13 minute read
Chesterton
Come home for the holidays
Come home to Chesterton, where the magic of Christmas as you remember it—the sparkle and the thrill—is a cherished tradition.
The season begins with the Hometown Holiday Celebration, on the Saturday after Thanksgiving, Nov. 27, with a special Yule edition of Chesterton’s famous European Market from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. in the historic Downtown. At 5 p.m. watch the annual Lighting of the Tree in Thomas Centennial Park, then grab a hot chocolate and a peppermint stick and enjoy the grand festiveness of the Twilight Christmas Parade.
Looking to find a special gift this year? Or just breathe deep in the spirit of the season? Downtown Chesterton will host the Mistletoe Market from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 4, a bustling, colorful local favorite. But don’t leave after the Mistletoe. There’s no more charming place for a Christmas stroll than the brilliantly illuminated Thomas Centennial Park at dusk. Finish your evening with an intimate meal at one of Chesterton’s excellent bistros, all within easy walking distance.
Downtown’s shops are a joy to browse, for toys, art, antiques, fine jewelry, antiquarian books, women’s apparel and accessories, and a marvelous selection of Christmas ornaments and decorations. Offering a delightful taste of holiday cheer are Chesterton’s breweries and craft beer houses, it’s two wineries, and it’s just opened distillery. And make sure you bring the kids for a visit to Santa’s House in Thomas Park, from 10 a.m. to 12 p.m. and from 1 to 3 p.m. every Saturday through Dec. 21. For lunch take your pick of one of the many family-friendly eateries in the Downtown.
Come home to Chesterton for the holidays, where the spirit of Christmases Past will warm you and enchant you.
Right Side discover the of INDIANA EASTERN INDIANA
A unique blend of nationally acclaimed attractions, historic theatres, beautiful parks, fun festivals, and savory dining. Explore automotive and glass history, fascinating museums, and more!
Road Trip! - Eastern Indiana
Discover the Right Side of Indiana
A unique blend of nationally acclaimed attractions, historic theaters, beautiful parks, fun festivals, and savory dining. Explore automotive and glass history, fascinating museums and more!
Grant County
765-668-5435 - showmegrantcounty.com
Visit Marion’s Christmas City Walkway of Lights Nov 20 – Dec 31. The dazzling display is more than 2 miles long, features 2.5 million twinkling lights & over 120 holiday displays.
Dekalb County
260-927-1499 - VisitDekalb.org
DISCOVER the story behind the prestigious Auburn, Cord, and Duesenberg automobiles; some of the GREATEST cars ever made, and EXPERIENCE our rich automotive history visiting our four unique museums.
Jay County
260-726-3366 - VisitJayCounty.com
The only “JAY” in the USA, Jay County holds treasures of all kinds, from primitive antique shopping to live entertainment. We’re home to the world’s largest Gas Engine and Tractor Show, Fiber Festival and many more interesting events.
Visit Kokomo
800-837-0971 - VisitKokomo.org
Explore Kokomo’s unique collection of experiences! Visit Seiberling Mansion, tour Kokomo Opalescent Glass, go horseback riding at Crown Haven Center, and explore Kokomo’s vibrant downtown filled with shops, bakeries, restaurants & art.
Seiberling Mansion & Howard Count Museum
765-452-4314 - HCHistory.org
Open Tuesday-Sunday 1-4pm in Kokomo. New exhibits and events. From Dark Pages October 22/23; Christmas at the Seiberling Nov 27-Dec 31.
Muncie
765-284-2700 - VisitMuncie.org
Muncie has plenty of vibrant arts, sports & leisure, family fun, and so much more. Hometown to Garfield the Cat and Ball State University. Check out the original studio and artwork at the new Bob Ross Experience. Muncie has something for everyone.
Experience the Holidays in Wabash County
story by Glenda Winders
Bellazo and the welcome Center gift shop are both great places to find unique gifts for the holidays
Photo: Visit Wabash County
Photo: Visit Wabash County
If the holiday ho-hos have hit you and every fiber of your being longs to shop, hum carols and celebrate, consider making Wabash your first stop of the season. Wrap up your gift-buying, have a bite to eat, and take in a spirit-lifting show. It’s the perfect way to kick off the happiest time of the year.
You’ll be able to check off every name on your list at locally owned shops. To help you stay on your budget, they’ll be participating in Black Friday and Small Business Saturday activities with sales and special offers.
Kick off your spree at Bellazo Revived Style. Here you’ll find vintage and secondhand clothing and so much more – art and accessories for the home, fragrances, local T-shirts, funny socks, books and games. Can’t decide? They’ll make up a “Goodie Bag” that takes into consideration the preferences of your recipient. The “Magic Bag” is perfect for the person who is into crystals, chakras and white sage.
The Wabash County Welcome Center and Gift Shop features over 30 local merchants and artisans from throughout Wabash County all in one place. Shop for locally-made jewelry, tees, candles, soaps, notecards and postcards, art, unique gifts, and so much more.
The Eclectic Shoppe is also filled with surprises and delights that range from pottery and vintage jewelry to handcrafted handbags and original art. At the Wooden Ivy Boutique and Floral you’ll find hip jeans, sweaters, shoes and accessories as well as small gifts such as coffee mugs and inspirational key fobs. Still stumped? Enchant your loved one with a bouquet of flowers.
Jojo’s Olfactory and Co. will decorate your home and brighten the homes of those on your list with sweetly scented candles. Or sign up the crafters you know for a class where they can make their own. Readers will love presents from Reading Room Books, one of the largest used bookstores in Indiana, and you’ll love browsing in the vintage rooms where they are displayed.
Since Santa will probably bring the toys your favorite children want, why not make your offering unusual and adorable clothes from Tiny Threads Children’s Boutique? “Big sister and little sister” outfits will thrill families who have girls.
Delight everyone in your group with the Jolly Trolley Tour on Saturday, Dec. 18, with tours taking off every half hour between 9 a.m. and 2 p.m. and lasting about an hour.
Join Mrs. Claus on the trolley for story time as you travel to your destination about 15 minutes away for holiday fun. Enjoy a Charlie Brown-themed puppet show, crafts, cookies, a hot cocoa bar, live music and photo opportunities. Tickets, which go on sale Nov. 9, are $5 per person and free for those under 12 months.
While you’re thinking of others, remember to put time for yourself on the list. Take a break to stop in for a burger and a beer at Harry’s Old Kettle Pub & Grill or Market Street Grill. If Mexican food is your thing, take your choice of Habanero Grill and Cantina, Mi Pueblo or El Mezquite. Or grab a pizza at Harvey Hinklemeyers Pizza or Goodfella’s.
You might choose to indulge yourself with a special dinner at Eugenia’s in the Honeywell Center before you take in a live
Cirque Dreams Holidaze at the Honeywell Center
Photo: Visit Wabash County
performance. Especially popular at this time of year is Cirque Dreams Holidaze for an experience that combines a Broadway-style musical with contemporary circus artistry. Performances are at 2 p.m. and 7:30 p.m. on Saturday, Nov. 20. Or get tickets for the Christmas Madrigal Dinner Theater on Dec. 3 and 4. Tuesday, Dec. 5, enjoy a “Celtic Angels Christmas.” Another possibility is a movie or live entertainment at the recently renovated Eagles Theatre, which has now been restored to its original 1906 glory.
Before you leave Wabash, stop by the Wine and Cheese Bar located inside the Charley Creek Inn for a wine flight and cheese board. It’s the perfect way to wind up a visit to Wabash.
For more information, go to www.visitwabashcounty.com
Veterans Day Salute
As Veterans Day approaches, we salute a number of veteran-owned businesses in the hospitality industry that serve not only the public but also veteran causes.
story by Elizabeth Granger
An American amber red ale called Thorstad is on tap at the Chesterton Brewery. Only at the Chesterton Brewery.
It was created there and is named for U.S. Marine Corps Staff Sgt. Thomas P. Thorstad, a Chesterton native killed in action in 1983 in the Beirut barracks bombings.
The brewery also has the Connor Brown. Bob Mitchell. Pruitt’s Porter. Tin Can Sailor.
And the Sapper Six blonde ale, honoring six members of the Indiana National Guard 713th Engineer Company (aka Sappers), based out of Valparaiso, who were killed in 2012 in Afghanistan.
They’re brewery owner Vern Brown’s way to honor vets who, he says, sacrificed more than he did. “When I got out of the Marine Corps, I had all my limbs. I’m as mentally sound as when I went in. I don’t have PTSD. But a lot of others are not so fortunate.”
“I needed a way to give back.”
So the brewery donates a portion of its earnings to not-for-profit veterans charities. This fall Brown expanded his scope when his Duneland Distillery opened to the public.
In South Bend, Indiana Whiskey Company. In Indianapolis, Hotel Tango. Veteran-owned. Serving the public. And contributing to veterans’ causes.
Chesterton Brewery and duneland distillery owner Vern Brown, a veteran of the U.s. Marine Corps, donates a portion of his earnings to not-for-profit veterans charities.
Photos: Chesterton Brewery
Photos: Chesterton Brewery
Photos: Chesterton Brewery
In Anderson it’s about ice cream, downtown, at the Dapper Cat Café. It’s owned and operated by Jeffrey Chatman, a member of the Indiana National Guard, and his wife Jerrica.
“To us a Dapper Cat is a clean, snazzy person,” Jerrica says. “I think Jeffrey is the Dapper Cat, although he hasn’t admitted to it. Our love for old vinyls, clothing, and pictures ties into the name. It’s also family comedy for us because we’re actually dog lovers.”
The Dapper Cat in Anderson is owned and operated by Jeffrey Chatman, a member of the Indiana national Guard, and his wife Jerrica.
Photos: Elizabeth Granger
Photos: Elizabeth Granger
The café serves sandwiches, wraps, salads and drinks. But its forte is ice cream. “Because it translates to happiness,” Jeffrey says. “We’re able to deal with great attitudes. No one comes in upset, and no one leaves upset.”
Flavors include black cherry, rhubarb crumble, blue moon, exhausted parent (a bourbon-spiced espresso). A flavor called “this sh** just got serious” is the No. 1 seller. And for the ice cream purists, there’s always vanilla.
They take an ice cream push cart out into the community to serve at events. “The ice cream is our baby, but we also do catering,” Jerrica says.
In Elwood, the POW/MIA missing man table is set 24/7 at The Tin Plate restaurant. The candle is lit at 6 o’clock every evening. But the guest never comes.
He’s still missing, or he’s already gone.
“The table has been there since Day one of operation,” says owner Patrick Rice. “We do not want the POWs/MIAs forgotten. It’s a nice teaching moment for kids.”
While Rice himself is not a veteran, his father and grandfather are. But trumpet lessons in grade school led to Rice’s membership in the world champion Star of Indiana Drum & Bugle Corps during high school. He’s now a member of Bugles Across America and continues to play “Taps” at local military funerals. So far, more than 400.
Every Veterans Day, at 11:11 a.m., everything at the restaurant stops while Rice plays “Taps” on the porch outside. Every veteran who goes to the restaurant that day receives a free meal.
For Air Force veteran Patty Frensemeier, hospitality means lodging options. She and her husband own and operate Hills O’Brown Vacation Homes and Friends O’ Mine Campground and Cabins in Gnaw Bone.
Since their work kept them close to home, about ten years ago they started camping less than a mile from their home. “People would laugh at us,” she says. “But we were getting to camp.”
In May 2020 they bought the campground business.
“I am rooted in this community,” says this Brown County native. “We’re all about giving back. I do a lot with our local veterans.” She’s active with groups that include the American Legion, VFW, Veterans Coalition, Honor Guard. She offers discounts for military personnel both active and veteran.
Marine Corps veteran Ernie Rivas of Elkhart has always encouraged other veterans to learn about their benefits. He started Stand Down with a Heart to help them; it’s managed by Goodwill now.
Marine Corps veteran Ernie Rivas started Reveille transportation to help workers get to their jobs at area manufacturing plants.
Photos: Elizabeth Granger
And Rivas is in transportation. His wheels started turning when he saw a man walking down the road; it was 13 degrees below zero.
“I gave him a ride to work,” Rivas says. “It was three miles; he had already walked two miles. So I started asking folks how people got to work.”
He learned there was no way for many to get to jobs at factories in the region. Especially the homeless.
Rivas bought a couple buses and started Reveille Transportation. In 2016 he partnered with the Center for the Homeless for a hiring event. “We filled up both buses.” Now he has four buses that get people to and from work at area manufacturing plants. The buses are also available for events.
Jason Zaideman of Crown Point uses motorcycles as his vehicle to help. An Army veteran, he says he went back to his normal life when he got out of the Army, including “my hot rod things.”
Veterans Day originated as “Armistice Day” on Nov. 11, 1919, the first anniversary of the end of World War I. Congress passed a resolution in 1926 for an annual observance, and Nov. 11 became a national holiday beginning in 1938. Unlike Memorial Day, Veterans Day pays tribute to all American veterans—living or dead— but especially gives thanks to living veterans who served their country honorably during war or peacetime.
Veterans Brewing for Veterans is our motto!
Chesterton Brewery is a veteran-based family restaurant with a brewery. Not only specializing in smoked meats but we have great burgers and pasta specials too. Our missions is to give back to veteran-based charities and our local heroes. Visit us today!
1050 Broadway- STE 36 - Chesterton, IN 46304 - 219-728-6558- www.chestertonbrewery.com
When veteran suicides topped 22 a day, he says it became a calling. His “aha” moment. “I was upset that everybody was raising money to spread awareness about a problem we already know exists. I decided to start an organization based on the hands-on therapy that works for me, for my traumas.”
In 2015 he founded Operation Combat Bikesaver “to recreate that camaraderie of veterans hanging around other veterans. We fix each other. We crawled through the same mud; we’re in good company.”
Air Force veteran Patty Frensemeier, along with her husband Dave, owns Hills O’Brown Vacation Homes and Friends o’ Mine Campground and Cabins in Southern Indiana.
Photos: Friends O’Mine Campground and Cabins
Photos: Friends O’Mine Campground and Cabins
The peer support group combines that camaraderie with hands-on work that started with motorcycles. “We hang out together and build things together,” Zaideman says.
“Veterans have told me, ‘I probably wouldn’t be here today if it weren’t for OCB.’ I’ve heard that 50 or 60 times or more. We’ve had no suicides in six years.”
He continues: “It yanks me out of bed every morning. It’s not what I’m doing for one guy; it’s what that one guy is doing for more. I implore the public to look at an organization that is truly making an impact and do what you can to help them.”
Editor’s note: Check local city and/or tourism websites for Veterans’ Day events.
