Friday marks an unofficial but totally Southwestern Indiana holiday: 812 Day. (That’s Aug. 12. Wink!) As Evansville’s city magazine of more than 20 years, Evansville Living takes pride in showing off the best our area has to offer — and it’s a lot. Here is our list of quintessential activities to help you celebrate Southwestern Indiana.
Sip a Custom Brew
Myriad Brewing Company
Open 2-11 p.m. at 101 S.E. First St., Ste. 1
Open 2-10:30 p.m. at 8245 High Pointe Drive, Newburgh, IN
Evansville has lots of craft brews, but only Myriad Brewing Company’s signature beer pays homage to its area code. 812 is a cream ale with 4.5 percent ABV, perfect for a cooling off on a hot summer day. Want to take it to-go? Grab a growler of 812 or a four-pack. Also this Friday, Myriad’s two locations will be visited by area food trucks: Tuck into a savory sandwich from Two Farmers Burgers and Beignets in Downtown Evansville, or get “stuft” with burgers and fries from Stuft Food Truck at the Newburgh location.
Shop for Branded Goods
River City Coffee + Goods
Open 7 a.m.-7 p.m. at 223 Main St.
River City prides itself on Evansville-proud products. This weekend, shoppers can score that merch at a 20 percent discount. Dress yourself in an Evansville-branded T-shirt or script baseball hat, or stock up on themed magnets, stickers, postcards, and books. Coffee fan? Store your pour-over in River City’s classic grey “Evansville” coffee mug. Luckily, River City sells a classic duffel bag emblazoned with the city’s name to store all your purchases.
Get Outside
Wesselman Woods Nature Preserve
Open 9 a.m.-5 p.m. at 551 N. Boeke Road
Howell Wetlands, 1400 S. Tekoppel Ave.
Lincoln State Park, State Road 162, Lincoln City, IN
Our area code offers world-class nature experiences, starting with Wesselman Woods Nature Preserve. Its 200 acres of old-growth forest is the largest tract in any urban area in the U.S. and features wilderness trails winding through habitats for mammals, reptiles, amphibians, birds, and arthropods. Wesselman Woods also maintains the 35 acres of Howell Wetlands, Indiana’s largest urban marshland. Visitors can stroll more than two miles of hiking trails, wooden walkways, and bridges to spy habitats for muskrats, beavers, heron, geese, and deer. Venture east to Spencer County and go fishing or hiking at Lincoln State Park. This Friday, visitors can enjoy a guided walk through several historic sites associated with Abraham Lincoln or hike to the park’s fire tower, a 120-foot-tall steel framework erected in 1934 and still climbable … if you can stand the height.
Catch a Drive-In Movie
Holiday Drive-In
Open 7 p.m.-midnight at 646 N. State Route 161, Rockport, IN
Six screens serve up exciting double features for only $10 per adult or $5 per youth at the only drive-in movie theater in 100 miles. Enjoy family-friendly fare with “Minions: The Rise of Gru” and “Jurassic World Dominion: The Junior Novelization,” get your Marvel Cinematic Universe fill with “Thor: Love and Thunder” and “Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness,” or take on high-octane adventure with a showing of “Top Gun: Maverick” and “The Lost City,” among other films. This weekend’s flicks kick off at 8:15 p.m. daily. Save some cash for Holiday’s concessions, or do as Jackson Tucker does: The younger son of Tucker Publishing Group owners Todd and Kristen Tucker likes to detour to TF Ice Cream in Boonville, Indiana, on his way to the drive-in and order a cheese-smothered chilidog and hand-dipped ice cream cone for the road.
Read Evansville Living
There is no better way to brush up on all things Evansville — as well as the Tri-State — than flipping through the pages of our Evansville Living, Evansville Business, and City View magazines. From deconstructed food dishes and stunning home tours to exclusive interviews and behind-the-scenes stories, we’ve got colorful community news covered. Want to have the full magazine experience digitally? Head to our website or check out our digital editions.