November/December 2025

Take it from us: It’s never too early to get into the holiday spirit, especially when preparing the November/December issue in late summer and early fall. We were moved by stories of acts of kindness, like Anna Hazlett baking 500

Read more stories of acts of kindness in the November/December 2025 feature. When a one-block stretch of Roosevelt Drive off Lincoln Avenue wanted to connect with a larger neighborhood association in 2024, it turned to the district next door. The

Read more stories of acts of kindness in the November/December 2025 feature. Jim Barrow was a local legend in the British car scene, having once owned the former Tri-State Imports, an MG dealership in Newburgh, Indiana, as well as being

Read more stories of acts of kindness in the November/December 2025 feature. Rick Kersting’s Wednesday morning bread deliveries are as reliable as the rising sun, and the loaves coming from the back of his green GMC Astro van help nourish

Read more stories of acts of kindness in the November/December 2025 feature. When a nasty winter storm slammed the region in early January, members of the Evansville Area Jeepers club did as they’ve done several times in years past: used

Read more stories of acts of kindness in the November/December 2025 feature. The Tillman family often takes walks around the Tepe Park neighborhood, getting a close look at the challenges facing community members. When they met a man unable to

Read more stories of acts of kindness in the November/December 2025 feature. Many people know Anna Hazlett for her years of work with the local tennis community, but her dedication to a sweet tradition also has won her many fans.

Although the holidays fill hearts with joy and fuel a giving spirit, kindness happens all year and comes in many forms. Once a week, retired grocery manager Rick Kersting rises before dawn to distribute bread to underserved people. Three young

Strolling through Evansville Vanderburgh Public Library’s McCollough Branch, you may hear “4 bam,” “5 crack,” “3 dot,” and “west wind” — the sounds of “tile sharks” enjoying what is fast becoming a popular game here. Four-player Mahjong uses tiles featuring

It would have been understood if Charles Brown sat with the grief of losing his 15-year-old son, Logan, in a drunk-driving collision in March 2015. Instead of letting grief immobilize him, he wanted to make sure other parents would not

Edward Brundick turns 92 on Dec. 28, but he’s been fully retired for only seven years. The surgeon, who long worked for Orthopaedic Associates, Inc., and also as a University of Southern Indiana athletic department physician, remains active and involved

There persists a misunderstanding that Evansville’s iconic Bell building was rotated 90 degrees during a remodeling project. Alas, that 1930 architectural feat should be attributed to the now-AT&T building in Indianapolis. Although the River City’s Bell Telephone Company building Downtown

Friday night touchdowns have been celebrated at Reitz Bowl at F.J. Reitz High School since 1921 and Benjamin Bosse High School’s Enlow Field since 1926. Both stadiums sport architectural character — and decades of wear and tear. Now, they’re getting

Around lunch and dinnertime at Jasper, Indiana’s The Schnitzelbank, the chimes of 16 pitched bronze bells ring out from the renovated glockenspiel tower. Then the show starts as four animated figures perform the “Schnitzelbank Song” and “Bier Barrel Polka.” “If

I didn’t mean to sell cinnamon rolls,” says veteran baker Judy Schmitt. “It just kind of happened.” The first ingredient of the heirloom recipe was her mother, Lorraine Nurrenbern, who baked cinnamon rolls for Schmitt and her five siblings every

You could say Pappa Bear’s Catering goes whole hog for the holidays, but that attention-grabbing menu item is available all year. Birthday parties, wedding receptions, reunions, and corporate meals have featured the 150-plus-pound meal starring local pork from Dewig Meats.

Customers walking into Manna Mediterranean Grill at 2913 Lincoln Ave. can enjoy a new mood with their gyros, falafel, and shawarma sandwiches. The business has been in the same spot with the same interior design and decor since opening in

Good news: The Windmill Marathon & Bakery, known for its handmade doughnuts, is back in business. Closed since late 2015, the fuel station and bakery reopened at the same location — 6801 U.S. 41 N. — in June. Hot doughnuts

Four decades before the Oklahoma City Thunder claimed the 2025 National Basketball Association championship, a local pro team carried the same name. The Evansville Thunder of the now-defunct Continental Basketball Association played home games at Roberts Municipal Stadium in the

Evansville, Indiana, is the place to find top musical talent — just ask Bob Dylan, Vince Gill, and The Doobie Brothers. When those legends thought of musicians who could create the sound they desired, four Evansville men came to their

How would you describe Evansville’s character? It’s definitely in the audience’s response — very passionate, very engaged audiences. It comes out a lot in the Peppermint Pops concerts because we’ve engaged so many different organizations, and it helps bring in

Nestled in the Shenandoah Valley, Lexington, Virginia, is a town that blends college-town energy and mountain charm with natural beauty and history. I recently joined journalists from across the country to experience how this small town and its neighboring communities

Editor's note: This is an extended version of the story published in the November/December 2025 issue. Lucas Weinzapfel waves off the notion that some of today’s youth are unprepared — or unwilling — to handle incessant ranting and raving from

Known as the national dish of El Salvador, pupusas are thick, hot tortillas stuffed with savory items. At Taqueria y Pupuseria Miranda, they are a star attraction and even part of the name. The family-owned restaurant on Washington Avenue takes

Need a respite from the cold? Take a page from the Midwesterner’s playbook and serve up chili, tailgate style. The versatile stew — sorry, not a soup — accommodates meat and vegetable lovers, functions as a side or meal, and

Success over an extended time requires adapting to change. The Hadi Shrine Circus, which bills itself as “The Last Great American Circus,” has done that for more than nine decades, from its early days at Veterans Memorial Coliseum to Roberts

It has been a stellar year for Indiana sports fans — or, more accurately, fans of Indiana sports teams. After Notre Dame played in the 2025 College Football Playoff Championship game on Jan. 20, the Indiana Pacers made the NBA

In the art world, reputation travels fast, and Tabitha Taylor Cooper and Lauren Beth Petersen have turned windows into business cards. Both are making waves for transforming storefronts, restaurant entrances, and school windows into dynamic showcases, inviting people inside. Their

Decorating for winter holidays transforms your home into a joyful retreat, easily sprinkling good cheer from the front door with a festive wreath to wherever you deck your Christmas tree. Candis Stratton, who launched her own firm, Stratton Interiors, in

Mike and Missy O’Daniel’s move to the East Side a decade ago was a case of perfect timing. Their youngest daughter was nearly done with college, and the McCutchanville residents — whose 1920s Nantucket-inspired home was featured in July/August 2010

Shopping for new-to-you furniture and home decor? Benjamin Bosse High School students may have what you’re looking for. Led by second-year college readiness instructor Leigh Gray, five construction classes transform pieces past their prime into stylish finds. “They don’t really

What’s in your glass this season? When it comes to the holidays, bubbles flow at every get-together. They clink in shallow-bowled coupes at parties, sparkle in tall flutes over brunch, and even sneak into winter cocktails. And while Champagne may

If you aren’t a House of Como regular, it might be hard to imagine that some of the region’s best dining exists in a mostly desolate area of South Kentucky Avenue inside a flat, white, brick building that doesn’t look

"Christmas is as magical as your mother makes it,” says Helen Lindall, who decorates every inch of her East Side home for the holiday. The mother of three daughters and grandmother of four savors the labor: “It’s a lot of

The word “swag” isn’t limited to goodie bags stuffed with glamorous gifts. During a winter decorations seminar Dec. 2-3 at Igleheart Gardens — a private estate that Evansville Living editors named the city’s Best Kept Secret in 2022 — experts

Tchaikovsky’s “Nutcracker” ballet comes to life through delightful costumes, orchestral music, whimsical choreography, and an enduring story. Audiences are entertained by flashing lights, crashing crescendos, energetic dance moves, and a Christmas tree that actually grows onstage with each change. While

Darrell and Penelope Pennington made good on their goal to travel the world, as detailed in the July/August 2024 issue. Since listing their home and selling most of their belongings, the couple has visited a dozen countries. In this monthly

In September, country music star Dierks Bentley returned to Owensboro, Kentucky, to unveil a bold new expression in his Row 94 whiskey line. At Green River Distilling — the 10th oldest distillery in Kentucky — Bentley introduced Row 94 Full

Seeking a date for Thanksgiving gatherings? Consider Warrick Humane Society’s spin on Friendsgiving.  Started in 2019, the animal rescue and shelter’s Friendsgiving gives around 30 dogs awaiting adoption a chance to socialize and enjoy the holidays at home like family

Looking for a great photo op while out holiday shopping? Main Street has just the backdrop — actually, several. The Downtown Evansville Improvement District has installed 11 seasonal displays — featuring several returning favorites — along six blocks of Main Street,

Editor's note: This story first published Aug. 20, 2025, on www.evansvilleliving.com and is an extended version of the story appearing in November/December 2025 Evansville Living. Evansville is a second home to ESPN reporter, commentator, and host Harry Lyles Jr., and