Theatre, music, holidays, parties, parades... 2015 has been filled with great entertainment in Valparaiso. There was never a shortage of things to see, do, and enjoy, and we at ValpoLife chose our all time favorite articles from this year.
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Take a look below to see the Top 10 ValpoLife Entertainment Articles of 2015!
Kelsey’s Steak House Welcomes Ken Blaney Back into the Fold
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Kelsey’s Steak House has been around since the 1980s. Locations have changed, people have come and gone, but it’s still here serving up the food and experience that we Midwesterners (and others) love.
A familiar face is now back at Kelsey’s Steak House. Ken Blaney, part of the Blaney family that opened Kelsey’s all those years ago, is back on board and working alongside the Hood family to keep this Northwest Indiana landmark on the food map where it belongs.
VHS Brought the House Down With the 2015 April Antics Show
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There are a lot of variety shows around the region, but in Valparaiso there’s more than just a little song and dance. On Friday night Valparaiso High School’s Drama Club hosted their yearly event April Antics, which brings together students to show off their talents in a show that meshes singular acts and scripted segments. For 2015, the club put on ‘The Bachelor’ - a story about a student who decides to be on the TV show ‘The Bachelor’ in order to find a prom date. In between acting, singing, dancing, and even hula hooping, the students at VHS showed how much talent is thriving inside of one singular school.
April Antics is a staple at VHS and has consistently let the community see how talented their high-schoolers are, but this year the students were the ones who brought the show to the stage. For one of the first years ever April Antics was directed and written by two students - instead of a supervisor. Seniors Patrick Azar and Daniel Barajas took up the task to make April Antics better than it ever has been before, and worked diligently to make that happen.
The 2015 Popcorn Festival Was Packed With Awesome Fun
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The City of Valparaiso came to life today in celebration of the annual Popcorn Festival, ran by Valparaiso Events. They daylong celebration pays homage to the roots of the popular popped partition right here in Valpo, and has since evolved into a wonderful tradition and celebration of friends, family, and the great community that makes up Valparaiso.
The day started off with the Popcorn Panic 5 mile run and 5K walk, a popular race which takes runners through the streets of Downtown Valpo. The Popcorn Parade is a major highlight of the Popcorn Fest. This year there were over 100 floats bedecked with popcorn that traversed the streets of Downtown Valparaiso. High school marching bands played upbeat tunes while their corresponding dance teams or cheerleaders stepped in time, the Cutest Baby Girl and Boy could be seen with their proud parents, Prompt Ambulance showed off their winning float, nonprofit groups walked in the parade with colorful themes and music, LOTS of candy was thrown to eager children, and the long popcorn covered list goes on.
Chefs Around the Table had Our Guys Cooking for a Cause
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What do you get when you combine 93 chefs and their favorite recipes? The Chefs Around the Table event! On Thursday evening, this all gentleman crew stirred, mixed, cooked, and baked a foodie’s paradise! Held at the Porter County Expo Center, the affair, hosted by EMPOWER Porter County, boasted delectable palate pleasers in the categories of Appetizers, Soup and Salad, Entree, and Dessert, as the contestants were vying for the top chef spot in each of the four categories and winning with the coveted Cutco Knife.
The evening kicked off with a cocktail reception and social hour which afforded the chefs time to mingle with the attendees, talk up their recipes, garner some monetary votes for their tip jar, and chat with professional chefs and tasters, Carlos Rivera, Don Quijote Restaurant, George Djurovic, Main + Lincoln Restaurant, and Nicole Bissonnette, Bartlett’s Gourmet Grill, and Phil Potempa. This group had the arduous task of selecting one dish to be named the overall Professional Taster’s top award winner.
Opportunity Enterprises 23rd Annual Gala Creates 'Perfect Fit'
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There’s a perfect fit for everyone. On Saturday night, many people got to experience what a ‘perfect fit’ really meant when they attended Opportunity Enterprises’ 23rd Annual Gala. Nearly 700 sponsors, clients, and donors gathered to eat, drink and celebrate Opportunity Enterprises and the amazing work they do around The Region.
From their programs, signs, and videos it was apparent that the theme of the event was “the Perfect Fit”. The phrase has gained entirely appropriate connotations to OE’s mission, and it couldn’t have been a better way to describe what the night was all about.
Porter Regional Hospital Wants to Blow Away Breast Cancer
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It’s Breast Cancer Awareness Month, many are donning their pink accessories and clothing to bring awareness to breast cancer and celebrate those strong individuals who are going through it, those who have beat it, and those who are supporting a loved one who has had the terrible disease.
Porter Regional Hospital always takes the cause to heart, and on a sunny day in October a special ceremony was held, their “Blow Away Breast Cancer” event, in observance of National Breast Cancer Awareness Month. A crowd of pink-clad people gathered in front of the hospital, each clutching a pink pinwheel.
Valparaiso Welcomed the Community into its Newest Addition, the William E. Urschel Pavilion
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The new William E. Urschel Pavilion finally opened up for public use on Saturday August 15, 2015. To celebrate the new facility, Valparaiso Events hosted their weekly farmer’s market along with a fun festival to showcase the capacity of the pavilion as well as all the possibilities for events. With ice-skating, wedding parties, and all sorts of other activities, the pavilion will provide a variety of different uses for the community.
The pavilion, named after William E. Urschel, holds a lot of history for the Urschel family, being the site of family houses. Giving back to the community they love has always been a priority for the Urschel family.
Ronnie Sazone: A Well-Seasoned Worker
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There are many factors that go into making a restaurant great. There is obviously the food; then “location, location, location”; but most importantly it’s the people that make or break a restaurant. Industrial Revolution Eatery and Grille in Valparaiso knows this, which is why they take great care in selecting their staff for the front and back of the house.
One of the veterans on staff is Ronnie Sazone. He’s a jack-of-all-trades, if you will. Beginning as a server and bartender in the restaurant in 2011, he now expertly handles the tasks of serving, bartending, and front house managing.
Community Continues Musical Tradition with 2015 This is Our Story
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Students will graduate and classrooms will be refurbished, but the impact "This is Our Story" has on the community is one thing that will last long past the closing number of the concert. For over 28 years, Valparaiso students and their loved ones have been able to celebrate the holidays in the best way they know how: music and art.
“Each season, our music and art students have the opportunity to show our community how valuable the arts are to having a well-rounded education. For many students and people from our city, this creative display of the arts is the start of their holiday season! It’s a good feeling to see the community come together to participate in this joyous occasion,” said Linda Schonbachler, who led the VHS Men’s Chorus, Women’s Chorus and Mixed Chorus throughout the evening.
6th Annual Valpo Brewfest Brings In Beer-Lovers from Near and Far
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The sixth annual Valparaiso BrewFest is one of the city’s most popular events of the year. The lines began at a digital ticket booth in May and on September 26th they spilled onto the streets of Valparaiso. People could not wait to get in.
This year, Valparaiso Events had tickets selling fast, as they sold out within 13 minutes - an impressive time until you compare it with the VIP tickets, which sold out in 30 seconds.