Photo from River City Rodeo provided by Hoosier Cowboy Association
Evansville Philharmonic Youth Orchestra Spring Concert 7 p.m. May 17, Victory Theatre, 600 Main St.
Conductors Lee Veazey and Chun-Ming Chen lead the EPYO I and II through works by George Frideric Handel, Reinhold Gliere, Edvard Grieg, and Johann Strauss II. Tickets cost $15 for adults and free for children and students.
River City Rodeo 5-11 p.m. May 17-18, Vanderburgh County 4-H Center, 201 E. Boonville New Harmony Road
Dust off those cowboy boots and enjoy an evening of bull and bronc riding, barrel racing, cattle roping, and more. This event helps provide animal-assisted therapy for veterans and first responders. Tickets are $20 for adults and free for kids 6 and under.
Evansville Tri-State Heart Walk 8 a.m. May 18, Encompass Health Deaconess Rehabilitation Hospital, 9355 Warrick Trail, Newburgh, Indiana
Walk to support research into heart health and socialize with community members, including a team from Evansville Living.
McCutchanville Fire Department Auxiliary Spring Craft Show 10 a.m.-4 p.m. May 18, McCutchanville Fire Department Station 5, 9219 Petersburg Road
Browse hardware wares from crafters and vendors including Winked Owl Creations, Wagging Tail, plus food from Uncle G’s Lemon Smashers, Big Wally’s BBQ, and Chino Taco food trucks. This event is free to attend but cash donations will be accepted.
Spring Funk in the City 10 a.m.-5 p.m. May 18, Haynie’s Corner Arts District, S.E. Second St. and Adams Aves.
Peruse works from more than 80 Tri-State artists at this seasonal, rain-or-shine festival at Haynie’s Corner Arts District. Don’t miss the food truck lineup, including Bodine’s Newsstand and Lollys Pop Bar.
BBQ Cook-Off noon-6 p.m. May 18, Young & Established, 1308 Vann Ave.
Fire up your grill and vie for the top prize — $1,000 cash — at this cook-off competition. Entry is $50 per category. Don’t feel like cooking? Sample the contestants’ best barbecue and join a cornhole tournament.
Photo of Junk Journaling provided by Memo
Junk Journaling 1-3 p.m. May 18, Memo, 209 Main St.
For $40, Kim Jones teaches how to create no-sew junk journals with found and upcycled papers and vintage ephemera. All supplies are provided, but bring your own pictures, stickers, and more to customize your new journal.
Oak Hill Cemetery Civil War Walking Tour 2-4 p.m. May 18, Oak Hill Cemetery & Arboretum, 1400 E. Virginia St.
For Historic Preservation Month, join the Vanderburgh County Historical Society for a tour of Oak Hill Cemetery, and visit the graves of Civil War soldiers Conrad Baker, William Baker, Charles Denby, James Maynard Shanklin, John Smith Gavitt, John and James Messick, Charles Butterfield, James Jones, and more. This event is free to attend.
Taste of Haiti Flag Day Celebration 3:30-8 p.m. May 18, Eykamp Scout Center, 3501 E. Lloyd Expressway
Commemorate the creation of the Haitian flag in 1803 by sampling island cuisine, listening to music, browsing vendors, and learning about Haitian culture at this free event.
On the Roof: The Chugs & Shatterhand 7-10 p.m. May 18, Arts Council of Southwestern Indiana, 212 Main St.
Punk rockers The Chugs and post-hardcore band Shatterhand headline this week’s free On The Roof concert, named the editors’ pick for best entertainment with a view in 2023’s Best of Evansville awards. Cash bar available.
Latin Dance Night: Summer Kick-Off 9 p.m.-2 a.m. May 18, The Rooftop, 112 N.W. Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd.
Start the night off with lessons from Evansville Latin Dance, and then cut a rug to salsa, bachata, cumbia, merengue, and reggaeton played by DJ Pana. Admission is $10.
Bark in the Park 12:30-4 p.m. May 19, Bosse Field, 23 Don Mattingly Way
Otters baseball is back. The home team’s Sunday afternoon game against the Joliet, Illinois, Slammers doubles as a give-back night for It Takes a Village No-Kill Rescue. You can meet adoptable dogs at the event, or bring your own to join the fun.
New Traditions Diversity Series 2 p.m. May 19, Wesselman Woods Odonata Pond Amphitheater, 551 N. Boeke Road
Monte Skelton and his saxophone join the Eykamp String Quartet to perform music by underrepresented composers. Admission is free, but bring chairs and blankets to sit on.
Photo of Pope Leo XIV by ErreRoberto/Shutterstock.com
“The Cardinals evoke the Holy Spirit in their deliberation,” when determining who will be the next pope, says Trent Engbers, a University of Southern Indiana political science professor and member of Holy Rosary Catholic Church. “The Holy Spirit is active in guiding the discernment of the cardinals in the selection of the pope.”
The Holy Spirit worked quickly this time. Early in the evening of May 8, during the second day of the conclave to replace Pope Francis, a plume of white smoke emerged from the Sistine Chapel in Vatican City, indicating a new pope had been elected. The ascent of Cardinal Robert Prevost — who has chosen the papal name Leo XIV — marks a divergence for the church, which has long steered away from choosing a pope from the U.S. due to its geopolitical influence, Engbers says.
“For at least the last three conclaves, pundits have tended to predict an Italian pope, if for no other reason than that it is the safe bet from a historical standard,” says Engbers, who serves as director of USI’s Master of Public Administration program. His political science and public administration teaching at USI includes a focus on religion. “However, the continued deviation from expectations should be a clear signal that the gravitational center of the Church has shifted.”
Leo is not just the second pope from the Americas — the late Francis, who died April 21, hailed from Argentina — he was raised in the suburbs of Chicago, Illinois. Like Leo, Bishop Joseph Siegel of the Catholic Diocese of Evansville also grew up in the Chicago suburbs. A decade ago, Siegel met then-Bishop Prevost when the latter was based in Peru. At the time, Siegel was Auxiliary Bishop of the Diocese of Joliet, Illinois, and attending a dinner fundraiser for the Order of Saint Augustine, which Prevost was a member of, serving as Prior General before being elected pope.
“I’m very proud of his Midwest roots,” says Siegel, acknowledging the “groundedness of folks in the Midwest that he will bring with him. I hope it brings about a sense of enthusiasm for the faith, not superficial but something that goes deeper.”
“I anticipate he will have an energizing force on the Church in America,” says Engbers, a Reitz Memorial High School graduate who also once called Chicago home. “… As a former resident of the South Side, I feel great pride in his connection.”
As Leo’s vision begins to take shape, his name might offer some clues into the focus of his papacy. There have been 13 prior popes named Leo, five of whom also are saints. Engbers says that Pope Leo I (also known as Leo the Great) served as a unifying force in the church. Meanwhile, Pope Leo XIII, one of the longest-reigning popes, focused on social justice. Siegel says the choice of the name Leo could harken to both Leo I, who was deeply influenced by Saint Augustine, and Leo XIII. Harkening back to Leo XIII — who led the Church during the industrial revolution — this indicates a focus on balancing workers’ rights with developments in industry and business.
According to Siegel, this papal election “sees us in a similar crossroads … in a similar situation of Leo XIII — a groundbreaking and transitional time.”
“I would also argue that Pope Leo could represent a focus on ecumenicalism and a desire to create greater unity among Christian religions and across religious divides,” Engbers says.
Indiana Landmarks Presentation 4 p.m. May 15, Reitz Home Museum Carriage House, 112 Chestnut St. Indiana Landmarks will give a special presentation on its role in the historic preservation of buildings and other sites in Southwest Indiana.
Wine Down to the Weekend: The Sidemen Trio 5-7 p.m. May 15, Reitz Home Museum, 112 Chestnut St. Get in the groove of the summer music scene — it’s already starting! — on the lawn of the Reitz family’s renowned French Second Empire home, featuring a cash bar and jazz and blues music.
Evansville Audubon’s Warbler Madness 6:30 a.m. May 17, Harmonie State Park, 3451 Harmonie State Park Road Spy newly arriving migrating warblers on this walk led by Evansville Audubon Society members John Meredig and Bob Meier. Admission costs $7 for in-state vehicles and $9 for out-of-state vehicles.
Spring Funk in the City 10 a.m.-5 p.m. May 17, Haynie’s Corner Arts District, Second Street and Adams Avenue This seasonal art and music fair is a Haynie’s Corner signature event. Shop the work of more than 80 regional artists, fill up on food from vendors, listen to live bands, and more.
Storm Watching: Wayne Hart and Evansville Skywarn presents 2-4 p.m. May 17, Evansville Vanderburgh Public Library’s McCollough Branch, 5115 Washington Ave. Trained weather watchers of the Evansville Skywarn group join Channel 25 WEHT chief meteorologist Wayne Hart to share how they gather data to broadcast storm warnings and keep people safe and informed during hazardous weather events.
SummerFest 6 p.m. May 17, Downtown Henderson, Kentucky Head across the river to enjoy food, beer, and live sets by early 2000s pop-rock singer Ryan Cabrera, rockers Paralandra, and Tom Petty cover band Free Fallin.
The Pits’ Mid-Spring Fling 8 p.m.-12:15 a.m. May 17, Bokeh Lounge, 1007 Parrett St. Want to hear hits by Lady Gaga? Pitbull? The Temptations? Miley Cyrus? Ask The Pits, and they’ll probably say “yes.” The cover band’s eclectic bag of musical tricks is well known and will be in full swing.
Trinity UMC’s 200th Birthday 9:30 a.m. May 18, Trinity United Methodist Church, 216 S.E. Third St. The historic church’s bicentennial service led by Bishop Tracy S. Malone will feature an address by church historian Bill Bartlet, plus the debut of a special choral piece dedicated to the occasion. A post-service reception in the newly refurbished Craig Hall includes food, drink, and cello music by Diane Fowler.
Old Courthouse Exterior Tour 1 p.m. May 17, Old Vanderburgh County Courthouse, 201 N.W. Fourth St. Join Historic Evansville for this tour of the myriad historical elements of the landmark’s Beaux-Arts exterior.
Summer Door Hanger Painting Class 1-3:30 p.m. May 18, The Farmhouse, 7212 Olmstead Road Artist Deena Spindler leads participants through painting an 18-inch round or flower-shaped wood door hanger. The $55 registration fee includes all materials and refreshments.
Walking for Dreams 1-4 p.m. May 18, Bally’s Evansville Hotel & Casino, 421 N.W. Riverside Drive Get your steps in as an individual or team to raise money for charities and philanthropy efforts, including Aurora, GLAD Evansville Adoption Services, Habitat for Humanity of Evansville, Holly’s House, Parenting Time Center, Potter’s Wheel, Tri-Sate Food Bank, Posey County Young Life, Neighbor2Neighbor, and Granted.
New Traditions 2-3 p.m. May 18, Wesselman Woods Nature Preserve, 551 N. Boeke Road The Eykamp String Quartet — featuring Jack Bogard and Michael Chu on violin, Mark Hatlestad on viola, and Graham Cullen on cello — performs arrangements of jazz set in the country’s largest urban track of old-growth forest. Admission to Wesselman Woods is free through Sunday, May 18.
Nothing beat Holy Rosary Elementary School in the mid-1970s. Small classes, hip teachers, excellent friends, and Washington Square Mall, Burger Chef, and Arc Bowling Lanes right across the street. It even was on the cusp of a national movement: In late 1975, when the U.S. Metric Conversion Act designated the metric system as the nation’s preferred — but not mandatory — system of weights and measures, Holy Rosary voluntarily complied, and so did I.
Volunteering was easy. Implementing, as it turns out, was problematic.
In third grade I first learned how U.S. “customary” measurements — the familiar foot, ounce, and pound for example — were completely out of step with those of almost every other country in the world, and it was high time to update our entire way of life by using a few modifications in math class. A new wall-poster introduced me to the meter, the liter, and the gram, which might have been the first foreign words I ever spoke.
At our desks, we continued learning the same old-fashioned math from our textbooks, but followed that with “dittoed” worksheets of customary-to-metric conversion exercises. Then came the rounds of taking turns at the chalkboard, moving decimal points left and right within random strings of numerals.
That’s when my eight-year-old mind suffered the first of many lifelong math-related meltdowns. Until that time, I really had no idea how many things in my life contained weight and/or measurement, but suddenly mass and volume were supposed to matter a lot more than pet rocks and mood rings.
For crying out loud, I had just started to grasp long division, much less the complexities of yards, quarts, teaspoons, and tons when my instructors began throwing around nonsense concepts like kilogram and decaliter and Celsius. And the whole time they were insisting the metric system was the only way forward in life. That’s like being taught to ride a bicycle, and right after taking off the training wheels, they hand you a unicycle and say you’re late for work.
We all know where this goes, because half a century later, America remains nearly alone in the world with its customary units. By the time I’d finished fifth grade, Holy Rosary’s focused metrication was noticeably more relaxed, bordering on truant, and I probably didn’t utter the word “kilo” again until after college.
My old classmates and former teachers remember the great metric flop too, but none of them seems remotely bothered. The same type of go-and-stop embracement happened outside of Holy Rosary’s hallowed halls and the whole country is now an entertaining mix of measurements, where we buy wine in liters and milk in gallons and it’s all perfectly normal.
Besides, the metric system’s been inching into our lives since long before 1975. On July 7, 1866, after Congress first authorized the voluntary use of the metric system, the Evansville Daily Journal wrote that it would “doubtless soon be the only system of weights and measures in all commercial and Christian countries.”
Come May 20, I’ll be whooping it up for World Metrology Day. It’s an annual celebration of the metric system, which means the parties will be about as global as they can get. But I’ll feel pretty conflicted. I’m 57 years old and was part of America’s first generation to officially be taught the metric system in school. I was right there on the front lines, but today I still don’t know a kilometer from a kelvin.
Will we ever abandon the foot for the meter? The quart for the liter? I wouldn’t touch that with a 3.048-meter pole.
Photo of Merry Go Round smoked pork chop lunch by Sarah Morgason
Craving a homestyle meal? Several Evansville-area restaurants offer the tradition of the plate lunch, also referred to as a “meat and three.” Central is protein — think meatloaf, roast beef, country fried steak, pork chops, liver, sausage, fried chicken, or catfish — with a supporting cast of side dishes of your choice. Don’t know where to start? Here are a few menus to try.
Head to Stockwell Inn (4001 E. Eichel Ave.), known for its ever-changing plate lunch specials Monday-Friday. Patrons dig into fried chicken or country fried steak with mashed potatoes and corn, bacon cheeseburger casserole with green beans, lasagna or spaghetti with garlic toast and a salad, or a sloppy joe with fries and coleslaw.
Merry Go Round Restaurant (2101 N. Fares Ave.) plate lunches are served Monday-Saturday in a nostalgic, colorful diner setting. Try a smoked pork chop with fried apples, old-fashioned Polish sausage or old-fashioned spare ribs with sauerkraut, baked Swiss steak, grilled or breaded catfish filets with tartar sauce, or macaroni and ground beef en casserole. Side staples include whipped potatoes, stewed apples, cut corn, tossed green salad, and coleslaw.
In addition to a craveworthy breakfast menu, Nellie’s North (600 N. First Ave.) or Nellie’s Restaurant (8566 Ruffian Lane, Newburgh, Indiana) offer for a weekly rotating selection of plate lunch. Select from beef liver with onion, pot roast, catfish fiddler, or a salmon patty supported by rotini pasta salad, baked beans, coleslaw, French fries, and mashed or garlic potatoes.
Looking for on-the-go options? Old Tyme Deli (307 N. First Ave.), a popular spot with Berry Global employees, offers rotating to-go plate lunches Monday-Friday that can be enjoyed dine-in or carryout. Order meat loaf, beef and noodles, Salisbury steak, lasagna, or barbecue pork steak. Among Downtown’s Bargetown Market (330 Main St., Ste. C) daily lunch specials is a plate lunch on Thursdays. Options vary from pot roast with potatoes, carrots, and bread to meat loaf with mashed potatoes, gravy, and collard greens or cream corn.
As the saying goes, beauty is in the eye of the beholder, but a home truly shines via the stories behind it. Evansville’s neighborhoods burst with historic residences, edgy designs, and classic styles that harbor tales of love at first sight, elbow grease, and dreams come true. Read about 11 homes that captured our attention — this year, enjoy a bonus property!
Newburgh Road (at top) Location: East Side Designer: H.G. McCullough Designers, Inc. Year Built: 1957 Style: Traditional Significant Stats: 4,540 square feet, 4 bedrooms, 4 bathrooms Why It Stands Out:After 24 years, Bruce and Katrina Stallings are moving out of the site of many forever memories. It’s a standout property, defined by a large bay window, inglenook fireplace, and attractive wooden beams dating to before 1957. The builder, who lived next door, claimed the beams from an old lodge and incorporated them into the house. The Stallings even have a name for the house: Seven Oaks. “That’s because there are seven very large oak trees on the property, but hundreds more trees beyond those,” Katrina says. The property boasts “a park-like setting,” Katrina says, with large front and back yards. Although she and Bruce are retiring to Indianapolis, they have reason to visit often: Their son, Connor, and his wife are moving from Houston, Texas, to Connor’s childhood home. “He enjoyed those big yards growing up,” Katrina says. “We just have always really loved the house. … We all are pleased it’s staying in the family.”
Photo by Zach Straw
Plaza Drive Location: East Side Builder: Homes by Robert Cook Year Built: 2007-08 Style: Craftsman Significant Stats: 4,400 square feet, 4 bedrooms, 4 bathrooms Why It Stands Out:Randy and Cheryl Alsman knew what they wanted in their dream home: good flow, little maintenance, and connection with neighbors and nature, among other details. “We knew there weren’t any houses that combined them all, including a specific location,” Cheryl says. “If we wanted these features, the only way to get them was to build them.” Fans of the “Not So Big House” philosophy, the Alsmans found an architect to design a bungalow with spaces that could serve more than one purpose. Inspiration came from the couple’s love of national parks and lodges: real stone veneer, hardie board, and deep porches — one of their main focuses — designed by Greg Mullen at H.G. McCullough Designers, Inc. Surrounded by bubbling water features, roses, crepe myrtle, and at least 12 varieties of trees, and with rain tapping a melody on the metal porch roof, it’s become the Alsmans’ slice of paradise. “We wanted the porch to be big, open, and inviting so we could neighbor with our neighbors,” Randy says.
Photo by Zach Straw
East Chandler Avenue Location: Lincolnshire Historic District Architect: Anderson & Veatch Year Built: 1931-37 Style: French Eclectic Significant Stats: About 2,460 square feet, 3 bedrooms, 3 full bathrooms, 2 half bathrooms Why It Stands Out:As Jake and Janell Bessler shared in a 2018 Evansville Living feature story, it didn’t take them long to decide they were meant to live at this symmetrical property. They toured it in 2014 and noticed that the house’s original blueprints from 1931 were dated on April 30, the couple’s anniversary. “Since it was built in the 1930s, it needed some TLC,” Jake says. “We have repainted the brick and trim and tuckpointed all the exposed mortar. We have tried to maintain the house and keep it beautiful for years to come.” Other projects included redoing a screened-in porch with features such as a swing bed enjoyed by the Besslers’ daughters, Violet, 9, and Nora, 6, who ride their bicycles to school. “We loved the neighborhood,” Janell says. “We actually lived about a block away when we first got married, and we would run this area when we would train for particular events. We just loved the character of the area and this house.”
Photo by Zach Straw
Spyglass Court Location: Newburgh, Indiana Designer and Builder: Andy and Nicky Spurling Year Built: 2020 Style: Modern Prairie-meets-Traditional Significant Stats: 7,800 square feet, 5 bedrooms, 5.5 bathrooms Why It Stands Out:Building is second nature to Andy and Nicky Spurling — not only did they design and construct their prior home in Newburgh’s Lakeridge Crossing subdivision, but Andy works in real estate development every day as owner of Spurling Properties. For their forever home, they melded together all the design elements they love, including open concepts, maximum natural light, and gorgeous outdoor views. With an eye toward accommodating their large extended families and visiting adult children — and future grandchildren — the couple designed a home with Prairie style details, large overhangs, a back deck perfect for spotting wildlife, and an airy interior with 8-foot doors and 10-12-foot ceilings. The exterior features full bed natural stone, a metal hipped roof over the windows, and recontoured landscaping with maple, dogwood, redbud, willow, river birch, magnolia, weeping cedars, and weeping pines. “I was most excited about seeing the front yard. It was really satisfying to feel like, wow, it’s complete,” Nicky says. The ultimate compliment? “A neighbor said, ‘It looks like it’s been there forever,’” she shares.
Photo by Zach Straw
South Willow Road Location: Lincolnshire Historic District Designer: Anderson & Veatch Year Built: 1924-25 Style: Georgian Revival Significant Stats: 3,109 square feet, 4 bedrooms, 4 bathrooms Why It Stands Out:“Is your house ever really done?” former interior designer Sharon Bosler asks about the red brick home she and her handy husband, Bruce, share, along with a Chihuahua, Carmen. Prior owners ran a dental practice in the basement, which now serves as Bruce’s space to pursue his hobbies, including collecting vinyl records. The Boslers moved in 2007 from Nashville, Tennessee, to be closer to family. “We liked the house. We liked the symmetry of a Georgian Revival. We liked that there was a screen porch on one side and a sunroom on the other. The rooms flow nicely,” Sharon says. “We’ve kept the integrity of the house.” The couple has made the space their own, stripping wallpaper and painting rooms, strategically landscaping to enclose the backyard, and consistently updating. Sharon says the house stands out in spring and autumn when “everything is blooming,” including crepe myrtle, evergreens, bonsai trees, and Nellie Stevens Holly. “We love having company,” Sharon, says. “It’s a good house for entertaining.”
Photo by Zach Straw
Southeast First Street Location: Riverside Historic District Designer: Frank Schlotter Year Built: 1908 Style: Foursquare Significant Stats: About 4,000 square feet, 4 bedrooms, 3 bathrooms Why It Stands Out:Elmer and Judy Buchta wanted a brick house with a spacious front porch, and Elmer says spying this home was love at first sight. The porch “is a nice place to socialize, and the way it’s built, there’s plenty of ventilation. The air comes through, but you’ve still got some privacy.” The house has original oak woodwork with handcrafted features, and Elmer says one project was staining the ornate front door an oak color after a prior owner had coated it in white. The Buchtas also replaced the house’s original slate roof. The two-story house with an attic packs charm into a small lot, and “it has a spirit that just gives you a hug,” Elmer explains. “From the first day I came in, it just felt so warm and welcoming. It has a loving spirit. If you’re in a bad mood, you can go in another room and get a totally different vibe. … It’s very comfortable, very livable. I can see why people wanted to stay for so many years.”
Photo by Zach Straw
Jennings Street Location: Newburgh, Indiana Designer: H.G. McCullough Designers, Inc. Builder: Don Jost Year Built: 2000-02 Style: American Gothic Revival Significant Stats: 4,300 square feet, 4 bedrooms, 5 bathrooms Why It Stands Out:In the late 1990s, this stunning house on a hill overlooking the Ohio River was the dream of Jane Schroeder and her husband, John. It was John’s vision to build a sort of “church house,” Jane told Evansville Living for a 2015 feature story. But John passed away in 2000, two years before the house’s completion. Since 2023, it’s been the home of wife and husband Allison Melton and Michael Holmes, who are well aware of the Schroeder family’s history. “It’s a unique house built with a lot of love, a lot of character,” Allison says. She and Michael were attracted to its proximity to Downtown Newburgh and the Ohio riverfront, plus its “amazing views from every window. You can see the river, the bend of the river, the sunsets — it’s just gorgeous.” Allison and Michael are converting a side yard, covering two acres or so, into a National Wildlife Federation-certified habitat.
Photo by Zach Straw
Lincoln Avenue Location: East Side Builder: Unknown Year Built: 1940 Style: Colonial Revival Significant Stats: 3,270 square feet, 3 bedrooms, 2.5 bathrooms Why It Stands Out:Two-story white pillars frame a wide, elegant front door and seal the deal for this L-shaped residence to be a head-turner. Drew and Jen Meyer had admired the stately red brick home while on their evening walks. It had been vacant for years when they looked at buying it in 2018. Drew says they negotiated “knowing that we were going to come in and put a lot of work into it.” The home’s best original features include a winding staircase, arched doorways, moldings, and built-ins among them, and the Meyers replaced its tiny kitchen by extending into the original dining room. Outside, they have needed to address the property’s trees. “(We’ve taken) out trees that have come down in storms and various things,” Drew shares, including a large catalpa tree with low-hanging branches that nearly swept the ground. The couple continues honoring the home’s curb appeal: “We do big decorations for Fourth of July and for Christmas. It’s our fun thing to do,” Drew says.
Photo by Zach Straw
Bellemeade Avenue Location: East Side Designer: H.G. McCullough Designers, Inc. Builder: Weinzapfel Custom Homes, Inc. Year Built: 2023 Style: Contemporary Italianate Significant Stats: 4,647 square feet, 3 bedrooms, 3 full bathrooms, 2 half bathrooms Why It Stands Out:To build a home for herself and her husband, John, Cynthia Fehrenbacher had to twist the arms of her brother, Anthony Funke, and his wife, Bonnie, to purchase part of their property located behind their notable Lincoln Avenue home. The Mater Dei High School sweethearts broke ground on their new abode in August 2023 and were moved in by November 2024. “We knew we wanted something contemporary but still traditional,” Cindy says. Maple wood flooring throughout came from the family’s farm in Posey County and was cut down by John, who helped to finish the flooring alongside Wood Specialties by Fehrenbacher, Inc. Cindy’s favorite elements are Fehrenbacher cabinets and a Wood Specialties-supplied custom rod iron staircase. Outside, the landscaping still is young; hydrangeas, azaleas, junipers, boxwoods, and cypress trees are illuminated by outdoor lighting, which Cindy says makes the house “show nicely at night.” Though recently moved in, “we hope to do a lot of entertaining,” Cindy says.
Photo by Zach Straw
Kenyon Place Location: East Side Building: Dan Buck Homes Year Built: 1986 Style: Mediterranean Significant Stats: 6,900 square feet, 4 bedrooms, 3.5 bathrooms Why It Stands Out:There’s a reason this home feels like a coastal residence plugged into Southwestern Indiana. Inspired by a residential design former Kenny Kent dealership owner Robbie Kent Sr. saw in Hilton Head, South Carolina, he commissioned this home to be built in Evansville while living next door. It first caught the eye of Kevin and Margaret Koch in 2006, who snapped it up for their family five years later. “We love the open layout, big windows and natural light. It’s very symmetrical,” Kevin says. The Kochs painted the red brick a warm taupe and gave the double-door entrance a necessary facelift — “The front door used to be very much exposed to late afternoon sun and was the hottest place on earth,” Margaret laughs — via a portico designed by H.G. McCullough Designers, Inc., and erected by Loehrlein Carpentry and Concrete. The Kochs relax among the backyard pool, solarium, and multi-level beds featuring pollinator wildflowers. Former residents of the home occasionally drive by and check on it, Margaret says: “They’re very complimentary of it.”
Photo by Zach Straw
Blue Grass Road Location: North Side Builder: Dan Buck Homes Year Built: 1988 Style: French Country Significant Stats: 5,000 square feet, 6 bedrooms, 3.5 bathrooms Why It Stands Out:Between its rolling hills and forested lanes, McCutchanville feels like it’s carved out of a vivid picture book. That’s what first attracted Andy and Patty Tharp to the Blue Grass Farms subdivision in 2001. This French-style brick home wrapped around a corner lot caught their eye; seeking more space for their family, the additional living quarters above the garage sealed the deal. “We liked the fact that we could have family close to us on one side of the house, or host visiting family onsite,” Patty says. A “charming” scene, as she describes it, is set between its dual chimneys and center walled garden. It’s prime real estate for relaxation, as the forsythia, hydrangeas, star magnolia, tulip magnolia, and evergreen giant arborvitae demonstrate. A little creek in the back became a favorite place for the neighborhood children to play. “We created our own little nature preserve back there,” Patty says. “It’s been a great home for us.”
Photo of Zaps Tavern Boss Hog burger, specialty pizza, and loaded nachos by Zach Straw
Nearly 80 years’ worth of food, drinks, and good times have been shared at Saint Phillips and Weinzapfel roads on the eastern edge of Posey County. The restaurant formerly known as Weinzapfel’s dates to 1946, has shortened its name to Zaps Tavern, and still is going strong under a team led by General Manager Rachael Greenwell.
Hearty lunches and dinners are prepared in the Zaps kitchen seven days a week. Despite the restaurant’s name, Greenwell doesn’t entirely buy the “tavern food” description.
“The way I like to say it is, it’s tavern food, but a classier version of tavern food,” says Greenwell, who is the daughter of Zaps owner Mike Greenwell. “And we’re very family friendly.”
Photo of Zaps Tavern by Zach Straw
Zaps offers a relaxed, fun atmosphere, a spacious dining room fit for larger or small gatherings, and a stacked menu of everything from appetizers to desserts. The apps are nearly a meal unto themselves — try the loaded nachos (tortilla chips with pulled pork or ground beef and lots of toppings) or the cowboy fries or chips. Zaps’ zing shrimp is another filling pick for an appetizer, salad topper, or wrap.
Specialty pizzas and flatbreads include the Zaps deluxe (three meats, veggies, and mozzarella), the all-meat, buffalo chicken, taco, Hawaiian, chicken bacon ranch, chicken pesto, and barbecue chicken, or you can build your own. Zaps strombolis and sandwiches aim to please, as do the burgers: A signature is the Boss Hog, which piles house-smoked pork, melted cheese, and haystack onions onto three patties. Tenderloin and chicken sandwiches come fried or grilled, and Zaps offers the fried German bologna, a longtime Southwestern Indiana favorite.
Photo of Rene Wharton, Rachael Greenwell, and Chloe Miller by Zach Straw
Greenwell says wings are another big seller, and Zaps’ eight flavor choices include the Westside rub, a house-made dust. The catfish and chicken strip baskets deliver hot, crispy goodness. Desserts include cheesecake, homemade ice cream from nearby JB’s Barnyard, and more. And yes, there’s a full bar — the bar itself is a rustic, solid-wood classic.
Many of Zaps’ customers come from the rural neighborhood it calls home, but Greenwell says she notices a lot of new faces who come to check out the friendly vibe and all those menu options.
Greenwell says the secrets to Zaps’ longevity in the challenging restaurant industry are loyal customers, as well as a staff “that’s almost family at this point. Knowing that if you’re in a rough spot, there’s a way through it.”
Taste buds are given license to run wild at Helados, the East Side eatery Ana Lopez opened in 2024. Satisfy a growling stomach with sandwiches, ceviche, miniature pancakes, crepes, or bubble waffles. Is your sweet tooth craving a fix? Treat it to Mexican shaved ice, flan, or a giant banana split. Photos by Zach Straw
Inspired by her mother’s snack stand in Jalisco, Mexico, Ana Lopez jumped at the chance last year to open Helados Ice Cream, Antojitos, and Snacks. She operated Botanera Mex food truck in 2022 but always wanted a shop to show off her snacks.
“I love to eat all kinds of snacks. I’m not scared of trying anything,” says Lopez, who came to Evansville in 2007 and worked at Los Bravos, a local restaurant chain owned by her aunt’s husband. “I really liked the idea of having a Mexican restaurant. It was more like … a place that you can go to relax, eat a snack.”
Her brother, Fernando, invested in her dream and helped her purchase the building at 779 S. Green River Road in February 2024. With additional support from more family and friends, the store was fully stocked and decorated when it opened Aug. 28. Lopez initially wanted simple decor but ended up with delightful maximalism via a lively pink and blue color block reminiscent of a box of SweetTarts, a collection of bright wall art and hanging plants, walls of faux boxwood, glowing neon signs, and chairs sporting pillows. There’s also a 360-degree photo booth, plus games of tic-tac-toe and tablets for children.
With a team of five part-time workers, Lopez stocks the menu with snacks she saw at markets during her trips home, including “the most popular foods, like the Mexican tortas, tostadas, and especially these snacks that are so popular,” she says. “And they’re becoming more popular … They’re everywhere on TikTok and Instagram.”
Lopez’s favorite item to make is tostielotes, based on Mexican street corn but reimagined as nachos. Helados provides a variety of chips as the base, including original, flamin’ hot, or mas salsa verde Tostitos, plus incognita and original Doritos. On top is a mix of cheeses and optional jalapeños, enhanced with lime and salt.
“It’s easy to make and has a little bit of everything. It takes a little bit of time, but it’s fun to make,” Lopez says.
Diners also can sink their teeth into a bowl of Maruchan-ramen elote mix, which includes
the famous noodles, cheese, and corn with your choice of chips, more corn, mayonnaise, and optional jalapeños surrounding the bowl. For those with a sweet tooth, Helados’ dessert menu is headlined by huge banana splits made from at least eight rotating flavors of ice cream, which Lopez makes herself. Whipped cream, melted chocolate, strawberry syrup, and cherries are piled on top, but the loaded version of the banana split includes coconut-strawberry syrup, granola, and pieces of strawberry and pineapple. To wash it all down, try a Monster Loco, a Monster energy drink flavored by chamoy, tajin, and a little bit of salsa, along with mango and slices of orange.
“My menu is for everyone,” Lopez says. “It’s why we have variety.”
On Saturdays, the West Branch library lawn takes on a festival atmosphere with food, fun activities like yoga, and produce, plus crafts, sourdough bread and baked goods, art, jewelry, seasonings, woodwork, flowers, jams and jellies, kettle corn, coffee syrups, jerky, freeze-dried candy, meat and eggs, apparel, candles.
Daily through Halloween, scoop up fresh melons, cucumbers, peppers, and more from Leo “Bud” Vogt, whose tent-covered stand has been a Southeast Side staple for nearly 30 years. No purchase is complete without some of Bud’s heirloom tomatoes.
This market run by the Mayse family for eight decades feels like a general store. Open daily, shoppers can find baked goods, fruit ciders, and seasonal plants and flowers in addition to cucumbers, apples, peaches, and more. July-August, stock up on the market’s signature Silver Queen white sweet corn.
Not sure what to make with all the candy onions, hot peppers, summer squash,
fresh broccoli, and tart raspberries you’ve scored? The Produce Patch — open daily with a second location at 864 S. Green River Road and four more in Southwestern Indiana — offers tasty recipes online for each product.
In Downtown, the market comes to you. Each Wednesday, shop local honey, microgreens, fresh meat and eggs, gourmet popcorn, and more. Stop by the Night Market on Aug. 8, and, new this year, the Asian Market on Sept. 12.
Photo of Local Source by Zach Straw
Can’t make it to the market? Local Source sells veggies, grains, microgreens, jams, herbs, dairy and eggs, meats, honey, and home and body products from a consortium of local growers and artisans. Place an order at evansville.localfoodmarketplace.com.
Alexis Campos, Evan Mooney, Gina Videa, and Randy Hobson photographed by Zach Straw
Creating a Latin American-themed restaurant long had been on Randy Hobson’s mind, but the idea needed to wait its turn. After leaving a 25-year career at plastics manufacturer Berry Global to pursue food entrepreneurship, Hobson launched a trio of major ventures – Pangea Kitchen in 2016, 2nd Language in 2020, and Pangea Pizzeria in 2022. Those businesses took off quickly and expanded Evansville’s collective palate, which was Hobson’s goal from the beginning.
Photo provided by Sazón y Fuego
His next step became Sazón y Fuego (Spanish for “seasoning and fire”), which opened in October 2024 off Indiana 66 in Newburgh. A restaurant with Latin American fare and flair “was something that always was out there, but we felt like our ability to execute the other concepts at the time made more sense,” Hobson says. “As the businesses grew and we saw more Latino employees being involved, and just creating some critical mass, I think our comfort level went up to approach this.”
Adding to Hobson’s confidence was the enduring popularity of Latino cuisine. “Even in my life at Berry 10 years ago, companies like Procter & Gamble and General Mills were starting to really focus on more Latino brands, marketing to Latinos,” Hobson says. “So, those are all leading indicators that ultimately got us to where we’re at today.”
Hobson assembled an all-star squad to get things rolling. Everything starts in the kitchen, and through mutual friends, he discovered Alexis Campos, a native of Peru who had worked at Inkas Charcoal Grill & Bar on Evansville’s North Side. That business closed in 2022, and it was first thought that Campos would only play a role in forming Sazón y Fuego’s menu. But that changed when Campos quickly built a rapport with Hobson and his team.
“It was a mutual love, honestly,” says Gina Videa, Pangea Holdings’ employee development manager. “We were like, what about we do this full-time? It was just meant to be.”
Photo by Zach Straw
Along the way, Hobson also connected with Evan Mooney, a Castle High School graduate who worked at Cavanaugh’s on the River before attending the Culinary Institute of America in Hyde Park, New York. He later managed restaurants in Southern California, Las Vegas, Nevada, and Dallas, Texas, before moving home and joining Hobson as operations manager for Pangea Holdings.
Hobson made another critical acquisition, although this one wasn’t a person. Sazón y Fuego uses a small charcoal oven, which Hobson describes as expensive and rare for this part of the U.S. It was built in Mexico City, and reflecting the restaurant’s “seasoning and fire” name, Hobson says the oven is used in the preparation of “anything and everything that we provide … it just imparts so much flavor.”
Onto those flavors. Sazón y Fuego’s menu is upscale, but beyond that, it does not fit a simple description. There’s influ- ence from Nicaragua, Venezuela, Mexico, Argentina, and Cuba. Several dishes are native to Campos’ Peru.
Sazón y Fuego has two varieties of ceviche, for instance, including a Peruvian choice that Campos makes. “They are definitely different, the flavor profiles and ingredients,” Hobson says. Peruvian ceviche was created by fishermen who cooked their catches with lime and salt, Campos says. He prepares the dish with two types of corn, chili pepper, and cilantro, and says it is “always on Peruvian tables.”
Other intriguing appetizers include a quinoa salad, arepas, empanadas, and chicharrones (crispy fried pork belly).
Main dishes like Peruvian chicken and pasta al pesto also are nods to Campos’ homeland. More choices include ropa vieja, which is a beef dish, and seafood delicacies such as pan-seared mahi and arroz con mariscos. Choripán is grilled Argentinian sausage, cochinita pibil features marinated pork shoulder, and lomo saltado (Peru, again) is marinated beef stir fried with onions and tomatoes.
Photo by Zach Straw
Sazón y Fuego’s steaks are proving highly popular in the restaurant’s first few months. The picanha (commonly called a top sirloin cap). New York strip, and prime ribeye, as well as the lamb chops, all are served with tangy chimichurri. For the unfamiliar, the green, fresh herb sauce is native to Argentina and adds some zing to cuts of savory, juicy beef.
The restaurant set up shop in the space that once was The Wine Down in Newburgh. The interior is decorated with murals of South American caves and traditional tapestries — both created by artist Savan- nah Jane Walton — and masks native to Central and South American cultures. The stained glass windows originated from a church in England, Mooney says; the Sazón y Fuego team built out the front exterior wall to fit them. Diners can enjoy a full bar and desserts like passion fruit mousse, a fla- vorful mousse with a gel center, edible gold accent, and almond and caramel foundation created by pastry chef Sarah Bruggeman.
Consistent with Hobson’s other restaurants, Sazón y Fuego searches locally and far beyond for the best products available. And Hobson’s Sazón y Fuego team has embraced his philosophy of encouraging diners to sample more worldly tastes.
“It is a fun journey for us, and we are excited about it,” Mooney says. “We are trying to really use that approach with all our guests and say, here, just try it.”
Photo provided by Ascension St. Vincent Evansville Foundation
An artist’s inspiration can strike anywhere and anytime, and Ken Bingemer has drawn much of his from water. The first stained-glass mosaic he created shows a lighthouse. Another piece is a silhouetted sailboat, surrounded by blue hues depicting water and sky.
Photo by Zach Straw
“There is an attachment to the water,” says Bingemer, whose Newburgh, Indiana, house sits on a lake. “I’ve been on the water several times, fishing … I’m always drawn to the colors of the water.”
Faith and music provide more creative spark. Bingemer worked in music ministry for 26 years, and he’s proud of his arch-shaped mosaic showing a cross. A glassy forest scene is inspired by lyrics of the classic Christian hymn “How Great Thou Art:” “When through the woods and forest glades I wander …”
The Henderson, Kentucky, native works full-time from home as a trainer and senior analyst for CVS Caremark. His love for art was stirred in October 2020, when he attended a class on stained glass taught by Salvage Candy co-owner Tammy Trem.
Bingemer has since assembled 10-15 mosaics per year and travels with his wife, Angie, to art shows.
His displays grabbed the attention of New Harmony residents and artisans Michael and Mary Beth Guard. They bought Bingemer’s recreations of a Claude Monet lily pond painting and installed them in vintage doors that are hung barn door style.
“At night, with the lights on behind them, they look like an impressionist’s dream, full of fabulous color,” Mary Beth says. “… It is always an enjoyable experience when we have Ken do a project, and we look forward to dreaming up more.”
In his home studio, Bingemer wears protective gloves and uses glass nippers to create whatever shapes he wants. He purchases sheets and remnants of glass that are already stained, and he enjoys the challenge of finding the shades, streaks, and textures that perfectly fit a creation.
Photo by Zach Straw
Once he finishes a mosaic and puts it up against the light, “it’s like the pieces are singing to me,” he says.
Bingemer still attends some area art shows and also stocks a few mosaics for sale at Inman’s Picture Framing + Fine Art in Evansville, and in Washington, Indiana, at Arts Unleashed Presents: The Gallery. A 2019 heart attack slowed Bingemer’s music ministry activities – he had already transitioned to his role with CVS by then. He views his subsequent discovery of glass art during the COVID-19 pandemic as a gift from above.
“God gave me another outlet for creativity in the mosaics,” he says.
Rural Warrick County has a secret. Tucked in the secluded country-side along the border with Spencer County is one of the nation’s rarest bridges of its kind.
Straddling Little Pigeon Creek — the counties’ geographical divider — Boner Bridge is a rare multi-span, iron bow, string truss bridge, constructed in 1869 by the King Bridge Company. A hidden gem among a thicket of trees, the span attracts area historians and bridge enthusiasts who marvel at its unique architecture.
“It’s believed to be the last bridge of its type in Indiana, and (Warrick County commissioners and Historic Newburgh Inc.) didn’t want to lose that historical value,” says Byron Sherman, who served on the HNI board of directors while the bridge underwent extensive restoration work in 2007. Wooden planks on the floor of the one-lane bridge were replaced, and the trusses were cleaned and repainted a vibrant red.
It is the oldest iron bridge in the state and one of only six such spans in the U.S. At 256 feet long, it’s the longest bridge of its type. It also sits on four A-frame iron piers, which act as supports for the bridge, as opposed to the more standard stone piers.
According to Warrick Publishing archives, the bridge originally was known as Pyeatt’s Mill Bridge, as it was built to connect the mill of Nathan Pyeatt in Warrick County to a proposed town to be called Pyeattsville across the creek in Spencer County. The town never materialized, the mill eventually shuttered, and the rural area thinned out. But the bridge remains.
“It’s extremely remote,” says Anne Rust Aurand, Warrick County historian for the Indiana Historical Society. “You have to know where you’re going to find it.” The closest lanes to the bridge are Red Brush Road in Warrick and North County Road 1000 West in Spencer.
“The Boner Bridge stands as a remarkable tribute to the individuals, governments, not-for-profits, and other institutions that understood” its significance, says Randy Wheeler, another former member of the HNI board during the bridge’s restoration.
“Thanks to their diligence and persistence, the bridge was saved from decay and continues to connect the people of Warrick and Spencer counties.”
“1937 Flood,” says the 8-foot-tall monolith sitting in front of the Evansville Levee Authority on South Fulton Avenue near Ohio Street. For seven years, the eye-catching artwork has doubled as somber reminder of the region’s most devastating natural disaster.
“I drive by … every chance I get,” says University of Southern Indiana art professor Joan Kempf deJong, who with late professor John McNaughton used a historic photo to design the 6-foot-wide sculpture. Evansville Sheet Metal Works cut their digital design from half-inch thick aluminum to form the 300-pound artwork, which features a mark indicating the catastrophe’s high-level mark of 53.7 feet — 19 feet above flood stage.
“We wanted to capture the beautiful graphic quality of the flowing floodwater,” the pair said in their 2016 proposal for the sculpture. Therefore, the waves are cut out, so visitors can look through from either side to envision what the area might have looked like surrounded by the Ohio River overflow.
Bald eagles once were a rare sight. Designated as America’s national symbol in 1782, their numbers plummeted to near extinction between 1870 and 1970 due to wetland habitat loss, overhunting, and the now-banned pesticide DDT. By 1900, it was believed that no bald eagles were nesting in Indiana.
A Hoosier comeback for the bird of prey occurred in 1985 when the Indiana Nongame & Endangered Wildlife Program launched the Bald Eagle Reintroduction Program. As of 2020, the Indiana Department of Natural Resources has recorded more than 350 nests, including three in Vanderburgh County and five in Warrick County.
“I love eagles,” says Diane Ubelhor-Wunderlich, a Newburgh, Indiana, resident who has photographed bald eagles for more than three years. “I just think they’re beautiful birds.”
“It’s exciting to photograph these birds. Eagles are my favorite because they are our national symbol. They’re powerful birds,” says Charles Kiesel, who lives in Fort Branch, Indiana, and drives south to capture images of bald eagles.
Photo provided by Charles R. Kiesel.
Interested in getting your own glimpse? Birders advise that you’ll likely find eagles in their nests near a waterway or lake, though they avoid highly populated areas. Ideal locations include Eagle Slough in Evansville, Wolf Hills Road and Audubon Wetlands Trail in Henderson, Kentucky, Sloughs Wildlife Management Area in Henderson and Union counties in Kentucky, and Bluegrass Fish and Wildlife Area in Elberfeld, Indiana. A few nests also can be found at Cane Ridge Wildlife Management Area in Princeton, Indiana. Ubelhor-Wunderlich has permission to visit a private property where a nesting pair resides a few minutes from her home in Newburgh.
“I just take my camera and a snack or a small chair,” she says, gearing up with a Nikon D850, a 200-500 mm lens, and a monopod. “You learn a lot about them as you watch. It’s so much fun. I’m like a kid.”
One absolute rule is to stay a football field’s length (about 330 feet) away from any nest, although sometimes a bald eagle flies close to assess your attitude. Kiesel once had a close encounter, sitting in a chair armed with his Nikon D500 and a 150-600 mm lens or Nikon D3300 with a 100-400 mm lens.
“I decided to visit the eagle nest in Henderson, within sight of the twin bridges. … It is a long distance to the nest, approximately 800 feet away. I took a few photos and had just put my camera away, but … I was very surprised to see an eagle sitting on a stick just 60-80 feet from me. What a surprise to see the eagle so close,” says Kiesel, who has photographed the birds for two years. “It’s a challenge; you have to be there at the right time and setting. You can be set up for an hour and a half waiting for something to happen.”
The reward is a moment in nature with one of its most powerful raptors.
“I feel blessed to be able to go watch them,” Ubelhor-Wunderlich says.
Tell us about interdisciplinary connections. What does dance bring to your academic and civic life?
Erin Lewis and Jonah Schneider rehearsing in the studio and, below, taking home hardware at a dance competition. Photos provided by Erin Lewis.
This question gets at the heart of why I’m so passionate about dance as a vehicle for change. Dancing is therapeutic for me, so connecting its healing powers with the people who need it the most is simply what I should be doing as a member of this community. … When I first moved back home in 2015, there was no ballroom studio in town. There still isn’t, although we’re working to change that! … Dance lessons are cost prohibitive for many families, and that’s always bothered me. With a career in civics, I’m trained and biased toward acting when I see a need that needs to be met. This one just happens to align with a personal passion.
Can anyone dance?
Absolutely! I get asked this a lot. Ballroom dancing is unique due to the partnering aspect. Even a true novice — on day one, lesson one — learns, showcases, and competes with their teacher. You’re not alone in dance. You’re with your teacher, supported by other students.
How did you meet Jonah Schneider, your competitive dance partner since May 2005?
Erin Lewis and Jonah Schneider.
I remember it like it was yesterday! I grew up wanting to learn how to ballroom dance because as a kid, I’d watched the annual PBS America’s Ballroom Challenge on TV. But there was no studio in Newburgh or Evansville, so I just kind of wrote it off. Then when I moved to Indianapolis to run the civics programs, I realized they probably had a ballroom studio. I walked into the first studio I found. Jonah and his partner at the time, Lindsey Rutherford, were rising stars. I was terrified, but from the second I shook his hand, I knew it was going to be fine. One tango lesson, and I was hooked.
How can adults who’ve not danced since their childhood bring dance into their adult lives?
I was that adult! Get in touch with Jonah and show up at SWIRCA for your lesson. He will take care of you from there, and it will change your life. If you’re over age 55, join the Silver Aces! They perform (watch for them at the Aces games this year), but that part is optional. Anyone can join for the lessons.
What is a good beginner’s dance step?
Foxtrot, hustle, and rumba are wonderful, easy dances to get started with, and useful if you’re out somewhere with a DJ!
How many dance shoes do you own?
I did a quick scan, and it looks like 24! However, I wore a good portion of those before I had my daughter, so I have about six in rotation now: a couple dance sneakers and some blinged out rhythm and ballroom shoes.
Where do you find your energy?
I’ve always had this deep well of energy. I like to apply energy to improving the community; that’s because I had a good civics teacher. And I would have made a career in the Corps if I hadn’t blown out my knee in a Taekwondo injury. That sense of truncated military service — that’s been driving me for 20-plus years. But life is funny like that; an injury pivot, and I spend a career finding a different outlet for all that drive.
ONE MORE THING
Before moving back to Evansville in 2015, Erin Lewis worked two years as outreach director for the late U.S. Supreme Court Justice Sandra Day O’Connor’s iCivics program. The duo became close while traveling the country together, and lessons learned from O’Connor impact Lewis today. “I learned what true work ethic looks like,” Lewis says. “She was a legendary straight shooter, bridge builder, a great cook, and very, very funny.” She even credits O’Connor for encouraging her relationship with Lewis’ now-husband, Mitch. Torn between living closer to Mitch and hitting the road for O’Connor, the justice’s advice surprised her: “She got very serious, grabbed my hand, and said, ‘No question. You move there and see what happens. You’ll regret it forever if you don’t. Family always comes first,’” Lewis recalls. “It flipped my whole thinking.”
Supreme Court Justice Sandra Day O’Connor with Erin in 2014.
Later, O’Connor pushed Lewis to apply for a job at UE’s Center for Innovation & Change. “Justice O’Connor said, ‘You absolutely should do that. Go do that, and then make every other college do that, too,’” Lewis says. Always one to go the extra mile, O’Connor wrote Lewis a letter of recommendation.
One could forgive Jeff Lyons and other Evansville meteorologists for feeling tired. Mother Nature has thrown winter storms, hail, flooding, and a spate of tornado threats at the Tri-State in just the past five months.
In 2009, Evansville Living asked Lyons and his Channel 14 WFIE colleagues about how weather impacts our daily lives. Sixteen years later, “We seem to be packing more exceptional weather into shorter spans of time in recent years,” Lyons says, noting winter 2025 saw 19.5 inches of snow — the most since 2004 — plus a disruptive ice storm in early January. Late winter and early spring recorded two tornado outbreaks and flooding during one of the 10 wettest Aprils on record. The region saw eight tornadoes on April 2, “many of which crossed paths of the April 2 tornadoes of 2024,” Lyons says. “Seven places experienced a tornado twice in one year. I’ve never seen this in my nearly 40-year career.”
“While 2025 has been exceptional in many ways, we’ve certainly experienced rare events each year or so,” he adds, referencing an unprecedented number of tornadoes in July 2024 that struck in what typically is a quiet month. Citing data from the Midwest Regional Climate Center, Lyons says that since 1957, there had been only 12 weak tornadoes recorded in the Tri-State in the month of July. That changed July 9, 2024, when an EF-3 twister struck Mount Vernon, Indiana, one of seven total significant tornadoes in the region that day.
Could wildfires join the list of the area’s weather dangers? “Given the right conditions,” Lyons says. “… We have experienced several droughts in the past 15 years, a couple of which were ‘flash’ droughts, or rapid-onset droughts. … When a rapid onset drought occurs along with hot, dry weather, wildfire risk can rise to the danger level very quickly.”
With wild weather, Lyons’ three-decade meteorology career still is recording firsts: During one live broadcast this spring, Lyons and his production team reported from WFIE’s station shelter during a severe storm — only the third such experience for Lyons.
“We try to practice what we preach,” he says. “… Most of us think the storm will always hit somebody else. It just shows that everyone needs to be prepared and take action when a warning is issued.”
IN 2024, Carol Abrams was honored by the Indiana Jewish Historical Society as a Hoosier Jewish Legend. “I was the first from Southwestern Indiana, and it was a tremendous honor,” she says. Photo provided by source.
AS A RESIDENT here and community advocate for 42 years, Carol Abrams can appreciate Evansville Living’s mission to reflect slices of life in the River City.
Carol and her husband, Howard, ran the DeJong’s department stores in Evansville and have then been involved in many local causes, such as CYPRESS, which uses lessons of the Holocaust as inspiration to produce programs for schools and the rest of the community that promote understanding and acceptance.
The Abramses have read Evansville Living for its entire 25-year history. Carol says one reason she enjoys the magazine is because it shows Evansville in an inclusive light. She describes Evansville Living as “a tremendous asset to the community.”
“It’s extremely useful for realtors because they deal with a lot of people moving here,” she says. “It presents the city in an interesting and diverse way, and you think, wow, there is a lot more to the city than I thought.”
Even after 25 years, the staff of Evansville Living still constantly learns new things about our region. For example, Boner Bridge (page 26) on the line between Warrick and Spencer counties is believed to be the last span of its kind in the state. By the way, it’s pronounced “Bonn-er.” Those who want to say it another way, get your minds out of the gutter.
Erin Lewis (page 23) is full of surprises: She’s a competitive ballroom dancer and former Marine who is helping expand local dance opportunities. Oh, and she credits late Supreme Court Justice Sandra Day O’Connor with ushering her down the path that led to Lewis’ husband and daughter.
It’s possible to spot eagles here if you know where to look (page 25). Nature photographers count Evansville’s Eagle Slough Natural Area among prime locations, but be advised: You’ll want to stay at least a football field away.
Photo by Diane Ubelhor-Wunderlich
Did you know that around 50 years ago, there was a concerted effort to transition American schools to the metric system (page 144)? Anthony Head, then a student at Holy Rosary Elementary School, recalls the experience didn’t quite measure up.
That’s what the Evansville Living social media team posted last month after the flurry of activity that heralded the 25th anniversary of this magazine. March began with the launch of the special — and redesigned — 25th anniversary issue. We celebrated through April as we marked the occasion with clients and longtime supporters of the magazine. The response I shared to the post? “They want us to turn 25 more often! Whew! I’m not so sure about that! Thank you for everyone who has been there for us along the way!”
While we were still running on celebration vibes, plenty of work awaited — production of an issue of sister magazine Evansville Business and the annual Evansville Living City View guide to the city, and then this magazine, our annual Most Beautiful Homes issue. This addition to the annual lineup is a relative newcomer to the recurring themes we present, compared to the Best of Evansville, for example, which debuted in 2002. We began the Most Beautiful Homes issue in 2019, after seeing the idea in a peer city magazine, Saint Louis. From Saint Louis magazine, we learned how they produce their Most Beautiful Homes issue, and we adopted the same strategy: Throughout the year, we work to identify beautiful homes. We send letters to the homeowners explaining our feature and inquiring of their interest; those queries are typically met with enthusiasm. If we work far enough in advance, photography by Zach Straw takes place the summer or fall prior to publication, but most homes are photographed in the spring when the city is awash in color. This year, homeowners shared more details and stories than we could fit in the print issue; read those little-known anecdotes at evansvilleliving.com.
With this year’s feature beginning on page 36, we have shown 60 beautiful homes in total since the project’s inception. We’ve already delivered letters to owners of homes under consideration for 2026; Evansville has more than its fair share, we think, of beautiful homes.
Speaking of Saint Louis, don’t miss Senior Writer John Martin’s “Worth the Drive” feature on the Gateway City (page 28). John is a die-hard Cincinnati Reds fan but still he enjoyed a Saint Louis Cardinals game — as many of us will this summer —and much more, including the re-opening of the Old Courthouse, part of the Gateway Arch National Park.
I hope the summer season ahead greets you with experiences that bring you joy, and as always, I look forward to hearing from you.
Sometimes, dreams take shape in unexpected ways. Around 2015, Amanda Goetz began restoring furniture as her four college-age children set up their own residences. Soon, their friends wanted Goetz’s help with their furniture, and she kept up by working on projects on nights and weekends.
Her side hustle gained steam in June 2022 when she was laid off as a sales manager for a Louisville, Kentucky, tech company. “My furniture business was generating a lot of income at that point, so I said, ‘Let me just try to do just this,’” Goetz says. Between her sister Liz Miller, a Realtor with ERA First Advantage Realty, and her daughter-in-law, a nurse with Deaconess Health System, Goetz already had a following in the Evansville area. She says that was a major factor in her decision to move from Louisville in September 2022 and renovate a home in Downtown Newburgh, Indiana.
Goetz is commissioned by clients, many of whom inherit furniture like a China cabinet and want to repurpose it. “They have it, they don’t want to get rid of it, but it doesn’t really go with their current aesthetic,” she says.
That’s where J. Mead Design Studio steps in. From her basement workshop, Goetz strips, sands, and primes pieces for their next chapter. In her paint booth, she mixes colors and sprays in even strokes. Between cleaning, prepping, priming, and spraying, a custom piece may take three days to finish — longer, if it’s extremely dirty or in disrepair.
Because she has one paint booth, she can spray only a single piece at a time. For furniture intended for holiday entertaining, “a lot of people want their pieces delivered by Thanksgiving, so I might be prepping three pieces at a time, then rotating them through the paint booth using multiple sprayers loaded with custom colors, and then also working on re-staining pieces in the garage,” she says.
Clients request work on all kinds of furniture. She enjoys giving pieces a new purpose. “Dressers don’t always stay in the bedroom. People use them as a media console piece to put under a TV or use them as a buffet,” she says.
Although her journey began through refinishing furniture to suit her own projects, most of Goetz’s business comes from client-owned pieces. “Either someone already has a piece, or somebody says, ‘I have a little girl’s bedroom and I want a French Provincial dresser.’ I’ll find the dresser, they buy it, and I do to it what they want. It’s really turned into more client-driven design,” she says. Goetz also shops for clients who have a vision but no furniture in hand to complete it. “I love it when they send me their design board and say, ‘Can you find this?’” she says.
Carmen Mazick has never been to Tuscany, Italy’s central region famous for wine, olives, and sandstone architecture. Still, it inspired the color scheme inside her North Side home tucked into a cul-de-sac behind Evansville Vanderburgh Public Library’s Oaklyn Branch. She relied on the talents of Kathy Small, a self-taught painter, to bring that vision to life.
“I’m not a neutral-white-beige person. … I wear color, I drive color, I live in color,” Mazick says.
“She’s so curious about everything,” Small says of Mazick. “She … gives you lots of inspiration.”
The two met as members of a stitching club — the “Stitchers” — more than a decade ago. When Mazick discovered Small could paint, she excitedly showed Small pictures of the murals she wanted in her guest and primary bathrooms. In her primary bath- room, Mazick wanted to depict a Greek goddess statue she’d seen painted on the HGTV show “Room by Room.”
The painting from “Room by Room,” “just really spoke to me,” says Mazick, a North High School graduate. “… It’s been at least 30 years. But I was hoping that eventually I could have that.”
Small, an alumna of Harrison High School, began to “play with my paints” on the house’s walls, creating various two-toned effects throughout much of the space. Next came the subtly visible Greek goddess in the primary bath.
“That’s basically a tone on tone. I’d already painted the walls, and I then did the darker color outlining her and then shading her on top of it,” Small explains.
“Carmen sees it every day when she puts her makeup on and gets dressed.”
Photo by Zach Straw
The guest bathroom mural was modeled after a picture Mazick found on the internet depicting Tuscan scenery. After finishing the goddess, Small focused on this mural, painting with shades of blue, green, tan, brown, and plum peeking out from
an open, arched doorway. The resulting landscape evokes the sense of embarking on a stroll through the Tuscan countryside, complete with Mediterranean cypress trees, silverbush star jasmine, rolling hills, and an earthen path. The murals took two months to complete.
“Carmen always had her vision … always knew what she wanted,” Small says. “Even though it’s in the bathroom, you don’t see it all the time. It’s nice to have when you go into a really nondescript area,” Mazick says. “Kathy would sit there and look at the picture and turn around and draw it on the wall … and to get the proportions right, that requires skill.”
Photo of SWIMGA's Master Gardener Display Garden by Kristen K. Tucker
It’s hard to beat the region’s beauty when the vivid washes of spring blooms roll into the lush greenness of summer.
Stunning flora and more long have been highlighted at the Southwestern Indiana Master Gardener Association’s biennial Garden Walk, which takes visitors inside some of the most breathtaking gardens in and near Evansville. This year’s event, June 21-22, features nine residential gardens in addition to five public spaces. From native species and flowering perennials to hundreds of houseplants, “We have quite a variety of gardens on the walk this year,” Garden Walk co-organizer Susan Cooper says.
Photo of Linda and Dan Voglund’s garden was provided by source
Linda Voglund’s garden is planted on land that used to be Clearcrest Pines Golf Course near Darmstadt, Indiana. She and husband Dan built their home in 2019, and she has filled the surrounding property with flora like salvia, mint, hardy geraniums, shrub roses, peonies, camassia, lilies, and penstemon. “I have a flower and plant addiction!” Linda laughs. “I love little showy evergreens.”
She also mixes in native species, a direct result of having worked 20 years with the Indiana Conservation Partnership. “I am very careful about not using invasive plant species that can escape my land and degrade the quality of forest, agricultural, and grassland habitat,” she says.
Photo of Mike and Kay Haller’s garden was provided by source
Another Darmstadt property on the Garden Walk is the home of Mike and Kay Haller, whose home garden took root half a century ago. “When we moved here in December 1975, I’d already transplanted and taken cuttings of roses and had them planted all the way up the drive,” Kay says. “It started 50 years ago and has just increased!”
Kay cares for a whopping 450 houseplants, including mother-in-law’s tongue, hoya, spider, jade, and tropicals; the eldest is a 1960 cactus from a family trip to California. She hangs her houseplants outside; about 250 move inside in winter, while the rest ride out the colder months in her greenhouse. Kay credits her house- plants for her and her husband’s improved health. “Since we’ve had them, we’ve never been sick. I’ve not had a cold since 2013,” she says. “I just love plants. They put out so much good oxygen.”
Larry Miller earned his gardening merit badge as a Boy Scout and has never looked back. A founding member of the local Azalea Society of America, he has planted traditional and encore azaleas, as well as deciduous orange natives at his Riverside Historic District home. Garden Walk guests to his flower garden will spot knockout roses, zinnias, hydrangeas, hostas, and some native species, such as Joe Pye weed and milkweed. Catmint, alyssum, and irises line the sidewalks, and large fig trees have grown from sprigs that were transported from Germany.
New to this year’s Garden Walk are four community gardens: In addition to SWIMGA’s Master Gardener Display Garden, tour guests can visit the community gardens at Wesselman Woods Nature Preserve, Evansville Water & Sewer Utility’s Sunrise Pump Station along the Pigeon Creek Greenway Passage near Downtown, family-run Hart- man Arboretum on the North Side, and the Three Sisters Garden at Angel Mounds State Historic Site near Newburgh, Indiana.
“People don’t plan to be 99,” Bob Hartman says. “It crept up on me.”
Photo by Zach Straw
The nonagenarian will turn 100 on Sept. 11, 2025. He was 11 during the 1937 Ohio River flood, served in Germany with the U.S. Army during World War II, and invented the crushed ice dispenser found in today’s refrigerators as an engineer at Whirlpool. An artist at heart, Bob has published a children’s book and his drawings of Evansville landmarks were featured in Evansville Living in 2018.
An East Side resident for the past 60 years, Bob was born and raised alongside brother Dan and sister Mary Adelaide by their parents, Eleanor and Adolf, on the West Side. The F.J. Reitz High School graduate was close with his brother and often reminisces about family and friends.
Photo by Zach Straw
During the 1937 flood, “water never got into the house, but it was all around us,” he says. “Pigeon Creek backed up, and my brother … built a raft at George Schultz Lumber Co. They had good wood that floated if we built a raft. … It would hold five of us.”
He earned income by cutting grass and hauling wood before taking over a paper route until he went to high school. After his military service, Bob worked in accounting at International Harvester before joining Whirlpool. The latter’s engineering department wanted someone who could draw and use an airbrush — skills Bob had picked up at Reitz. “I got into engineering, and I loved it. I was working with someone different every day,” he says.
He met his wife, Jacqueline, a Benjamin Bosse High School graduate, at a dance Downtown. Married in 1952, they often played golf together — Bob was involved in a golf league formed at Whirlpool, while Jacqueline played with the Hamilton Ladies League — and went on trips across the country. They had four children — Thomas, Christine, Nancy, and Julie — and were married 39 years until she died of cancer in 1991.
Bob retired from Whirlpool in 1986 and keeps busy by drawing, reading, and watching television, including golf and basketball — “It’s a good thing TV came along. Old people wouldn’t have anything to do,” he says. He also enjoys spending time on his screened-in porch, listening to the birds. His home is a testament to his engineering heyday. Pale pink Morton metal cabinets topped with crisp white enamel gleam alongside — what else? — Whirlpool appliances and large, glass- fronted overhead shelves.
Sidestepping a request to offer life advice, he does share this: “I just took it a day at a time and didn’t have any big plans or anything like that. I tried to find some recreation now and then with my brother. We did a lot together.”
Evansville made such an impact on Luisella Traversi Guerra, the Italian native’s first English-language novel spans almost a century of time in the River City.
Guerra, whose artwork was featured in the January/February 2001 issue of Evansville Living, called the River City home while her husband ran Robur Corporation, which builds gas heat pumps. A former resident of dense cities, Guerra adored and absorbed slices of the area’s culture and rural spaces.
“Having lived for seven years in Evansville in a house I loved very much, wandering in the surrounding countryside, visiting the museum, the churches, writing texts, I was able to immerse myself and imagine being part of it, to the point of having discovered that there was a beautiful story to tell in me,” she says through an interpreter.
Book cover provided by Resource Publications
Those experiences formed “The Story of Lucy Belmont,” a novella set in Evansville that was released in 2024. Guerra says further inspiration came from a 1990s book written by students at Hebron Elementary School students, whose teacher became the model for Lucy Belmont.
Guerra’s novel is a love letter to the kindness and relaxed pace she found here. “It is such a vibrant place that ideas for characters were everywhere,” she says.
Nestled in Evansville’s North Side, The Bauerhaus stands as a testament to timeless charm and exceptional service. Established in 1880 by Michael Bauer, this family-owned venue has evolved over five generations, seamlessly blending its rich heritage with contemporary sophistication.
“We take pride in our history, but we’re always looking forward,” says Jim Bauer, current owner and great-great-grandson of the founder. “Our goal is to create memorable experiences that honor our legacy while embracing the future.”
The Bauerhaus offers a versatile setting for a variety of events, from intimate gatherings to grand celebrations. Its Bavarian-inspired architecture, combined with modern amenities, provides a unique backdrop that captivates guests. Whether you’re planning a wedding, corporate event, or private party, the venue’s dedicated team ensures every detail is meticulously executed.
Beyond the venue, Bauerhaus Catering extends its exceptional culinary services throughout the Tri-State. With a commitment to quality and customization, their team crafts menus that cater to diverse tastes and dietary needs. From elegant plated dinners to casual buffets, Bauerhaus Catering delivers excellence with every dish.
“Our catering services are an extension of our hospitality,” Bauer notes. “We bring the same level of care and attention to off-site events as we do here at The Bauerhaus.”
Clients consistently praise The Bauerhaus for its exceptional service and attention to detail. One satisfied guest shared, “The staff went above and beyond to make our event special. From planning to execution, everything was flawless.”
For those seeking a venue that combines historical elegance with modern amenities, The Bauerhaus is an unparalleled choice.
Experience the legacy. Celebrate the moment. Only at The Bauerhaus.
Photo from May 5 ambulance services press conference provided by Mayor Stephanie Terry's office
Announced May 5, the Evansville Fire Department will to take over responsibility of all ambulance services within city limits, effective July 1, 2026. American Medical Response, which currently responds to medical emergency calls in the city, employs approximately 106 paramedics emergency medical technicians. According to AMR’s website, the company takes an average of 33,000 ambulance transport calls and 8,000 wheelchair transport calls each year.
“This transition not only enhances our public safety infrastructure, it also creates a reliable source of revenue that can be reinvested in our fire department and help offset future budget pressures created by recent statewide property tax caps,” Mayor Stephanie Terry said in a statement. “We are thankful for the service provided by AMR under our current system, and for the professionals who have supported our residents in times of need.”
The city’s contract for ambulance services is overseen by the fire chief. Upon being named to the fire department’s top job in January 2024, Chief Tony Knight began to look for ways to improve efficiency and felt that the fire department, with its connections to other public safety apparatuses, was in a position to efficiently provide Evansville’s ambulance service needs. Knight also felt that the move would generate revenue — estimating the service would be self-sustaining within four years and projecting a generated surplus of $3.5 million annually by 2028 — which was confirmed by a third-party auditor.
“When presented with all of this information, Mayor Terry determined that this was the best — and most fiscally responsible — option for providing efficient ambulance service to Evansville residents,” says Joe Atkinson, communications director for the City of Evansville.
The transition of service under the EFD’s umbrella will add 47 new positions to the payroll, according to Knight. EFD’s 14 stations already are integrated with the Evansville City/Vanderburgh County Joint Department of Central Dispatch and its 42 employees. However, the transition still will take an estimated $7 million initial investment — with support from the Evansville Board of Public Safety and City Council — and includes acquiring the necessary ambulances and equipment.
“We anticipate this being fully repaid by 2028, at which point the addition of EMS personnel and benefits, operating expenses, and capital improvements will equate to roughly $5.8 million,” Knight says. “One hundred percent of that will be covered by the ambulance service billing revenues. In addition to the revenues covering those costs, it will also generate a surplus that can be used to improve other, existing city services.”
Other results of the transition, city officials say, will include quicker response times, more affordable rates, and an increase in operational efficiencies. City officials project the cost to operate ambulance service will decrease by 20 percent as a result of the transition.
The Emergency Medical Services division will be placed within the EFD, with the fire chief overseeing the new addition. A Deputy Chief of EMS will run the administrative side, and day-to-day operations will be managed by the EMS supervisor on duty.
As far as any other changes that can be expected, Knight says residents can expect “a streamlined delivery model where the 911 dispatch center, first-response, and paramedic ambulance service all work seamlessly in unison.”
Launching Your Own Business 3-5 p.m. May 13, Innovation Pointe Fifth Floor Conference Room, 318 Main St. Whether you are looking to start a side hustle, pursue a passion, or open a storefront, advisers from the Southwest Indiana Small Business Development Center offer guidance through the essential steps. Registration is required.
Common Grounds: Coffee + Connection 8-9 a.m. May 14, Cowork Evansville, 318 Main St. First Floor Ste. 101 Vanderburgh County Court Appointed Special Advocates present at this bi-weekly event about connecting over a cup of Joe Brewski Coffee and sharing ideas. Admission is free.
Leadership Everyone Annual Meeting and Reception to Honor Lynn Miller Pease 4:30-6 p.m. May 14, Deaconess Orthopedic and Neuroscience Hospital’s Kramer Pavilion, 4011 Gateway Blvd., Newburgh, Indiana Leadership Everyone’s annual meeting to elect new officers and recognize alumni includes a special nod honoring CEO Lynn Miller Pease’s 25 years of leadership to the River City. A reception featuring taco bar and cash bar by La Campirana starts at 4:30 p.m., with the meeting following at 5 p.m. Tickets start at $55.20. Dress is business casual.
Traveling City Hall 5:30-6:30 p.m. May 14, Evansville Water & Sewer Utility Sunrise Pump Station, 1200 Waterworks Road Hear directly from Mayor Stephanie Terry and department heads throughout city government about local updates and address your concerns with them directly. This event is free to attend.
How to Do Business with the Federal Government 3-5 p.m. May 19, Evansville Vanderburgh Public Library East Branch, 840 E. Chandler Ave. Part of the U.S. Small Business Administration GovCon Tour, learn what it takes to apply and get a contract with the largest customer in the world, the U.S. government. Tickets are free, but registration is required.
State of the City noon May 20, Old National Events Plaza, 715 Locust St. Mayor Stephanie Terry presents her second address at the Rotary Club of Evansville’s luncheon and will reflect on the challenges faced by Evansville and the region, plus plans for the future. Admission is free, but lunch costs $22.
Small Business Workshop 5-6 p.m. June 3, Fifth Third Center, 20 N.W. Third St. Current and aspiring business owners can learn more about resources and networking opportunities that help their concepts thrive. For more information, contact Kiya Lander at kiya.lander@54.com. This event is free and open to the public.
Tucked along Indiana 66 in Newburgh, Sazón y Fuego is setting tastebuds ablaze with its bold celebration of Latin American cuisine. Launched in October 2024 by Evansville restaurant innovator Randy Hobson, this sizzling new spot is anything but ordinary.
From ceviche to chimichurri, Sazón y Fuego offers a culinary passport through Latin America—without leaving Southern Indiana. The menu bursts with flavors from Peru, Nicaragua, Argentina, Cuba, and more, crafted with precision by Peruvian-born chef Alexis Campos and elevated by rare equipment like the restaurant’s signature charcoal oven — the only one in the region — built in Mexico City.
“The oven imparts an unmistakable flavor—we use it for almost everything,” says Hobson, who also founded local favorites Pangea Kitchen, 2nd Language, and Pangea Pizzeria. “It’s all about seasoning and fire—exactly what our name stands for.”
Diners can sample Peruvian ceviche made with chili peppers and two kinds of corn, sink their teeth into tender picanha steak with house-made chimichurri, or try the showstopping lomo saltado—marinated beef stir-fried with onions and tomatoes. And the desserts? The passion fruit mousse with edible gold is a must-try finale.
But it’s not just about food—it’s about experience. The space dazzles with vibrant South American-inspired murals, colorful tapestries, and even stained-glass windows repurposed from a historic English church.
“We didn’t want to copy one culture—we wanted to honor many,” Hobson explains. “We went country to country, tasting, testing, and building something that reflects the richness and variety of Latin America.”
Backed by an all-star team, including chef Campos and operations pro Evan Mooney, Sazón y Fuego invites guests to step into a new world of flavor.
Ready to spice up your next night out? Visit TasteSazon.com or follow @TasteSazon to plan your journey.
Seasoning. Fire. Flavor. Welcome to Sazón y Fuego.
When I check my email and see a video message from Brad Kieserman, national vice president of Disaster Operations and Logistics for the American Red Cross, I take particular notice. That’s because I’m a Red Cross volunteer who accepts two-week assignments to disasters around the country. Kieserman’s infrequent messages portend a significant need for help.
Kieserman was recruiting volunteers from throughout the country to help victims of this spring’s floods and tornados in the South and Ohio Valley. I looked at where help was needed and saw Evansville, Indiana, where I’m a native son, and which was my home until nearly five years ago. That’s when my wife Annette Gries and I moved to Tucson, Arizona. I saw a chance to help my former neighbors, some experiencing their worst day ever.
This would be my 17th deployment since joining the Red Cross four years ago. When you accept an assignment, you’re expected to leave within 24 hours. I was assigned on April 7 and on an airplane bound for Evansville the next day.
Photo of Patrick Wathen provided by source
When I arrived in Evansville and navigated through the highway construction on U.S. 41 and the Lloyd Expressway to reach the Red Cross office on Stockwell Road, I found a busy Disaster Relief Operation headquarters. Besides Hoosiers, I met volunteers from California and Washington state to Pennsylvania and New York, Puerto Rico to Minnesota, and parts in between. We even had two volunteers from Hawaii, one with a name 49 letters long but thankfully shortened to five.
I usually take positions as a damage assessment supervisor, but I’ve helped in shelters, distributed rakes, shovels and cleanup kits to victims, fed from Red Cross emergency response vehicles, and handed out water, food, blankets and hygiene products from the back of a box truck. This time, I wanted to try a new activity we call fulfillment that delivers needed material to shelters.
On our first workday, my partner from Idaho and I filled orders from a shelter manager in Utica, which is a small river town near Jeffersonville, Indiana. But within days, shelters began closing, so our primary task became loading shelter trailers and delivering them to staging locations to be made ready for the next disaster.
My experience as a damage assessment supervisor surfaced, so I said so long to Evansville and was moved to Jeffersonville to help a team of volunteers, mostly new to damage assessment. Damage assessment stands between the event and financial assistance for those impacted, so we work as quickly as possible. With floods, though, we must wait for roads to clear. Once underway, we found flood-damaged homes along the Ohio River, of course, and significant damage along the East Fork of the White River from Shoals to Seymour. The river had reached well into the second level of one home, but residents there cleaning up seemed to take their situation in stride.
Red Crossers aren’t the only people helping. You’ll find neighbors, friends, strangers, members of church and community organizations, a host of other nonprofit organizations that provide food, tarps, muscle and sweat to help. It restores your faith in humankind.
The Red Cross is the best job I hate to have — hate because someone has to be in trouble for me to do it. The work feeds my heart, and I recommend it to anyone. To illustrate what I mean, I recall meeting a fellow Hoosier in a shelter for wildfire victims in Globe, Arizona. As we talked, he asked me if I could remember as a child how, when you were having a bad day, you wanted your mom and dad. It had been a while, I said, but I allowed that I could recall that feeling. He looked around at the other Red Cross volunteers and said, “Right now, you are our moms and dads.” For my first of two deployments to Hurricane Ian, I had a box truck with supplies at a multi-agency relief center and was standing at a table behind the truck. A young single mother walked up and looked at what I had. After I learned she and her daughter made up the household and asked what she might need, she responded, “Well, I’ve lost everything. I guess I need everything.” That hit me pretty hard.
Those moments are why we do what we do.
Evansville native and former Evansville Courier journalist and Toyota communications professional Patrick Wathen and his wife, Annette Gries, moved to Tucson, Arizona, in July 2020. Pat has been a Red Cross volunteer since April 2021.
Interested in being a Red Cross volunteer? Visit the organization’s website to learn more.
Photo of “Remembrance” by John McNaughton from Evansville Vanderburgh Public Library staff files
May 8 marks the 80th anniversary of Victory in Europe Day, also known as VE Day, when the U.S. and its World War II allies formally accepted Germany’s unconditional surrender.
Evansville Vanderburgh Public Library’s Central Branch, 200 S.E. Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd., has a trove of materials related to this period in history, including numerous first-person remembrances of the Holocaust.
For starters, the branch’s Indiana Room has about 120 testimonials that were mostly recorded in the 1990s. This archive is in DVD-ROM format, and the library obtained it in 2005. Most of the accounts are from residents of Indiana, Kentucky, and Illinois. “They range from 20 minutes to six hours,” says Erik Estep, EVPL’s local history librarian. “It depends on their recollections and comfort level.”
A newer and much larger source of Holocaust testimonials is available to EVPL users in a digital format. The Shoah Foundation Visual History Archive, which the library gained access to about six months ago, has more than 55,000 survivor accounts of atrocities throughout history, including the Holocaust as well as more recent acts of genocide in the South Sudan Civil War, and in Bosnia and Herzegovina.
The Shoah Foundation is based at the University of Southern California and dates to 1994. Estep says its database of historical accounts is searchable by name, and in the case of Holocaust testimonials, by concentration camp. “It’s an international archive,” Estep says. “… Through USC, you just click a link and watch them from home with a library card.”
Estep notes one historical account in the Shoah Foundation’s archive is from the mother of Ralph Shayne, author of “Hour of Need,” a graphic novel on those who saved Danish Jews during the Holocaust. Shayne last month gave a presentation at Victory Theatre, through a partnership among EVPL, the Committee to Promote Respect in Schools (CYPRESS), and the Rechnic Foundation.
An additional, dignified touch in Central Library’s Indiana Room is a wooden table with sculpted ledgers, candles, and a pocket watch, signifying the spirit of Holocaust survivors. The work, called “Remembrance,” was created by John McNaughton, a founding faculty member at the University of Southern Indiana and a large presence in USI’s Art and Design Department for 35 years. The sculpture was installed at EVPL Central on Sept. 19, 2005. McNaughton passed away in 2022.
Estep describes McNaughton’s piece as “a creative expression of the Shoah collection. The candlesticks represent Shabbat candles, and the pocket watch represents the passage of time. To me, the books symbolize historical memory, about not forgetting the Holocaust and the crimes of genocide. There is something solid and physical about a book that you don’t get in any other medium. The books are here to stay.”
Real ID example provided by the Indiana Bureau of Motor Vehicles
It’s been a rocky rollout, but the deadline for Real ID is finally here.
Roots of the Real ID Act date to 2005, when Congress passed a recommendation from the 9/11 Commission that the federal government “set standards for the issuance of sources of identification, such as driver’s licenses,” according to the U.S. Department of Homeland Security.
Fast forward to now. The enforcement date for that 20-year-old federal legislation is May 7, 2025 — earlier deadlines were scrapped due to the COVID-19 pandemic and other factors. Starting that day, American citizens age 18 and older need a Real ID-compliant driver’s license, permit, or identification card to board a commercial airplane or enter certain federal facilities, such as military bases. Legal residents without U.S. citizenship may obtain a Real ID, but they must provide evidence of their legal status.
A compliant driver’s license or other identification features a star on the front near the top right corner. Without that marking, “it is not Real ID-compliant and won’t be accepted as proof of identity to board commercial aircraft,” Homeland Security says. A valid U.S. passport or passport card can be used as a substitute for a Real ID card in order to board a domestic commercial flight.
The approaching deadline has brought added traffic to already-busy BMV offices, which have been churning out compliance stars. That said, Hoosier long have had a head start: Indiana began issuing Real ID driver’s licenses in 2010.
“We have issued over four million Real ID-compliant cards to Hoosiers. This accounts for 80 percent of total credentials issued,” Sarah Dickerson, communications and engagement manager with the Indiana BMV, told Evansville Business on April 29.
Dickerson also notes the BMV’s website and its Facebook and Instagram pages have been reminding Hoosiers of the May 7 deadline, as well as the documentation needed to meet Real ID requirements.
Photo from the Evansville Immigrant Welcome & Resource Center's Facebook
The Evansville Immigrant Welcome & Resource Center released the following statement May 2:
“The Evansville Immigrant Welcome & Resource Center (IWRC) is speaking out following a series of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) actions that resulted in the detention of at least 12 individuals across the Evansville and Henderson areas between Monday, April 28, and Wednesday, April 30.
Those detained include individuals with prior removal orders, as well as others who were questioned in public and taken into custody after ICE agents questioned them. Community and family reports indicate that some residents were detained at their workplaces and in public spaces, including a gas station, a sidewalk near a childcare center, and a parking lot. Others were detained at home, sometimes in front of children.
None of the detentions involved local police or sheriff departments. Several individuals were transported to Hopkins County Jail in Kentucky.
The IWRC has also received reports from detainees’ families of individuals being pressured to sign deportation orders without access to legal counsel, raising serious concerns about due process violations.
“These actions have disrupted families and instilled fear throughout our community,” said Elisabet (Ely) Sena-Martin, executive director of the IWRC. “We are hearing from parents, workers, and students—many of whom are here legally—who are now afraid to go to work or school. This kind of enforcement does more than remove individuals—it tears at the fabric of our entire city.”
The IWRC, along with partner organizations Centro Latino + Americano and the Haitian Center of Evansville, is calling attention to the broader harm caused by these operations. Entire households—often with mixed immigration statuses and U.S. citizen family members—are experiencing emotional trauma, economic instability, and uncertainty about how to locate loved ones who have been detained.
The IWRC affirms the humanity, dignity, and contributions of all New Americans in the Evansville area. Immigrant residents are workers, parents, neighbors, entrepreneurs, and taxpayers. They are integral to the success of key local industries.
“We are deeply concerned that individuals were not given access to legal representation or the chance to contact family members while in custody,” Sena-Martin added. “Our country’s legal protections apply to everyone. When they are bypassed for some, it puts all of us at risk.”
The IWRC continues to help community members understand their legal rights, connect with services, and find support. Donations and volunteers are welcome to help families who are navigating this crisis and the larger immigrant community. For more information on next steps, visit www.evvimmigrantwelcomecenter.com.
The Center encourages all Evansville area residents to remain informed, speak up for neighbors, and support families affected by detention.”
Photo of Ellada and Doros Hadjisavva at Venue 812 by Christine Beyer
Planning a party, but don’t know where to start? This is where Doros and Ellada Hadjisavva step in.
The Hadjisavva name is regionally known from the husband-and-wife team’s upscale Greek restaurant Acropolis, which operated on Evansville’s East Side from 2000 to 2022. As the couple’s catering business grew, they scaled down restaurant operations and, in June 2022, opened Venue 812, an event space Ellada describes as a “one-stop shop” in the former location of Western Ribeye steakhouse at 1401 N. Boeke Road.
Ever the multi-taskers, the Hadjisavvas — originally from Cyprus — are not just chefs or business owners or event planners. They’re all the above, and more. Customers benefit from the Hadjisavvas’ nearly 20 years of catering experience and Acropolis Catering’s reputation for a wide, satisfying menu, as well as event planning, set-up, decorating, staffing, serving, and tear-down.
“We couldn’t do what we’re doing today if we hadn’t gone through 20 years of owning a restaurant,” Ellada says. “The owner of the Old Post Office approached us 12-14 years to consider catering, and that’s where it became a vision for us. We practiced, and we love doing events, and that’s why we wanted to have our own place” at Venue 812.
The couple shows Greek hospitality through diverse menus that are customized based on the client’s needs and budget, meaning guests can be served everything from pasta, steaks, barbecue, and seafood to taco bars, brunch, and halal and vegan cuisine. Food can be served buffet, plated, or family-style. Acropolis’ staff can man a full bar. “We have everything you need to execute a 500-plus-person event on your premises,” Ellada says.
Grazing tables and cocktail hours “are our specialty,” she adds. “I love decorating with food. Presentation is what sets me apart. I love that ‘wow’ factor.”
The Hadjisavvas give back to the community by supporting and catering events for YWCA, Ronald McDonald House Charities, Easterseals Rehabilitation Center, Lampion Center Chocolate Affair, and the Evansville Museum of Arts, History & Science, among others. Doros and Ellada directly credit regional nonprofits for helping grow their catering business.
“All the nonprofits have really given us a chance to grow with them, and it feels so good to be helping them raise money, but they never realized how it made us better caterers,” she says. “In order to earn people’s trust, for people to give us a chance — because we’re not from here, we have been outsiders — it took us 10 years in business to make a name for ourselves, and nonprofit organizations were the way for us to grow. So, we are very philanthropic. It all ties together.
The Hadjisavvas also take their cuisine on the road, with two Acropolis food trucks popping up at events like the Lincolnshire neighborhood’s annual Front Porch Festival and Tri-Fest each spring in Henderson, Kentucky. Tri-State. “Our food truck is how you find our casual dining experience. It’s an extension of our catering,” Ellada says. The mobile menu doesn’t skimp on options: Hungry diners can order at least six types of gyro sandwiches, rice bowls, and sides like hummus with pita bread and more. The truck is available for public and private event rentals up to an hour’s drive from Evansville.
The self-taught chefs take nothing for granted. At a recent wedding orchestrated by Acropolis Catering, a guest walked up to Ellada and said, “I know who you are. You owned Acropolis. Your reputation precedes you.”
Ellada was touched. “People remember you when you feed and serve them and are part of their special day,” she says. “That’s what makes me want to improve and grow our business.
Photo of Kiener Plaza, the Old Courthouse, and Gateway Arch in St. Louis by Mark Hermes, Explore St. Louis
St. Louis, Missouri’s role as the “Gateway to the West” is exemplified by the Gateway Arch, the iconic steel structure towering 630 feet above the city’s Mississippi River bank and visible from miles around.
But Gateway Arch National Park is more than the architectural marvel itself. The park’s 91 acres commemorate President Thomas Jefferson’s vision of a continental nation and St. Louis’ role as a focal point. This was the area, after all, where U.S. Army Capt. Meriwether Lewis and Lt. William Clark launched their exploration of the newly acquired western United States in 1804.
Other seeds of history were sewn here years later. Starting in 1846, the city’s courthouse — whose construction was unfinished at the time — witnessed a bellwether event in civil rights: the Dred Scott case, in which the enslaved American and his wife, Harriet, sued for their freedom. The Scotts’ initially unsuccessful pursuit was seen as a catalyst of the Civil War more than a decade later. The courthouse also is where Virginia Minor, a key figure in the women’s suffrage movement, first sought her right to vote in 1872.
Photo of Dred and Harriet Scott monument outside the Old Courthouse by Mark Hermes, Explore Saint Louis
Evansville Living received a preview of the restored Old Courthouse and was treated to several other experiences on a recent immersive tour, courtesy of Explore St. Louis.
St. Louisans are passionate about preserving the city’s role in American history, and the last several years have been a critical time in that effort. At $380 million, the CityArchRiver Project is the largest public-private partnership in the history of the National Parks Service. The Old Courthouse’s reopening May 3 after five years of renovations brings the full project to completion.
“Monumental things happen when we invest in the conservation and preservation of our national parks and iconic landmarks like the Old Courthouse,” says Ryan McClure, Executive Director of Gateway Arch Park Foundation. “Through our longstanding partnership with the National Park Service and the generous support of our philanthropic donors, together, we have ensured this building will remain vibrant and accessible for future generations. We look forward to standing alongside our partners as the St. Louis community and its visitors rediscover the Old Courthouse.”
Photo of Old Courthouse interior by Mark Hermes, Explore Saint Louis
The building is steps away from the Arch, and its stone columns and cupola dome cast a dignified presence Downtown.
National parks often reflect challenging parts of American history, and the Old Courthouse is a monument that “needed to be preserved and protected,” says Jeremy Sweat, superintendent of Gateway Arch National Park. Sweat cites the difficulty of adding modern accessibility features while keeping the courthouse’s historical integrity intact. Mission accomplished, he says. The Old Courthouse has an elevator to its second floor as well as exterior ramps; four galleries telling the Scotts’ story and other lessons; and restored courtrooms used for mock trials and other community events. It is open 9 a.m.-5 p.m. daily with free admission.
Photo of the Museum at the Gateway Arch provided by Explore Saint Louis
Earlier key elements of the CityArchRiver Project included the Museum at the Gateway Arch, an underground treasure that opened in 2018. Interactive displays show the city’s origin in 1764 as a French settlement, plus Lewis & Clark’s westward journey, the decades-long development of the Mississippi River shoreline, and the arch’s design and construction. The museum is free, although tickets are required for a tram ride to the top of the arch, a 35-minute documentary film on the arch’s history (highly recommended by Evansville Living writers), and riverboat cruises offering dinners and special events in addition to amazing views.
The city’s expansive Forest Park (it’s larger than New York City’s Central Park by about 500 acres) is home to numerous discoveries, some of which are new. At the Missouri History Museum, for example, check out the 1904 World’s Fair exhibit. The fair brought 20 million people to St. Louis and celebrated the centennial of the Louisiana Purchase. The exhibit runs through Nov. 16.
Photo of the 1904 World’s Fair scale model at the Missouri History Museum by Mark Hermes, Explore Saint Louis
Opened in April 2024, the exhibit’s centerpiece is a large-scale model of the fairgrounds created with computer programs and a 3-D printer. Users can juxtapose what the fairgrounds looked like compared to today’s St. Louis. “It’s as close as you can get to the 1904 World’s Fair without actually visiting,” says Adam Kloppe, public historian at the Missouri History Museum.
Cruise to the nearby St. Louis Art Museum, where the touring exhibit “Roaring” explores the automobiles of pre-World War II France, as well as art and fashion from the period spanning 1918-1939.
Photo outside the Saint Louis Art Museum by Dan Donovan; provided by Explore Saint Louis
“Roaring” examines “the relationship between technology and design, between art and craft, and it asks the question of how designers and artists shaped our relationship to technology at this very volatile, exciting, and innovative period,” says Genny Cortinovis, the museum’s Andrew W. Mellon Foundation associate curator of decorative arts and design. “Roaring” is at the St. Louis Art Museum through July 27. Tickets to the exhibition are required, but it is free on Fridays. Admission to the remainder of the museum is free.
Another fascinating on-loan museum exhibit in St. Louis is “Ghost Army: The Combat Con Artists of World War II” at the Soldiers Memorial Military Museum, a Neoclassical behemoth that opened Downtown in 1938. “Ghost Army” tells the story of a top-secret military unit that caught the enemy off guard by using inflatable tanks and vehicles, plus fake radio traffic, sound effects, and even phony generals. It’s on display until May 26. Admission is free.
Photo of Adolphus Busch’s mausoleum at Bellefontaine Cemetery and Arboretum by Kevin A. Roberts, Roberts Creative, LLC; provided by Explore St. Louis
While in St. Louis, tour the magnificent Bellefontaine Cemetery and Arboretum, which covers more than 300 acres on the city’s north side and houses around 87,000 internments, including many well-known citizens with St. Louis or Missouri ties. Two of the most visited gravesites are those of the aforementioned explorer William Clark and Adolphus Busch, co-founder of the Anheuser-Busch beer company.
A unique quality of St. Louis is the number of places to experience history, art, or culture for free — whether it’s the refurbished Old Courthouse or a host of other destinations, says Catherine Neville, vice president of communications with Explore St. Louis.
“It’s a very accessible city from a price point, but what is important for people to understand is just because something is free, it doesn’t mean that it’s not world-class,” Neville says. “What that means is that when you come to Saint Louis, it is accessible no matter what your budget might be, and especially if you’re traveling with kids and you have multiple heads that you need to account for. You are able to take your family for these immersive, wonderful experiences, and something that’s really special.”
Photo from 2024 Cosmic Songwriter Festival by Art Woodward
I got my first taste of the Cosmic Songwriter Festival in 2024, and realized right away that I’d have to endure another 361 sleeps before it made its return trip around the sun.
The four-night festival’s third installation happens May 14-17 in Bloomington, Indiana. During the nightly concerts, festival-goers experience sixteen different acts in four diverse locations: a basement honky-tonk (the Orbit Room), a bar with a roadhouse feel (The Blockhouse), a world-famous concert hall and saloon (The Bluebird), and a grand auditorium (the Buskirk-Chumley Theatre). Adding a special element, the sit-down concerts are offered up in a Nashville-style, listening room atmosphere — no chatting during performances.
Cosmic organizers Pablo “Oso” Fuentes, and Shaun McDermott have managed to snag their biggest artists yet. Headlining the event on May 16, is multi-Grammy award-winning singer/songwriter Rodney Crowell. Crowell’s songs have been covered by country music heavyweights like Johnny Cash, Waylon Jennings, Keith Urban, Jimmy Buffet, John Denver, and far too many to mention here. In fact, Willie Nelson’s brand-new release, “Oh What a Beautiful World,” is a collection of 12 Rodney Crowell songs and features duets between these two Texas troubadours.
Tommy Prine anchors the night of May 15. Son of the late, legendary songwriter, John Prine, Tommy’s voice has a distinctive ache that pulls listeners in, while his music vibes with a modern, folk-pop feel. Prine released his debut single, “Ships In The Harbor,” in 2022 to high praise from the industry and fans alike. It is a haunting tribute to his dad whom he lost to COVID in 2020. Prine emotes with lyrics such as, “I’d do anything just to talk to my father, but I guess he was leaving soon, as we do.” The following year, Prine released the album, This Far South.
Fuentes and McDermott assemble each lineup through personal connections and via Cosmic Artist Showcases. Fuentes notes, “We are ecstatic to welcome an all-star lineup of decorated performers to the Cosmic Songwriter Festival. Rodney Crowell is a living legend, and we are very lucky to have him headline the show.”
Single-night ticket prices range from $24-$34. While camping is not part of this event, there are plenty of options for overnight stays: hotels, motels, Airbnbs, and, well, nearby camping. The evening concept also leaves your days free to check out all that Bloomington has to offer. Start at Visit Bloomington.
As an aside, another songwriter-focused organization headquartered in Bloomington is HOOMAC, a nonprofit group that promotes Hoosier music and puts together its own festival called Farmette in Brown County on June 21.
I’m attending both festivals and hope to see you there. If anyone from the Evansville area plans on making the trek to Cosmic, visit the Facebook Event Page where you can check in, find out about meeting up, ridesharing, and more.
Keep rockin’, bluesin’ and countryin’,
Art the dude
Art Woodward, also known as Art the Dude, is a writer and lifelong lover of music — skill sets that serve him well when reviewing Evansville’s concert and events scene.
Photo of Diane Horn's home in April 2020 by Zach Straw
A glorious sight to behold, Roosevelt Drive becomes a street lined with color in the spring. Blooming, bright azaleas line the street as onlookers drive and walk by for a peek as if lining up for the annual Ritzy’s Fantasy of Lights tour in the winter.
These flowering shrubs are part of what made Diane Horn fall in love with her home at the corner of Lincoln Avenue and Roosevelt when her family purchased it about 30 years ago. A former resident of Roosevelt Drive once gave the entire neighborhood starts of azaleas which is why the street now is filled with them.
Built in 1931, Horn has kept the original color of the 1,300-square-foot wood home as it captures the initial beauty combined with the colorful azaleas.
“I just loved the landscaping with the azaleas,” she says. “It’s something I could never replace. It would take years to grow them to where they are now.”
Originally pegged as a starter home for the Horns, they soon fell in love with the liveliness of the neighborhood, which has kept them there for three decades.
Stroll along Vann Avenue in the spring, and it’s impossible not to be enraptured by the striking yard enveloping the home at the northeast corner of Gum Street. It’s evident that Tracy Stafford loves to garden, and for the past 35 years, she has cultivated a varied and vibrant collection of flowering plants, trees, and bushes that often stops passersby in their tracks.
The 1940 home’s front entrance — a canvas of white paint strategically peeled to reveal hearty red brick — is charmingly framed by two pink dogwood trees, with a white dogwood anchoring the north and south ends of the property. All were brought over from the woods in Newburgh by the home of Stafford’s late father, who also had a hand in planting the yard’s three burning bushes.
When planning her spring planting, Stafford says, “I get my color scheme, and then I buy whatever I like. I do it all myself.” And that includes laying the bricks for her patio and walking paths.
Around back, colorful azaleas boasting full-throated blossoms bloom at different times a year.
“The secret is, I let them grow naturally, and they go crazy,” Stafford says.
Fanned-out hostas, clutches of salvia, a vine of purple clematis, and spots of striped pansies and hot pink phlox dot the landscaping. Stafford adds one or two rose bushes to the spread each year; her favorites are a yellow rose bush she planted in her father’s memory and a pink rose bush to honor her late mother. Adding more color to the mix, Stafford’s collection of lilies from her father’s garden grows in yellow, orange, dark burgundy, and even peach.
With the perennials timed to trade off blooming periods, Stafford often enjoys a colorful yard for several months each year. And a garden full of blooms has one more treat, she says: “That way, I can always have my own bouquet.”
Photo of Morgan Shultz, Nico Kuhs, Ezran Kuhs, Zachary Kuhs, and Lana Kuhs by Chanda Ramsey
Photo of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers dredging the Ohio River at Evansville’s bend by Zach Straw
1. The River
Our place in the bend of the Ohio River gave life to what’s now Evansville. The city has built itself up from it, yet all roads (especially in Downtown, where they tip 45 degrees) seem to lead back to the water. Steamboat captains knew they had reached Evansville once they saw the twin steeples of Saint Boniface on Wabash Avenue. Now, riverboat cruise stops drop off travelers for a day of fun in the River City. Festivals are held alongside the river, and here at Tucker Publishing Group, Inc., we claim our spot in a three-story building smack dab in the middle of the riverfront, taking it all in. Most summers, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers dredges the Ohio River at the Evansville bend to maintain a 300-foot wide, 9-foot-deep channel for towing vessels. In the process, an island that attracts hundreds of pleasure boaters is created.
Photo of Morgan Shultz, Nico Kuhs, Ezran Kuhs, Zachary Kuhs, and Lana Kuhs by Chanda Ramsey
2. We Are Midwest Nice with a Southern Attitude Passersby greet each other on the sidewalk. We hold doors open for one another and insist that you jump ahead of us in line at the grocery store. We strike up conversations while sitting in the stands at sporting events — so long as you’re wearing the right team’s colors. Here, our friendly disposition means visitors don’t feel like strangers. Classic Midwest niceties rule our demeanor, which is tinged with a distinct Southern flair. Many of us grew up on Southern-style home cooking fresh from the garden. We have a taste for bourbon, we say “y’all,” and we consider horse racing a standard sport. Even plants at home in the lower half of the U.S. find our climate welcoming: Wetlands, crepe myrtle, and azaleas all love our spot on the map.
Photo of Heather Vaught by Zach Straw
3. Our Hometown Pride They say that home is where the heart is, and for most people, hometowns are an integral part of their persona. Heather Vaught — named Best Evansville Ambassador in 2024 in Evansville Living’s annual Best of Evansville awards — has built two Main Street businesses (River City Coffee & Goods and Memo) around hometown pride. “I think some people mistake ‘hometown pride’ as being synonymous with the idea that you’re 100 percent happy with every aspect of where you’re from,” Vaught says. “I believe you can focus on the positives while simultaneously speaking out and pushing for change. We are lucky to live in a community where if you show up enough, ask questions, put in the work, AND listen — your voice can really be heard! You can help make Evansville the place you want to be proud to be from! You don’t have to have money, connections, or education or wait for someone else to build what you’re passionate about. Find your people and those who know more than you and work together.”
Photo of volunteers at United Way’s Day of Caring provided by United Way of Southwestern Indiana
4. A Passion for Service Residents often are deeply involved in a wide range of volunteer efforts and philanthropic activities aimed at improving the lives of those in need. The community rallies behind efforts such as United Way’s annual Day of Caring, in which more than 1,000 people participate in the community’s largest one-day volunteer event.
“I’m always in awe of the compassionate, giving spirit of the people in our region,” says Amy Mangold, President and CEO of the United Way of Southwestern Indiana. “Regardless of the situation, when our neighbors are in need, this community shows up and rallies around them to offer hope and help.”
Churches, civic groups, and schools also play a key role. Organizations such as the Welborn Baptist Foundation and the Vanderburgh Community Foundation serve as intermediaries that channel funds to organizations and initiatives aligned with specific missions and causes.
With a mission of cultivating communities that flourish, the Welborn Baptist Foundation focuses on early healthy eating and active living, Christ-centered communities, and nonprofit excellence. Church Engagement Program Officer Eric Cummings says among things people like about Evansville are “a vibrant faith community of churches and faith-based nonprofit organizations that serve our communities in very traditional ways … and through innovative restorative ministries such as revitalizing neighborhoods and providing wrap-around family supports and resources to help kids in marginalized environments succeed no matter what.”
Photo of Downtown New Harmony, Indiana, by Emma Bayens
5. Small-Town Neighbors Don’t call them Evansville’s bedroom communities. Neighboring towns have unique histories and personalities. To the east, the river town of Newburgh, Indiana, has a place in history as the first town north of the Mason-Dixon line to be captured by Confederate forces during the Civil War on July 18, 1862, in what became known as the Newburgh Raid. Today, “the river, the history, the local shops and growing food scene all come together in a warm, welcoming community, where everyone knows each other and all work together to continue building the town and its vitality,” Historic Newburgh Board Member Christen Angermeier says.
To the west along the Wabash River, New Harmony, Indiana, was the site of two notable attempts at communal living by the Harmonists (1814-24) and the Owenites (1825-28), both seeking to establish utopian communities based on religious and social ideals. The modern village is a mix of contributions made by 200 years of artists, reformers, scientists, educators, and fans of this early American center for equality. New Harmony is home to an impressive National Historic Landmarks District, The Roofless Church — an open-air interdenominational church designed by Philip Johnson and dedicated in 1960 — and the Atheneum Visitor Center, designed by Richard Meier.
Across the Ohio River, Henderson, Kentucky, is deeply linked to the legacy of John James Audubon, a prominent figure in art and ornithology who serves as the namesake for the town’s state park, museum, and nature preserve. A peculiarity of Henderson is that a small portion of it — consisting of Ellis Park Racing & Gaming, a thoroughbred racing site owned by Churchill Downs — lies on the north side of the Ohio River, first claimed by Kentucky before the river shifted south.
Photo of Evansville Regional Airport by Zach Straw
6. You Can Get There From Here Road trips are made easy from Evansville, given the city’s centralized location. Indianapolis, Indiana, is accessible via Interstate 69, while other highways make St. Louis, Missouri, Louisville, Kentucky, and Nashville, Tennessee reachable in 2-3 hours of driving. Want a longer trip? Evansville Regional Airport offers a robust schedule, with 15 daily flights to hubs such as Atlanta, Georgia, Charlotte, North Carolina, Chicago, Illinois, and Dallas, Texas, plus direct, nondaily connections to at least sunny destinations in Florida.
Photo of Fiesta Evansville by Steve Geis
7. Cultural Diversity Evansville is a community of worldly flavor, with residents from all over the globe who bring their cuisine and customs. A little less than three percent of the population of Vanderburgh, Warrick, Posey, and Gibson counties in Indiana and Henderson, Kentucky, is foreign-born, with those of Hispanic/Latino descent comprising the lion’s share of those residents, and the Marshall Islands, Haiti, China, and India also represented here. This cultural diversity is reflected in the city’s events. Volksfest is a nod to the area’s German heritage, while Fiesta Evansville and HOLA Evansville celebrate local Latinos. The Cultural Society of India, Haitian Center of Evansville, and Grace of Christ Slavic Church recently began hosting festivals with food and cultural activities, and for more than 20 years, the Islamic Society of Evansville’s International Food Festival has been an autumn staple.
Photo of the University of Southern Indiana provided by source
8. Our Schools Much of Evansville’s day-to-day culture and life is centered around education. Futures are made here, starting with the Evansville Vanderburgh School Corporation’s nearly 40 institutions serving students from kindergarten through 12th grade. Signature School was one of Indiana’s first charter high schools and in 2023 was named the top such school in the nation by U.S. News & World Report. Other schools in the city have achieved, as well — the public Oak Hill Elementary School and parochial St. Wendel Catholic School were among 16 in Indiana to receive national blue ribbon status in 2024 from the U.S. Department of Education. The Catholic Diocese of Evansville, Evansville Day School, Evansville Lutheran School, Evansville Christian School, and Joshua Academy provide more private and public education options for families. In higher education, the University of Evansville has a nationally renowned theater program. The University of Southern Indiana, situated on 1,400 acres just west of Evansville, is Indiana’s fastest-growing comprehensive university. Medical education students from UE, USI, and Indiana University study in the Stone Family Center for Health Sciences in the city’s Downtown. Ivy Tech Community College’s Evansville campus readies students for the workforce in a variety of fields.
Photo of the Evansville Thunderbolts provided by source
9. We’re a Sports Town
Sports is in our blood, and the city’s schools and playgrounds have produced star athletes such as Olympic gold medalist swimmer Lilly King, retired Yankees first baseman Don Mattingly, and Miami Dolphins Hall of Fame quarterback Bob Griese. High school sports traditions and rivalries span generations and spark passionate debates, while the University of Evansville Aces and University of Southern Indiana Screaming Eagles provide the city with two NCAA Division I college sports programs; USI started its Division I transition in 2022. Both universities have storied men’s basketball traditions; each won national championships in Division II. Speaking of sports tradition, Bosse Field dates to 1915 and has been home to the Frontier League’s Otters professional baseball club for 30 years. Downtown Evansville features the Ford Center, where the UE men’s basketball team and Thunderbolts pro hockey club play.
Photo of Bally’s Evansville by Michael Gray Photography
10. Downtown is the Heart of the City Downtown Evansville has lived many lives, but it’s long been the center of local government and a key spot for city commerce and entertainment. It’s where Sears opened its first retail store in the U.S. in 1925. The Civic Center’s opening in 1969 cut Main Street into two parts and turned the south part of Main into a pedestrian mall, “The Walkway,” for 31 years. The Ford Center’s opening in 2011, Bally’s Evansville’s move from a riverboat to land in 2017, and the implosion of a vacant 18-story tower in 2021 (followed by a redevelopment project that is ongoing) have helped define the area. Today’s Downtown continues to evolve, and it’s a melting pot of interests and experiences. Residents and visitors can dine and shop, take in a sporting event or a show, prowl a museum, library, or the scenic Ohio Riverfront, or enjoy the hustle and bustle of the casino. We love our Downtown and look forward to its continued resurgence.
Photo of the U.S. LST-325 by Zach Straw
11. How We Honor Our History, Wartime and Otherwise It started in 1812 with Evansville’s founding. The city’s history is marked right at its center by the floating U.S.S. LST-325 on the Downtown riverfront — 167 LSTs were produced in the adjacent shipyard — bringing World War II history buffs to explore. Evansville Wartime Museum, which anchors the Hoosier State’s military trail, documents the city’s grit during wartime and preserves artifacts to keep that history alive. The city proudly wears its National Parks Service designation as one of America’s 38 WWII Heritage cities. Still, Evansville’s history is not solely defined by war; it includes walking tours highlighting the differing eras of architecture in the Riverside Historic District and the historic Black neighborhood of Baptisttown. At the Evansville Museum of Arts, History & Science, moments in the city’s timeline are displayed in rotating exhibits. The city’s library systems — Evansville Vanderburgh Public Library branches and Willard Public Library — often host historians and experts for public talks on how the River City grew up. The truth about Evansville’s history is that no matter where you go in the city, there’s no escaping it.
Photo of “Seated Woman in Red hat” at the Evansville Museum of Arts, History & Science by Kristen K. Tucker
12. Museum Experiences
Our city packs in five museums with a wide range of collections and topics. Black history is well documented at the Evansville African American Museum, which has continued its preservation work through the reburial of graves unearthed during Downtown’s Toyota Trinity Stormwater Project in 2024. The Victorian-era Reitz Home Museum stands as one of the area’s best examples of French Second Empire architecture, preserved by the dedication of volunteers. The Reitz Home often welcomes tours of schoolchildren who may also visit the three-story Koch Family Children’s Museum of Evansville, whose interactive exhibits and events — like a sandy beach on Fifth Street each summer — encourage learning and creativity. Evansville Wartime Museum shares how the city’s efforts shaped the course of World War II and includes artifacts like a P-47 Thunderbolt airplane and a 1943 Chrysler M4A4 Sherman Tank known as “Rosie’s Revenge,” as well as special exhibits depicting the horrors of the Holocaust. On the Downtown riverfront, the Evansville Museum of Arts, History & Science displays exhibits featuring local and regional artists’ work — plus “Seated Woman in Red Hat,” a rediscovered glass mosaic by Spanish artist Pablo Picasso — as well as artifacts from the area’s history. The museum’s Koch Immersive Theater & Planetarium also is a draw.
Photo of the Evansville Philharmonic by Daniel Knight/Studio B Photography
13. The Arts Scene Evansville has cultivated a rich arts culture. The Evansville Philharmonic delights audiences every year with its orchestra and chorus performing a schedule of concerts that spans genres from pop to classical. Christmas in Evansville is not complete without Peppermint Pops — featuring a kick line from the North High School Huskettes — and Handel’s “Messiah,” performed by candlelight at historic Trinity United Methodist Church. Nutcracker performances from Ballet Indiana and the Children’s Center for Dance Education also boost the holiday spirit. Music festivals dominate the summer social calendar, including First Fridays at the Haynie’s Corner Arts District neighborhood, where musicians perform and artists display their work for sale along the streets. Public broadcasting station WNIN hosts its Jazz Fest in mid-July. Patrons walk through the latest installations to get to the Arts Council of Southwestern Indiana’s summertime On the Roof concert series, while the Reitz Home Museum hosts Wine Down to the Weekend on Thursdays. For the Sake of the Song is a relatively new music festival highlighting local songwriters. Old National Events Plaza, Victory Theatre, and Ford Center host national touring talent year-round, driving traffic to Downtown. For the visual arts, both Twymon and Inman galleries display work from area artists and makers, as does the Evansville Museum.
Photo of the Arwood Family Treehouse at Wesselman Woods by Audra Straw
14. Green Spaces For a population of 115,332, Evansville has plenty of city parks. The city’s Department of Parks and Recreation manages 45 community, neighborhood, and pocket parks, which add to residents’ health and quality of life. Garvin Park eventually became the home of Bosse Field, the third-oldest U.S. baseball park in continuous operation, and four years ago, Deaconess Aquatic Center. The city’s parks also host a variety of amenities, including golf at Helfrich Park, basketball at Tepe Park, and swimming at Lorraine and Howell parks. They are places for community gathering, exercise, and entertainment, including the annual Music in the Park concert series that bounces between city parks every other week during the summer.
The Wesselman Woods Nature Preserve boasts the Welborn Baptist Foundation Nature Playscape, a five-acre spot for children to explore, as well as the Arwood Family Treehouse, which was 10 years in the making before opening in 2024. Kids can navigate ramps, rock walls, rope bridges, and climbing ropes on the treehouse and take in a view of the forest 12 feet above ground.
Looking for a combination of nature and history, as well as archeological wonders? Visit Angel Mounds State Historic Site. Established in 1938 and covering 600 acres, Angel Mounds has a 1.4-mile outdoor trail, as well as a recently updated indoor exhibit featuring modern perspectives on Mississippian history and traditions.
Photo of the Evansville Vanderburgh Public Library McCollough branch by Adin Parks
15. Love of Learning
Evansville’s strong public libraries have evolved with technology and offer diverse programming for all ages and interests. Evansville Vanderburgh Public Library has eight physical locations, with the centerpiece (literally and figuratively) being its massive Central branch Downtown. EVPL’s East and West branches were funded by Andrew Carnegie; a third Carnegie library on Cherry Street served Black residents and was razed in the 1970s. The extensively renovated McCollough branch on Washington Avenue has mapped out coming improvements across the system.EVPL also provides around-the-clock online services for job seekers, students, or those hungry for knowledge, as well as a quirky Library of Things — physical items like bocce ball sets and cake pans in the shape of a Darth Vader helmet that cardholders can borrow, use, and bring back. The city also is home to Willard Public Library, a towering Gothic Revival structure designed by James W. Reid and opened in 1885. It joined the National Register of Historic Places in 1972. Revered for its genealogical collections, Willard also hosts seasonal Shakespeare plays on the lawn and boasts the “Grey Lady” apparition, who may be spotted during ghost tours each fall.
Photo of Evansville Germania Maennerchor’s Volksfest by Adin Parks
16. Our German Heritage Driving around Evansville, you’ll get a crash course — figuratively! — in our German heritage just by glancing at street names. Influenced by the city’s woodworking, sawmill, and cabinetry settlers, locals know Boeke Road is not pronounced “Bo-kah” — that’s the restaurant and lounge at Haynie’s Corner. Rather, the German influence on the region turns the street name’s “oe” into an Anglicanized “ay” sound, so it comes out at “Bay-kee.” There are plenty of other examples, among them Boehne (Bay-nee), Diefenbach (Dee-fen-bahk), Dreier (Dry-ehr), Eickhoff (Ike-hoff), Hartke (Hart-key), Helfrich (Helf-rick), Reitz (Righ-tzt), Tekoppel (Tee-cup-uhl), or Weinbach (Wine-bahk). German influence doesn’t stop with the way we speak — it also comes out in what we eat. Several restaurants serve German dishes, but Gerst Haus makes Bavarian cuisine its specialty, serving up steaming plates of kraut balls, German potato salad, sauerbraten, pig knuckles, bratwurst, fried bologna, and a variety of schnitzels, plus a selection of imported beers. Celebrating 125 years, Evansville Germania Maennerchor sings the praises — literally: “maennerchor” means men’s choir — of the River City’s German heritage, hosting the three-day Volksfest each August, a Christkindlmarkt each winter, and fish fries each Lent.
Photo of outdoor dining at Smitty’s Italian Steakhouse by Laura Mathis
17. West Franklin Street If it feels like West Franklin Street cuts through its own little town, that’s because it once did. The neighboring community of Lamasco was platted in 1837 and geographically cut off from Evansville by Pigeon Creek. Eventually incorporated into the adjacent city, the area around West Franklin Street still has a personality all its own. Functioning as a kind of main street, the main drag sports its own restaurants, shops and services, and nightlife. Holding court along West Franklin Street is Evansville Vanderburgh Public Library’s West Branch, a Carnegie structure. Groups like the West Side Nut Club have taken over the street to stage popular events like car shows, the Franklin Street Bazaar each summer, and the Nut Club’s signature Fall Festival. Arguably, no other stretch of road in Evansville has such a distinct flair.
Photo of the Barbecue rib platter from Hickory Pit Stop provided by source
18. Local Flavors It’s not just the chain restaurants that line the East Side shopping centers that give Evansville its flavor. You can find Himalayan cuisine at Yak & Yeti, Korean dishes at Jaya’s Authentic Food, and Central and South American signatures at the new Sazón y Fuego. Stop in for Southern comfort food at Comfort by the Cross-Eyed Cricket, savor smoky barbecue from Hickory Pit Stop, indulge in Italian and Thai cuisine at Pangea Kitchen, and find Middle Eastern specialties at Cafe Arazu. There’s no shortage of variety, which gets put on display every year at the city’s 130-plus West Side Nut Club Fall Festival booths. Find hush puppies, corn dogs, funnel cakes, and fried anything, plus — for the truly adventurous — Zombie boogers, elephant tears, moink balls, meatwads, and more.
Vann Park Neighborhood’s annual Easter egg hunt photo by Joy Payne
19. Friendly Neighborhood Spirit This is a big city with a small-town culture, drawing from the surrounding rural area where two friends are bound to bump into each other unplanned, so it’s easy to feel at home. A walk along residential streets often reveals sidewalk chalk displaying a message or drawings from some creative children, and passersby don’t just take in the view — some, like in the Vann Park neighborhood, leave out chalk so little artists can continue their public drawing pursuits. The idea of a neighborhood cookout goes strong with neighborhood association-organized events around chili, soup, and more. Contests like 911 Gives Hope’s Guns and Hoses may pit police officers against firefighters in the boxing ring, but in the end, they’re all fighting for a cure for Prader-Willi Syndrome. Nonprofits tap into that neighborly spirit for charitable events like The Longest Table, Rotary Club’s Santa Run, Evansville Rescue Mission’s Drumstick Dash, YMCA of Southwestern Indiana’s Half Marathon, and River City Rodeo, which all draw big crowds of supporters.
Photo of Alhambra Theater at Haynie’s Corner Arts District by Zach Straw
20. Historic Districts and Architecture Evansville has plenty of history in its neighborhoods. The Riverside Preservation Area, established by local code in 1962 and listed on the National Register of Historic Places, is made up of 238 properties within walking distance of Downtown and the Haynie’s Corner Arts District. Lincolnshire, located just east of U.S. 41 and north of Benjamin Bosse High School, is known for its Colonial Revival, Tudor Revival, and English Cottage properties. Another East Side district, Hebron-Meadows, boasts blocks of low-slung mid-century modern homes. Efforts by the Historic Preservation Commission within the city’s Department of Metropolitan Development aim to encourage the preservation and restoration of historic sites, drawing attention to them as important cultural assets.
Evansville, IN (3/18/2025) — Tucker Publishing Group, Inc. is marking the 25th year of its flagship publication, Evansville Living, with special anniversary coverage and a redesigned look.
The March/April issue, on newsstands now, offers a modern view of the city’s skyline on the cover, as photographed in February 2025 by Zach Straw. The image harkens back to the original March/April 2000 cover image of Downtown Evansville shot by Fred Reaves in early 2000 near Reitz Hill. Inside, a feature package reflects on how the magazine has covered highlights in the city’s history, spurred change in the community, and other boots-on-the-ground reporting experiences.
“Our staff and I are extremely proud of showcasing the best things that our community has to offer. Often, people say they feel only bad news gets reported, and we have demonstrated that a community does, indeed, want good news, good stories, and good content,” says Tucker Publishing Group, Inc. President Todd Tucker. “As one of the smallest markets in the City & Regional Magazine Association, to have a subscriber-based and paid-for publication, it speaks volumes to the support we have received from our readers and advertisers.”
As part of the anniversary, the magazine sports a refreshed nameplate, new trim size, and more attractive page design, plus three newly titled editorial sections and a revamped dining guide and events calendar.
“The 25th anniversary issue seemed like the perfect time to take a fresh look at the way we present our content,” says Creative Director Laura Mathis. “The nameplate was updated with new typography — our third iteration in 25 years. The width was increased by a quarter inch, allowing us to better showcase the photography and stories in a friendly, approachable manner. While renaming editorial sections, we combined our Good Living and Culture sections into a new section called The Bend — a name we use to present our place and history on the bend in the Ohio River that has defined Evansville since its beginning.”
“Today the staff of Tucker Publishing Group, Inc., does just what we aimed to do when we published the first issue of Evansville Living in March 2000,” says Publisher & Editor Kristen K. Tucker. “That is to tell the real, authentic stories of Evansville — the people, places, and things that make the River City unique and special to those who live, work, or visit here. It’s been a privilege to be trusted with these stories for a quarter of a century. Even as we are celebrating this milestone, our staff looks to the future, focusing on new and updated stories to tell, now in a refreshed, redesigned Evansville Living.”
Evansville Living will celebrate its anniversary with a ribbon cutting April 9 at 10 a.m. at its office at 25 N.W. Riverside Drive, as well as through appearances on several regional media outlets this spring.
About Tucker Publishing Group, Inc.:
Founded in 1999, Tucker Publishing Group, Inc., publishes the bi-monthly magazines Evansville Living and Evansville Business, as well as other ancillary and custom publications. Learn more at evansvilleliving.com.
Photo of the Thunderbolts celebrating their decisive semifinals victory April 18 by Bailey Hardin; provided by Evansville Thunderbolts
For the first time in its eight-season history, the Evansville Thunderbolts are headed to the Southern Professional Hockey League’s President’s Cup championship series. And after fighting hard to earn a 4-3 double overtime victory in the finals’ first game April 23, the Bolts are just one win away from clinching their first cup.
After the Thunderbolts’ inaugural semifinals appearance last season, the minor league hockey team — which debuted in Evansville in the 2016-27 season, sat out the 2020-21 season, and is owned by arena management company VenuWorks, Inc. — made a comeback during the 2024-25 regular season that steered it to its fifth playoffs appearance. That didn’t happen by chance.
Photo of the team celebrating goalie Cole Ceci’s playoffs performance April 18 by Bailey Hardin; provided by Evansville Thunderbolts
“We had a meeting, I think it was a little bit after Christmas,” says goalie Cole Ceci, an Ottawa, Ontario, Canada, native and two-year Thunderbolt whose elder brother, Cody, is a defenseman with the NHL’s Dallas Stars. “We were in ninth place … like, maybe a point off the playoffs. We were saying how we kind of got away from what our goals were at the beginning of the year. We were … more focused on just making the playoffs. We asked, ‘Well, what happened? What changed? We wanted to be a championship team at the beginning of the year, so why are we now just settling for trying to only make it to the playoffs?’ So, we really kind of flipped the switch.”
Under the leadership of head coach Jeff Bes, the Thunderbolts finished the 2024-25 regular season with 56 points, good enough to earn the seventh seed in the eight-team playoffs series. The Bolts split two Round 1 games with the second-seed Havoc of Huntsville, Alabama, before securing a semifinals berth April 12 with a 4-3 victory in Huntsville.
The Bolts skated with that momentum, dominating their two Round 2 games against the league-leading Peoria (Illinois) Rivermen. After a 2-0 win in Peoria on April 16, nearly 3,300 hockey fans filled Evansville’s Ford Center on April 18 as the Thunderbolts dispatched the President’s Cup defending champions 3-1 at home. Earning their first trip to the title series is even sweeter since the semifinals victory came over the team that had bounced the Bolts from the playoffs in 2024.
“We’ve been an underdog every round,” says captain Matt Hobbs, another Ontario native who has played center for the Bolts for three full seasons. “Just embracing the pressure, enjoying the moment, and being able to play … for a trophy is the most exciting part.”
Photo of captain Matt Hobbs warming up before the Thunderbolts’ April 18 semifinals game against the Peoria Rivermen by Peyton Peters; provided by Evansville Thunderbolts
“It’s always nice when you’re the underdog,” says Ceci. “People aren’t expecting us to win, and we love proving people wrong.”
The Bolts’ hunger for the cup was evident April 23 in Game 1 of the finals, which saw Evansville and the Knoxville (Tennessee) Ice Bears exchange the lead several times and force double overtime at the latter’s home rink. A goal by center and first-year Thunderbolt Derek Contessa tipped the team to a Game 1 victory.
The best-of-three series returns to Evansville on April 24, when the puck drops on Game 2 at 7 p.m. at the Ford Center. If a decisive Game 3 is necessary, it will be at 2 p.m. Central Time April 27 in Knoxville.
How Does Your Garden Grow? Native plant fans Amy Tank and Elizabeth Gaddis have carefully converted green space in their respective East Side gardens into a pollinator’s paradise of plant species native to Southwestern Indiana.
Photo of Amy Tank's native garden in Evansville, Indiana, on Monday, June 10, 2024, by Adin Parks.
Native gardens are on the rise.
Local wildlife, especially bugs and birds, benefits from native gardens, which provide a habitat that complements their natural environment. These gardens also need less water and fertilizer since the plants are familiar with and adapt to their native environment.
Photo of Amy Tank and her dogs in Evansville, Indiana, on Monday, June 10, 2024, by Adin Parks.
Evansville resident Amy Tank’s native garden journey began seven years ago in the East Side backyard she shares with her husband, Bob.
Her backyard features purple coneflower, wild geranium, deciduous holly, elderberry, bald cypress, dogwood, aster, black-eyed Susan, serviceberry, and six types of oak trees. These plants attract local and migratory birds like cardinals, bluejays, and robins, plus the occasional woodpeckers, Carolina wrens, titmouses, and chickadees. Pollina-tors also include bees, moths, and butterflies.
“There are things I’ve let grow that people consider weeds,” Tank says. “I don’t care about having a perfect lawn.”
Photo of Elizabeth Gaddis’ native garden in Evansville, Indiana, on Monday, June 10, 2024, by Adin Parks
Elizabeth Gaddis, an operations engineer at SABIC, relies on an Excel spreadsheet to help her East Side native garden bloom from April through October.
“I mapped it out before I started planting,” Gaddis says. “Every season, I have different flowers pop up.”
She enlisted the help of INPS Southwest and Ancient Roots Native Nursery in Poseyville, Indiana, to sort out her front flower bed’s original “mish-mash.” Gaddis and Tank agree that it’s difficult to purchase native plants locally as there are not a lot of local nurseries that sell natives.
Photo of flowers in Elizabeth Gaddis’ native garden by Kristen K. Tucker
Gaddis highlights the “great community” as a major benefit of native gardening.
Gaddis has 20 native plant species in her garden, such as sand coreopsis, blue vervain, turtle head, blazing stars, compass plant, and swamp mallow. Her milk-weed plants attract Monarch butterflies in summer, and her garden sees goldfinches, hummingbirds, caterpillars, moths, bees, and wasps.
“If you take care of the little animals, it takes care of the big ones,” she says.
The bold blue trailer, easily recognizable to Evansville residents as the JB’s Barnyard ice cream truck, had been parked Downtown for only 20 minutes when a line began to form. While owners Briley and Jared Simpkins were visiting for an interview with Evansville Living, the young couple still served customers with the same contagious positivity that’s become a benchmark of their brand.
Founded in May 2021, JB’s Barnyard — named for Jared and Briley’s initials — travels the Tri-State seasonally, serving homemade ice cream from Chaney’s Dairy Barn in Bowling Green, Kentucky, at private events, community gatherings, and food truck festivals.
“We always knew for years that we wanted to do some sort of business; we just didn’t know what,” says Briley. “But what better way to bring smiles to Evansville than with ice cream?”
Both Tri-State natives — Briley hails from Newburgh, Indiana, and Jared is from Evansville — the couple didn’t cross paths until college when they were both students at Western Kentucky University in Bowling Green. Graduating in 2016, Jared received a degree in construction engineering, while Briley holds a bachelor’s degree in agriculture with an emphasis in agronomy, the study of field crops.
“When we met in college, what struck up the conversation was, ‘Oh, wait, you’re from Evansville, so am I.’ And then we both had aspirations to move away after college,” says Briley. “Once we moved back (to Evansville), we knew it was our place to stay for sure.”
An estimator at Sterling Industrial LLC and a supervisor at Mead Johnson respectively, Jared and Briley got married in 2019. As the couple were stuck at home during the COVID-19 pandemic, their entrepreneurial desires came to the forefront.
In the midst of self-help books and inspirational readings, Briley found herself reflecting on her career path, which led her back to one of her favorite jobs.
Working at Chaney’s Dairy Barn while attending WKU, Briley milked cows, fed calves, maintained the farm, and worked in the onsite ice cream shop. As the idea for JB’s slowly developed, a vision the Simpkins like to say was truly given to them by God, collaborating with Chaney’s became a no-brainer.
In October 2020, they visited the farm and struck a deal with the owners, Carl and Debra Chaney. The Simpkins now make monthly trips to the dairy farm to stock up on ice cream they store in a local commissary freezer.
“The milk they get from their cows goes into this ice cream,” says Briley. “They have Jersey cows on the farm, which are the brown cows. But what’s super unique about Jersey cows is that they have a much higher percentage of butter fat in their milk, so that’s why we have the creamiest ice cream you can get on the market.”
JB’s trailer cooler can carry 16 flavors at a time, each as irresistible as the next. Their best seller is the Wow Now Brownie Cow made of chocolate ice cream, chocolate flakes, chocolate swirl, and brownies. The cheesecake flavors, such as strawberry or blueberry, are also popular.
This summer, dairy-free options also will make a debut with a mango sorbet. All ice cream is sold as a single or double scoop in a cup or a waffle cone. The Simpkins also make Moo Shakes, their version of a milkshake, out of every flavor, and they seasonally have Mini Moos, a warm chocolate chip cookie served with ice cream on top.
They may not make the ice cream themselves, but Jared and Briley still put their own signature on every scoop.
“Trying all of the flavors and making different combinations honestly is really fun,” says Jared. “My favorite is the old fashioned, so it’s the bourbon crunch with the wild cherry. We’ll do the chocolate monkey, which is the Wow Now Brownie Cow with our banana ice cream. We try to put our own little twist to it.”
“It’s really neat just to be able to bring the ice cream from (Chaney’s) to Evansville and truly be able to say this is made on a dairy farm,” adds Briley.
Chaney’s also influenced JB’s logo. The incredibly detailed image hand-painted by local artist Victoria Ricketts depicts Bobbie, Briley’s favorite cow at Chaney’s. Now, the cow’s light brown snout and dark puppy-dog eyes are a sign to crowds that JB’s has arrived on the scene.
Bobbie is shown on decals printed by Slade Print across the Simpkins’ trailer, which Jared renovated. Originally a cargo trailer with a bare plywood interior, Jared redesigned the space for a clean, farmhouse chic design and functionality. He also cut the service window and installed the foldable, wooden counter.
“I’ve worked in construction a long time, so you learn a lot of skills along the way that help you in your future path,” he says.
A year since they served their first scoop, the couple has built a following in the community.
Both Jared and Briley agree that meeting and talking to new people has been their favorite part of the journey so far. From posting up in neighborhoods for an afternoon to signing up for major events such as the Evansville Food Truck Festival, they’re ready to make more friends and serve up even more of residents’ favorite flavors.
“We’ve got pretty big aspirations for the company,” says Briley. “We’re not necessarily revealing what our plan is, but we always like to say we’re a little ice cream trailer with big dreams. Our journey is going to be long, but we are so confident in the support we’ve already had from the community.”
Many know of famed architect Frank Lloyd Wright, but Evansville’s 1934 prototype of his Usonian style continues to fly under the radar — hopefully, says curator Emily Wilderman, not for much longer.
Evansville resident and Wright collaborator William Wesley Peters built the 552-square-foot curiosity, complete with geometric architecture and a flat roof, for his relatives the Margedants at 1506 E. Indiana St., a fascinating story captured by Evansville Living in the July/August 2013 article “Not Quite Wright.” With support from Indiana Landmarks, the University of Evansville, and the city’s Department of Metropolitan Development, the now-called Peters-Margedant House was lifted and moved in 2016 to UE, Peters’ alma mater. A private foundation has custody of the house.
“UE backed the initiative and helps maintain the house; we, in turn, work with students to create a space to learn and study from,” Wilderman says.
The house is open for free tours and hosts students for learning activities, which can be mutually beneficial. A spring 2020 ChangeLab class provided significant improvements, including upgraded interior lighting, in a collaboration that Wilderman says gives students “real-world issues to work on.”
A Tecumseh High School class studying housing and interior design recently visited the home to learn about the Usonian style.
“The students in this class were very engaged; they asked wonderful questions,” Wilderman says. “That’s a goal of ours, to outreach to schools to get more classes in to visit.”
Photo of the Veterans Memorial Coliseum exterior by Zach Straw
The price to preserve historic buildings is high, Vanderburgh County officials say, and such is the case for the renovations and upgrades to Veterans Memorial Coliseum.
Officials cite progress, even though there isn’t a lot to see yet. Phase one of renovations — with a $6 million price tag — has involved heating, air, security, and electrical upgrades and repairs and is near completion.
Opened in 1917, the Coliseum — also referred to as the Soldiers and Sailors Memorial Coliseum — was designed by Clifford Shopbell & Company to honor veterans of the Civil War and Spanish-American War. Several rooms still sport military themes and hold mementos. The structure cost $180,000 to build, equating to almost $5 million today.
It hosted the memorial services for James Bethel Gresham in 1917, a first U.S. combat fatality in World War I and an Evansville resident. It also used to be the home of the Hadi Shrine Circus before Roberts Municipal Stadium was built. In its heyday, the venue featured entertainers such as Ray Charles, Louis Armstrong, and Katherine Hepburn. Bingo fundraisers, roller derbies, and National Wrestling Alliance matches occupied the venue in recent years.
“This is an icon of the community fabric,” says Jeff Justice, president of Evansville architectural firm Hafer. “It sits right on the axis of Fourth and Main, one of the most important streets in Downtown Evansville. To have this go the way of the L&N train station would have been terrible.”
Photo of new HVAC systems by Maggie Valenti
“The L&N train station and the Iron Orr Building … those were beautiful structures just like this one and it’s a shame. … Preservation is the way to go,” says Jill Hahn, president of the Vanderburgh County Council.
The American Rescue Plan Act funded the first phase of upgrades. Seth Euler, a division manager with Harrell-Fish, Inc. — a mechanical contracting and service firm based in Bloomington, Indiana — has overseen all of the initial upgrades, guided by Hafer. The work focused on removing the existing HVAC systems, including replacing a 160-ton chiller, and installing three new 10,000+ CFM air handling units, two 2,000,000 BTU boilers, four hydronic pumps, and 25 new variable air volume boxes to provide zone temperature control.
Lighting fixtures to be reinstalled or replaced at the Veterans Memorial Coliseum. Photo by Maggie Valenti
There also is new ductwork and a new HVAC control system. These installations involved finding small and large concealed spaces in the space to fit pipes and ductwork through, Euler says.
“Our job is to make sure this all gets done and happens,” says David Rector, general manager of the Evansville-Vanderburgh County Building Authority. “Without that $6 million, I think this is another building that would have been demolished at some point.”
Finding those spaces also was useful when placing new electrical servicing and wiring for updated equipment, including new lighting. While some of the old fixtures that used to light up the stage and dance floor will be repurposed, some have outlived their usefulness.
Photo of the newly installed fire suppression system by Maggie Valenti
More large additions are new fire suppression and alarm systems, which did not exist before, to keep up with occupancy codes. While the initial phase of updates was funded by ARPA, further plans will be funded by additional grants and fundraising, which will avoid a burden on taxpayers, Hahn emphasizes.
Phase two involves bringing the building up to compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act, costing around $3.5 million, which means events can start to be hosted. The Evansville Civic Theatre is eying the stage for plays, and the Captain Henry Vanderburgh chapter of the Daughters of the American Revolution also would like to host events there, according to Hahn. She also sees the space being used as a venue for weddings and bridal showers. The hope was to have the space open for events by 2025, including hosting a fundraising event in November.
“I can say pretty much on behalf of the commissioners and the county council that $6 million was a great opportunity that was given to us by the federal government with ARPA dollars. Neither body is really big on putting a burden on the taxpayers,” Hahn says. “This is going to be a community effort to fundraise.”
The future still holds a lot for the Coliseum. The space still is in want of major renovations that would turn it into another quality events venue. On the horizon are updates to the entrance foyer, the Grand Army of the Republic room, and the Spanish American War Veterans room, as well as the cleaning of two paintings, depicting colonization and industrialization, in the event space, which have browned due to age and the days of heavy smoking indoors.
Photo of the Veterans Memorial Coliseum event space on April 14, 2025, by Maggie Valenti
Still, the full restoration could take between five to 10 years, but Hahn says it will take as long as it needs to in order to save this historic landmark. The total price tag — including phases three and four of renovations — could range from $20 to $25 million.
“I really believe once people get in here and start having some of the fun that they once did, dances and things like that, hopefully, funding will follow,” Hahn says.
Name the Evansville paint company that originated the bull’s-eye logo now used by national retail chain Target.
What does Lic’s stand for?
What kids’ TV show aired on WEHT-TV — then on Channel 50 — from 1961 to 1986 and featured characters named Peggy, Clancy the Cop, and puppets like Buster Bear?
Where did Evansville’s founder Hugh McGary build his cabin?
Who is the namesake of Enlow Field?
What television station used the slogan “First In Evansville” as its call letters?
Name the famous blues composer from Henderson, Kentucky, who once worked on the brick paving of Fourth Street in Downtown Evansville.
What future U.S. president ate at The Log Inn restaurant in 1844?
Name the Harrison High School football player who was a linebacker for the Minnesota Vikings from 1977 to 1990.
What paving company marked its new sidewalks with a bronze horseshoe that still can be seen throughout the Riverside Historic District?
Highlight the hidden text below for answers!
Red Spot Paint & Varnish
Lloyd’s Ice Cream Shoppes
The Peggy Mitchell Show
Main Street and Riverside Drive
Charles “C.B.” Enlow, a local banker and newspaper executive
KAY C’S BARKVILLE AT WOODMERE. PHOTO OF KATHERINE AND LISA REISING WITH HENRI AND HAZEL BY ZACH STRAW.
Evansville has gone to the dogs.
The city’s reputation as a pup-friendly community is best exemplified in a growing number of dog parks, plus the many bars and restaurants that fully embrace the ideology that a dog is everyone’s best friend. Instead of making Fido sit at home, bring them along when you go out on the town.
If you’re in the mood for a cup of joe, Honey Moon Coffee Co., Parlor Doughnuts, Penny Lane Coffeehouse, and Joe Brewski Coffee fill you up while you relax with your dog on their patios. For sit-down dining, your pet can join you for an al fresco meal at COMFORT by the Cross-Eyed Cricket, Gerst Haus, Hilltop Inn, Cosmos Bistro, El Charro, Shah’s Halal Food, and The Granola Jar, among others.
BARKER BREWHOUSE. PHOTO PROVIDED BY SOURCE
If going out for a drink sounds like fun, stop by Damsel Brew Pub, Haynie’s Corner Brewing Co., Bokeh Lounge, Industry Bar, Barker Brewhouse, and Mo’s House. The latter three businesses are so laid back, your dog can walk right through the front door with you and lounge inside.
While some restaurants offer pup cups for your pet, K9 Kitchen & Barkery and Prime Time Pub & Grill North actually have their own dog menus.
K9 KITCHEN AND BARKERY MENU PHOTO PROVIDED BY SOURCE
Even Evansville’s pro sports teams invite fans’ pups to enjoy a game. One of the Thunderbolts hockey team’s most popular theme nights gives free admission to pups at the Ford Center, and the Otters Frontier League baseball team regularly welcomes canines to Bosse Field during Dog Days of Summer.
Most establishments have standard rules: be prepared to clean up after your pet and ensure they are comfortable and nonaggressive in a public setting. If unsure, best to leave your friend at home.
If your pup is in the mood for exercise or social interaction, the Evansville area is home to at least five designated dog parks for outdoor fun. Kay C’s Barkville at Woodmere off Lincoln Avenue at the Evansville State Hospital park; Earthborn Holistic Dog Park in Downtown; Historic Corner Private Dog Park near Haynie’s Corner Arts District; Central Bark Dog Park on North First Avenue; and Pippero Pup Park in Newburgh welcome dogs, large and small. Some may have entrance fees or membership requirements, so check with each park before letting your pup run loose.
PIPPERO PUP PARK. PHOTO PROVIDED BY WARRICK PARKS FOUNDATION.
The Bauerhaus offers a versatile setting for a variety of events, from intimate gatherings to grand celebrations. Its Bavarian-inspired architecture, combined with modern amenities, provides a unique backdrop that captivates guests. Whether you’re planning a wedding, corporate event, or private party, the venue’s dedicated team ensures every detail is meticulously executed.
The house is open for free tours and hosts students for learning activities, which can be mutually beneficial. A spring 2020 ChangeLab class provided significant improvements, including upgraded interior lighting, in a collaboration that Wilderman says gives students “real-world issues to work on.”
