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Porter County Museum invites the public to a guided walking tour around the Porter County Courthouse Square in downtown Valparaiso on Saturday. Participants should meet at 2 p.m. in front of the museum, located at the corner of Franklin Street and Indiana Avenue, for a walk of approximately one hour. No reservations are necessary; the event is free of charge and family-friendly. Executive Director Kevin Matthew Pazour will lead the tour. Porter County Museum, located at 20 Indiana Ave. in downtown Valparaiso, is open six days a week, from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Tuesday-Sunday, with free admission. For more information, visit pocomuse.org or find @pocomuse on social media.
Ivy Tech Community College will host the Fall Chancellors’ Scholarship Event Sept. 18 at Avalon Manor Banquet Center, 3550 E. Lincoln Highway, Merrillville. Doors open at 5:30 p.m. The evening will include dinner, presentation of this year’s scholarship winners and recognition for the 2025 benefactors of the year: Northwest Health and Linde. Recipients of the 2025 Chancellors’ Scholarship Award from Lake County Campus include: Malec Alhourani, Nathan Behrens, Chiquita Blalock, Amanda Cox, Nicholas Delacy, Makedonka Delijevska, Jasmina Golabovska, Michelle Hamilton, Lauren Miranda, Zoe Ralowski, Alejandra Rosas, Briana Ross, Emily Sarna, Amanda Starcevich, and Alexis Wood. Recipients of the 2025 Chancellors’ Scholarship Award from Porter County Campus include: Anita Angon, Joie Bugajski, Kya Chafin, Kristen Danielson, Mason Diakis, Madelyn Easley, April Geary, Kari Johnson, Olivia Makatura, Wrigley Nordyke, Sophia Persin, Kaylin Simmons, Courtney Sluis, Gabrielle Tinnel, and Johnna Vaughan. Tickets for the event are $90; $45 of the ticket price is tax-deductible. Tickets are available online at https://engage.ivytech.edu/s/event-registration?recordId=a4hWj000009Y0q3IAC through Friday. Event proceeds benefit students at the Lake County and Valparaiso/Michigan City campuses. For more information or for additional ways to support Ivy Tech Community College’s mission, contact Cindy Hall at cjhall@ivytech.edu.
Franciscan Health, in conjunction with the Trauma Services Department and the Prenatal Assistance Program, will host a free car seat safety event for Indiana residents from 3 to 6 p.m. Sept. 19 in the St. Joseph Church rear parking lot, 5314 Hohman Drive, Hammond. A nationally certified child passenger safety technician will teach participants how to properly install a car seat. The child who uses the car seat must be present at the appointment for the technician to provide appropriate guidance. Expectant mothers are welcome and must be at least 34 weeks pregnant at the time of the event. The car seat safety check is free, but advanced reservations are required. Registration is available online or by calling 219-852-7875.
Local environmental nonprofit Save the Dunes will host the return of Jammin with Save the Dunes from 1 to 7 p.m. Sept. 20 at Millennium Plaza, 1 Franklin St., Michigan City. Doors open at 12 p.m. This family-friendly event showcases live music, food trucks, local beer and wine, and an artisan vendor market. The entertainment lineup includes the bands Hipposonics, Coverlicious and Two Trailers Down. General Admission Tickets are $30 and VIP Tickets, which include a boat ride on Lake Michigan courtesy of Harbor Country Adventures, hors d’oeuvres and a drink, are $100. Children 12 and younger are free. Group tickets are available for a discounted rate. Purchases tickets directly through the Save the Dunes website at savedunes.org/events or through Eventbrite at https://www.eventbrite.com/e/jammin-with-save-the-dunes-tickets-1567291614409.
The top home builders in Northwest Indiana will showcase their craftsmanship as they participate in the Home Builders Association of Northwest Indiana’s (HBANWI) 2025 Parade of Homes Sept. 20-21 and 27-28. The public is invited to tour more than 26 newly-built homes across Lake and Porter counties, featuring cutting-edge design and the latest innovations in new construction. The self-guided tour is free and offers a curated collection of homes designed to inspire. An easy-to-follow digital map will be available at www.paradeofhomesnwi.com for convenience. Local builders, designers, and suppliers will be on-site to meet with tour participants, answer questions and share insights. In addition to the craftsmanship inside the homes, visitors will also have the opportunity to explore new neighborhoods and gather ideas for outdoor living and landscaping projects. Most homes will be open from 12 p.m. to 5 p.m. on all four days of the event. Virtual tours will also be available. For more information, visit www.paradeofhomesnwi.com.
In an effort to help increase awareness of resources, Franciscan’s Behavioral Health Services will host a free Suicide Prevention and Community Resources event from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Sept. 20 in the employee parking lot at Franciscan Health Dyer, 24 Joliet St. The event will include live testimonials from survivors and family members, mental health resources, community resources and food. A 1:45 p.m. moment of silence and prayer will be observed for those lost to suicide. Franciscan Health Dyer announced last year it would transition in late 2027 to a campus dedicated to treating behavioral health patients to meet the growing need for behavioral healthcare. The campus transformation will allow for the expansion of the current 92-bed inpatient behavioral health unit and the addition of behavioral health services. The existing Dyer emergency room will be transformed as well, with the addition of an emergency intake department specifically dedicated to behavioral health. Anyone in need may contact Franciscan through the emergency help line number, 1-800-STEP ONE, or walk into the Franciscan Health Dyer Emergency Department to talk to a Behavioral Health Access Team member. Both resources are available 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
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