What’s recently happened?
Graduations and celebrations filled the Region for the last few weeks. The great sunny weather has been refreshing for everyone. To kick off summer, towns are putting on different types of festivals for all ages. Listening to music is a great way to spend time with loved ones.
The Munster Town Hall is starting its Summer Concert Series. On June 9, “The Rat Pack” performed hit songs and filled the crowd with cheer. Munster residents came to the town hall and enjoyed the performance of Dean Martin, Frank Sinatra, and Sammy Davis Jr. songs for free.
Another chance to hear live music took place on June 10 at Centennial Park for the start of its Civic Monday Concert Series. “The Jolly Ringwalds” entertained residents with ‘80s music. Their band is the only band with a female guitar lead and three lead singers in Chicagoland. The ‘80s music filled the crowd with joy and nostalgia.
The Center for Visual and Performing Arts hosted an endless night of laughter on June 14. The opening act was Susana Rodriguez. The featured comedian was Tyler Fowler. He made the crowd laugh with jokes focused on marriages, kids, and jobs — none of which he has. The main comedian was Paul Farahvar. He is one of the top stand-up comics in Chicagoland, and Bob Saget is his comedic inspiration. Tickets were $35 and an added $35 for a pre-show meal.
What’s coming up?
Movies that the whole family can enjoy are great, but they are even better when they are free. On June 18, Centennial Park will show the movie “Wonka.” The movie is about an aspiring poor man, Willy Wonka, trying to make a business out of chocolate. He soon realizes that the chocolate business can be greedy, and he needs help to become successful.
“Wonka” is a family musical with a beautiful message for the whole family. Families can bring lawn chairs and blankets to relax in the grass. The musical is a great way to spend summer nights out with family.
The next band in the Munster Town Hall Summer Concert Series is “Good Clean Fun.” The band will perform music genres such as sock hop, golden oldies, Motown, and more. This band is husband and wife-led and brings fun to every occasion. The band’s variety of music genres and musicians makes everyone want to dance and sing along.
Region eats is a favorite summer activity throughout the local 219 Region. On June 22, over 15 food trucks from Northwest Indiana will come to Centennial Park to eat and listen to live music by “The Elvis Diet.”
This event is a favorite among people all over the Region. The free event allows people to walk around, enjoy the view of the park, and eat delicious food.
Community member spotlight:
Resident of Munster Mary Buksa can be seen at school and work, helping out her community, or at a new coffee shop. Buksa is an active student of Purdue Northwest (PNW) where she attends college and works as the lead campus ambassador for undergraduate admissions. She gives tours of the campus, work admission events, and helps with the identification system.
“The best part of my job is being able to meet students and parents. I also get to connect with different staff and faculty at the university,” said Buksa.
Buksa is majoring in accounting and will be graduating this December. She will be getting her master’s degree in Business Administration afterward. She wanted to go to PNW because her mom went there and its College of Business is an accredited program. Buksa loves PNW because of all of the opportunities it offers.
She recently finished a tax internship at Clifton Larson Allen (CLA). Buksa found this job during a PNW career fair. At CLA, she prepared business corporate returns, individual returns, and trust. She wanted to do this job so she could have professional experience before graduation.
At PNW, she is in the Finance and Accounting Club where she has established different community service projects. They held a back-to-school backpack and school supply giveaway to local schools, volunteered at food banks, and had donation drives to places such as Sojourner Truth House and St. Jude House.
“It’s a great way for my members to get involved with the community and feel good about themselves after participating in these events,” said Buksa.
Buksa goes to the gym, listens to music, bakes, and hangs out with her siblings in her free time. She enjoys doing these things as a stress reliever between school and work.
Buksa is also a coffee enthusiast. She tries to go to all the coffee shops around the Region. Her favorites have been Evvy’s Coffeehouse & Cafe, Cielito Lindo Cafe, and Sip Coffee House.