Porter County Museum is hosting a free demonstration of historical trades interpreted by living-history reenactors from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 9, on the lawn at the southeast corner of the Porter County Courthouse Square in Valparaiso at Franklin Street and Indiana Avenue. The organizer of the demonstration is veteran living-history interpreter Ian Baker of Michigan City, who explains: “Our reenactors come from all over the Midwest. They have spent years researching their historical professions and learning to replicate the skills and share them with the public. We expect to have numerous trades on display at the museum event, including blacksmithing, spinning yarn, and carpentry.” Visitors are encouraged to ask questions and interact with the interpreters. Museum Director Kevin Matthew Pazour said Baker and his associates have been a popular feature at the museum for years. Porter County Museum, located at 20 Indiana Ave. in downtown Valparaiso, is open six days a week, Tuesday-Sunday, from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m., with free admission. For more information, visit pocomuse.org.
Nature lovers
When Vin and Hazel Hannell built a home in the Dunes in 1930, they made the landscape and community central to their work and activism for decades. Best known locally for their pottery, the couple made and sold their line at Hannell Pottery beginning in 1944, using a signature local red clay and inspiration from local plants and landscapes. “Right Here: Vin + Hazel Hannell and Their Continued Influence” is a new exhibit at Chesterton Art Center open now and continuing through Aug. 30, 2025. The show features more than 50 Hannell pieces as well as a shared spotlight on the works of 20 contemporary artists who are inspired by the same local landscape. The exhibit features a wide variety of media, including pottery and wood sculpture, watercolor, acrylic and oil paintings. Vin and Hazel gave back to the community by also teaching art classes, exhibiting local artists in their shop and organizing one of the first art shows in Chesterton for the 1952 Chesterton Centennial. The couple served on the committee for the first Chesterton Art Fair starting in 1959 and they are the founding members of the Association of Artisans and Craftsmen of Porter County, which is currently known as the Chesterton Art Center on 4th Street in downtown Chesterton. For more information and gallery hours, visit chestertonart.org or call 219-926-4711.
Train gang
The Barker Mansion Estate in Michigan City and the Barker Family have a blended history of railroad titan George Pullman, a journey through time which will be explored this weekend with the latest History Hour presentation titled “Pullman: The Man, the Company, and the Community.” At noon on Sunday, Aug. 10, at the Barker Mansion Museum at 632 Washington St. in Michigan City, this presentation promises to explore the complex and compelling story of Pullman, the industrialist who transformed American rail travel and labor relations. Born in 1831 in Brockton, New York, Pullman revolutionized long-distance rail travel through the Pullman Palace Car Company. His vision extended beyond engineering comfort when he created a model industrial town known as Pullman, Illinois, now part of Chicago, where his employees lived and worked. The story of Pullman is not just one of innovation, but also of labor, race and community. Often paired as contemporaries of their day, the Pullman and Barker families are a study in revealing the challenges of balancing idealism and industrial control. The Sunday talk will be presented by Doug Davidson, a recently retired railroad veteran with more than 50 years of industry experience. Davidson served as the Director of Arbitration for the Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers & Trainmen, the nation’s oldest labor union, and chaired the National Railroad Adjustment Board. His distinguished career includes work as a locomotive engineer and as local chairman of BLE-T Division 96 in Chicago. Tickets for the lecture are $20 and can be purchased online at www.barkermansion.org or by calling 219-873-1520.
Almost McGraw
Adam D. Tucker brings his high-energy “Vegas McGraw: Tim McGraw Tribute” to Theatre at the Center 7:30 p.m. Friday, Aug. 15, at The Center for Visual and Performing Arts, 1040 Ridge Road in Munster. The 90-minute concert will feature more than 20 songs, from McGraw’s biggest hits like “I Like It! I Love It!” and “Don’t Take the Girl” to musical stage salutes to Sin City’s brightest stars, including Elvis. Idolizing McGraw since he was a young man, Tucker says his uncanny vocal resemblance to the country icon, and following the advice of his friends, were the catalysts for him to pursue portraying the musical legend as a full-time career. Before the concert at 5:30 p.m. in the ballroom adjacent to the theatre, 10Forty Banquets and Catering will host a pre-show dinner featuring chicken and dumpling soup, barbeque chicken, macaroni and cheese, corn on the cob, cornbread, and peach cobbler a la mode. Tickets are $40 for the concert and $30 additional to add the pre-show dinner. For more information, visit theatreatthecenter.com or call the box office at 219-836-3255.
Philip Potempa is a journalist, published author and weekly radio show host on WJOB 1230 AM. He can be reached at PhilPotempa@gmail.com.
