“Why not Evansville?” Those are the three words that inspired this magazine and the question that no doubt has been the impetus for countless ideas taking root here in the River City. It’s what Susan and John Pickens asked when they visited us just a year after our doors opened. An Evansville Living Idea Home, they pitched, like the “Southern Living” Idea Houses they had enjoyed touring through the years. We agreed: Why not Evansville?
At Milanos Italian Cuisine at 500 Main St., the glass front door is often propped open, luring in passersby with enticing Mediterranean scents. Inside, at the end of an intimately lit buffet, Rafic Hachem has welcomed customers to the Downtown staple for 20 years. Hachem opened Milanos in January 2001. He utilizes 35 years of industry experience to bring diners homemade pastas, pizzas, calzones, Stromboli, and catering options for lunch and dinner.
Most artists have their own style, whether it be abstract, minimalism, impressionism or others. For photographic-based designer Jenna Citrus, her style is non-style. “As I kept developing as an artist, one thing people kept saying is, ‘Oh, as you get older and more developed as an artist, your style will emerge,’” she says. “For me, it just hasn’t, almost on purpose. I just love trying new things and incorporating different elements.”
It’s 11 a.m. in the Tri-State. Most people are finishing up tasks before heading to lunch, but if you head to Yoga 101’s Facebook page, you can join in on an exercise that takes no movement and only five minutes. April Nading, an instructor at Yoga 101, streams her “plank breaks” each day Monday through Friday as a way to motivate others and encourage them to get simple, daily exercise. She started in April 2020, when many were staying home due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Corn, or maize, is the world’s most consumed staple food that, along with rice and wheat, comprises nearly half of all human food consumption. With this in mind, Purdue professor Torbert Rocheford set out on a mission in the 1990s to find a way to make corn more nutritious through natural selection, a process called biofortification. His main focus was on providing vitamin A-rich corn for sub-Saharan Africa.
I have an eccentric friend that can be as refined as a debutante fresh out of finishing school or as ribald as a sailor on leave, a contradictory nature I embraced long ago. When we’re together, I’m her malleable sidekick, always giving in to her unpredictable moods. One minute I’m feasting at a fine dining restaurant as a tuxedoed waiter refills my water glass after every sip, and the next I’m dancing down the street with smeared lipstick and a merry tangle of red hair flying in my face.
Growing up, cricket was more than just a game to many South Asian families who reside in the Tri-State: It was an integral part of their home culture. Now, a group of families in Evansville is bringing this worldwide game right here to the city. “Growing up, this is the game we knew,” says Ruchi Bhatia, an organizer for what is the first youth cricket league formed in Indiana. Parents and community members volunteer to coach, and they also have a visiting coach from St. Louis.
The Cheese Queen
Few events in Evansville have been as iconic and beloved as the Arts Fest River Run. Organized as a promotional vehicle for the annual Arts Festival, participants would set out on a 12K course that began at Audubon State Park in Henderson, Kentucky, crossed the U.S. Highway 41 bridge, and wound its way to Downtown Evansville. And while the clock may have stopped on the race 20 years ago this summer, River Run founder and director Pat Shoulders remembers it as if it were yesterday.
Evansville may be the third largest city in Indiana, but from the air, every car, building, and person shrank in front of my eyes. The sprawling city was quickly reduced to a far-away plain below the B-17 Flying Fortress “Texas Raiders” during my flight this morning.
The Indiana Department of Health reports that 80,832 Vanderburgh County residents have been fully vaccinated against COVID-19 as of July 7. To help boost the area’s vaccination rate closer to 100 percent, the Vanderburgh County Health Department and the City of Evansville have been sending a METS mobile clinic into local neighborhoods this summer.
Looking to relax this summer? The River City has you covered. From recreation to meditation, the best place to chill out is outdoors. Here are some ideas. Nature Trails
Since 2001, Evansville Living has featured the “Best of the City” story. Each year, local people, businesses, restaurants, and more are voted the “Best of” in their category by the community or chosen as an editor’s pick.
Get ready for a week of fun and competition at the 22nd United States Tennis Association Pro Circuit Women’s Hospital Classic. The Women’s Hospital Classic will be held July 12-18 at the Wesselman Park Tennis Center at 551 N. Boeke Road with qualifying tournaments on Monday and Tuesday. The championship match will be held July 18. Admission to all matches is free.
A mysterious illness that has led to the deaths of songbirds in the eastern part of the country has made its way to Vanderburgh County, according to the Indiana Department of Natural Resources. The state DNR says the unknown disease has been detected in 53 Indiana counties, including Vanderburgh and Gibson counties with more than 280 reported cases.
Under an overcast sky, 21-year-old Eddie Gill cast off from Dress Plaza on Evansville’s Riverfront and launched his inaugural Journey For A Cause on the morning of June 1. A Carmel, Indiana, resident with a lifelong love of the water, Gill embarked on a mission to draw attention to the lack of equity and accessibility in water activities such as fishing and boating.
Evansville has long been known as a small city with big eats. From the West Side to Newburgh, Indiana, the area offers restaurant delicacies for all palettes. While Evansville Living keeps a full list of all local dining options, new spots are popping up every week. Check out these two restaurants adding to the food scene Downtown.
This weekend, the U.S. marks its independence the American way with fireworks, parades, and barbecues. This year’s holiday comes a year after COVID-related event cancelations, so celebrate the most patriotic day in the U.S. with these events across the Tri-State!
It’s time to listen. Evansville Living has and always will be a platform to celebrate our city. June is Pride month, a celebration, but also a remembrance of the 1969 Stonewall Uprising in Manhattan, New York, that sparked the Gay Liberation Movement in the U.S. We want to use our platform to amplify the voices of LGBTQIA+ community members who have lived through the fight (and ongoing struggles) that have led to an open, free celebration of Pride in Evansville and hear what their experiences and Pride mean to them.
Looking for ideas for your home garden? What better way to explore new concepts and techniques than at the 2021 Tour de Fleur Garden Walk, presented by the Southwestern Indiana Master Gardener Association. That’s just one of many fun and unique events happening this weekend in Evansville. Laugh till you drop at Bill Engvall’s stand-up show or grab a drink at Myriad Brewing Company’s block party — all happening this weekend!
Three consistencies exist at every bowling alley — finding the perfect size and weight bowling ball is near impossible, you’ll be jealous of the children who get to use the bumpers (it’s unfair that there is an age limit!), and the food is delicious.
You may recognize the historic steeple of Sacred Heart Catholic Church on the West Side or the stained glass windows at Trinity United Methodist Church Downtown, but did you know the Tri-State is home to a diverse range of religious spaces? Beyond Christianity, Evansville hosts the worship spaces of the Hindu, Muslim, Buddhist, and Jewish communities.
The streets of Henderson, Kentucky, and Haubstadt, Indiana, will be filled this weekend as the Tri-State celebrates two summer festivals. There’s also lots to do in Evansville, so get explore everything our region has to offer!
Evansville Living welcomes Grace McFadden, a Memorial High School graduate and Indiana University rising junior, as our summer intern. Grace will be working with our editorial, art, and marketing teams through June and July, and we are excited for her to join our team!
Evansville native Susan Tromley first shared her passion for bird watching in the March/April 2021 issue of Evansville Living. But her story didn’t stop when the pages of the magazine turned. Since her print debut, Tromley has found a new family of owls and continues to share her observations to a growing number of fans on Facebook.
The history of Vanderburgh County traces back to the late 1700s, when the Northwest Ordinance of 1787 opened land for settlement north and west of the Ohio River that was ceded to the United States by Great Britain at the end of the Revolutionary War.
The streets of Evansville may be bustling with activity, but it would be a mistake to think the only excitement is above ground. For readers with a penchant for hidden places, here are three of our favorites.
Now is no time to slow down after the long weekend. Get out and enjoy these lively outdoor events happening across the Tri-State!
Sprinkled, glazed, iced, jelly-filled — no matter how you prefer your doughnuts, make sure to order one (or a dozen) tomorrow for National Doughnut Day. The U.S. celebrates the official holiday each year on the first Friday in June, and the Tri-State is no different. Get your doughnut fix at one of these local establishments.
Summer is finally here in Evansville, and there’s no better way to cool down than at one of the city’s spray parks, splash pads, and pools. Take a break from the heat and visit one of these seven local water features. You may even find more ways than one to cool down at some of them! Rochelle-Landers Pool — Splash Pad, Pool 701 Lincoln Ave.
Happy Memorial Day weekend, Evansville! There’s plenty to do with runs, Downtown shopping, plane rides, and a food truck festival. This weekend is the perfect opportunity to get out and see what our city has to offer.
