July/August 2025

Ready to own summer, but don’t know where to start? Evansville Living’s staff has some thoughts, and they dig deep into Southwestern Indiana culture. Why just go to the movies when you can fill up on chili dogs and take

Your PTO was approved, your desk is clear, and your out-of-office message is set. You’re ready to fill your suitcases to the brim, pack your family in the car, and head out on a summer vacation. Where to? We have

CINCINNATI, OHIO | 291 MILES | 3.5 HOURS  Roughly the same population as Saint Louis, Missouri, and Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, Cincinnati, Ohio, is a Midwestern hidden gem of the architectural marvels, culinary delights, culture, and vibrancy that come with an urban

PADUCAH, KENTUCKY | 128 MILES | 2 HOURS For a town with just shy of 27,000 residents — about the size of our Ohio River sister city, Henderson — Paducah, Kentucky, packs a big punch of creative culture. In fact,

MEMPHIS, TENNESSEE | 291 MILES | 5 HOURS If sound is the backbone of a city, Memphis, Tennessee, is all about the blues, greeting visitors with a Southern spirit that's gritty yet genteel. “Memphis is a city that’s constantly evolving.

BROWN COUNTY, INDIANA | 136 MILES | 2.5 HOURS  Fun-filled family adventures, a relaxing getaway with girlfriends, or a romantic weekend for two — Brown County, Indiana, fits the bill for all with inns, Airbnbs, and cabins set against a

It’s always the perfect time to uncover treasures in our neck of the woods. In the feature story, we’re tipping our cap to Berta, a longtime resident of Mesker Park Zoo & Botanic Garden who, at 58, is the oldest

Editor's note: Jeanne Ellenstein passed away July 15 — her 101st birthday — after the July/August 2025 issue had gone to press. The Evansville Living team shares this interview with Jeanne in tribute to the long, joy-filled life she lived.

Britni and Troy Teeters intended to grow food for their own purposes. Then word spread, and their herbs, eggs, and lettuce found their way onto tables at area restaurants and into the inventory of online marketplace Local Source. Now, Moonlight

Walking into Amanda Benson’s home must be what it feels like entering a portal to the 1950s. Bright pops of Pyrex baking dishes double as wall art. Her kitchen is floored in yellow-and-white vinyl in a geometric print. A pale

Three years of venue renovations are amplifying the profile of Lincoln City, Indiana, injecting new energy in an area of the Hoosier State devoted to the 16th U.S. president. Additions to the 38-year-old Lincoln Amphitheatre have boosted the open-air venue’s

Susan Watson-Spiller has fond memories of graduating from Evansville Day School’s Class of 1975. The group’s half-century reunion in May culminated in a special moment: recreating their senior photo. “Day School has had several reunions over the years, and I’ve

My daily landscape is a factory where stainless-steel tanks stand like trees and pipes weave through the air like industrial vines. It makes me crave the complete opposite: dirt under my fingernails, the crunch of leaves under my feet, and

Nearly 90 years ago, Southwestern Indiana experienced its own oil rush. A “gusher” made itself known Dec. 14, 1938, when a newly tapped well shot oil 25 feet above the top of a 90-foot derrick just 4.5 miles north of

A River City resident since 1999, University of Evansville history professor and Scotland native James MacLeod’s political cartoons balance national issues like gun rights and religion with the foibles of daily life. But on Evansville Living’s 25th anniversary in March,

What led you to make the dramatic lifestyle change of buying nearly 14 acres and establishing a farm? Due to life and health factors, we felt that moving back out to the West Side and into the country would be

Every family has summer traditions they reminisce about — maybe a sojourn to Holiday World or a camping trip. My relatives — practical folks who were short on discretionary funds — share one key summer memory: Gathering one day each

Summers were always special growing up in our house. With both of my parents being schoolteachers, the season took on a different rhythm — slower mornings, afternoons spent exploring, and a feeling that the world had exhaled just a bit.

Since “Sack Race with Knives: The Curious Art of Kevin Titzer” debuted in November 2023, the short documentary has been selected for 22 film festivals internationally and won seven awards. This was not the response director Jordan Barclay imagined. “I

Germania Maennerchor knows how to have a good time. After all, it’s rolled out the Gemülichkeit since 1900. “People came here originally to get a feel for the homeland because they left it. Now, of course, we’re the generations after

Don’t put Cynthia Watson in a box. “You can’t even tell these are mine,” she says, gesturing to paintings and pieces in her gallery: still lifes, landscapes, portraits, and abstracts, all featuring different techniques, colors, and styles. There is a

For nearly half of Henderson, Kentucky’s 228-year history, members of the Garden Club have rolled up their sleeves and spruced up public spaces to create a visually vibrant community. “Whatever the city needs and wants, we try to do it,”

The yard behind Susan and Patrick Tromley’s Tudor home on Bellemeade Avenue used to be mostly grass. A gift of saplings from Patrick’s brother-in-law, David Kolb, provided an opportunity to grow something unique, and those saplings, combined with more than

Many people can visualize their dream home, but how many have the ability to construct it with their own hands? Todd Kempf did just that. The one-of-a-kind property he shares with his wife, Sally, and their Aussie-doodles Archie and Addi

If you think no one pays attention to what’s happening in your front yard, think again. Historic Newburgh, Inc. officials launched a “We Notice” campaign two years ago to recognize notable exteriors “where people take pride in their homes,” says

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

There’s no dress code at the Miller House’s Spirits lounge — guests come as they are. It’s the drinks that are highbrow. This basement paradise for bourbon connoisseurs in Owensboro, Kentucky, offers comfort with an air of class. Owners Larry

Mesker Park Zoo & Botanic Garden is about to become an even brighter attraction. From Aug. 14 until early October, the zoo hosts Wild Summer Lights, a Chinese lantern festival featuring more than 40 different displays in a mile-long lighted

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

Growing up as childhood friends playing baseball in Newburgh, Matthew Fisher and Cam Tilly actually built mounds to pitch from, dreaming of one day playing professional baseball.  “We would go back and forth,” says Tilly, who lived in Downtown Newburgh

If the forecast is to be believed, the extreme heat will end late on July 30, just in time to say “Ein Prosit!” at the 63rd annual Volksfest.  The celebration of German heritage runs from 11 a.m. to midnight July

Driving slowly to scan the fields and farms along Volkman Road, Bonnie MacArthur comments, “That’s it.” The avid gardener has spied The Zinnia Meadow, an eye-popping palette of brilliant colors in the beds along the road. In patches among the

Think your hand-eye coordination is solid? You may fit in this week at the International Jugglers’ Association’s 78th annual convention, which is in Evansville for the first time. Roughly 600 enthusiasts from around the world are sharing their love of

Matthew Fisher's name already has been etched in the Reitz Memorial High School baseball history books. Less than a month after graduating, he became the first Memorial player to earn Indiana Gatorade Player of the Year honors. "It's pretty surreal,"