TL;DR: Man with too much time on his hands goes deep down the rabbit hole on a concept this sub already didn’t seem that enthusiastic about. If you really want to skip ahead, CTRL+F “verdict” and it’ll get you there.
Two days ago, u/MrPhillyj2wns made a post asking whether USL should launch a D1 league in order to compete in Concacaf. From the top voted replies, it appears this made a lot of people very angry and has been widely regarded as a bad move.
But I’ve been at home for eight weeks and I am terribly, terribly bored.
So, I present to you this overview of what the USL pyramid might look like if Jake Edwards got a head of steam and attempted to establish a USSF-sanctioned first division. This is by no means an endorsement of such a proposal or even a suggestion that USL SHOULD do such a thing. It is merely an examination of whether they COULD.
Welcome to the Thunderdome USL Premiership
First, there are some base-level assumptions we must make in this exercise, because it makes me feel more scientific and not like a guy who wrote this on Sunday while watching the Belarusian Premier League (Go BATE Borisov!).

1. All D1 teams must comply with known USSF requirements for D1 leagues (more on that later).
   
2. MLS, not liking this move, will immediately remove all directly-owned affiliate clubs from the USL structure (this does not include hybrid ownerships, like San Antonio FC – NYCFC). This removes all MLS2 teams but will not affect Colorado Springs, Reno, RGVFC and San Antonio.
   
3. The USL will attempt to maintain both the USL Championship and USL League One, with an eventual mind toward creating the pro/rel paradise that is promised in Relegations 3:16.
   
4. All of my research regarding facility size and ownership net worth is correct – this is probably the biggest leap of faith we have to make, since googling “NAME net worth” and “CITY richest people” doesn’t seem guaranteed to return accurate results.
   
5. The most a club can increase its available seating capacity to meet D1 requirements in a current stadium is no more than 1,500 seats (10% of the required 15,000). If they need to add more, they’ll need a new facility.
   
6. Let’s pretend that people are VERY willing to sell. It’s commonly acknowledged that the USL is a more financially feasible route to owning a soccer club than in MLS (c.f. MLS-Charlotte’s reported $325 million expansion fee) and the USSF has some very strict requirements for D1 sanctioning. It becomes pretty apparent when googling a lot of team’s owners that this requirement isn’t met, so let’s assume everyone that can’t sells to people who meet the requirements.
   

(Known) USSF D1 league requirements:
- League must have 12 teams to apply and 14 teams by year three
- Majority owner must have a net worth of $40 million, and the ownership group must have a total net worth of $70 million. The value of an owned stadium is not considered when calculating this value.
- Must have teams located in the Eastern, Central and Pacific time zones
- 75% of league’s teams must be based in markets with at a metro population of at least 1 million people.
- All league stadiums must have a capacity of at least 15,000
The ideal club candidate for the USL Premiership will meet the population and capacity requirements in its current ground, which will have a grass playing surface. Of the USL Championship’s 27 independent/hybrid affiliate clubs, I did not find one club that meets all these criteria as they currently stand.
Regarding turf fields, the USSF does not have a formal policy regarding the ideal playing surface but it is generally acknowledged that grass is superior to turf. 6 of 26 MLS stadiums utilize turf, or roughly 23% of stadiums. We’ll hold a similar restriction for our top flight, so 2-3 of our top flight clubs can have turf fields. Seem fair?
Capacity is going to be the biggest issue, since the disparity between current requirements for the second-tier (5,000) and the first tier (15,000) is a pretty massive gap. Nice club you have there, triple your capacity and you’re onto something. As a result, I have taken the liberty of relocating certain (read: nearly all) clubs to new grounds, trying my utmost to keep those clubs in their current markets and –importantly--, ensure they play on grass surfaces.
So, let’s do a case-by-case evaluation and see if we can put together 12-14 teams that meet the potential requirements, because what else do you have to do?
For each club’s breakdown, anything that represents a chance from what is currently true will be underlined.
Candidate: Birmingham Legion FC
Location (Metro population): Birmingham, Ala. (1,151,801)
Time zone: Central
Stadium (playing surface, capacity): Legion Field (FieldTurf, 71,594)
Potential owner: Stephens Family (reported net worth $4 billion)
Notes: Birmingham has a pretty strong candidacy. Having ditched the 5,000-seater BBVA Field for Legion Field, which sits 2.4 miles away, they’ve tapped into the city’s soccer history. Legion Field hosted portions of both the men’s and women’s tournaments at the 1996 Olympics, including a 3-1 U.S. loss to Argentina that saw 83,183 pack the house. The Harbert family seemed like strong ownership contenders, but since the death of matriarch Marguerite Harbert in 2015, it’s unclear where the wealth in the family is concentrated, so the Stephens seem like a better candidate. The only real knock that I can think of is that we really want to avoid having clubs play on turf, so I’d say they’re on the bubble of our platonic ideal USL Prem.
Candidate: Charleston Battery
Location (Metro population): Charleston, S.C. (713,000)
Time zone: Eastern
Stadium (playing surface, capacity): Johnson Hagood Stadium (Grass, ~14,700)
Potential owner: Anita Zucker (reported net worth $3 billion)
Notes: Charleston’s candidacy isn’t looking great. Already disadvantaged due to its undersized metro population, a move across the Cooper River to Johnson Hagood Stadium is cutting it close in terms of capacity. The stadium, home to The Citadel’s football team, used to seat 21,000, before 9,300 seats on the eastern grandstand were torn down in 2017 to deal with lead paint that had been used in their construction. Renovation plans include adding 3,000 seats back in, which could hit 15,000 if they bumped it to 3,300, but throw in a required sale by HCFC, LLC (led by content-creation platform founder Rob Salvatore) to chemical magnate Anita Zucker, and you’ll see there’s a lot of ifs and ands in this proposal.
Candidate: Charlotte Independence
Location (Metro population): Charlotte, N.C. (2,569, 213)
Time zone: Eastern
Stadium (playing surface, capacity): Jerry Richardson Stadium (Turf, 15,314)
Potential owner: James Goodnight (reported net worth $9.1 billion)
Notes: Charlotte ticks a lot of the boxes. A move from the Sportsplex at Matthews to UNC-Charlotte’s Jerry Richardson stadium meets capacity requirements, but puts them on to the dreaded turf. Regrettably, nearby American Legion Memorial Stadium only seats 10,500, despite a grass playing surface. With a sizeable metro population (sixth-largest in the USL Championship) and a possible owner in software billionaire James Goodnight, you’ve got some options here. The biggest problem likely lies in direct competition for market share against a much better-funded MLS Charlotte side due to join the league in 2021.
Candidate: Hartford Athletic
Location (Metro population): Hartford, Conn. (1,214,295)
Time zone: Eastern
Stadium (playing surface, capacity): Pratt & Whitney Stadium (Grass, 38,066)
Potential owner: Ray Dalio (reported net worth $18.4 billion)
Notes: Okay, I cheated a bit here, having to relocate Hartford to Pratt & Whitney Stadium, which is technically in East Hartford, Conn. I don’t know enough about the area to know if there’s some kind of massive beef between the two cities, but the club has history there, having played seven games in 2019 while Dillon Stadium underwent renovations. If the group of local businessmen that currently own the club manage to attract Dalio to the table, we’re on to something.
Candidate: Indy Eleven
Location (Metro population): Indianapolis, Ind. (2,048,703)
Time zone: Eastern
Stadium (playing surface, capacity): Lucas Oil Stadium (Turf, 62,421)
Potential owner: Jim Irsay (reported net worth of $3 billion)
Notes: Indy Eleven are a club that are SO CLOSE to being an ideal candidate – if it weren’t for Lucas Oil Stadium’s turf playing surface. Still, there’s a lot to like in this bid. I’m not going to lie, I have no idea what current owner and founder Ersal Ozdemir is worth, but it seems like there might be cause for concern. A sale to Irsay, who also owns the NFL Indianapolis (nee Baltimore) Colts, seems likely to keep the franchise there, rather than make a half-mile move to 14,230 capacity Victory Field where the AAA Indianapolis Indians play and expand from there.
Candidate: Louisville City FC
Location (Metro population): Louisville, Ky. (1,297,310)
Time zone: Eastern
Stadium (playing surface, capacity): Lynn Family Stadium (Grass, 14,000, possibly expandable to 20,000)
Potential owner: Wayne Hughes (reported net worth $2.8 billion)
Notes: I’m stretching things a bit here. Lynn Family stadium is currently listed as having 11,700 capacity that’s expandable to 14,000, but they’ve said that the ground could hold as many as 20,000 with additional construction, which might be enough to grant them a temporary waiver from USSF. If the stadium is a no-go, then there’s always Cardinal Stadium, home to the University of Louisville’s football team, which seats 65,000 but is turf. Either way, it seems like a sale to someone like Public Storage founder Wayne Hughes will be necessary to ensure the club has enough capital.
Candidate: Memphis 901 FC
Location (Metro population): Memphis, Tenn. (1,348,260)
Time zone: Central
Stadium (playing surface, capacity): Liberty Bowl Stadium (Turf, 58,325)
Potential owner: Fred Smith (reported net worth $3 billion)
Notes: Unfortunately for Memphis, AutoZone Park’s 10,000 seats won’t cut it at the D1 level. With its urban location, it would likely prove tough to renovate, as well. Liberty Bowl Stadium more than meets the need, but will involve the use of the dreaded turf. As far as an owner goes, FedEx founder Fred Smith seems like a good local option.
Candidate: Miami FC, “The”
Location (Metro population): Miami, Fla. (6,158,824)
Time zone: Eastern
Stadium (playing surface, capacity): Riccardo Silva Stadium (FieldTurf, 20,000)
Potential owner: Riccardo Silva (reported net worth $1 billion)
Notes: Well, well, well, Silva might get his wish for top-flight soccer, after all. He’s got the money, he’s got the metro, and his ground has the capacity. There is the nagging issue of the turf, though. Hard Rock Stadium might present a solution, including a capacity of 64,767 and a grass playing surface. It is worth noting, however, that this is the first profile where I didn’t have to find a new potential owner for a club.
Candidate: North Carolina FC
Location (Metro population): Durham, N.C. (1,214,516 in The Triangle)
Time zone: Eastern
Stadium (playing surface, capacity): Carter-Finley Stadium (Grass/Turf, 57,583)
Potential owner: Steve Malik (precise net worth unknown) / Dennis Gillings (reported net worth of $1.7 billion)
Notes: We have our first “relocation” in North Carolina FC, who were forced to trade Cary’s 10,000-seat WakeMed Soccer Park for Carter-Finley Stadium in Durham, home of the NC State Wolfpack and 57,583 of their closest friends. The move is a whopping 3.1 miles, thanks to the close-knit hub that exists between Cary, Durham and Raleigh. Carter-Finley might be my favorite of the stadium moves in this exercise. The field is grass, but the sidelines are artificial turf. Weird, right? Either way, it was good enough for Juventus to play a friendly against Chivas de Guadalajara there in 2011. Maybe the move would be pushed for by new owner and medical magnate Dennis Gillings, whose British roots might inspire him to get involved in the Beautiful Game. Straight up, though, I couldn’t find a net worth for current owner Steve Malik, though he did sell his company MedFusion for $91 million in 2010, then bought it back for an undisclosed amount and sold it again for $43 million last November. I don’t know if Malik has the juice to meet D1 requirements, but I suspect he’s close.
Candidate: Pittsburgh Riverhounds SC
Location (Metro population): Pittsburgh, Penn. (2,362,453)
Time zone: Eastern
Stadium (playing surface, capacity): Heinz Field (Grass, 64,450)
Potential owner: Henry Hillman (reported net worth $2.5 billion)
Notes: I don’t know a ton about the Riverhounds, but this move in particular feels like depriving a pretty blue-collar club from its roots. Highmark Stadium is a no-go from a seating perspective, but the Steelers’ home stadium at Heinz Field would more than meet the requirements and have a grass surface that was large enough to be sanctioned for a FIFA friendly between the U.S. WNT and Costa Rica in 2015. As for an owner, Tuffy Shallenberger (first ballot owner name HOF) doesn’t seem to fit the USSF bill, but legendary Pittsburgh industrialist Henry Hillman might. I’m sure you’re asking, why not the Rooney Family, if they’ll play at Heinz Field? I’ll tell you: I honestly can’t seem to pin down a value for the family. The Steelers are valued at a little over a billion and rumors persist that Dan Rooney is worth $500 million, but I’m not sure. I guess the Rooneys would work too, but it’s a definite departure from an owner in Shallenberger who was described by one journalist as a guy who “wears boots, jeans, a sweater and a trucker hat.”
Candidate: Saint Louis FC
Location (Metro population): St. Louis, Mo. (2,807,338)
Time zone: Central
Stadium (playing surface, capacity): Busch Stadium (Grass, 45,494)
Potential owner: William DeWitt Jr. (reported net worth $4 billion)
Notes: Saint Louis has some weirdness in making the jump to D1. Current CEO Jim Kavanaugh is an owner of the MLS side that will begin play in 2022. The club’s current ground at West Community Stadium isn’t big enough, but perhaps a timely sale to Cardinals owner William DeWitt Jr. could see the club playing games at Busch Stadium, which has a well established history of hosting other sports like hockey, college football and soccer (most recently a U.S. WNT friendly against New Zealand in 2019). The competition with another MLS franchise wouldn’t be ideal, like Charlotte, but with a big enough population and cross marketing from the Cardinals, maybe there’s a winner here. Wacko idea: If Busch doesn’t pan out, send them to The Dome. Sure, it’s a 60k turf closed-in stadium, but we can go for that retro NASL feel and pay homage to our nation’s soccer history.
Candidate: Tampa Bay Rowdies
Location (Metro population): Tampa, Fla. (3,068,511)
Time zone: Eastern
Stadium (playing surface, capacity): Raymond James Stadium (Grass, 65,518)
Potential owner: Edward DeBartolo Jr. (reported net worth $3 billion)
Notes: This one makes me sad. Despite having never been there, I see Al Lang Stadium as an iconic part of the Rowdies experience. Current owner Bill Edwards proposed an expansion to 18,000 seats in 2016, but the move seems to have stalled out. Frustrated with the city’s lack of action, Edwards sells to one-time San Francisco 49ers owner Edward DeBartolo Jr., who uses his old NFL connections to secure a cushy lease at the home of the Buccaneers in Ray Jay, the site of a 3-1 thrashing of Antigua and Barbuda during the United States’ 2014 World Cup Qualifying campaign.
Breather. Hey, we finished the Eastern Conference teams. Why are you still reading this? Why am I still writing it? Time is a meaningless construct in 2020 my friends, we are adrift in the void, fueled only by brief flashes of what once was and what may yet still be.
Candidate: Austin Bold FC
Location (Metro population): Austin, Texas (2,168,316)
Time zone: Central
Stadium (playing surface, capacity): Darrel K Royal – Texas Memorial Stadium (FieldTurf, 95,594)
Potential owner: Michael Dell (reported net worth of $32.3 billion)
Notes: Anthony Precourt’s Austin FC has some unexpected competition and it comes in the form of tech magnate Michael Dell. Dell, were he to buy the club, would be one of the richest owners on our list and could flash his cash in the new first division. Would he have enough to convince Darrel K Royal – Texas Memorial Stadium (I’m not kidding, that’s its actual name) to go back to a grass surface, like it did from ’96-’08? That’s between Dell and nearly 100,000 UT football fans, but everything can be had for the right price.
Candidate: Colorado Springs Switchbacks FC
Location (Metro population): Colorado Springs, Colo. (738,939)
Time zone: Mountain
Stadium (playing surface, capacity): Falcon Stadium (FieldTurf, 46,692)
Potential owner: Charles Ergen (reported net worth $10.8 billion)
Notes: Welcome to Colorado Springs. We have hurdles. For the first time in 12 candidates, we’re back below the desired 1 million metro population mark. Colorado Springs actually plans to build a $35 million, 8,000 seat venue downtown that will be perfect for soccer, but in our timeline that’s 7,000 seats short. Enter Falcon Stadium, home of the Air Force Academy Falcons football team. Seems perfect except for the turf, right? Well, the tricky thing is that Falcon Stadium is technically on an active military base and is (I believe) government property. Challenges to getting in and out of the ground aside, the military tends to have a pretty grim view of government property being used by for-profit enterprises. Maybe Charles Ergen, founder and chairman of Dish Network, would be able to grease the right wheels, but you can go ahead and throw this into the “doubtful” category. It’s a shame, too. 6,035 feet of elevation is one hell of a home-field advantage.
Candidate: El Paso Locomotive FC
Location: El Paso, Texas
Time zone: Mountain
Stadium (playing surface, capacity): Sun Bowl (FieldTurf, 51,500)
Potential owner: Paul Foster (reported net worth $1.7 billion)
Notes: God bless Texas. When compiling this list, I found so many of the theoretical stadium replacements were nearly serviceable by high school football fields. That’s insane, right? Anyway, Locomotive don’t have to settle for one of those, they’ve got the Sun Bowl, which had its capacity reduced in 2001 to a paltry 51,500 (from 52,000) specifically to accommodate soccer. Sure, it’s a turf surface, but what does new owner Paul Foster (who is only the 1,477th wealthiest man in the world, per Forbes) care, he’s got a team in a top league. Side note: Did you know that the Sun Bowl college football game is officially, through sponsorship, the Tony the Tiger Sun Bowl? Why is it not the Frosted Flakes Sun Bowl? Why is the cereal mascot the promotional name of the football game? What are you doing, Kellogg’s?
Candidate: Las Vegas Lights FC
Location: Las Vegas, Nev. (2,227,053)
Time zone: Pacific
Stadium (playing surface, capacity): Allegiant Stadium (Grass, 61,000)
Potential owner: Sheldon Adelson (reported net worth $37.7 billion)
Notes: Sin City. You had to know that the club that once signed Freddy Adu because “why not” was going to go all out in our flashy hypothetical proposal. Thanks to my narrative control of this whole thing, they have. Adelson is the second-richest owner in the league and has decided to do everything first class. That includes using the new Raiders stadium in nearby unincorporated Paradise, Nevada, and spending boatloads on high profile transfers. Zlatan is coming back to the U.S., confirmed.
Candidate: New Mexico United
Location: Albuquerque, N.M.
Time zone: Mountain
Stadium (playing surface, capacity): Isotopes Park – officially Rio Grande Credit Union Field at Isotopes Park (Grass, 13,500 – 15,000 with expansion)
Potential owner: Maloof Family (reported net worth $1 billion)
Notes: New Mexico from its inception went deep on the community vibe, and I’ve tried to replicate that in this bid. The home field of Rio Grande Cr---I’m not typing out the whole thing—Isotopes Park falls just within the expansion rules we set to make it to 15,000 (weird, right?) and they’ve found a great local ownership group in the Lebanese-American Maloof (formerly Maalouf) family from Las Vegas. The only thing to worry about would be the metro population, but overall, this could be one of the gems of USL Prem.
Candidate: Oklahoma City Energy FC
Location: Oklahoma City, Okla. (1,396,445)
Time zone: Central
Stadium (playing surface, capacity): Chickasaw Bricktown Ballpark (Grass, 13,066)
Potential owner: Harold Hamm (reported net worth $14.2 billion)
Notes: There’s a bright golden haze on the meadow and it says it’s time to change stadiums and owners to make it to D1. A sale to oil magnate Harold Hamm would give the club the finances it needs, but Chickasaw Bricktown Ballpark (home of the OKC Dodgers) actually falls outside of the boundary of what would meet capacity if 1,500 seats were added. Could the club pull off a move to Gaylord Family Oklahoma Memorial Stadium in Norman, Oklahoma – home of the Oklahoma Sooners? Maybe, but at 20 miles, this would be a reach.
Candidate: Orange County SC
Location: Irvine, Calif. (3,176, 000 in Orange County)
Time zone: Pacific
Stadium (playing surface, capacity): Angels Stadium of Anaheim (Grass, 43,250)
Potential owner: Arte Moreno (reported net worth $3.3 billion)
Notes: You’ll never convince me that Rangers didn’t choose to partner with Orange County based primarily on its name. Either way, a sale to MLB Angels owner Arte Moreno produces a fruitful partnership, with the owner choosing to play his newest club out of the existing Angels stadium in OC. Another baseball conversion, sure, but with a metro population of over 3 million and the closest thing this hypothetical league has to an LA market, who’s complaining?
Candidate: Phoenix Rising FC
Location: Phoenix, Ariz. (4,857,962)
Time zone: Arizona
Stadium (playing surface, capacity): State Farm Stadium (Grass, 63,400)
Potential owner: Ernest Garcia II (reported net worth $5.7 billion)
Notes: We’re keeping it local with new owner and used car guru Ernest Garcia II. His dad owned a liquor store and he dropped out of college, which is making me feel amazing about my life choices right now. Casino Arizona Field is great, but State Farm Stadium is a grass surface that hosted the 2019 Gold Cup semifinal, so it’s a clear winner. Throw in Phoenix’s massive metro population and this one looks like a lock.
Candidate: Reno 1868 FC
Location: Reno, Nev. (425,417)
Time zone: Pacific
Stadium (playing surface, capacity): Mackay Stadium (FieldTurf, 30,000)
Potential owner: Nancy Walton Laurie (reported net worth $7.1 billion)
Notes: The Biggest Little City on Earth has some serious barriers to overcome, thanks to its low metro population. A sale to Walmart heiress Nancy Walton Laurie and 1.6 mile-move to Mackay Stadium to split space with the University of Nevada, Reno makes this bid competitive, but the turf surface is another knock against it.
Candidate: Rio Grande Valley FC
Location: Edinburg, Texas (900,304)
Time zone: Central
Stadium (playing surface, capacity): McAllen Memorial Stadium (FieldTurf, 13,500 – 15,000 with expansion)
Potential owner: Alice Louise Walton (reported net worth $45 billion)
Notes: Yes, I have a second straight Walmart heiress on the list. She was the first thing that popped up when I googled “McAllen Texas richest people.” The family rivalry has spurred Walton to buy a club as well, moving them 10 miles to McAllen Memorial Stadium which, as I alluded to earlier, is a straight up high school football stadium with a full color scoreboard. Toss in an additional 1,500 seats and you’ve met the minimum, despite the turf playing surface.
Candidate: San Antonio FC
Location: San Antonio, Texas (2,550,960)
Time zone: Central
Stadium (playing surface, capacity): Alamodome (FieldTurf, 64,000)
Potential owner: Red McCombs (reported net worth $1.6 billion)
Notes: I wanted to keep SAFC in the Spurs family, since the franchise is valued at $1.8 billion. That said, I didn’t let the Rooneys own the Riverhounds based on the Steelers’ value and it felt wrong to change the rules, so bring on Clear Channel co-founder Red McCombs. Toyota Field isn’t viable in the first division, but for the Alamodome, which was built in 1993 in hopes of attracting an NFL franchise (and never did), San Antonio can finally claim having *a* national football league team in its town (contingent on your definition of football). Now if only we could do something about that turf…
Candidate: San Diego Loyal SC
Location: San Diego, Calif. (3,317,749)
Time zone: Pacific
Stadium (playing surface, capacity): SDCCU Stadium (formerly Qualcomm) (Grass, 70,561)
Potential owner: Phil Mickelson (reported net worth $91 million)
Notes: Yes, golf’s Phil Mickelson. The existing ownership group didn’t seem to have the wherewithal to meet requirements, and Phil seemed to slot right in. As an athlete himself, he might be interesting in the new challenges of a top flight soccer team. Toss in a move to the former home of the chargers and you might have a basis for tremendous community support.
Candidate: FC Tulsa
Location: Tulsa, Okla. (991,561)
Time zone: Central
Stadium (playing surface, capacity): Skelly Field at H.A. Chapman Stadium (FieldTurf, 30,000)
Potential owner: George Kaiser ($10 billion)
Notes: I’m a fan of FC Tulsa’s rebrand, but if they want to make the first division, more changes are necessary. A sale to Tulsa native and one of the 100 richest men in the world George Kaiser means that funding is guaranteed. A move to Chapman Stadium would provide the necessary seats, despite the turf field. While the undersize population might be an issue at first glance, it’s hard to imagine U.S. Soccer not granting a waiver over a less than a 10k miss from the mark.
And that’s it! You made it. Those are all of the independent/hybrid affiliates in the USL Championship, which means that it’s time for our…
VERDICT: As an expert who has studied this issue for almost an entire day now, I am prepared to pronounce which USL Championships could be most ‘ready” for a jump to the USL Prem. A reminder that of the 27 clubs surveyed, 0 of them met our ideal criteria (proper ownership $, metro population, 15,000+ stadium with grass field).
Two of them, however, met almost all of those criteria: Indy Eleven and Miami FC. Those two clubs may use up two of our three available turf fields right from the outset, but the other factors they hit (particularly Silva’s ownership of Miami) makes them difficult, if not impossible to ignore for the top flight.
But who fill in the rest of the slots? Meet the entire 14-team USL Premier League:
Hartford Athletic
Indy Eleven
Louisville City FC
Miami FC
North Carolina FC
Pittsburgh Riverhounds SC
Tampa Bay Rowdies
Saint Louis FC
San Antonio FC
New Mexico United
Phoenix Rising FC
Las Vegas Lights FC
Orange County SC
San Diego Loyal SC
Now, I shall provide my expert rationale for each club’s inclusion/exclusion, which can be roughly broken down into four categories.
Firm “yes”
Hartford Athletic: It’s a good market size with a solid stadium. With a decent investor and good community support, you’ve got potential here.
Indy Eleven: The turf at Lucas Oil Stadium is no reason to turn down a 62,421 venue and a metro population of over 2 million.
Louisville City FC: Why doesn’t the 2017 & 2018 USL Cup champion deserve a crack at the top flight? They have the market size, and with a bit of expansion have the stadium at their own SSS. LCFC, you’re in.
Miami FC, “The”: Our other blue-chip recruit on the basis of ownership value, market size and stadium capacity. Yes, that field is turf, but how could you snub Silva’s chance to claim victory as the first division 1 club soccer team to play in Miami?
Pittsburgh Riverhounds SC: Pittsburgh sacrificed a lot to be here (according to my arbitrary calculations). Their market size and the potential boon of soccer at Heinz Field is an important inclusion to the league.
Saint Louis FC: Willie hears your “Busch League” jokes, Willie don’t care. A huge market size, combined with the absence of an NFL franchise creates opportunity. Competition with the MLS side, sure, but St. Louis has serious soccer history and we’re willing to bet it can support two clubs.
Tampa Bay Rowdies: With a huge population and a massive stadium waiting nearby, Tampa Bay seems like too good of an opportunity to pass up for the USL Prem.
Las Vegas Lights FC: Ostentatious, massive and well-financed, Las Vegas Lights FC is everything that the USL Premier League would need to assert that it didn’t intend to play second fiddle to MLS. Players will need to be kept on a short leash, but this is a hard market to pass up on.
Phoenix Rising FC: Huge population, big grass field available nearby and a solid history of success in recent years. No brainer.
San Diego Loyal SC: New club? Yes, massive population in a market that recently lost an absolutely huge sports presence? Also yes. This could be the USL Prem’s Seattle.
Cautious “yes”
New Mexico United: You have to take a chance on New Mexico United. The club set the league on fire with its social media presence and its weight in the community when it entered the league last season. The market may be slightly under USSF’s desired 1 million, but fervent support (and the ability to continue to use Isotopes Park) shouldn’t be discounted.
North Carolina FC: Carter-Finley’s mixed grass/turf surface is a barrier, to be sure, but the 57,000+ seats it offers (and being enough to offset other fully-turf offerings) is enough to put it in the black.
Orange County SC: It’s a top-tier club playing in a MLB stadium. I know it seems unlikely that USSF would approve something like that, but believe me when I say “it could happen.” Orange County is a massive market and California likely needs two clubs in the top flight.
San Antonio FC: Our third and only voluntary inclusion to the turf fields in the first division, we’re counting on San Antonio’s size and massive potential stadium to see it through.
Cautious “no”
Birmingham Legion FC: The town has solid soccer history and a huge potential venue, but the turf playing surface puts it on the outside looking in.
Memphis 901 FC: Like Birmingham, not much to dislike here outside of the turf playing surface at the larger playing venue.
Austin Bold FC: See the other two above.
FC Tulsa: Everything’s just a little bit off with this one. Market’s slightly too small, stadium has turf. Just not enough to put it over the top.
Firm “no”
Charleston Battery: Small metro and a small potential new stadium? It’s tough to say yes to the risk.
Charlotte Independence: A small new stadium and the possibility of having to compete with an organization that just paid over $300 million to join MLS means it’s best for this club to remain in the USL Championship.
Colorado Springs Switchbacks FC: When a club’s best chance to meet a capacity requirement is to host games at a venue controlled by the military, that doesn’t speak well to a club’s chances.
El Paso Locomotive FC: An undersized market and a turf field that meets capacity requirements is the death knell for this one.
Oklahoma City Energy FC: Having to expand a baseball field to meet requirements is a bad start. Having to potentially play 20 miles away from your main market is even worse.
Reno 1868 FC: Population nearly a half-million short of the federation’s requirements AND a turf field at the hypothetical new stadium makes impossible to say yes to this bid.
Rio Grande Valley FC: All the seat expansions in the world can’t hide the fact that McAllen Memorial Stadium is a high school stadium through and through.
Here’s who’s left in the 11-team Championship:
Birmingham Legion FC
Charleston Battery
Charlotte Independence
Memphis 901 FC
Austin Bold FC
Colorado Springs Switchbacks FC
El Paso Locomotive FC
Oklahoma City Energy FC
Reno 1868 FC
Rio Grande Valley FC
FC Tulsa
With MLS folding the six affiliates it has in USL League One, the league is a little bit thin (especially considering USSF’s requirements for 8 teams for lower level leagues), but seems definitely able to expand up to the necessary numbers with Edwards’ allusions to five new additions this year:
Chattanooga Red Wolves SC
Forward Madison FC
Greenville Triumph SC
Union Omaha
Richmond Kickers
South Georgia Tormenta
FC Tucson
Format of Assorted Leagues – This (like everything in this post) is pure conjecture on my part, but here are my thoughts on how these leagues might function in a first year while waiting for additional expansion.
USL Premier – We’ll steal from the 12-team Scottish Premiership. Each club plays the other 11 clubs 3 times, with either one or two home matches against each side. When each club has played 33 matches, the top six and bottom six separate, with every club playing an additional five matches (against each other team in its group). The top club wins the league. The bottom club is automatically relegated. The second-bottom club will enter a two-legged playoff against someone (see below) from the championship playoffs.
USL Championship -- 11 clubs is a challenge to schedule for. How about every club plays everyone else three times (either one or two home matches against each side)? Top four clubs make the playoffs, which are decided by two-legged playoffs. The winner automatically goes up. I need feedback on the second part – is it better to have the runner-up from the playoffs face the second-bottom club from the Premiership, or should the winner of the third-place match-up get the chance to face them to keep drama going in both playoff series? As for relegation, we can clearly only send down the last place club while the third division is so small.
USL League One – While the league is so small, it doesn’t seem reasonable to have the clubs play as many matches as the higher divisions. Each club could play the other six clubs four times – twice at home and twice away – for a very equitable 24-match regular season, which would help restrict costs and still provide a chance to determine a clear winner. Whoever finishes top of the table goes up.
And there you have it, a hypothetical look at how the USL could build a D1 league right now. All it would take is a new stadium for almost the entire league and new owners for all but one of the 27 clubs, who wouldn’t feel that their property would be massively devalued if they got relegated.
Well that’s our show. I’m curious to see what you think of all of this, especially anything that you think I may have overlooked (I’m sure there’s plenty). Anyway, I hope you’re all staying safe and well.

Okay this may seem like a dumb idea but hear me out.
IndyCar racing is the most growing form of auto-racing in the United States. Its on a pace to eclipse NASCAR in a few years and maybe Hartford can come in to help.
The IndyCar Open Wheel races consist of the most challenging form of racing. From short ovals such as St. Louis and Phoenix. Long ovals such as of course the Indianapolis 500 and Pocono 500, road courses such as Birmingham and Watkins Glen. And finally there is street courses. There are currently four street courses in IndyCar. Saint Petersburg, Florida, Long Beach, California, Detorit Belle Isle Michigan, and Toronto, Ontario, Canada. There was supposed to be a fifth track, in Boston. Boston shot it down because of mismanagement from the racing promoters and a bunch of NIMBY guys blocking it saying it was on damp soil (But Boston is on damp landfill?) and canceled the race. The overall plan with IndyCar is to have 5-5-5-5 to have a 20 race schedule in North America. A fifth needs to be filled in, why not Hartford?
Well to other cities such as Detroit, and Toronto. The races are considered landmarks of urban revival in those cities. Hartford and the whole state of Connecticut was hit hard. This could possibly be the chance to get the state the money needs. Not casinos. Last year, I drove 6 hours to get to Watkins Glen since I couldnt see the race 75 minutes from my house. I wanted to go and it was a blast. With IndyCar, you can have access to the cars and drivers. On race day, the drivers are virtually accessible by anyone. The race was great and would probably do the same again. In Long Beach and Toronto, the crowds was in excess of 100,000 on race day and over 30,000 on qualifying day. Thats incredible. Now say cost general admission $5 on Friday and Saturday each, and have about say 25,000 come in. Thats about 250,000 in sales on tickets alone. This dosent count the hotels and vendors avalible. Plus many places downtown like Black Bear Saloon can get huge business from this event. There is also some feeder series with this. So if you charge $25-30 on general admission and there is about 80,000 there. There is a profit of another 2.4 Million there plus vendors. What can draw in people is names like Helio Castroneves and James Hinchcliffe, both competed on Dancing with the Stars. Tony Kanaan competed on American Ninja Warrior, add in Will Power and Conor Daly, they all were on Family Feud. Also with rising talents such as Josef Newgarden, and Alexander Rossi. That alone can draw in names from casuals who would check the event out. Also a big draw is that this event isnt a NASCAR race, and that can draw the casuals out to this event and not have to deal with those people.
People from New Haven, New York, Albany, Boston, Providence, Manchester, and even further would go. Even people who go out of the way to see the races. When I went in Watkins Glen, there was people there I met from California and Oregon who went to see the race.
Also what some tracks do is have concerts for the fans. At COTA in Austin, Texas. They had stars in the past like Taylor Swift do a concert there. This year its Justin Timberlake. Im sure if Connecticut's favorite Billy Joel would do a show in the Bushnell, thousands would show up and make it even more viable. Add that to the sale of the ticket, it can be worth alot.
So here is the track proposal.
The track start and finish line and pit road is on Columbus Ave across the street from the Connecticut Convention Center. The CCC will also be host as the garage/paddock for the teams and it can be accessible by the fans as well for a small fee. The cars would turn onto Sheldon Ave and onto Elm Street and Pulaski Circle going around it causing a very fast corner. Then it would wrap around the Jewell Street area and pass by the Arch in the Bushnell where it would probably be the place to take photos of the cars near the arch. Then it would turn right onto High Street and take another turn at Church Street and would pass under the XL Center bridge and straight into the G. Fox building where it would take another right onto Main Street. Then it would wrap around the Connecticut State Building and down the hill and it would turn back onto Columbus Ave.
Another pic of the track
As for seating. Its Hartford, there is so many empty lots, there is plenty of spots for grandstands.
There is alot more I have in mind like traffic flows or the race and how to move the lightposts and fix the mini curb onto the Circle but its late at night. Just an idea. Any other questions?
In the end, this might not be what saves Hartford and Connecticut but its worth a fighting shot.
Also here is a fun tidbit - The second ever Auto Racing championship race took place in next door West Hartford at the Charter Oak Park back in 1905. Connecticut is the only state not from that original list to have a race.
EDIT - that's just a number I made up for profit. I have no idea exactly but with vendors as well as the sanctioning fee. There could be a few dollars there or not.

tfw you put all that work into one of these posts only to get curbstomped in the upvote count by a Pence meme

All my information comes from VisitIndiana so the list is never 100% comprehensive or accurate. That's where you come in!: If you know of anything that's missing, please post and share with everyone. If you've ever been to any of these events, or if you go this week, please share your experiences
Also be sure to visit the city-specific subreddits, as local happenings lists are starting to catch on, and they probably use different sources and may have other events I did not catch.
This Week Only
Northwest Indiana

• Beverly Shores

Depot Friday: 5PM-7PM July 14th at Beverly Shores Historical Museum and Gallery. A reception where local artists will be featured in the gallery and a special exhibit in the museum
Third Saturday Stargazing at the National Lakeshore: July 15th at Kemil Beach. Join members of the Chicago Astronomical Society to get a closer look at the evening sky over Indiana Dunes National Lakeshore. Weather permitting, see star clusters, galaxies, nebulae, planets, meteors, and learn about constellation lore from the darkest site in the Indiana Dunes National Lakeshore. Held on the third Saturday of every month from Jan. to Dec. Times vary depending on the sunset, so check website for times.

• Burns Harbor

Waterhole Wednesday featuring Johnny V: 5-8PM July 12th at Burns Harbor Food Truck Square. Come out for Waterhole Wednesday that will feature a full liquor bar filled with spirits, craft beers, and wine supplied by Leroy's Hotstuff. The night will also feature the tastes of the regional food trucks and the music of "Johnny V". This is a family-freindly event.

• Chesterton

Sand Sculpture Contest at Indiana Dunes State Park: 9AM-1PM July 15th at Indiana Dunes State Park. Watch the sand come alive with dragons, monsters, and fairy tale characters. participate or watch others' creations. There is a fee to enter the Indiana Dunes State Park.
Bark in the Park: 9AM-3PM July 15th at Thomas Centennial Park. Start your day with a 5K run or a 1-mile stroll with your dog - 6:00 a.m. registration at Duneland Resale. Visit more than 35 booths featuring local shelters and rescues, pet services, pet merchandise and treats. There will be training and obedience demonstrations, as well as fun contests. Contests are free to enter

• Kentland

98th Edition Newton County Pun'kin Vine Fair: July 10th-15th at Newton County Fairgrounds. The Newton County Fair and Fair Oaks Farms are happy to announce that Chris Lane and special guest William Michael Morgan will be performing at the Newton County Pun’kin Vine Fair in Kentland, Indiana. Don’t miss your chance to see these two great country artists

• LaPorte

LaPorte County Fair: July 7th-15th at LaPorte County Fairgrounds. Join us for the 1272nd LaPorte County Fair featuring Big & Rich on July 12th and Granger Smith July 13th. Enjoy great music and entertainment, fantastic food, livestock, carnival, 4-H exhibits and Pioneer Land all week long.
Pioneer Land Annual Auction: 11AM July 15th at LaPorte County Fairgrounds. This is Pioneer Land's annual auction that has quilts and hand made crafts. The items are auctioned to raise funds for building and maintenance at Pioneer Land.

• Merrillville

Merrillville Greek Festival: 12PM-11PM July 14th-16th at SS Constantine and Helen Cathedral. The Saints Constantine and Helen Greek Church will be hosting its 48th annual Grecian Festival on the Church grounds. Festivities include kiddy carnival and games, Greek music, dancing, market place and pastries. Generous portions of roasted lamb, shish-ka-bob, Grecian chicken, Gyros and our award winning Greek Potatoes await your appetite in our air-conditioned Great Hall. Whether making new friends or getting reacquainted with old friends, the outside beer garden is a perfect setting for your outdoor enjoyment. Free parking, admission and entertainment are provided.

• Munster

The Grape Escape: 1PM-8PM July 15th at Centennial Park Clubhouse. Sample a selection of wines, enjoy food from around the region, enjoy the sounds of live music, and browse the Fetching Market (separate admission). $10 entry fee for those 21 and older to the tasting/stage area.

• Portage

52nd Annual Nativity Fest: July 13th-16th at Nativity of Our Savior Parish. Come out for four nights of homemade food, live music, carnival games, bingo, beer garden and much more.

• Porter

Bandstand Concert & Family Film Series: 7PM July 14th at Thomas Centennial Park. What a better way to get in the mood for summer than a showing of the movie "Lego Batman" under the stars at hawthorne Park's east shelter. Prior to the film a free concert by Johnny V will take place at the shelter beginning at 7pm (movie to follow at dusk). In the event of inclement rather the concert & movie will be moved inside to the Baugher Center

• Valparaiso

United Way's Family Fun Field Day: 11AM-2PM July 15th at Sunset Hill County Park. Young Leaders United is proud to bring back the United Way Field Day and Picnic! After learning about our community's hopes and aspirations for more affordable family fun last year, our young leaders developed a low cost event taking us back to our grade school Field Days! Field Day offers live music, games and activities, food available for purchase and plenty of space for a home packed picnic and blanket! The day is all about enjoying our community, learning more about local non-profits and playing games (for kids and adults!). Pack your blanket and picnic basket and join us for an afternoon at the park!
PoCo Muse Block Party: 12PM-4PM July 15th at Porter County Museum. Join friends and neighbors for a cookout on the front lawn of the Porter County Museum. Food, drinks, fun, and museum exhibits.
Valparaiso Wine Festival: 4PM-630PM July 15th at Central Park Plaza. Wine enthusiasts get ready to find a new favorite. There will be over 100 wines to sip and sample. Bring you friends and family and toast to a fun summer evening in the park. Limited tickets are available. Must be 21 to enter with valid ID. All ticket are presale. $45 general admission
Notre Dame Shakespeare Performance: 6PM-8PM July 16th at Taltree Arboretum and Gardens. The Notre Dame Shakespeare Festival's Touring Company will preform at 80-minute, family-friendly version of Shakespeare's comedy Twelfth Night on Taltree's outdoor stage. Entrance to the arboretum will be free of admission beginning at 5:00 p.m., and the performance that starts at 6:00 p.m. will also be free.

North East Indiana

• Elkhart

EnviroFest: 5PM-9PM July 14th at Wellfield Botanic Gardens. There will be music from Goshen-based music sensation, Ted Yoder, 91 Strings, food vendors, a local beer garden sponsored by the South Bend Brew Werks for adults 21 and older, and exhibits with local businesses, vendors, organizations, and artists showcasing innovative ideas, sustainability, products, services, art, and more. There will be family-friendly entertainment with games, crafts, and activities and a live animal show at 7:00 PM! Don’t miss the silent auction and raffle with a variety of fun and practical items donated by local businesses. Join us on Friday, July 14 from 5:00 PM to 9:00 PM. for EnviroFest! Admission is $5 for adults; kids 12 and under get in free.

• Fort Wayne

Three Rivers Festival: July 7th-15th at Headwaters Park. Fort Wayne’s favorite summer party since 1969! All the great and loved events are back for this year’s festival. For additional information, please visit the Three Rivers Festival website
Bees & Brew: 7PM-9PM July 14th at The Southwest Conservation Club. Looking for a refreshing new idea for date night? Need an excuse to get out of the house with your girlfriends and do something unique? Come and join us for an evening of “Bees and Brew.” We have something for everyone; the creative, the adventurous and the curious. Spend your evening exploring the honeybee through hands-on fun including, beeswax candle making, DIY beeswax lotion bars, sampling honey wine, observing a hive up close through our sealed observation hive or… for the brave ones, suiting up and visiting the apiary where you can see a real hive up close and personal. Held on the grounds of The Southwest Conservation Club 5703 Bluffton Road in Fort Wayne, Indiana 46819. Surrounded by a developing prairie and the preserved grounds, Bees and Brew is held outside under our elegantly lighted science tent, which creates the perfect environment for you to be immersed with the natural surroundings while having a relaxing evening all without traveling too far from home. The overall mission of the Bees and Brew evening is to open the minds of our adult students with a fun and interactive experience that brings them outdoors and connects them with the natural environment all while relaxing with friends.

• Greentown

Howard County Fair: July 10th-15th at Howard County Fairgrounds. One of the largest county fairs in Indiana! Enjoy 4-H exhibits and shows, live music, carnival food vendors, live daily entertainment, Pioneer Village, carnival rides, vendors, and plenty of family fun!

• Huntington

Forks of the Wabash Uncorked: 530PM-9PM July 14th at Historic Forks of the Wabash. HARTA and the Historic Forks of the Wabash have teamed up to bring you Forks of the Wabash Uncorked. This is an amazing wine and beer tasting event featuring the products of many great Indiana wineries and U.S breweries. Did we mention the food and music? Local food trucks and Antiqology will be there with plenty of food options and craft sodas available for purchase. We invite you to sip your favorite wine or brew and enjoy live music in a festive atmosphere. You’ll find many items to bid on in our silent auction as well

• Notre Dame

World Pulse Festival: July 14th-15th at Compton Family Ice Arena. World Pulse Festival is a Christian contemporary music festival that hosts nearly 10,000 fans over two days on the campus of the University of Notre Dame.

• Peru

Circus City Festival: July 14th-22nd at 154 N. Broadway. Join the celebration of Peru's Circus Heritage for a week filled with fun and excitement! Nine days in July, downtown Peru converts to an amusement park filled with rides, games, food, and entertainment for all. Take in a fun filled circus performance, a great meal, local entertainment, arts & crafts, games, rides, and more

• Portland

Jay County Fair: July 10th-15th at Jay County Fairgrounds. Midway Rides, Demolition Derbies, Hog Wrestling, Classic Car Cruise-In. Nationally known entertainment. Information: www.jaycountyfair.com

Central Indiana

• Fishers

Concert in the Park: The Doo!: 630PM-930PM July 14th at Witten Park. Come to Witten Park at Saxony for the next Concert in the Park on July 14th from 6:30pm-9:30pm to see The Doo! live. Food trucks will be on site, but outside food is permitted. Admission is free and pets are welcome. The Doo! is a local band based out of Indianapolis, Indiana, that plays a variety of musical genres including: Rock, top 40, and 90's. The popular band is known for giving upbeat performance, so be ready to dance all night long at Saxony's Concert in the Park.

• Indianapolis

28th annual Ice Cream Social on the Circle: 11AM-2PM July 14th at Monument Circle. Celebrate National Ice Cream Month and take a break from summer’s heat with a delicious, refreshing ice cream sundae! Guests can treat their taste buds with gigantic sundaes drizzled with the choice of chocolate, strawberry or caramel syrups, among a variety of other delightful toppings. The Ice Cream Social is on Friday, July 14, 2017 from 11 am to 2 pm. All proceeds benefit Big Brothers Big Sisters of Central Indiana. Sundaes will be served by more than 30 celebrity scoopers including local media personalities, sports notables and business dignitaries. The event will also feature face painters, mascots, music, a photo booth, the Pacers Fan Van, and Molly and her calves – real live cows from Purdue Dairy Sciences

• Lafayette

Guided Tours at the Haan Museum: July 15th-16th at Haan Mansion Museum of Indiana Art. Take a Guided Tour and explore an extraordinary collection of Indiana art including paintings, ceramics, bronze and stone sculptures, and an array of American furniture and antiques all housed within a mansion that served as the Connecticut Building from the 1904 St. Louis World's Fair.

• Mooresville

Link Observatory Public Program: 7PM-11PM July 15th at Mooresville Public Library and Link Observatory. Bring the family to explore the universe with the Indiana Astronomical Society and the Goethe Link Observatory, owned by Indiana University. Each program includes an exciting multimedia presentation on NASA missions and space exploration. Presentations take place in the Community Room at the Mooresville Public Library. After the presentation, free shuttles are provided to the Observatory for telescope viewing (weather permitting). Choose from either the 7:00 pm or the 9:00 pm presentation, then ride the shuttle bus to the historic Link Observatory just south of Mooresville. No registration is required for this free program and presentations are suitable for all ages. Presentations are handicapped accessible, but accessing the Observatory's main telescope does require climbing stairs. There are often smaller telescopes available for viewing on the lawn.

• Shelbyville

Arts in the Park: July 15th at Blue River Memorial Park & Forest Hill Cemetery. Arts in the Park: Jul. 15, 9am-2pm, children's activities, adult classes, puppets, hands on projects
Indiana Derby: 430PM-930PM July 15th at Indiana Grand Racing & Casino. Indiana Grand Racing & Casino is proud to be home to the Grade III, $500,000 Indiana Derby, featuring more than $1 MILLION in stakes races in one incredible day of the best Thoroughbred racing in Indiana! The Indiana Derby is an American thoroughbred horse race that was run from 1995 to 2012 at Hoosier Park in Anderson, Indiana. Since 2013, it has been held at Indiana Grand in Shelbyville, Indiana. It is the racetrack's signature event offering its current highest purse at $500,000.

Southern Indiana

• Birdseye

Sunset Wine Cruise: July 14th at Patoka Lake Marina. Enjoy a relaxing evening aboard the Patoka Voyager. Admission includes five to seven tastings, two glasses of your choice and a souvenir wine glass.

• Bloomington

Edible Lotus: 6-9PM July 13th at Deer Park Manor. Guests will enjoy a beer & wine social hour followed by a locally-inspired plated dinner from Plated Table, and auctions featuring beautiful art, unique experiences, and more! Live auction festivities will be held under a grand tent on the beautiful grounds at Deer Park Manor. 6pm: Silent Auction, Beer & Wine Social Hour, with tastings from Cardinal Spirits. 7pm: Dinner and Live Auction. A range of special artwork and unique experiences have been selected for this year’s live and silent auction. Silent auction preview coming soon. Your ticket proceeds from this event support Lotus efforts to create opportunities to experience, celebrate, and explore the diversity of the world’s cultures, through music and the arts. You can purchase tables and tickets by following the links below or by calling Development Director Megan Hutchison at 812-336-6599

• Huntingburg

Garden Gate Festival: July 15th at Huntingburg Old Town Hall. Feel the rhythm and enjoy the sounds in downtown Huntingburg, Indiana, during the 6th Annual Garden Gate Jazz, Art, Wine, & Craft Festival takes place on Saturday, July 15, 2017. Wine and craft beer sampling tickets are $10.00. Local artisans will showcase unique items for purchase. Souvenir t-shirts and wine glasses are available for purchase.

• Lincoln City

Young Abe Lincoln - 30th Anniversary Special Presentation: 7-9PM July 13th-15th at Lincoln Amphitheatre. Make plans this summer to witness the remarkable story of a young Abraham Lincoln, brought to life on the Lincoln Amphitheatre's performance stage for the first time since 2005! Set in the woods of his boyhood home at the picturesque Lincoln Amphitheatre, this special 30th anniversary edition of Young Abe Lincoln is a playful story chronicling the events that shaped our 16th president as he grew up in Southern Indiana. This heartwarming musical is sure to delight audiences of all ages. Children 12 and under are welcome to attend "Young Abe Lincoln" free of charge. "Young Abe Lincoln" is based on the original Billy Edd Wheeler script and is being produced by Actor's Community Theater, a 501c3 not-for-profit organization headquartered in nearby Jasper, Indiana

• Vincennes

Red Skelton Festival: July 15th at Red Skelton Museum. Honoring one of America's favorite clowns with a day filled with entertainment, clowns, food and fun!

• West Baden

Senior LPGA Championship: July 5th-12th at The Pete Dye Golf Course. The Senior LPGA Championship is coming to French Lick! A week long celebration of women's golf will start at the Donald Ross Golf Course on July 6th and will end with the Inaugural Senior LPGA Championship at the Pete Dye Golf Course on July 12th. The field of 81 players will feature a collection of past greats in the women 's game including LPGA Hall-of-Fame members, current LPGA members and major champions over the age of 45.

ONGOING EVENTS
Northwest Indiana

• Beverly Shores

Beginning Birding Program: 9-1030AM Saturdays through July 29th at the Great Marsh Trail parking lot. Join a ranger and fellow birding enthusiasts every Saturday morning. No birding experience is required. A spotting scope and binoculars will be provided. The program will start at the southern gravel parking lot followed by a short hike to the Great Marsh observation deck to look for herons, egrets, ducks and other birds of the marsh. If you arrive late, simply hike to the observation deck to join the vent. The hike will be offered every Saturday in July.

• Chesterton

Chesterton's European Market: Every Saturday from 10AM - 2PM until October 28th on Third Street and Broadway in Downtown Chesterton. An outdoor family/artisanal market

• Gary

Beach Fun Friday: Starting at 1PM Fridays in July at West Beach. Beach Day at West Beach! Activities such as kayaking, SUP's, a sunset hike, and a beach campfire. Bring a picnic dinner and eat at a picnic shelter. This event will be offered every Friday during the month of July.

• Hebron

Pav's Summer Car Nites - Every Tuesday evening through the summer. Variety of rides, good food and music at Pav's Restaurant
Suzy's Diner Cruise Night - Every Wednesday, April to October, 4-8 p.m at Suzy's Diner. Enjoy cool cars, music and a special discount at the diner

• Michigan City

Pinhook Bog Open House: 12-3PM Saturdays July 1-29 at Pinhook Bog. Take a self-guided hike into the amazing Pinhook Bog at Indiana Dunes National Lakeshore. Rangers and volunteers stationed along the trail will help you understand this unique rem ant of the last ice age that is filled with carnivorous plants, orchids and many other interesting plants. Please allow about one hour to walk the trail and tour the quaking bog. This hike will be offered every Saturday in July.

• Miller

Miller Woods Hike: 130-330PM Sundays July 2-30 at Miller Woods. Join a ranger for a hike through Indiana Dunes National Lakeshore;s beautiful Miller Woods. The hike starts at the National Lakeshore's Paul H. Douglas center and travels though varied habitats including rare and beautiful black oak savanna and offers incredible views of Lake Michigan and Chicago. These hikes will be offered every Sunday in July.

• Munster

Sunday Market in the Park: 8AM-2PM every Sunday through October at Centennial Park Clubhouse. Produce, plants, home-made jams and jellies, baked goods, cheese, food vendors, drinks, local crafts and artwork, jewelry, clothing, bath and beauty products, direct sales businesses and more! Live Music every other week beginning May 14

• Portage

Portage Cruise-in: Every Tuesday evening throughout the summer. Variety of rides, good food and music at Woodland Park
Portage Community Market: 11AM-3PM every Sunday until September 11th at Founders Square Park. More than 30 vendors will participate in the Portage Community Market. There will be locally grown produce, flowers, popcorn, honey, bread, barbecue, handmade crafts and much more.
Portage Summer Music in the Park: Every Tuesday evening throughout the summer. All concerts will be held indoors at either Sycamore Hall or Oakwood Grand Hall in Woodland Park. Featuring Music ranges from 40s to 50s, rock & roll, swing, blues, contemporary and all featuring local talent.

• Porter

Bailly Cemetery Hike & Bailly/Chellberg Open House: 12-130PM Sundays July 2-30 at Bailly Homestead & Chellberg Farm. Join rangers for an afternoon exploring two of our historic homesteads. Meet at Noon in the Bailly/Chellberg parking lot for an informative 90-minute hoe to the Bailly Cemetery. Upon returning, explore the interiors of the Chellberg Farmhouse and the historic Bailly Homestead from 1:30 - 4:00 p.m. Learn about early settlers and famers who came to this region in the1800s. You can also see the farm animals who have recently returned to the Chellberg farm. The hike will be offered every Sunday in July
Mount Baldy Hike: 10-1130AM Sundays July 2-30 at Indiana Dunes Visitor Center. Join a ranger for a special guided morning hike along a trail on the western edge to the top of famous Mount Baldy. Even though the area is closed for general public access, this ranger-led tour allows visitors to experience the beauty and spectacular views from the tallest dune in the national lakeshore. This hike will be offered every Sunday in July. You must pre-register for the tour by calling 219-395-1882.

• Valparaiso

Summer Outdoor Movies: 7:30PM Tuesdays in June at Central Park Plaza. Watch your favorite movies under the beautiful night sky. Bring lawn chairs or a blanket
Summer Rhapsody Music Festival: Thursday nights until August 31 at The Porter Health Amphitheatre in Central Park Plaza. For all of the music lovers out there, come out and enjoy the sounds of the season with the Summer Rhapsody Music Festival. This concert showcase features many artists – each with their own unique style and sound. Select Thursday nights in the summer, concertgoers of all ages will enjoy a feast of different sounds underneath the beautiful night sky at The Porter Health Amphitheater in Central Park Plaza. Whether it’s a rock n’ roll band of yesteryear, an easy-going Motown group, or the elegant sounds that only a symphony orchestra can create, there’s something for everybody at this music festival. Bring your picnic, your blanket or chairs, and of course, your music-loving family and friends, and come relax in the park with the sounds of the Summer Rhapsody Music Festival.
Valparaiso Market: Every Tuesday and Saturday throughout the summer from 11AM-1PM. Fresh produce, handmade crafts, flowers, and live entertainment.
Taltree Railway Garden: Open from April 1st through October 31st. Featuring dwarf plants and model steam engine trains, the exhibit showcases the impact steam engine trains had on early 19th century U.S. railroads
Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat: July 14th-30th at Memorial Opera House. The Biblical saga of Joseph and his coat of many colors comes to vibrant life in this delightful musical parable.

North East Indiana

• Auburn

You Had Me at Merlot Walking Wine Barrel Art Tour: All summer in Downtown Auburn. Walk the beautiful tree lined streets of Historic Downtown Auburn and enjoy 20 Wooden Wine Barrels transformed into unique works of art by local and regional artists. This outdoor walking tour exhibit is juried with awards and art auction held each year at the end of summer. This annual exhibit has included many different art objects over the past eight years, from giant paintings on easels to garden benches. This year's exhibit celebrates the many wineries of this area with its wooden wine barrels. Walking Tour maps are available at no cost in most downtown businesses

• Fort Wayne

Rock the Plaza: Free concert series put on by the Allen County Public Library each Saturday evening throughout the summer

• Middlebury

Essenhaus Classic Car Cruise-In: Every Thursday throughout summer at Grounds of Das Dutchman Essenhaus. A weekly classic car cruise-in with no participation or entry fee. Participants will also enjoy door prize giveaways, coupons for shopping and dining as well as 50’s-style music. Most evenings, hand dipped ice cream and live entertainment will be provided.

• Shipshewana

Midwest's Largest Flea Market: 8AM-5PM every Tuesday and Wednesday until October. Same venue as the Shipshewana Auction
Shipshewana Trading Place Auction: 9AM every Wednesday all year. This auction features up to 10 auctioneers selling a variety of antiques and misc. items beginning with the auction bell at 9 am. Visitors tell us there is no other experience quite like it. With a variety of food choices on site, including our Auction Restaurant, featuring Amish home-style cooking and the best pie in town, you can easily spend the entire day shopping, relaxing and enjoying the sights & sounds without having to leave our grounds.

• Warsaw

Lake City Skiers Water Ski Show: 6:30-7:30PM every Sunday and Tuesday at Hidden Lake. The shows are a themed production including music and costumes with an announcer to guide you through the action. You will see Extreme jump acts, An all girl Ballet line, Barefoot water skiing, Swivel skiing, doubles routines and human pyramids just to name a few. The show last about 1 hour followed by a meet and greet with the skiers. The Lake City Skiers have been providing fun family entertainment since 1989 and are Indiana's only competitive show ski team holding 4 National Championships in 2006, 2007, 2014, and 2016.

Central Indiana

• Connersville

Fayette County Farmers' Market: Saturdays 9AM-12PM until October 7th. Local vendors from Fayette and surrounding counties offer farm fresh fruits, vegetables, meat, eggs, cheese, baked goods, herbs, plant stock and seeds, high quality crafts including paintings, pottery, sculptures, alpaca fiber items, goat milk soaps, jewelry, photography and so much more. Local artists, performers, and musicians highlighted as regularly scheduled entertainment. Now accepting SNAP/EBT, SenioWIC Farmers' Market Vouchers, several vendors accept debit/credit cards.

• Fishers

Kroger Symphony on the Prairie: Every weekend at Conner Prairie. The Indianapolis Symphony Orchestra's summer series provides music from classical, pop, and rock genres from mid-June through Labor Day weekend.
Saxony Market: 8AM-12PM Saturdays at Saxony Market. SAXONY MARKET is proud to provide a home for some of Central Indiana’s finest local vendors selling these fine products: fresh produce, Indiana sweet corn, homemade baked goods, floral and gardening supplies, savory herbs, crafted jewelry, authentic home cooked cuisine, sweet treats, handmade bath products and much more!

• Indianapolis

Animals and All that Jazz Concert Series: 530-830PM Thursdays in July at the Indianapolis Zoo. This Thursday night tradition returns for the 30th year in a big way! Animals & All That Jazz will be moving under the all-new Bicentennial Pavilion to offer more space to eat, drink, sit back or dance. This summer concert series features sensational music from all genres of jazz. Come play early at the Zoo and stay late for a night of jazz with music beginning at 5:30pm! Walk the Zoo while listening to the music or stay in closer near the stage. Best of all, experience the ambience of the Zoo after hours along with: Music: Performed live from 5:30-8:30pm, Food: Great specialty food stations feature a new menu for purchase each night, Beverages: A full bar, featuring beer sampling for those 21 years and older, Animals: On exhibit until 7pm, Rides: Available until 7pm. Zoo Members: Ride tickets are only $1 per ride from 5-7pm?. Tables are open on a first-come, first-serve basis. Concerts are free for Zoo members and included with regular admission. Make the most of your day by coming out early and staying late. Enjoy a full day at the Zoo, save time and save money by purchasing tickets in advance online? or at Indiana Members Credit Union locations.
Groovin' In The Garden: 2-5PM every Saturday until September 30th at the Easley Winery. We offer daily wine specials, cool tunes from the best musical acts of the greater Indianapolis area, and an experience you won't soon forget. Feel free to bring along your favorite foods or order from local restaurants to have delivered here to the winery, and don't forget to bring a chair!

• Muncie

National Aeromodeling Championships: July 1-31 at the Academy of Model Aeronautics. The National Aeromodeling Championships are back and bigger than ever! Thousands of pilots from across the national will meet in Muncie, IN for the nation’s largest model competitions. Come see what the talk is all about and see a competition for yourself! Visit nats.modelaircraft.org for a full schedule of the events. And while you’re here stop in our world-class National Model Aviation Museum. All the fun happens at the International Aeromodeling Center, right off the Muncie bi-pass on East Memorial Drive.

Southern Indiana

• Bloomington

Bloomington Community Farmers' Market: 8AM-12PM Saturdays at Showers Common.
Love's Labour's Lost: 730-10PM every other day in July starting on the 7th at Wells-Metz Theatre. IU Summer theatre presents William Shakespeare’s Love’s Labour’s Lost! In one of Shakespeare's earliest comedies, the King of Nevarre and his three male friends have pledged to swear off the company of women for three years and focus on a life of study. But when the Princess of France and her ladies show up on the scene, the men and their intentions of living a life of abstinence are tested. Tickets are available at the Indiana University Auditorium box office or at theatre.indiana.edu.
Persuasion: 730-10PM every other day in July starting on the 8th at the Wells-Metz Theatre. IU Summer Theatre presents Persuasion! In this adaptation of Jane Austen's romantic novel, Anne and her former fiancé, Captain Wentworth, are thrust back into each other's lives after seven years apart. As the plot thickens, Anne and Captain Wentworth must wrestle with their true feelings and decide whether or not they were wrong all those years ago. Tickets are available at the Indiana University Auditorium box office or at theatre.indiana.edu.

• French Lick

Elephant Retreat and Giraffe Encounter at Wilstem Ranch: All summer long. An African elephant herd of three girls will be retreating at Wilstem Ranch, only 7 miles from French Lick. The three elephants that retreat at Wilstem Ranch each year are retired from making appearances in parades, circus acts and more. But as they age, even elephants need retreats, and they're coming to town for a vacation! This one of a kind up-close encounter is a rare and wonderful opportunity to learn more about these amazing creatures and connect with them in a tranquil environment

• Newburgh

Newburgh Farmers Market: Saturdays 8AM-12PM through September 30th. At the Newburgh Farmer’s Market you will find the very best seasonal produce complemented by products like honey, grass fed meats, dairy products, flowers, cheese, breads, and pastries. There are also crafts, art, plants, flowers, & honey along with live music to complete the festival atmosphere. Free. Special event weekends include: Kids Day and Dog Days of Summer.

• Orleans

Orange County HomeGrown Orleans Farmer's Market: 8AM-12PM Saturdays through October 28th at Orleans Congress Square. Locally grown produce, baked goods, local handcrafted items, Buck-a-Book trailer, jammer tent, Master Gardener, and fun family activities. Sponsored by Orange County HomeGrown

Indiana's got a full slate of events for you all to enjoy this week thanks to the Fourth of July holiday, so get out there and blow shit up! Also, Indianapolis has begun their own Happenings Thread, so if you live in that region then check them out as well.
All my information comes from VisitIndiana so the list is not 100% comprehensive. If you know of anything that's missing, please post and share with everyone! If you've ever been to any of these events, or if you go this week, please share your experiences
This Week Only
Northwest Indiana

• Beverly Shores

Garden and Art Walk: 11AM-3PM July 8th at the Town of Beverly Shores. Association of Beverly Shores residents and ERG will co-sponsor the annual Garden and Art Walk. Explore several different gardens, including a fairy garden, and observe on-site plain air painters (painting outside). The painters' art will also be displayed at The Depot. Again this year, your Garden and Art Walk ticket may be entered into a raffle for an original 16" x 20" acrylic painting by Susie Nichols.

• Cedar Lake

Cedar Lake Summerfest: June 30th - July 4th at Cedar Lake Town Complex. Enjoy activites for all ages on the shore of Cedar Lake when the town complex transforms into 18 acres of fun featuring: Live Entertainment, Fireworks, Midway Games, Amusement Rides, Bingo Tent, Beer Garden, Boat Parade, R C Racing, New free Car Show ... and much more! Don't forget the food! Elephant Ears, Funnel Cakes, Corn Dogs, Steak Dinners, Pancake & Sausage Breakfast, and over a dozen other tasty treats! Merchandise & Crafts

• Gary

Fourth of Juluau Pig Roast: 7-11PM July 3rd at US Steel Yard, Gary Railcats. Don't miss an All-American Pig Roast featuring Indiana Pork with our first-ever 4th of Juluau Pig Roast presented by ! Make sure you're here early as Barefoot Hawaiian will be performing a traditional luau with fire dancers! Stick around after the game for a special Fireworks show!

• Hammond

Venetian Night: 8AM-10PM July 8th at the Hammond Marina. Join us for a day of quality entertainment and events, as well as beautiful evening fireworks, at our annual Venetian Night on Saturday, July 8. Events get underway at 8:00 a.m. with the All Marina Bake Sale and conclude with a spectacular fireworks show on Lake Michigan at 10:00 p.m.

• LaPorte

4th of July at the Hesston Steam Museum: 12-5Pm July 1st-4th at the Hesston Steam Museum. 4th of July weekend is America's holiday. Spend it with machines that built this great country and climb aboard all 3 of our steam powered railroads for a scenic ride through our woods.
LaPorte Jaycees 4th of July Parade and Fireworks: July 4th at Downtown LaPorte/LaPorte County Fairgrounds. The 71st Annual LaPorte Jaycee's 4th of July Parade starts at 10am. July 4th Fireworks at the fairgrounds will begin at dusk.
LaPorte County Fair: July 7th-15th at LaPorte County Fairgrounds. Join us for the 1272nd LaPorte County Fair featuring Big & Rich on July 12th and Granger Smith July 13th. Enjoy great music and entertainment, fantastic food, livestock, carnival, 4-H exhibits and Pioneer Land all week long.

• Michigan City

Native American Heritage Day at Friendship Botanic Gardens: 12-4PM at Friendship Botanic Gardens. Visitors will have the chance to learn about Indigenous Peoples' traditional gardening, trapping, cooking and crafting techniques.

• Munster

Independence Day Fireworks: 6-1130PM July 3rd at Centennial Park. Fireworks Show: 9:30 pm. Music: 7:30-11:00 pm Featuring "Together". Concessions and Beer Garden
4th of July Parade: Starting at 2PM. Begins at Fisher and Calumet, proceeds north to Ridge Road and East to Munster Town Hall.

• Portage

Portage 4th of July Festival & Parade: 5-9PM July 4th at Willowcreek Middle School. Vendors will be set up around the football field. Live music will be played from 7-9pm, with fireworks beginning at dusk
Shirley Heinze Nature Photography Hike: 5-7PM July 6th at the John Merle Coulter Natural Preserve. Join Susan Kirt, an award-wimming photographer with a background in biology and botany, at the John Merle Nature Preserve in search of the perfect shot. Seasonal highlights of the preserve will be photographed as Susan shows her tips and tricks for nature photography. This walk also includes a brief history of the preserve. All levels of photography are welcome, so bring your camera or smartphone! Registration is required

• Porter

Family 4th Fest: 9AM-11PM July 4th at Hawthorne Park. Family fun on the 4th of July. parade 9am begins at Yost Elementary School and ends in the park. Free games and activities for kids. Lions Club pancake breakfast 7-11am, Turtle Derby 11am (for details see Chesterton Lions website), bounce houses, music, beer garden, food and fireworks at dusk.
Bailly Homestead Candlelight Tour (Full Moon): 730-900PM July 8th at the Billy/Chellberg parking lot. Experience the nightlife of 150 years ago during a ranger-led tour of the historic Bailly Homestead in Indiana Dunes National Lakeshore. During the program, learn about the lifestyles of the fur traders and native Potawatomi before touring the first floor of the Bailly House while it is lit by candlelight. Meet at the Bailly Homestead/Chellberg Farm parking lot. This program includes a shore 1/3 mile-long hike to the homestead. Allow about one hour to visit the site. No reservations are necessary. Insect repellent is recommended and be sure to bring a flashlight for the hike back to the parking lot after the program
Kayak Fishing: 7-10AM July 9th, call 219-395-1882 for location. Paddle with a ranger and join in the pursuit for the elusive Skamania Steelhead. bring your own equipment, wear a lifejacket, and obey fishing laws.

• Valparaiso

Valparaiso 4th of July Celebration: 630-830PM at Thomas Jefferson Middle School. There will be music and activities. The fireworks show begins at approximately 9:15 p.m., bring lawn chairs or blankets for seating. Vendors will be available to purchase refreshments.
We Are Porter County Series: 9AM-5PM July 6th at the Porter County Museum. "We are Porter County" will highlight the formation of the county from its founding in 1836 to present day. Held on the first Thursday of each month.
Shakespeare in the Park: The Taming of the Shrew: July 7th-8th at Central Park Plaza. Join CST under the stars for a classic romp about the love/hate courtship of Petruchio and the headstrong Katherina at the 6th Annual Shakespeare in the Park, The Taming of the Shrew, a tale that is filled with mistaken identities, humor and wit.
Acorn Concert Series - The Black Lillies and the Way Down Wand: 7-10PM July 8th at Taltree Arboretum and Gardens. Named as one of Rolling Stones Magazine's "10 artists you need to know", The Black Lillies an award-winning blend of country, alt-rock, neo-folk, and mountain music. cording to Rolling Stone Magazine, "no independent band has played the Grand Ole Opry more often then The Black Lillies". Opening for The Black Lillies is The Way Down Wanderers. This Americana group formed in Chicago was listed on Spotify's Songpicker's 2016 Best Song Playlist and listed as 2014's best emerging artist by Deli Magazine. Craft beer, wine, and local food favorites will be available to purchase during the concert. Bring lawn chairs. This is a fancy-freindly event. Smoking and outside beverages are prohibited.
7th Annual Livin' It Up Music Festival: 3-9PM July 9th at Zao Island Amusement and Recreation Center. Beatles and Rolling Stones Cover Concert to benefit the Special Olympics. Tickets are available before or at the gate. featuring performance by Beggar's Banquet (Rolling Stones), Chris & Lou Beatles Experience, Disreali Gears (Cream), Ripley Street, 3 Peace and DJ Andy Petrovich. Music begins at 3pm. There will also be a variety of children's activities, and other engaging events.

• Whiting

July 3rd Party in the Park: 7-10PM July 3rd at Whiting Lakefront Park. Food, drinks, and live music by the Nick Danger Band with dazzling Independence Day fireworks over Lake Michigan.
Whiting’s 98th Annual 4th of July Parade: Starting at 10AM July 4th. Parade starts at 116th Street and Indianapolis Blvd. Goes south to 119th Street, makes a left on 119th Street to Front Street, makes a left on Front Street and ends in Whiting Lakefront Park. Featuring Nationally Recognized Characters followed by a Whiting Lakefront Park Character Meet & Greet.

North East Indiana

• Angola

Angola Balloons Aloft: July 7th-8th at the Angola High School. Hot air balloon competition featuring special-shaped balloons plus 30 additional balloons. Other entertainment for 2017 will include remote controlled aerial displays, an expanded Kid's Fun Zone, helicopter rides, skydiving, classic car and tractor show and food and retail vendors.

• Fort Wayne

Three Rivers Festival: July 7th-15th at Headwaters Park. Fort Wayne’s favorite summer party since 1969! All the great and loved events are back for this year’s festival. For additional information, please visit the Three Rivers Festival website
The Lettermen: 8PM July 8th at Foellinger Outdoor Theater. The All-American family friendly trio The Lettermen consists of Donovan Tea, Bobby Poynton, and founding Member Tony Butala. In the 1960s and 1970 The Lettermen scored over 25 chart hit singles including “Theme from “A Summer Place,’” ‘Goin’ Out of My Head / Can’t Take My Eyes Off You,” and “Hurt So Bad.” The Lettermen have recorded in fourteen languages, and received eighteen gold records.
Open Streets: 11AM-3PM July 9th at Downtown Fort Wayne. Open Streets Fort Wayne will temporarily close the street to vehicles and open it to walkers, bike riders, roller skaters and fun activities such as giant inflatable games for kids. The event will allow residents to see Fort Wayne in a unique way, get some exercise and socialize with new and old friends. This year’s Open Streets Fort Wayne connects the neighborhoods of West Central, East Central, LaRez, Hoagland Masterson and Williams Woodland with the Central Business District on Calhoun Street. The event area goes from the St. Marys River south on Calhoun to Williams Street. In between there are activities that connect Berry, Wayne, Ewing and Barr Streets. Open Streets is family-friendly and free for everyone. Along the Open Street route attendees will find Activity Hubs featuring live music, golf, Fort Wayne Derby Girls, soccer, and many other activities. A full list of activities will be announced soon. Additionally, several businesses normally closed on Sunday will be open.

• Huntington

Splash on the Wabash - Huntington: 10AM-4PM at Forks of the Wabash Historic Park. Inner Tube Lazy River Ride Who’s ready for a fun lazy river ride down the Wabash River? The float lasts 60 to 90 minutes. There are three launch times to choose from (10 a.m., noon or 2 p.m.). Bring your own heavy duty river tube and life jacket and for only $5; or reserve one our tubes for $10. Activity limited to individuals 8+. Life jackets are required. To reserve your place and tube, visit www.splashonthewabash.com. Advance reservations required for tube rentals due to limited numbers. Cash only day of event. FREE Family activities Noon-4 p.m. - Come celebrate the rivers with free inflatables, water paddle boats for the little ones, “walk on water” balls and a zip line ($5 per run)! Children will get wet so dress them appropriately! There will be hamburgers and hotdogs for purchase. FREE Kayak Usage Noon-4 p.m. - Take a spin on the river in a kayak! Volunteers will be available to help you learn how to use this great mode of transportation. Huntington is just 90 minutes north of Indianapolis and 20 minutes from Fort Wayne. Close access to camping and hotels.

• Portland

Jay County 4th of July Celebration: July 4th at the Jay County Fairgrounds. Food booths, games, talent show & more! Parade downtown 11:00 AM. Fireworks at dusk.

Central Indiana

• Anderson

Indiana's Most Spectacular Free Fireworks Show: 430-11PM at Hoosier Park Racing and Casino. Racing Early Post Time 4:30 pm. Free Family Fun Activities Beginning at 5:30 pm. Free Live Performance by THE FABULOUS THUNDERBIRDS. Outdoors - Following Live Racing. Free light-up Holiday Beads – Earn 25 same-day points then visit Club Centaur starting at 4 pm. All ages welcome - Must be 21 to enter the casino.

• Brookeville

White's Farm free 4th of July concert and fireworks: 3-10PM at White's Farm. White’s Farm will be celebrating July 4th with a special Twilight Tuesday flea market. This free, family friendly event will feature a free concert, corn hole contest, and a sunset fireworks display. White’s Farm will be celebrating July 4th with the following events: Tuesday, July 4: •3pm-dark Flea Market •3pm Music by “Second Warning” •6pm Music by “Endless Summer” •Sunset Fireworks Display All events are free to the public.

• Brownsburg

RedBull Global Rallycross: July 9th at Lucas Oil Raceway. Red Bull Global Rallycross will make its long-awaited debut in Indianapolis on July 8-9 with a brand new event at Lucas Oil Raceway. Red Bull Global Rallycross Indianapolis will kick off the second half of the series’ 2017 schedule, hosting the seventh round of this year’s championship.

• Danville

National Powwow: July 6th-9th at the Hendricks County 4-H Fairgrounds. National Powwow only occurs every three years and stands as one of the nation’s largest events promoting education and awareness of the American Indian culture. The four-day event, scheduled for July 6-9, introduces visitors to a cultural experience filled with traditional singing and dancers in full regalia, primitive skills demonstrations, a living history tipi village, ethnic foods, crafts, artisans, kids’ activities and so much more.

• Indianapolis

311: 730PM July 4th at The Pavillion at Pan Am. For over two decades, fans have been treated to the genre-bending rock accompanying 311 tour dates, and now you’ll have the chance to experience it all live. The Nebraska natives are known for putting on a great show, so join the party with 311 tickets in stock now.
IPL Downtown Freedom Fest: 630-1030 July 4th at the grounds of the Indiana War Memorial. Enjoy live entertainment from the Indianapolis Colts Stage, family fun in the Royal Pin Leisure Centers Kids Area, support local small businesses in the Indiana Originals Marketplace and get a great view of the Downtown fireworks display launched from Regions Tower! Tune your radio to B105.7, 97.1 HANK FM, or 93.1 WIBC for the official fireworks soundtrack.

• Lafayette

Mosey Down Main Street: July 8th at Downtown Lafayette. Live entertainment, food, family-friendly, free event introducing the sights, sounds, venues and merchants of downtown Lafayette.
Wabash Riverfest: 9AM-4PM July 8th at Tapawingo Park. Family-friendly celebration of the Wabash River. Canoe races, food, music, educational exhibits, 5k run, bike events, children's activities and more!

• Muncie

Bettye Lavette in Concert - Part of the Muncie Three Trails Music Series: 7-10PM July 8th at Cannan Commons. Three time Grammy nominee Bettye LaVette to perform in a FREE concert in downtown Muncie. “A valid rival to Aretha as the best woman soul singer of the past 50 years.”—Irish Times

• Shelbyville

Shelby County Fair: July 3rd-8th at the Shelby County Fairgrounds. 4-H exhibits, live music, great food and vendor booths. Superb midway and special activities every night.
FREE Star Spangled Grandeur Spectacular Fireworks Show: July 3rd 12PM-11PM at the Indiana Grand Racing and Casino. MONDAY, JULY 3 - OUTDOOR PATRIOTIC PICNIC •Free Live Show with the FABULOUS THUNDERBIRDS at 8PM Outside on Trackside Apron •Free DJ Square at 9PM at Center Bar on the Casino Floor •FREE Star Spangled Grandeur spectacular FIREWORKS show at 10PM. Plus it's FREEdom Weekend. Free Patriotic Fun the Whole Weekend! Must be 21 to enter the casino

• Spencer

BREATHE a Slackline and Discovery Festival: July 6th-9th at Stable Studios. Breathe Festival is a legitimate good time for folks who like to feel alive. This family friendly event is centered around the art of slacklining. Though it's reach expands much further to encompass yoga, dance, flow arts, paddle boarding, meditation, drumming, a talk tent, & hiking! Workshops are available at any practice level. As camping event, a community kitchen will be designated so if you decide to come alone, you have one more delicious opportunity to make friends. We are an activity camp by day with roaring bon fire parties at night. And, someone always manages to bring along a huge tub of s'more making stuff. Come Breathe with Us!

Southern Indiana

• Corydon

Battle of Corydon Re-enactment: July 8th-9th at Hayswood Nature Reserve. Join us for the re-enactment of the Battle of Corydon at Hayswood Nature Reserve. Saturday, July 8th - Corydon Battle Park – Open from 10am – 5pm, Cabin tours, speakers, On the square – 10am-12pm, Federal army recruitment by the Indiana Legion, Hayswood Nature Reserve – Camps open from 10am – 5pm, Demonstrations, displays, speakers, vendors, Battle Reenactment at 3pm. Sunday, July 9th - Corydon Battle Park – Open from 12 – 5pm, Cabin tours, speakers, Hayswood Nature Reserve – Camps open from 12 – 3pm, Demonstrations, displays, speakers, vendors, Battle Reenactment at 2pm
Corydon Capital Day: 10AM-6PM July 8th at Historic Downtown Corydon. Corydon Capital Day, “a step back in time”.

• Freetown

Freetown July Festival: July 7th-8th near the Freetown Fire Station. This patriotic, small town festival features vendors, fun for the family, a fish fry, a large parade, contests, music and a lot of hometown pride.

• French Lick

Wild West Hold Up: July 1-4 at French Lick Scenic Railway. The bandits known as the Lost River Renegades strike again on the French Lick Express. Local marshals are lookin' for brave souls to climb aboard the next train ride to help catch the scoundrels.

• Haysville

Haysville Ruritan Summer Fest: July 7th-8th at Haysville Park. The Haysville Raritan Summer Fest 53rd annual Haysville Sommerfest takes place on Friday, July 10, 2017, and Saturday, July 11. Events take place at Haysville Park, just west of U.S. 231 in Haysville. Admission is free with proceeds raised at the festival donated to the community.

• Lincoln City

Young Abe Lincoln - 30th Anniversary Special Presentation: 7-9PM July 6th-8th at the Lincoln Amphitheatre. Make plans this summer to witness the remarkable story of a young Abraham Lincoln, brought to life on the Lincoln Amphitheatre's performance stage for the first time since 2005! Set in the woods of his boyhood home at the picturesque Lincoln Amphitheatre, this special 30th anniversary edition of Young Abe Lincoln is a playful story chronicling the events that shaped our 16th president as he grew up in Southern Indiana. This heartwarming musical is sure to delight audiences of all ages. Children 12 and under are welcome to attend "Young Abe Lincoln" free of charge. "Young Abe Lincoln" is based on the original Billy Edd Wheeler script and is being produced by Actor's Community Theater

• Linton

Linton Freedom Festival: 6-11PM July 1-8 at Humphreys Park. Host to Indiana's largest Independence Day parade on July 4 at 10AM. Week long festivities include great tenderloin sandwiches, entertainment, car show, flea market, carnival, fireworks. Times vary daily. Check our website for the complete event schedule. Spend your July 4 with us!

• Pekin

Pekin's Fourth of July Celebration: July 1-4 at Pekin Park and Town Area. The Pekin, Indiana Fourth of July Celebration has deep roots dating back to 1830. Proudly claiming the "Oldest Consecutive Fourth of July Celebration in the United States," Pekin's Fourth truly captures the patriotic celebrations of the past. The 2017 celebration will mark the 187th event for the town complete with fireworks, a parade, carnival, a variety of live entertainment, a prince and princess contest, queen contest, food vendors, flea market and other activities providing something for everyone.

• Rising Sun

Fireworks & Music in Rising Sun: 7-11PM July 3rd at Rising Sun Riverfront Park. The City of Rising Sun presents free fireworks and live music in downtown Rising Sun, IN, on Monday, July 3. A band performs from 7-10 p.m. at the Rising Sun Riverfront Park along the Ohio River waterfront at Front Street*. Fireworks are 10-10:30 p.m. Food is available for sale by the Rising Sun Lion's Club. The public should bring their own chairs and blankets. *The location may be subject to change to Shiner Park depending on water conditions.

• West Baden

Senior LPGA Championship: July 5th-12th at The Pete Dye Golf Course. The Senior LPGA Championship is coming to French Lick! A week long celebration of women's golf will start at the Donald Ross Golf Course on July 6th and will end with the Inaugural Senior LPGA Championship at the Pete Dye Golf Course on July 12th. The field of 81 players will feature a collection of past greats in the women 's game including LPGA Hall-of-Fame members, current LPGA members and major champions over the age of 45.

ONGOING EVENTS
Northwest Indiana

• Beverly Shores

Beginning Birding Program: 9-1030AM Saturdays through July 29th at the Great Marsh Trail parking lot. Join a ranger and fellow birding enthusiasts every Saturday morning. No birding experience is required. A spotting scope and binoculars will be provided. The program will start at the southern gravel parking lot followed by a short hike to the Great Marsh observation deck to look for herons, egrets, ducks and other birds of the marsh. If you arrive late, simply hike to the observation deck to join the vent. The hike will be offered every Saturday in July.

• Chesterton

Chesterton's European Market: Every Saturday from 10AM - 2PM until October 28th on Third Street and Broadway in Downtown Chesterton. An outdoor family/artisanal market

• Gary

Beach Fun Friday: Starting at 1PM Fridays in July at West Beach. Beach Day at West Beach! Activities such as kayaking, SUP's, a sunset hike, and a beach campfire. Bring a picnic dinner and eat at a picnic shelter. This event will be offered every Friday during the month of July.

• Hebron

Pav's Summer Car Nites - Every Tuesday evening through the summer. Variety of rides, good food and music at Pav's Restaurant
Suzy's Diner Cruise Night - Every Wednesday, April to October, 4-8 p.m at Suzy's Diner. Enjoy cool cars, music and a special discount at the diner

• Michigan City

Pinhook Bog Open House: 12-3PM Saturdays July 1-29 at Pinhook Bog. Take a self-guided hike into the amazing Pinhook Bog at Indiana Dunes National Lakeshore. Rangers and volunteers stationed along the trail will help you understand this unique rem ant of the last ice age that is filled with carnivorous plants, orchids and many other interesting plants. Please allow about one hour to walk the trail and tour the quaking bog. This hike will be offered every Saturday in July.

• Miller

Miller Woods Hike: 130-330PM Sundays July 2-30 at Miller Woods. Join a ranger for a hike through Indiana Dunes National Lakeshore;s beautiful Miller Woods. The hike starts at the National Lakeshore's Paul H. Douglas center and travels though varied habitats including rare and beautiful black oak savanna and offers incredible views of Lake Michigan and Chicago. These hikes will be offered every Sunday in July.

• Munster

Sunday Market in the Park: 8AM-2PM every Sunday through October at Centennial Park Clubhouse. Produce, plants, home-made jams and jellies, baked goods, cheese, food vendors, drinks, local crafts and artwork, jewelry, clothing, bath and beauty products, direct sales businesses and more! Live Music every other week beginning May 14

• Portage

Portage Cruise-in: Every Tuesday evening throughout the summer. Variety of rides, good food and music at Woodland Park
Portage Community Market: 11AM-3PM every Sunday until September 11th at Founders Square Park. More than 30 vendors will participate in the Portage Community Market. There will be locally grown produce, flowers, popcorn, honey, bread, barbecue, handmade crafts and much more.
Portage Summer Music in the Park: Every Tuesday evening throughout the summer. All concerts will be held indoors at either Sycamore Hall or Oakwood Grand Hall in Woodland Park. Featuring Music ranges from 40s to 50s, rock & roll, swing, blues, contemporary and all featuring local talent.

• Porter

Bailly Cemetery Hike & Bailly/Chellberg Open House: 12-130PM Sundays July 2-30 at Bailly Homestead & Chellberg Farm. Join rangers for an afternoon exploring two of our historic homesteads. Meet at Noon in the Bailly/Chellberg parking lot for an informative 90-minute hoe to the Bailly Cemetery. Upon returning, explore the interiors of the Chellberg Farmhouse and the historic Bailly Homestead from 1:30 - 4:00 p.m. Learn about early settlers and famers who came to this region in the1800s. You can also see the farm animals who have recently returned to the Chellberg farm. The hike will be offered every Sunday in July
Mount Baldy Hike: 10-1130AM Sundays July 2-30 at Indiana Dunes Visitor Center. Join a ranger for a special guided morning hike along a trail on the western edge to the top of famous Mount Baldy. Even though the area is closed for general public access, this ranger-led tour allows visitors to experience the beauty and spectacular views from the tallest dune in the national lakeshore. This hike will be offered every Sunday in July. You must pre-register for the tour by calling 219-395-1882.

• Valparaiso

Summer Outdoor Movies: 7:30PM Tuesdays in June at Central Park Plaza. Watch your favorite movies under the beautiful night sky. Bring lawn chairs or a blanket
Summer Rhapsody Music Festival: Thursday nights until August 31 at The Porter Health Amphitheatre in Central Park Plaza. For all of the music lovers out there, come out and enjoy the sounds of the season with the Summer Rhapsody Music Festival. This concert showcase features many artists – each with their own unique style and sound. Select Thursday nights in the summer, concertgoers of all ages will enjoy a feast of different sounds underneath the beautiful night sky at The Porter Health Amphitheater in Central Park Plaza. Whether it’s a rock n’ roll band of yesteryear, an easy-going Motown group, or the elegant sounds that only a symphony orchestra can create, there’s something for everybody at this music festival. Bring your picnic, your blanket or chairs, and of course, your music-loving family and friends, and come relax in the park with the sounds of the Summer Rhapsody Music Festival.
Valparaiso Market: Every Tuesday and Saturday throughout the summer from 11AM-1PM. Fresh produce, handmade crafts, flowers, and live entertainment.
Taltree Railway Garden: Open from April 1st through October 31st. Featuring dwarf plants and model steam engine trains, the exhibit showcases the impact steam engine trains had on early 19th century U.S. railroads

North East Indiana

• Auburn

You Had Me at Merlot Walking Wine Barrel Art Tour: All summer in Downtown Auburn. Walk the beautiful tree lined streets of Historic Downtown Auburn and enjoy 20 Wooden Wine Barrels transformed into unique works of art by local and regional artists. This outdoor walking tour exhibit is juried with awards and art auction held each year at the end of summer. This annual exhibit has included many different art objects over the past eight years, from giant paintings on easels to garden benches. This year's exhibit celebrates the many wineries of this area with its wooden wine barrels. Walking Tour maps are available at no cost in most downtown businesses

• Fort Wayne

Rock the Plaza: Free concert series put on by the Allen County Public Library each Saturday evening throughout the summer

• Middlebury

Essenhaus Classic Car Cruise-In: Every Thursday throughout summer at Grounds of Das Dutchman Essenhaus. A weekly classic car cruise-in with no participation or entry fee. Participants will also enjoy door prize giveaways, coupons for shopping and dining as well as 50’s-style music. Most evenings, hand dipped ice cream and live entertainment will be provided.

• Shipshewana

Midwest's Largest Flea Market: 8AM-5PM every Tuesday and Wednesday until October. Same venue as the Shipshewana Auction
Shipshewana Trading Place Auction: 9AM every Wednesday all year. This auction features up to 10 auctioneers selling a variety of antiques and misc. items beginning with the auction bell at 9 am. Visitors tell us there is no other experience quite like it. With a variety of food choices on site, including our Auction Restaurant, featuring Amish home-style cooking and the best pie in town, you can easily spend the entire day shopping, relaxing and enjoying the sights & sounds without having to leave our grounds.

• Warsaw

Lake City Skiers Water Ski Show: 6:30-7:30PM every Sunday and Tuesday at Hidden Lake. The shows are a themed production including music and costumes with an announcer to guide you through the action. You will see Extreme jump acts, An all girl Ballet line, Barefoot water skiing, Swivel skiing, doubles routines and human pyramids just to name a few. The show last about 1 hour followed by a meet and greet with the skiers. The Lake City Skiers have been providing fun family entertainment since 1989 and are Indiana's only competitive show ski team holding 4 National Championships in 2006, 2007, 2014, and 2016.

Central Indiana

• Connersville

Fayette County Farmers' Market: Saturdays 9AM-12PM until October 7th. Local vendors from Fayette and surrounding counties offer farm fresh fruits, vegetables, meat, eggs, cheese, baked goods, herbs, plant stock and seeds, high quality crafts including paintings, pottery, sculptures, alpaca fiber items, goat milk soaps, jewelry, photography and so much more. Local artists, performers, and musicians highlighted as regularly scheduled entertainment. Now accepting SNAP/EBT, SenioWIC Farmers' Market Vouchers, several vendors accept debit/credit cards.

• Fishers

Kroger Symphony on the Prairie: Every weekend at Conner Prairie. The Indianapolis Symphony Orchestra's summer series provides music from classical, pop, and rock genres from mid-June through Labor Day weekend.
Saxony Market: 8AM-12PM Saturdays at Saxony Market. SAXONY MARKET is proud to provide a home for some of Central Indiana’s finest local vendors selling these fine products: fresh produce, Indiana sweet corn, homemade baked goods, floral and gardening supplies, savory herbs, crafted jewelry, authentic home cooked cuisine, sweet treats, handmade bath products and much more!

• Indianapolis

Animals and All that Jazz Concert Series: 530-830PM Thursdays in July at the Indianapolis Zoo. This Thursday night tradition returns for the 30th year in a big way! Animals & All That Jazz will be moving under the all-new Bicentennial Pavilion to offer more space to eat, drink, sit back or dance. This summer concert series features sensational music from all genres of jazz. Come play early at the Zoo and stay late for a night of jazz with music beginning at 5:30pm! Walk the Zoo while listening to the music or stay in closer near the stage. Best of all, experience the ambience of the Zoo after hours along with: Music: Performed live from 5:30-8:30pm, Food: Great specialty food stations feature a new menu for purchase each night, Beverages: A full bar, featuring beer sampling for those 21 years and older, Animals: On exhibit until 7pm, Rides: Available until 7pm. Zoo Members: Ride tickets are only $1 per ride from 5-7pm​. Tables are open on a first-come, first-serve basis. Concerts are free for Zoo members and included with regular admission. Make the most of your day by coming out early and staying late. Enjoy a full day at the Zoo, save time and save money by purchasing tickets in advance online​ or at Indiana Members Credit Union locations.
Groovin' In The Garden: 2-5PM every Saturday until September 30th at the Easley Winery. We offer daily wine specials, cool tunes from the best musical acts of the greater Indianapolis area, and an experience you won't soon forget. Feel free to bring along your favorite foods or order from local restaurants to have delivered here to the winery, and don't forget to bring a chair!

• Muncie

National Aeromodeling Championships: July 1-31 at the Academy of Model Aeronautics. The National Aeromodeling Championships are back and bigger than ever! Thousands of pilots from across the national will meet in Muncie, IN for the nation’s largest model competitions. Come see what the talk is all about and see a competition for yourself! Visit nats.modelaircraft.org for a full schedule of the events. And while you’re here stop in our world-class National Model Aviation Museum. All the fun happens at the International Aeromodeling Center, right off the Muncie bi-pass on East Memorial Drive.

Southern Indiana

• Bloomington

Bloomington Community Farmers' Market: 8AM-12PM Saturdays at Showers Common.
Love's Labour's Lost: 730-10PM every other day in July starting on the 7th at Wells-Metz Theatre. IU Summer theatre presents William Shakespeare’s Love’s Labour’s Lost! In one of Shakespeare's earliest comedies, the King of Nevarre and his three male friends have pledged to swear off the company of women for three years and focus on a life of study. But when the Princess of France and her ladies show up on the scene, the men and their intentions of living a life of abstinence are tested. Tickets are available at the Indiana University Auditorium box office or at theatre.indiana.edu.
Persuasion: 730-10PM every other day in July starting on the 8th at the Wells-Metz Theatre. IU Summer Theatre presents Persuasion! In this adaptation of Jane Austen's romantic novel, Anne and her former fiancé, Captain Wentworth, are thrust back into each other's lives after seven years apart. As the plot thickens, Anne and Captain Wentworth must wrestle with their true feelings and decide whether or not they were wrong all those years ago. Tickets are available at the Indiana University Auditorium box office or at theatre.indiana.edu.

• French Lick

Elephant Retreat and Giraffe Encounter at Wilstem Ranch: All summer long. An African elephant herd of three girls will be retreating at Wilstem Ranch, only 7 miles from French Lick. The three elephants that retreat at Wilstem Ranch each year are retired from making appearances in parades, circus acts and more. But as they age, even elephants need retreats, and they're coming to town for a vacation! This one of a kind up-close encounter is a rare and wonderful opportunity to learn more about these amazing creatures and connect with them in a tranquil environment

• Newburgh

Newburgh Farmers Market: Saturdays 8AM-12PM through September 30th. At the Newburgh Farmer’s Market you will find the very best seasonal produce complemented by products like honey, grass fed meats, dairy products, flowers, cheese, breads, and pastries. There are also crafts, art, plants, flowers, & honey along with live music to complete the festival atmosphere. Free. Special event weekends include: Kids Day and Dog Days of Summer.

• Orleans

Orange County HomeGrown Orleans Farmer's Market: 8AM-12PM Saturdays through October 28th at Orleans Congress Square. Locally grown produce, baked goods, local handcrafted items, Buck-a-Book trailer, jammer tent, Master Gardener, and fun family activities. Sponsored by Orange County HomeGrown

Tulsa's event list.

Wednesday, Aug 8th

• ♪ American Idols Live (Brady Theater - Tulsa) Start Time: 7:00pm Catch your favorites from this past season when the crew from American Idol rolls into Tulsa and posts up at the iconic…
• 🎭 Ballroom Dancing (Tulsa Garden Center - Tulsa) Start Time: 7:00pm
• Food Truck Wednesdays (Guthrie Green - Tulsa) Every Wednesday, grab some tasty eats and gather on the grounds of Guthrie Green. During Food Truck Wednesdays, lunchtime…
• 😂 James Johann (Loony Bin - Tulsa) Thru Sat, Aug 11th
• ♪ Kris Allen - Upgrade Meet & Greet Package (Brady Theater - Tulsa) Start Time: 7:01pm
• Panda Riot (Soundpony Lounge - Tulsa) Start Time: 10:00pm
• Tulsa Roughnecks FC vs OKC Energy FC (ONEOK Field - Tulsa) Support the Tulsa Roughnecks FC professional soccer team as they take on OKC Energy FC at ONEOK Field in Tulsa. Since its…

Thursday, Aug 9th

• Blondie in Concert (Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Tulsa - Catoosa) Come see Blondie live onstage at the Joint inside the Hard Rock Casino & Resort Tulsa. This pioneer in the early…
• ♪ Corkscrew Nose Dive (The Vanguard - Tulsa) Start Time: 7:00pm LOCAL TBA, LOCAL TBA, LOCAL TBA
• 🎭 Cowboy up Karaoke (Blackbird On Pearl - Tulsa) Start Time: 9:00pm
• 😂 James Johann (Loony Bin - Tulsa) Thru Sat, Aug 11th
• 🎓 Robert Herjavec & Bob Stoops LIVE (Tulsa Renaissance Hotel & Convention Center - Tulsa) Start Time: 8:00am Take Charge of Your Life!
  SPECIAL GUEST SPEAKERS:
  Robert Herjavec - Entrepreneur and Star of Shark Tank
  Bob Stoops- Legendary Oklahoma Sooners Coach
  Brian J. Forte - Nation's #1 Business Trainer
  Omar Periu - Leading Wealth Trainer and Self-Made Multimillionaire
  Dr. Clarice Fluitt - Top Leadership & Transformational Coach
  Bob…
  

Friday, Aug 10th

• Friday Night Test N Tune (Tulsa Raceway Park - Tulsa) Start Time: 6:00pm
• God of Carnage (Broken Arrow Community Playhouse - Broken Arrow) Thru Sun, Aug 12th The Broken Arrow Community Playhouse presents “God of Carnage” this August. Watch as a playground altercation…
• 😂 James Johann (Loony Bin - Tulsa) 1 day left
• Martina McBride in Concert (Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Tulsa - Catoosa) Legendary country artist Martina McBride is bringing her huge voice and songwriting skills to Tulsa's Hard Rock Casino.…
• The Motorsport Lab (Expo Square - Tulsa) The Motorsport Lab delivers a luxury sports car experience to the Tulsa Expo Square racetrack. Book a spot for yourself or a…
• My Brother and Me (Soundpony Lounge - Tulsa) Start Time: 10:00pm
• National Snaffle Bit Association World Show (Expo Square - Tulsa) Thru Sun, Aug 19th The National Snaffle Bit Association brings together horses and riders from all over the country for its annual World Show…
• Powwow of Champions (Mabee Center - Tulsa) Thru Sun, Aug 12th The ORU Mabee Center in Tulsa will come alive in a colorful expression of dance, drum music and song as members of tribal…
• Subkulture Presents (The Shrine - Tulsa) Start Time: 9:00pm

Saturday, Aug 11th

• 🏆 25th PBR: Unleash the Beast (BOK Center - Tulsa) Day 1 of 2 Start Time: 6:45pm
• 🏆 Bracket Race #13 & #14 NHRA Good Guys Race #4 No Jrs (Tulsa Raceway Park - Tulsa) Start Time: 2:00pm
• The Danner Party (Blackbird On Pearl - Tulsa) Start Time: 9:00pm
• 🎭 Darci Lynne & Friends Live (Brady Theater - Tulsa) Start Time: 7:00pm America's Got Talent Season 12 Winner DARCI LYNNE - LIVE IN CONCERT - Doors Open 6pm Rescheduled date from March 24 - All Tickets Honored! If you cannot make the rescheduled event please call 800-514-3849 to begin your refund process Tickets are available now for the August 11 date at Brady Box Office M-F 10a-6p Call 800-514-3849 -…
• ♪ Darci Lynne Headlines the Brady Theater (Brady Theater - Tulsa) Start Time: 7:00pm On Saturday, August 11th Ventriloquist/Singer Darci Lynne brings her breathtaking, one of kind, family friendly show to the Brady Theater in Tulsa, OK. Darci and her cast of characters kicked off their 2018 national tour in Atlanta with stops in Nashville, Cleveland, Indianapolis and Orlando to name a few. Darci won the hearts of America with…
• 🎭 The Drunkard and the Olio (Tulsa Spotlight Theatre - Tulsa) Start Time: 7:30pm
• Express Employment Professionals Classic (BOK Center - Tulsa) Day 1 of 2 The Express Employment Professionals Classic begins with pyrotechnics as the top bull riders prepare to compete against…
• Free Admission: Second Saturday (Philbrook Downtown - Tulsa) Start Time: 9:00am Free. Family. Fun. Bring the whole family for Philbrook Second Saturdays. Free admission all day and a variety of events and hands-on activities.
• God of Carnage (Broken Arrow Community Playhouse - Broken Arrow) 1 day left The Broken Arrow Community Playhouse presents “God of Carnage” this August. Watch as a playground altercation…
• 😂 James Johann (Loony Bin - Tulsa) Last Day
• National Snaffle Bit Association World Show (Expo Square - Tulsa) Thru Sun, Aug 19th The National Snaffle Bit Association brings together horses and riders from all over the country for its annual World Show…
• Pony Disco Club (Soundpony Lounge - Tulsa) Start Time: 10:00pm
• Powwow of Champions (Mabee Center - Tulsa) 1 day left The ORU Mabee Center in Tulsa will come alive in a colorful expression of dance, drum music and song as members of tribal…
• 🏃 Riverside 5000 (Tulsa) 7:30am - Elite 5km with prize money. This is geared towards men under 17:00 and women under 20:00 with WMA time conversions for masters runners. 3 loop course.
  8:00 - Open 5km for runners and walkers of all abilities. Awards for top 3 in standard USATF age groups as well as clydesdale, filly, and walker categories. 2 loop course
  8:45am - 5k…
  
• Rose District Farmers Market (Rose District Plaza - Broken Arrow) Thru Sat, Oct 27th Start Time: 8:00am different music, events, and guests, each week
  
• Tulsa Roughnecks FC vs Colorado Springs Switchbacks FC (ONEOK Field - Tulsa) Support the Tulsa Roughnecks FC professional soccer team as they take on Colorado Springs Switchbacks FC at ONEOK Field in…
  
• Second Saturday Architecture Tour (Tulsa) Take a fun and educational walking tour through downtown Tulsa the second Saturday of each month with the Tulsa Foundation…
  
• Senior Living Expo (Tulsa Renaissance Hotel & Convention Center - Tulsa) Attend the Tulsa Senior Living Expo for a fun-filled day with plenty of tips for helpful services. Guests can enroll in mini…
  
• 🏃 The Tess Trail Run (Turkey Mountain - Tulsa) This trail run raises money for The Grief Center right here in Tulsa.
  Experience a run unlike any other through Tulsa's own Turkey Mountain trails, then celebrate life, love and hope at the after party, complete with fried chicken and puffy tacos!
  
• That 90's Party (The Shrine - Tulsa) Start Time: 9:00pm
  

Sunday, Aug 12th

• 🏆 25th PBR: Unleash the Beast (BOK Center - Tulsa) Day 2 of 2 Start Time: 6:45pm
• ♪ Annie Ellicott & MOJO (Tulsa) Start Time: 5:00pm
• 🎭 Calliope Musicals (Blackbird On Pearl - Tulsa) Start Time: 8:00pm
• Express Employment Professionals Classic (BOK Center - Tulsa) Day 2 of 2 The Express Employment Professionals Classic begins with pyrotechnics as the top bull riders prepare to compete against…
• God of Carnage (Broken Arrow Community Playhouse - Broken Arrow) Last Day The Broken Arrow Community Playhouse presents “God of Carnage” this August. Watch as a playground altercation…
• National Snaffle Bit Association World Show (Expo Square - Tulsa) Thru Sun, Aug 19th The National Snaffle Bit Association brings together horses and riders from all over the country for its annual World Show…
• Northeast Oklahoma Autocross (Expo Square - Tulsa) See sports cars compete in challenging Northeast Oklahoma Autocross events this spring. Cars will take to the Fair Meadows…
• Powwow of Champions (Mabee Center - Tulsa) Last Day The ORU Mabee Center in Tulsa will come alive in a colorful expression of dance, drum music and song as members of tribal…
• ♪ Senior Star Round-Up (Cain's Ballroom - Tulsa) Start Time: 2:00pm Cowboy Jones, The Round Up Boys

Monday, Aug 13th

• Lyrical Smoke (Soundpony Lounge - Tulsa) Start Time: 10:00pm
• National Snaffle Bit Association World Show (Expo Square - Tulsa) Thru Sun, Aug 19th The National Snaffle Bit Association brings together horses and riders from all over the country for its annual World Show…
• ♪ Pickwick Commons (The Vanguard - Tulsa) Start Time: 7:00pm Obscure Sanity, LOCAL TBA, LOCAL TBA
• The Situation (The Shrine - Tulsa) Start Time: 10:00pm

Tuesday, Aug 14th

• Tulsa Drillers vs. Corpus Christi Hooks (ONEOK Field - Tulsa) Thru Fri, Aug 17th Gather your crew and head to ONEOK Field for a dose of Double-A baseball when the Tulsa Drillers take on the Corpus…
• National Snaffle Bit Association World Show (Expo Square - Tulsa) Thru Sun, Aug 19th The National Snaffle Bit Association brings together horses and riders from all over the country for its annual World Show…
• ❓ Trivia with Jack (Soundpony Lounge - Tulsa) Start Time: 9:30pm

See Also

• OK Gamers
• Techlahoma
• Tulsa Meetup Groups
• Tulsa Library Events

Sunday:
NORTH:
·1. Teen shot in the chest near intersection of Lyons Street, Ashland Avenue in Evanston (Chicago Tribune)
·2. While on domestic-battery call, Waukegan police sworn, shot at; three men in custody (CBS 2)
·3. Waukegan Yacht Club celebrates 50th anniversary of Junior Sail Program (Chicago Tribune/Lake County News-Sun)
·4. Woodland Elementary School District 50 foundation to put on golf outing July 22 at Lake Geneva, Wis., to raise funds for schools (Daily Herald)
·5. Diamond Lake Elementary School District 76 providing breakfast for students Monday through Thursday throughout the summer at West Oak Middle School, Gurnee (Daily Herald)
NORTHWEST:
·6. Father, owner of Bartlett-based Sebert Landscaping, and son, field supervisor for Marengo-based Bluestem Ecological Services, team up to bring more native plants to landscaping (ABC 7)
·7. Statue of Donald E. Stephens unveiled in Rosemont (ABC 7)
·8. Online survey drums up 'The Bradley,' ROSY, The Black Pearl, Runaway as possible names for new hotel in Rosemont (Daily Herald)
·9. Mount Prospect promotes senior village planner to assistant to village manager (Daily Herald)
WEST:
·10. Couples celebrating 60th wedding anniversaries serve as grand marshals in Elk Grove Village's annual Hometown Parade on June 18 (Daily Herald)
·11. West Chicago Elementary School District 33 program encourages fathers to read with their children every day (Daily Herald)
·12. Geneva's Swedish Day celebrates Midsummer, Swedish heritage (Daily Herald)
SOUTHWEST:
·13. Republican U.S. Rep. Adam Kinzinger, of Channahon, says he wouldn't vote for Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump, were the election held today (Chicago Sun-Times)
·14. Former Cubs great Andre Dawson gives advice to Joliet Slammers players, signs autographs for fans (Chicago Tribune/Daily Southtown)
SOUTH:
·15. Calumet City bank robbed (Chicago Sun-Times)
NORTHWEST INDIANA:
·16. Family of man living in Hobart group home sues over alleged assault by employee from Chesterton (Chicago Tribune/Gary Post-Tribune)
·17. Chicago woman killed in car crash near Horseshoe Casino in Hammond (Chicago Sun-Times)
·18. Judge dismisses manslaughter charge again LaPorte County man, saying police, prosecutors bungled case of wife's shooting death (Chicago Sun-Times)
REGIONAL
·19. Cook County Jail locked down after hundreds of workers call in sick on Father's Day (NBC 5)
Monday:
NORTH:
·20. McHenry County woman, Mount Prospect truck driver taken to hospital after car-vs-tractor-trailer crash on Route 173 in Newport Township, Lake County (Chicago Sun-Times)
·21. 85-year-old Deerfield woman killed, man and infant injured when woman tried to make a left-hand turn onto 137 from U.S. 45 off ramp into oncoming traffic (Chicago Sun-Times)
·22. Construction begins on 18-store Kildeer Village Square mall on Rand Road; opening expected in 2017 (Daily Herald)
·23. Two armed robberies in Waukegan happen four hours apart on Sunday; police uncertain whether they were related (Chicago Sun-Times)
·24. Chicago restaurateur, partners plan Mediterranean-style restaurant for downtown Libertyville (Daily Herald)
NORTHWEST:
·25. Evanston police probe shooting that wounded three teens (Chicago Tribune/Evanston Review)
·26. Arlington Heights Memorial Library ties together summer reading program, Fan Con comic convention (Daily Herald)
·27. Chicago man wounded in shootout with Palatine police on June 16 charged with attempted murder, aggravated assault, unlawful delivery of cannibis (CBS 2)
·28. SUV driven by minor crashes into front entrance of IHOP at Norridge Commons, sending one person to the hospital, injuring six others (Chicago Tribune/Norridge-Harwood Heights News)
·29. Chicago Aviation Department submits 9-month 'Fly Quiet' plan to FAA; proposal would to rotate takeoffs and landings at O'Hare International Airport, designed to reduce noise issues (WGN TV)
·30. Wheeling Township Elementary School District 25 board member among 1,000 school officials that lobbied Congress on equity in education (Daily Herald)
·31. Streamwood-based Elgin Toyota pitches plan for repaidetail shop along Lake Street in Bartlett (Daily Herald)
WEST:
·32. 4-year-old girl drowns at Downers Grove Swim and Racquet Club; facility closed during investigation (ABC 7)
·33. 48-year-old man dies after car he was riding in during driving lesson flips over into Aurora retention pond; driver still hospitalized (FOX 32)
·34. nursing homes from Naperville, Westmont sue rival company over plans for facilities in Aurora and Lisle (Chicago Tribune)
·35. Oak Park police look into drive-by shooting between vehicles on Sunday night on Austin Boulevard at Interstate 290; driver of a vehicle not targeted suffered minor injuries (Chicago Tribune/Oak Leaves)
·36. 78-year-old man struck, killed in Elmhurst by Metra train on Union Pacific-West line (Chicago Sun-Times)
·37. Lombard fire chief to retire on 30th anniversary of his full-time employment with department (Daily Herald)
·38. Morton Arboretum launches $63 million conservation program to preserve and improve 1,700-acre property (Crain's Chicago Business)
REGIONAL
·39. Pew Research: High school and college students finding less summertime work available (Chicago Tribune/Buffalo Grove Countryside)
Tuesday:
NORTH:
·40. Gas station, car wash pulled from proposed development at Route 22 and Quentin Road in Hawthorn Woods (Daily Herald)
·41. Lake County Sheriff's Gangs Task Force arrest two men after stop in Waukegan; one was wanted on a warrant for a long list of felonies (Chicago Sun-Times)
NORTHWEST:
·42. Woodstock woman who helped fight legal battle with Rohm and Haas chemical company over cancer clusters in McHenry County succumbs to brain cancer (Chicago Tribune)
·43. Metra Union Pacific Northwest Line train strikes pedestrian near Woodstock (Chicago Sun-Times)
·44. Hoffman Estate board hires consultant to look into TIF refund for 185-acre development, provided the developer reimburses the village for the $28,500 cost (Daily Herald)
·45. Superintendent of Schaumburg Township Elementary School District 54 to get 10 percent pay raise, two years after DUI incident (Daily Herald)
·46. Arlington Heights Village Board approves 15-house development on former Robert J. and Lorraine Henry family estate near downtown (Daily Herald)
·47. Elgin Water Department combats musty, moldy smell in water following algae bloom in Fox River (WBBM AM 780)
·48. Officials at Hersey High School in Arlington Heights warn parents about companies offering fee-based financial aid and college scholarships (Chicago Tribune/Arlington Heights Post)
·49. Palatine woman sentenced for five years in prison for DUI-related crash that killed one person and seriously injured another; her BAC level was 0.24 (Chicago Tribune)
·50. 25-year-old Pingree Grove man charged with sexual abuse of a teen (Chicago Sun-Times)
·51. Des Plaines Elementary School District 62 appoints new board member (Daily Herald)
·52. Sleepy Hollow Village Board creates trust fund to address lack of affordable housing stock (Daily Herald)
WEST:
·53. TFC Bank branch in River Forest robbed at gunpoint by three people (Chicago Sun-Times)
·54. St. Charles changes massage-business ordinance to reduce likelihood of more problems with illegal activities in massage parlors, following a number of busts for prostitution (Daily Herald)
·55. Engineers: Expect a lot of noise during construction of pedestrian tunnel along Glen Ellyn's Taylor Avenue (Daily Herald)
·56. Berwyn uses billboard campaign to try to draw young adults to the suburb; target is Chicago's River North population (CBS 2)
·57. Downers Grove village officials concerned about pension obligation and its effects on property taxes (Chicago Tribune)
·58. Bolingbrook restaurant owner urges wider celebration of Juneteenth (Daily Herald)
·59. Illinois Toll Highway Authority approves Lee Street exit off I-90 in Rosemont (Daily Herald)
·60. Naperville man who taught at Wilmington High School pleads guilty to sexual abuse of student, child pornography charge (Daily Herald)
SOUTHWEST:
·61. 17-month-old boy found unresponsive in Homer Glen pool (Chicago Tribune)
SOUTH:
·62. Lincoln-Way High School District 210 removes plaques dedicated to embattled ex-superintendent Lawrence Wyllie (Chicago Tribune/Daily Southtown)
·63. Judge gives Calumet City man to two consecutive life sentences for 2009 double murder during confrontation at bar (Chicago Sun-Times)
NORTHWEST INDIANA:
·64. Diocese of Gary to shut down St. Mark's Catholic Church rather than spend money to renovate 95-year-old building (Chicago Tribune/Gary Post-Tribune)
REGIONAL
·65. Cook County Health and Hospitals executive director: Gun violence 'a public health crisis' (WBBM AM 780)
Wednesday:
NORTH:
·66. Waukegan School District 60 to provide breakfast, lunch to children ages 2 to 18 at five locations (Chicago Tribune/Lake County News-Sun)
·67. North Shore School District 112 delays planned school closures, giving citizens committee time to work out solution to prevent closures (Chicago Tribune/Highland Park News)
·68. Glenview Park District investigating 65-year-old woman's claim that she got hit by a golf ball that sailed through open car window from nearby golf course (Chicago Tribune/Glenview Announcements)
NORTHWEST:
·69. Man tried to lure 12-year-old girl into car near Oakton Street and Western Avenue in Park Ridge (Chicago Sun-Times)
·70. Barrington Area Unit School District 220 plan would shift middle-school boundaries, probably move 160 students from one building to the other; plan is part of potential change in start times (Daily Herald)
·71. Wauconda officials consider reinstalling red-light camera at intersection of Bonner Road, U.S. 12, citing safety concerns (Daily Herald)
·72. Bartlett resident starts group pushing to allow chickens in residential areas of the village (Daily Herald)
WEST:
·73. Elk Grove Village to spend $1 million over next five years replacing trees felled by emerald ash borer (Daily Herald)
·74. Wheaton resident creates online petition to lower Wheaton's citywide speed limit on residential streets to 20 mph in wake of 6-year-old's death after being hit by a van (Daily Herald)
·75. Naperville City Council approves placing two non-binding referendum questions on November ballot which would ask about futures of Naperville Township, road district (Daily Herald)
·76. Proposed Longview Parkway tolls in Kane County expected to be between 50 and 75 cents (Daily Herald)
·77. Two boys report being robbed of iPhone by two teenagers in LaGrange (ABC 7)
·78. Schiller Park woman pleads guilty to aggravated battery to a child for 2015 incident in which she forced her two children to drink apple juice mixed with an antianxolytic medication to try to kill them, then tried to commit suicide (Chicago Tribune)
·79. Oak Brook couple that owned First Mutual Bancorp of Illinois in Harvey indicted on charges of concealing millions of dollars in cash, assets after defaulting on $40 million personal loan (Chicago Tribune/The Doings (Oak Brook))
·80. Aurora man charged in Tuesday-afternoon shooting of two people following argument on city's southeast side (Chicago Sun-Times)
·81. Northlake woman charged with reckless homicide, DUI, driving without insurance in death of 46-year-old man in Melrose Park (Chicago Sun-Times)
·82. Donkey gets party for 50th birthday at Field of Dreams in Maple Park (Daily Herald)
SOUTHWEST:
·83. 23-year-old Yorkville man charged with sexual assault of juvenile at Newark motel (Chicago Sun-Times)
SOUTH:
·84. Clerk at Park Forest gas station shot, wounded during robbery (Chicago Sun-Times)
NORTHWEST INDIANA:
·85. Lake, Porter sheriffs displeased with U.S. Congress's failure to pass any gun-control legislation (Chicago Tribune/Gary Post-Tribune)
·86. Police arrest 20-year-old in connection with drug ring operating at Crown Point High School (Northwest Indiana Times)
·87. Truck with trailing carrying cars overturns on I-80/94 at Indianapolis Boulevard in Hammond (Northwest Indiana Times)
·88. Chicago man found guilty of reckless homicide in crash of Gary church bus in Indianapolis while he was high on cocaine (Northwest Indiana Times)
REGIONAL
·89. Lack of regulations means individual towns can charge whatever they want for liquor licenses and that cost is passed on to the customers (Daily Herald)
·90. Illinois signals intent to move ahead with Chicago-to-Quad-Cities high-speed rail line as deadline for federal funds draws to close (Crain's Chicago Business)
Thursday
NORTH:
·90. Deerfield teen sings duet with her Broadway idol at Chicago Symphony Orchestra performance (Chicago Tribune/Deerfield Review)
·91. Doctors from Highland Park (with office in Buffalo Grove) and Skokie among 301 people caught in federal Medicare-fraud sweep (Chicago Sun-Times)
·92. Ela Township buys 10-acre property for $490,000 with plans for athletic fields just outside Lake Zurich village limits (Daily Herald)
·93. Camp I Am Me lets burn survivors enjoy summer camp, therapy at Camp Duncan near Fox Lake (WGN TV)
·94. Lake County Sheriff's police catch Kenosha man who carjacked a vehicle with a child inside it, after stopping the vehicle on I-294 near Des Plaines (Chicago Tribune/Lake County News-Sun)
·95. Federal Securities and Exchange Commission accuses Lake Forest-based The Ticket Reserve Inc. of Ponzi scheme that defrauded professional athletes out of $30 million (Daily Herald)
·96. Village of Lincolnshire sues Skokie-based North Capital, saying the owner of the former Purple Hotel property hasn't cleaned up the site following demolition a month ago (Crain's Chicago Business)
NORTHWEST:
·97. Woman accused of drug-fueled crash that killed Woodstock nurse is arrested in Las Vegas, Nev. (Chicago Tribune)
·98. Flash floods inundate Arlington Heights businesses, streets during Wednesday night storms (Chicago Tribune/Arlington Heights Post)
·99. Palatine Township Elementary School District 15, park district considering Osage Park property as location for new school, abandon plans for Falcon Park (Daily Herald)
·100. Harper College officials sign off on agreement to build health-and-wellness center with Palatine Park District that would mean indoor pool for residents, students (Daily Herald)
·101. Alan Bombeck, architect and member of Arlington Heights Design Commission since its formation in 1995, dies from cancer (Daily Herald)
WEST:
·102. Guitar virtuoso Fareed Haque to headline Jazz It Up Glen Ellyn festival on July 16 (Daily Herald)
·103. Elk Grove Village mayor 'offended' by 'inappropriate' comments by residents opposed to proposed Islamic prayemeeting center (Daily Herald)
·104. Neighbors of new Naperville Mariano's complain about all the noise caused by refrigerated trucks brought in to store excess commidities (Daily Herald)
·105. Aurora officials: Water safe to drink despite strange taste, odor linked to Fox River (Chicago Tribune/Aurora Beacon-News)
·106. Two teen boys charged with burglarizing vehicles on South 19th Street in St. Charles (Chicago Sun-Times)
·107. Enthusiasts of antique bicycles to have event on July 8 on Prairie Path and in downtown Wheaton (Daily Herald)
SOUTHWEST:
·108. Occupational Safety and Health Administration investigating death of man pulled through machinery at Coilplus Inc. in Plainfield (CBS 2)
·109. Ohio man killed after falling from under-construction asphalt tank at International Tank Services in Willow Springs (Chicago Sun-Times)
SOUTH:
·110. Sunnybrook Elementary School District 171 raises lunch, activity and technology fees (Northwest Indiana Times)
·111. 14-year-old boy shot in back while in a car stopped at Rose Plaza in Matteson; alleged shooter had followed their vehicle on Lincoln Highway (NBC 5)
NORTHWEST INDIANA:
·112. Gary unveils new handicapped-accessible boat/kayak launch at Marquette Park (Northwest Indiana Times)
·113. 'Visions of Sand and Steel: Visions of Our Indiana Shore' show runs through Aug. 28 at Southshore Arts Centre in Munster (Northwest Indiana Times)
·114. Chicago Cubs extend contract with Class-A affiliate South Bend Cubs through 2020 (CBS 2)
·115. 76-year-old Porter woman dies after being struck by train in Chesterton (Chicago Tribune/Gary Post-Tribune)
·116. Dallas, Texas-based Which Wich to open first store in northwest Indiana with sandwich shop in Schererville (Northwest Indiana Times)
REGIONAL
·117. Atlanta, Ga.-based Turnstone Group puts 3,000 residential lots, 581 acres undeveloped land in the suburbs on the market (Crain's Chicago Business)
·118. Author of 'New Suburbanism: Sustainable Tall Building Development': Arlington Heights, Evanston provide models for what Chicago's suburbs should look like (Crain's Chicago Business)
·119. Storms touch off fire in Evanston, topple gas-station canopy in Mount Prospect, flood Taco Bell in Palatine (WGN TV)
Friday
NORTH:
·120. Island Lake trustee creates 'Irises of Island Lake' project to decorate, add color to village (Daily Herald)
·121. Pharmaceutical company Abbvie, volunteers fix up North Chicago buildings to make homes for veterans (WGN TV)
NORTHWEST:
·122. 9-year-old Norridge boy left at Hanover Park water park while on field trip from Norridge camp; parents learned about situation when he called from a lifeguard's cell phone (CBS 2)
·123. Chicago to renovate O'Hare Hilton, add two new hotels, including one along Mannheim Road (ABC 7)
·124. Harvard man charged with sexual abuse of a minor in Antioch (Chicago Tribune/Lake County News-Sun)
·125. Palatine Village Hall to reopen Monday, June 27, following renovations (Daily Herald)
·126. British press blaming meeting at O'Hare pizzeria for BRexit referendum (Chicago Tribune)
·127. One man dead following five-vehicle crash at Dempster Street and Harlem Avenue on Morton Grove/Niles border; victim likely suffered medical issue that led to crash (FOX 32)
·128. Des Plaines Park District works on acquiring vacant lots at Center Street and Oakwood Avenue for new park (Daily Herald)
·129. 17-year-old Kianna Gavin of South Elgin still missing; police still investigating disappearance (Daily Herald)
·130. Teenage Rolling Meadows girl charged with molesting female friend who slept over at her house (Daily Herald)
·131. Bartlett High School to get new stadium scoreboard after receiving grant from Bartlett Rotary Club (Daily Herald)
WEST:
·132. College of DuPage board votes for budget that keeps tuition and property taxes at same level as previous year (Daily Herald)
·133. Elderly Bellwood woman dies from carbon monoxide poisoning, smoke inhalation in house fire (Chicago Sun-Times)
·134. St. Charles Community School District 303 board decides against middle-school referendum this fall, after $12,000 poll shows only 40 percent support (Daily Herald)
SOUTHWEST:
·135. Bolingbrook police end probe into murder-suicide of sometime-business partners from Aurora, Naperville, with no motive behind the crime (Chicago Tribune/Naperville Sun)
SOUTH:
·136. Matteson man with the surname Gambles wins lottery second time with same numbers (WGN TV)
·137. Park Forest nail technician/caterer finds getting bumped from 'MasterChef' leads to many new opportunities in culinary world (Chicago Tribune/Daily Southtown)
·138. Crete man sentenced to four months in jail, 30 months intensive probation for 'revenge porn' incident involving his ex-girlfriend (Chicago Tribune/Daily Southtown)
NORTHWEST INDIANA:
·139. Schererville buys former Illiana Speedway; town president says its racing days are over (Chicago Tribune/Gary Post-Tribune)
·140. Chesterton, Portage, Valparaiso fire departments combine to hire, test firefighter applicants (Northwest Indiana Times)
·141. Munster residents object to Town Council's adoption of wheel tax, but president says state law won't allow the town to make exceptions for anyone (Northwest Indiana Times)
·142. 36-year-old Lake Station grandmother, 17-year-old East Chicago father charged in armed kidnapping of 15-month-old boy from foster home (Chicago Tribune/Gary Post-Tribune)
·143. South Dakota woman with outstanding warrant arrested after being found asleep in the back seat of a stolen car parked behind an abandoned gas station near I-65 and State Route 2 in Hebron (Chicago Sun-Times)
·144. One East Chicago Public Works employee fired in April, another resigned in May as city undertook investigation into alleged thefts of oil, tires (Northwest Indiana Times)
REGIONAL
·145. Illinois Secretary of State's Office rakes in $5 million in late fees for license-plate renewals after it stopped sending out reminders to motorists (Chicago Sun-Times)
Saturday:
NORTH:
·146. Divers find body of teenage boy who swam into harbor channel next to Waukegan Municipal Beach and disappeared under water (CBS 2)
·147. Leaders of Long Grove, Hawthorn Woods ask governor, Illinois State Toll Highway Authority to abandon proposed Route 53 environmental-impact study (Daily Herald)
·148. Island Lake officials have eye on 2-acre site inside Converse Park for village's first dog park (Daily Herald)
·149. Lake Zurich issues proclamation joining National Wildlife Federation's efforts to save the monarch butterfly (Daily Herald)
·150. 10 Round Lake Beach police officers sue village over body cameras that continued to record after they were turned off, including while officers were using the bathroom (WGN TV)
NORTHWEST:
·151. Illinois Attorney General's Office settles ethics-violation/workplace-retaliation lawsuit stemming from incident while U.S. Rep. Tammy Duckworth led the Illinois Department of Veterans Affairs (NBC 5)
·152. Shakou Asian restaurant to open new location on Prospect Avenue in Park Ridge on Monday, June 27 (ABC 7)
·153. Shots reported fired on Route 53 near Jane Addams Tollway (I-90); Illinois State police investigating incident (WGN TV)
·154. Elgin police officers to get 2.5 percent pay increase following relatively short negotiations with the city (Daily Herald)
·155. Woodstock police searching for three men accused of armed robbery of Shell gas station (Daily Herald)
·156. Des Plaines aldermanic committee favors adopting 'City of Destiny' slogan, interlocking 'dP' logo (Daily Herald)
WEST:
·157. McHenry County Sheriff's Office charge Kane County Sheriff's deputy with possession of controlled substances after finding Modafinil, Zolpidem, Tapentadol during search of her Woodstock home (NBC 5)
·158. Downers Grove man accused of raping two Indiana University students gets plea deal, one year of probation (Chicago Tribune)
SOUTH:
·159. South suburbs see large increase in subsidized housing in wake of Chicago Housing Authority's move to demolish high-rise housing projects (Chicago Sun-Times)
NORTHWEST INDIANA:
·160. Munster police seek information on man believed to have stolen cartons of cigarettes from a Speedway gas station at knifepoint twice (Northwest Indiana Times)
·161. Hobart residents concerned about flooding related to proposed development at 83rd Avenue and Grand Boulevard (Northwest Indiana Times)
·162. Marketing company SERA Solutions Inc.'s move to Michigan City a boon for staff, from LaPorte County, helps poise organization for growth (Northwest Indiana Times)
·163. South Haven woman's push for safe passage along McCool Road north of U.S. 6 leads Porter County to install new path along roadway (Northwest Indiana Times)
·164. Hobart firefighters called twice to Southlake Mall for fire in Wet Seal store, Cooper's Hawk Winery & Restaurant (Northwest Indiana Times)
·165. Owner of Hill's Haunted Hospital, City of Portage reach agreement allowing him to move haunted house to former U.S. Steel Training Center near Portage Lakefront and Riverwalk (Northwest Indiana Times)