Indoor Garage Sale booths available
Booths are available for the annual Spring Gigantic Indoor Garage Sale scheduled for April 23 at the Porter County Expo Center, 215 E. Division St., Valparaiso. General admission is $2 from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m.; Early Bird admission is $5 from 7:30 to 8:30 a.m. Children younger than 12 are free. Booths are $50 each with a maximum of three booths rentals per vendor. Tables are available to rent for $10 each and chairs for $2 each. A limited number of booths with electricity are available for $15 per plug. Booth set-up will be open from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. on April 22, and from 6 a.m. to 7:30 p.m. on April 23. Online booth reservations end on Monday, or when they sell out, whichever comes first. For more information and to reserve booths online now visit: https://portercountyexpo.org/177/Gigantic-Indoor-Garage-Sale.
Free pictures with the Easter bunny
Free Family Fun 219 and Honey of a Kind Bakery will host an event for the community featuring free pictures with the Easter Bunny from 4 to 8 p.m. on Friday at the Community Center, 111 Old Ridge Road, Hobart; and from 1 to 4 p.m. on Saturday at Lincolns Kitchen, 704 Silhavy Road, Valparaiso. In addition to meeting the Easter bunny, families can purchase Easter cookie kits and other baked goods, including heart shaped Ukrainian flag cookies. All proceeds will go to help the families of Ukraine. Monetary donations also will be accepted. More information is with Madelyn Glass at madelynglass@mccolly.com.
Chamber to host Rise, Shine and Share
The Portage Chamber of Commerce will be hosting their monthly Rise, Shine and Share Educational Event from 8 to 9 a.m. on Thursday at the Best Western Portage, 6200 Melton Road. There is no cost to attend, and Chamber members are encouraged to bring guests. This month’s topic, “Optimizing Your Digital Footprint,” will be presented by Operations Manager, Erica Kanney with Duneland Media. This workshop will provide practical strategies to help drive traffic from Google Search to your website. For more information or to register, call the Chamber at 219-762-3300, email info@portageinchamber.com or register online at https://business.portageinchamber.com/events/details/rise-shine-and-share-portage-4103.
Native Plant Talks offered at National Park
Join local plant expert Nathanael Pilla and Steve Sass to learn about the beauty and importance of native plants from on Saturday at the Indiana Dunes Visitor Center, 1215 North State Road 49, Porter. Pilla, a regional botanist, will present a historical and botanical journey through the flora of the Indiana Dunes, and what we can do to minimize our impact on nature, from 10 to 11:30 a.m. Sass will discuss plant communities and their essential role in the web of life, including native plants in our home landscapes and how they can better the ecosystems that surrounds us, from 1 to 2:30 p.m. More information is at 219-395-1882, www.nps.gov/indu or at www.facebook.com/IndianaDunesNPS.
April blood drives in Chesterton and Valparaiso
The American Red Cross will host a blood drive from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Tuesday at Franciscan Health Fitness Centers Chesterton, 810 Michael Drive. For a limited time, the American Red Cross has resumed testing all blood donations for COVID-19 antibodies. Test results will be available one to two weeks after donation in the Red Cross Blood Donor app or donor portal at RedCrossBlood.org. Donors at this blood drive will receive a Red Cross T-shirt while supplies last. Call 1-800-RED CROSS or visit RedCrossBlood.org to schedule an appointment. Franciscan Health invites the public to a District 1 Trauma Committee blood drive from 2:30 to 7 p.m. on April 20, at the MAAC Training Center, 4203 Montdale Park Drive, Valparaiso. Donors at this Versiti blood drive will be entered for a chance to win a $500 e-gift card from Airbnb. Donors must bring photo ID and masks are required. Donors should eat a healthy meal and drink plenty of water before donating. Appointments are encouraged at versiti.org/IL or by calling 1-800-786-4483 and choosing a preferred time. Walk-ins are welcome.
