaries to features on regional arts and culture, our team is committed to preserving the past, discussing today’s concerns and helping people of all ages learn something new about the place where they live.
This focus on local content goes well beyond entertainment. It fosters community engagement, bringing attention to important issues and celebrating the diversity of voices across the Tri-State. Whether it’s a spotlight on local arts, discussions on public policy, or educational programming tailored to regional needs, WNIN-TV enriches the community by keeping viewers informed and connected.
To highlight this commitment, WNIN-TV produced 78 hours of local content and programming in FY 2024 that reflects the region’s unique character and interests, including:
• A Monumental Honor: Honor Flight of Southern Indiana
• Out And About: The Gay History of Evansville
• Two Main Street with David James
• USI/WNIN Mayoral Debate
• 2024 Evansville Fireworks
• Newsmakers
• Lawmakers
• Shively and Shoulders
• Active Living With April
• News in Review
• Regional Voices
By consistently investing in local content, WNIN-TV ensures that the station remains a valuable resource for the people it serves, offering programming that resonates with the heart of the Tri-State. Follow us on Facebook and Instagram, subscribe to our newsletter or check us out on wnin.org to stay up to date with 9.1 WNIN PBS local productions.
Jeremy Hobson
Spotlight
2024 December/Holiday Highlights
MARY BERRY’S ULTIMATE CHRISTMAS
Airs at 3 p.m. Dec. 1, 9 a.m. Dec. 7, and 9 p.m. Dec. 23
Chefs Angela Hartnett and Monica Galetti join Dame Mary Berry to share favorite festive recipes from their heritage. Plus, Mary and TV host Rylan try and convert some children into fans of Brussels sprouts.
BROADWAY’S LEADING MEN: A MUSICAL CELEBRATION
Airs at 8:30 p.m. Dec. 2
The American Pops Orchestra, under conductor Luke Frazier, pays tribute to Broadway’s leading men. Performers include Christian Borle, Norm Lewis, Matthew Morrison, Telly Leung, Andre De Shields, Alexis Michelle Christopher Jackson, Paulo Szot, Nic Rouleau, and Jacob Gutierrez, with special appearances by Liev Schreiber, Jared Grimes, James Monroe Iglehart, Tituss Burgess, Victor Garber, and more.
RAGTIME, THE MUSICAL: ALL-STAR REUNION CONCERT
Airs at 8:30 p.m. Dec. 4
Celebrate the Tony Award-winning music “Ragtime” in a once-in-a-lifetime reunion concert with music directed and conducted by James Moore. Original cast members Audra McDonald, Brian Stokes Mitchell, and Peter Friedman are joined by Kelli O’Hara in this recreation of 1998’s Best Musical.
MEXICO MADE WITH LOVE
Airs at 8:30 p.m. Dec. 6
The latest production in the Emmy Award-winning “Made With Love” series takes viewers inside the workshops and studios of the country’s most remarkable artisans. Celebrating Mexico’s rich
cultural landscape, it reveals the vibrant thread that weaves together the country’s rich tapestry of the arts, tradition, and creativity. From centuries-old traditional Talavera pottery to intricately woven China Poblana blouses to precious silver and glass carvings, “Mexico Made with Love” provides a front-row seat as artisans craft beautiful objects and preserve cultural heritage, infusing their work with the warmth, color, and soul that define Mexico’s artistic identity.
HAUSER: CLASSIC GALA CONCERT AT THE ROYAL ALBERT HALL
Airs at 7 p.m. Dec. 7
Set against the grandeur of the Royal Albert Hall, this cinematic spectacle promises an evening of unparalleled elegance and enchantment conveyed through Hauser’s masterful cello performances featuring guest artists including Caroline Campbell, Lara Fabian and Aida Garifullina. Robert Ziegler conducts the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra.
HOLIDAY HANDBELLS: THE RALEIGH RINGERS
Airs at 8 p.m. Dec. 12, 4 p.m. Dec. 24, and noon Dec. 25
The Raleigh Ringers, an internationally acclaimed community handbell choir based in the capital city of North Carolina, present the sequel to their critically acclaimed holiday special, “One Winter Evening at Meymandi.”
JOY: CHRISTMAS WITH THE TABERNACLE CHOIR
Airs at 7:00 p.m. Dec. 17
The Tabernacle Choir and Orchestra at Temple Square joins Broadway’s Michael Maliakel and “Downton Abbey” actress Lesley Nicol for this heartwarming Christmas special. Filmed before a live audience at the Conference Center in Salt Lake City, Utah, “Joy” will lift your spirits with stirring renditions of classic and popular Christmas music and a true story about French novelist, poet, and dramatist Victor Hugo at Christmastime.
TOO HOT TO HANDEL: THE GOSPEL MESSIAH
Airs at 8:30 p.m. Dec. 17 and 7 p.m. Dec. 24
Conductor Marin Alsop, Bob Christianson, and Gary Anderson reimagine George Frideric Handel’s 18th Century masterpiece. Handel’s arias, choruses and orchestration are infused with gospel, jazz, and R&B, creating an uplifting reinterpretation of this Christmas and Easter favorite. This performance at London’s Royal Albert Hall marks the European premiere of “Too Hot to Handel: The Gospel Messiah,” a piece that has been a seasonal fixture across the U.S. since it premiered in New York in 1993.
MARY BERRY’S HIGHLAND CHRISTMAS
Airs at 8 p.m. Dec. 23 and 9 p.m. Dec. 25
Inspired by her own family holidays, Mary Berry cooks up an array of sumptuous Scottish dishes. Joined by friends Andy Murray, Iain Stirling, and Emeli Sande, they prepare indulgent Christmas dishes that can be enjoyed anytime during the holidays.
CALL THE MIDWIFE HOLIDAY 2020
Airs at 2 p.m. Dec. 24
Everyone at Nonnatus House looks forward to a traditional holiday, but nothing goes quite to plan.
CHRISTMAS ON THE DANUBE Airs at 3:30 p.m. Dec. 24
Traveling the majestic Danube River as it passes through stunning European landscape, history, and culture, and explore European cities that are particularly spectacular at Christmas.
CRANE CANDLELIGHT CONCERT: CELEBRATING A MIRACLE
Airs at 5 p.m. Dec. 24, and 1 p.m. Dec. 25
For more than 100 years, the Crane Candlelight Concert has ushered in the holiday season at SUNY Potsdam’s Crane School of Music.
CALL THE MIDWIFE HOLIDAY 2022
Airs at 2 p.m. Dec. 25
With Christmas approaching, the midwives move to their maternity clinic and are delighted when their first patient is a familiar face.
CALL THE MIDWIFE HOLIDAY 2023
Airs at 3:30 p.m. Dec. 25
Two weeks before Christmas, delicate situations cause uncertainty for the midwives.
CLASSIC CHRISTMAS WITH THE BACH FESTIVAL SOCIETY
Airs at 11 p.m. Dec. 25
This holiday tribute features the 175-voice Bach Festival choir, youth choir, and orchestra under the direction of conductor and creative director John V. Sinclair.
2025 January Highlights
INDEPENDENT LENS: DALLAS, 2019
Airs at 8 p.m. Jan. 3 and 7 p.m. Jan. 4
Explore a cross section of life in Dallas, Texas, the year before the pandemic hit, as fault lines emerge between those who follow, make, and battle the law. This five-part series follows the harried lives of city workers, community organizers, and diverse citizens as they confront natural and human-made disasters, a struggling school system, and cycles of incarceration. What will the future of Dallas look like?
FINDING YOUR ROOTS, SEASON
11
Airs at 7 p.m. starting Jan. 7
Henry Louis Gates Jr.’s guest roster for this season’s ancestry exploration includes actors Kristen Bell, Laurence Fishburne, Debra Messing, Melanie Lynskey, Sheryl Lee Ralph, Lea Salonga, and Sharon Stone; celebrity chefs José Andrés and Sean Sherman; novelist Amy Tan; poet Rita Dove; historian Lonnie Bunch; musician Rubén Blades; and journalist Natalie Morales.
NATURE: BIG CATS, SMALL WORLD
Airs at 7 p.m. Wednesdays starting Jan. 22
This new series focuses on three big-cat species: lions, leopards, and cheetahs. Watch each raise their families and compete for food and territory in the African wild.
GREAT MIGRATIONS: A PEOPLE ON THE MOVE
Airs at 8 p.m. Tuesdays starting Jan. 28
Henry Louis Gates Jr. presents this new documentary series about a period in the early 20th Century when millions of African Americans left the South for northern cities. Migrants sought better economic opportunities, political freedom, and industrial jobs. The Great Migration led to the creation of the modern Black community and the Black middle class, and it also inspired artistic, poetic, intellectual, and musical creativity.
NEW SEASON OF DRAMA FAVORITES
Midsomer Murders, Season 23
Airs at 9 p.m. Thursdays starting Jan. 2, with repeats airing at 8 p.m. Saturdays
Barnaby and Winter find themselves thrust into new, weird, and wonderful worlds, from doomsday prepping and police retirement villages to artisan bakeries and drag shows.
Vienna Blood, Season 4
Airs at 9 p.m. Sundays starting Jan. 5
It’s 1909 in Vienna, and the double murder of an arms dealer in police custody and the director of security has shaken the Austrian capital city to its core. Doctor Max Liebermann has only just returned from a tour of the U.S. when Inspector Rheinhardt asks for help in what could be the biggest case of their career.
Masterpiece: Miss Scarlet, Season 5
Airs at 7 p.m. Sundays starting Jan. 12
As Blake and Miss Scarlet cross paths at various crime scenes across London, they can’t help but develop mutual respect — and perhaps even attraction.
Masterpiece: All Creatures Great And Small, Season 5
Airs at 8 p.m. Sundays starting Jan. 12
Back from his overseas service in the Royal Veterinary Corps — and sporting a handsome mustache — is prodigal son, best buddy, and newly minted uncle figure, Tristan Farnon (Callum Woodhouse). Viewers will be thrilled to see Richard Carmody (James AnthonyRose) back and fully espousing the Skeldale ethos of considering not just the animals, but the people, too.
DAYTIME TV SCHEDULE
MONDAY - FRIDAY
5 a.m. Arthur
5:30 a.m. Odd Squad
6 a.m. Wild Kratts
6:30 a.m. Alma’s Way
7 a.m. Lyla in the Loop
7:30 a.m. Carl the Collector
8 a.m. Daniel T iger
8:30 a.m. Rosie’s Rules
9 a.m. Sesame Street
9:30 a.m. Work It Out Wombats
10 a.m. Donkey Hodie
10:30 a.m. Pinkalicious & Peterrific
11 a.m. Elinor Wonders Why
12:30 p.m. Xavier Riddle
PRIMETIME TV SCHEDULE
MONDAY
6 p.m. PBS News Hour
7 p.m. Antiques Roadshow
8 p.m. Antiques Roadshow
9 p.m. P.O.V./Specials
10 p.m. Amanpour & Company
11 p.m. Specials
TUESDAY
6 p.m. PBS News Hour
7 p.m. Finding Your Roots
8 p.m. Specials
9 p.m. Frontline/Specials
9 p.m. The First Lady 10 p.m. Amanpour & Company
11 p.m. This Old House
11: 30 p.m. Ask This Old House FRIDAY
6 p.m. PBS News Hour
7 p.m. Washington Week
7:30 p.m. Firing Line
8 p.m. Specials/Arts
10 p.m. Amanpour & Company
11 p.m. NOVA
SATURDAY
10 p.m. Amanpour & Company
11 p.m. Antiques Roadshow
1 p.m. Baking With Julia 1:30 p.m. Ask This Old House
2 p.m. Specials (3 hours)
5 p.m. BBC News The Context
5:30 p.m. BBC News America
SATURDAY & SUNDAY
5 a.m. Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood
5:30 a.m. Arthur
6 a.m. Wild Kratts
6:30 a.m. Alma’s Way
7 a.m. Molly of Denali (Sunday Only)
11:30 a.m. Nature Cat Noon Molly of Denali
WEDNESDAY
6 p.m. PBS News Hour
7 p.m. Nature
8 p.m. NOVA
9 p.m. Secrets of the Dead/Specials
10 p.m. Amanpour & Company
11 p.m. Nature
THURSDAY
6 p.m. PBS News Hour
7 p.m. Newsmakers
7:30 p.m. Shivley and Shoulders/Specials
8 p.m. Specials
6 p.m. Wild Travels
6:30 p.m. Epic Tails
7 p.m. Weathered
7:30 p.m. America’s Forests
8 p.m. The First Lady
9 p.m. Little Bird
10 p.m. Austin City Limits
11 p.m. Vintage Vessels
11:30 p.m. Radical Restoration SUNDAY
6 p.m. Celebrity Antiques Road Trip
7 p.m. Masterpiece
8 p.m. All Creatures Great & Small on Masterpiece
9 p.m. Masterpiece
10 p.m. Velvet (2 hours)
COMPANY ..................................... PAGE
Ascension St. Vincent 82, 100, 102 728 Chic Boutique GG 11
Adams & Sons Men’s Fine Clothiers GG 11, GG 12
Adventure Glassworks GG 9
Attention To Detail...............................GG 3
Jill Lucy, ERA First Advantage 63 Juan Cabrera, MD; Psychiatry 92, 93 Do you own a home or know of a house that would look great in the pages of Evansville
Final Detail HOLIDAY PROCESSIONS
A look at the origin of Evansville’s Christmas parade BY
MAGGIE VALENTI, WITH JODI KEEN
Holiday parades are a time-honored tradition, and Evansville’s have held a special place in the city’s history.
The city’s Parks and Recreation Department attempted to lift people’s spirits during the Great Depression by staging the first Saint Nicholas Parade in the 1930s. Assistance came from the Works Progress Administration, a part of President Franklin D. Roosevelt’s 1935 New Deal.
When the WPA stopped supporting the parade after 1940, residents formed the Knights of St. Nicholas and raised more than $15,000 — around $320,321.56 in today’s dollars — to continue the parade. Members’ identities remained secret, and an oath kept it that way.
“Members running the event were also carefully blended with non-members to maintain their anonymity,” says Willard Public Library archivist Hannah Thomason. “It shows an economic improvement in the area for the WPA to pull back and citizens be able to step forward and create such an elaborate event.”
Evansville held its community-supported Saint Nicholas Parade on the morning of Nov. 21, 1941. The event symbolized the end of one national crisis while, unknown that day, the country headed toward another. Seventeen days later, the U.S. joined World War II after Japan’s Dec. 7 attack on Pearl Harbor.
Photos captured by E.W. Newman Co. in Willard Public Library’s archives show floats parading through Downtown Evansville. Tractors were used to pull 40 floats — manned by more than 100 people swathed in sequins, pearls, gold buttons, taffeta, silk, and metallic thread — representing songs, moments of historical significance, toys, and holiday-centric themes. A “queen,” chosen by her peers, would ride on the float for each local high school wearing a custom gown splashed with the school’s colors.
Hat and coat-clad revelers lined the streets along a route that started at North First Avenue and Franklin Street and wound
its way through a Downtown street pattern that since has changed. After crossing Pennsylvania Street — the West Side precursor to the Lloyd Expressway — the parade route snaked through Downtown via Court, Sycamore, Main, and Locust streets before culminating in front of what was then the four-story Keller-Crescent Printing Company building at Locust Street and Riverside Drive.
“The Saint Nicholas Parade was designed to be an immensely joyful celebration,” Thomason adds — a theme that remains in use today. Just like the mid-century event helped the city rise from the gloom
of the Great Depression, Evansville’s modern parade is emerging from the shadow of the COVID-19 pandemic. After a fiveyear hiatus, a Christmas parade returns to North Main Street on Nov. 24. Floats will pass under the Jacobsville neighborhood’s new “Welcome” arch and continue north, with the parade ending at Garvin Park.
