July/August 2024

“I used to say I wasn’t African because I was born in the U.S.A.,” says Marilyn Miller of Evansville, among 31 pilgrims who visited Alabama civil rights locations recently. “But after the pilgrimage, I have changed my mind. I knew

“The mail jump videos went viral on TikTok. Or maybe it was YouTube.” That’s what I learned from my 22-year-old son when I told him the highlight of a recent trip to Lake Geneva, Wisconsin. And, as it turns out,

No doubt about it, Henderson is a friendly town. When a riverboat tourist visited in 2021 and started meeting local folks, she immediately bought a house and moved here. She apparently wasn’t imagining things. A Southern Living magazine poll published

You don’t have to take longtime residents’ word for it when they say Henderson’s restaurant scene has never been brighter. All you must do is take note of all the cars parked on First, Second, Main, and Water streets most

If someone in Henderson tells you there’s nothing to do, don’t believe them. There’s no shortage of arts and cultural events to create a nice quality of life. MUSIC FESTIVALS Henderson has a string of music festivals in the warm

"Discover Your Nature.” It’s what Henderson County’s community brand suggests. Although that can mean different things to different people, even in a literal sense, there’s plenty of nature to discover here. CITY PARKS Henderson has five parks along the Ohio

Henderson’s economic roots are definitely in the dirt – as in, agriculture. But while farming remains important in Henderson County, its heavy industrial base is crucial to a diversified economy that ranges from medical services to Main Street shops. Henderson

50 States 1,000 Eats — Joe Yogerst for National Geographic 2024, National Geographic Partners “Though plenty of Michelin-starred restaurants are sprinkled through the chapters, roadside diners, mom-and-pop eateries, food trucks, farmers markets, and food halls are also touched on as

Radiant paintings of Stephen Pace, one of Indiana art’s favorite sons, are waiting for you in a new exhibition at the Evansville Museum of Arts, History & Science. “It’s the classic ‘hometown boy makes good’ story,” says Susan Colaricci Sauls,

What makes the University of Evansville men’s soccer special, Marshall Ray says, is “how connected the alumni stay.” UE expects between 50 and 100 former Aces on campus in September for the soccer program’s 50th anniversary. For Ray, it is

It’s quite an accomplishment for an eight-year-old to set a Guinness World Record. In May, Evansville Day School third-grader Louisa Royer was named the world’s youngest drone videographer. A science enthusiast, Louisa requested a drone with picture and video capabilities

Artemis’ story is similar to those of many of Wesselman Woods Nature Preserve’s 23 animal ambassadors. The male Eastern Screech Owl – native to Indiana – escaped with a broken wing after being hit by a car in Phelps County,

Hydrating in summer is key, but it doesn’t have to be boring. This trio of drinks packs in flavor while cooling you off. Pineapple Hula Cider by CiderBoys Tart but sweet, CiderBoys’ Pineapple Hula Cider is Wisconsin made but available

A hospital may not seem like the ideal place to start a cafe, but Ascension St. Vincent Evansville is exactly where Daniel and Maria McClure found their culinary calling. Both worked in the restaurant industry for about a decade, and

When planning a summer picnic, details are important but shouldn’t stress you out. Balancing a satisfying spread with the season’s heat is a process retired chef Pam Heironimus calls “easy breezy.” “From the food safety end of it, you want

The memory remains vivid: It’s July 7, 1984. I’m 16 and a half years old, hanging out in Roberts Municipal Stadium’s parking lot with my friend Mary Trapp. After the sun has set, in the twilight, it finally happens. There

“Ask someone, ‘What was your first concert?’ and pretty good stories almost always come out.” That was the nut graph of a story pitch the Evansville Living editorial offices received in May. (In journalism, a nut graph is a paragraph

This is an extended version of the article that appeared in the July/August 2024 issue of Evansville Living. For a few days in June, the University of Evansville was the darling of college baseball. The Aces stunned No. 1-ranked Tennessee

Here is one week in June for Dekar Justus. Saturday night: Arrive in Des Moines, Iowa, at the Val Air Ballroom to drum for 17-year-old blues guitar prodigy Grace Bowers. Sunday: get back home in Evansville to perform at Mo’s

Evansville offers a lot for music lovers – more than just the big-name touring acts that pass through Downtown venues like the Ford Center, Victory Theatre, or Old National Events Plaza. Local talent is regularly showcased on indoor and outdoor

Catch The Pits on a Saturday night, and you could hear anything. Walk into the club, it could be Dr. Dre. Grabbing a table at a Florida retreat favored by Evansville snowbirds, it’s Gloria Gaynor’s “I Will Survive.” A stop

Kinetic: the most applicable word to describe a Georgia Funkadelic show. It’s not just the music, though the groove does constantly weave through the seven-piece Evansville band during every performance. What’s kinetic is the action on stage that broadcasts from

One could say Hannah Evelyn Jones and music were destined to intertwine. Her grandmother, Evelyn, led a family gospel trio in the 1950s and ‘60s. Her father played in bands and ran sound for musicians on the road. Jones and

Have you ever gone to a concert and wanted to jump onstage with the band, who’s shirtless and covered in sweat? Have you ever wanted to thrash to songs about Hamm’s beer set to charismatic surf punk music? Do you

Explosive acoustic guitar solos. Hard-driving banjo picking. Powerful fiddle playing. Lightning-fast mandolin licks. Intense, high harmonies. And lead singers with a lonesome ache in their voice. These are some of the hallmarks of the American-made music known as bluegrass. Born

Seasonal Arts Council of Southwestern Indiana 212 Main Street • 812-303-3178 Enjoy a birds’-eye view of Downtown when acts like Hannah Evelyn, D.R. Bridges, and Soul N The Pocket perform. Farm 57 3443 Kansas Road • 812-677-5757 Food Trucks at

A vibrant music festival scene unfurls around Evansville each summer, beckoning listeners with relaxed atmospheres, diverse lineups of talent, and engaging activities. From bluegrass celebrations like ROMP and Jerusalem Ridge to community favorites like WNIN’s Jazz Fest and a trio

Jon Hyneman Jon Hyneman educated more than 2,000 students while a band teacher for the North Gibson School Corporation before retiring last year. Perhaps the city’s best jazz bassist, Hyneman stays busy performing with The Pits and picking up gigs

Faerie Ring A self-described heavy rock band from Evansville, Faerie Ring embraces the lost art of the riff. The four-piece act’s slow, thunderous sound has filled venues across the Midwest, including a July tour that puts them in Missouri, Iowa,

Rising Star: Annabel Whitledge Seventeen-year-old Annabel Whitledge got to live out a dream by performing at the Grand Ole Opry in Nashville, Tennessee, in May. The Henderson, Kentucky, native is still in high school, but her country music career is

When Natalie Singer was a student at Scott Elementary School, the Reitz Home Museum was her ideal field trip destination. “It’s one of my favorite field trips I ever had,” says Singer, who became the museum’s executive director June 3.

Constructing a new home takes a leap of faith – even more so if the design is unique. When plotting their dream home, Jeff and Misty Bosse wanted a wholly original residence. It had to meet their family and work

These handcrafted home and body businesses bring artisan products to your doorstep. BLACK CAULDRON SOAP CO. Leticia Farmer’s hand-cut bar soaps ($5.99) from Elberfeld, Indiana, feature scents like Dapper Man and Princess Peach. Home care products include carpet refreshers ($7.49).

Beth Poole loves the dining room wallpaper in the East Side home she’s shared with her husband, Barry, for 28 years. Rolled sometime in the 1950s or ’60s, it features vertical green vines, with pink flowers, blue- birds, and butterflies.

Flowers and plants have been a part of Jesse Diekhoff ’s life for as long as she can remember. Her father runs Phil’s Tree Service in Newburgh, Indiana, and she started working for Colonial Classics, also in Newburgh, when she

Editor's Note: This is an extended version of the article that appears in the October/November 2024 issue of Evansville Business. College years are a time when many young people learn the ins and outs of being adults. At the University of

For years, Darrell Pennington thought he would work until his 70s and enjoy his retirement then. Gradually, he says he considered what it would be like to accelerate retirement, uproot from Evansville, and experience worldly cultures. He realized this would

It welcomes about 30,000 guests annually, and its artifacts come from sources all over the U.S. and the world. And yet, the Indiana Military Museum views itself as an under-the-radar attraction. The destination in Vincennes, Indiana, packs a century-plus of

Matt Hay never considered the possibility of losing his hearing at a young age, but while in college, a medical diagnosis made that a reality. Hay responded by crafting a collection of songs that made him think of the people

He’s arguably the most popular celebrity chef in the world, known for his Michelin-starred restaurants and television shows like “Hell’s Kitchen” and “Master Chef.” He’s the top food influencer on Instagram. And, as of this summer, you can treat yourself

Over the course of nearly 30 years, Chanda has developed an impressive portfolio directing publication design and communications at the Courier & Press and the Evansville Regional Economic Partnership. She holds a Bachelor of Science in fine art from the

“The White House is one of those symbols everyone knows,” says Castle High School teacher Kelly Graber. For such a long and storied history, though, many facts about the White House are unknown to the public. In fact, it was

With 36 studio and live albums released, nearly 2,000 concerts performed, and a loyal following, Joe Bonamassa undeniably is one of the biggest names in blues today. What else could be expected of a musician who got his start at

With a nearly 40-year ban on “happy hour” alcoholic drink specials lifted across the state of Indiana as of July 1, Downtown Evansville business owners decided to have their own “happy hour” fun, with a retail twist. Mary Allen, owner

From its home base in Evansville, Metronet has grown from a small family-owned business into a multi-regional powerhouse, providing high-speed fiber internet to more than 220 communities across 17 states. Its rapid expansion and potential have now caught the eye

It’s late, very late on Saturday night, June 29, 2024. I’m just home from a long weekend at ROMP, the four-day bluegrass festival in Owensboro, Kentucky. I really need to catch up on some much-needed sleep, but here I sit:

French fries — wedges, curly, crisp, long, short, loaded — it doesn’t matter how you “fry up” this staple snack that Tri-State diners can’t get enough of. Whether you like to dip your fries or munch on other potato-based variants,