In fact, from what I’ve seen, Crown Point has some of the best landscape contractors in the entire region. One of my favorites also has a fully stocked garden center on site – that landscape contractor is Hubingers.

Hubinger Landscaping has been in business in NW Indiana since the 1970s. In addition, it has remained family owned until this day. That’s important when hiring a landscaper – longevity is an indicator of quality service. View our video too.

As far as a connection to Crown Point, their current location at Broadway and 113th Avenue on the East side of Crown Point is where they have called home since 1978.

They also have strolling gardens set up where you can see various trees, shrubs and other ornamentals in a real setting. This will help you get a better visual on what that same plant would look like placed in your landscape. Of course, they also have professional designers on staff who are ready and willing to assist you with the overall aesthetics of your landscape.

The important thing to remember in hiring a landscape contractor: Price is not the primary decision point – longevity and long term curb appeal is. Don’t just picture the landscape as it will look at completion, rather how it will look over the seasons, and down through the years.

Your home landscape is the welcome mat to your home, and is also the only living part of your home investment. Getting the best crown point landscape contractor is definitely the place to start. Contact Hubingers here.

It isn’t really clear how the Pierogi Fest originated, but one thing for sure is that it has become a major hit! One of the most popular events is the delightfully tacky, International Polka Parade, which will march straight down 119th Street on Friday night at 7:00. Don’t miss this hilarious parody-type parade featuring the Special Precision Lawnmower Drill team, the one and only Twirling Babushka Brigade! This parade will have you laughing the whole way through!

Before or after the parade, dig into some of the best, mouthwatering pierogies you will ever have, and if pierogies aren’t your thing, don’t worry, there are plenty of other vendors selling all types of delicious cuisine. Don’t forget to grab yourself an ice cold beer from the beer garden to wash down all that scrumptious food.

Not only is there an abundance of food at the Pierogi Fest, there are loads of other things to keep you entertained as well, such as, an arts and crafts area, Pierogi Toss competition, Pierogi Eating contest, and live music and dancing. The ever-popular Pierogi Songfest will be held on Saturday afternoon at 1:00. Come sing the Pierogi Fest anthem, to the tune of “Matilda” and the “Whiting, Indiana” song. Feel free to stay for a slew of other hilarious songs that all revolve around Whiting’s favorite food-the pierogi. Songs such as, “Anything You Can Eat, I Can Eat More Of” and “I Will Deep Fry,” will have you ROFL!

Stop by Whiting’s Pierogi Fest for a guaranteed fun-filled weekend of laughs and entertainment. Only at The Pierogi Fest will you see grown women dressed like bushas in housecoats and babushkas. While you’re there don’t forget to stop and say hello to Mr. Pierogi and his Pieroguettes; Miss Cheese, Miss Potato, Miss Sauerkraut, Miss Mushroom, Miss Beef, Miss Apricot, and Miss Berry.

The 2011 St. John the Evangelist Parish Festival is themed “Food, Family, Fun.” Some of this years new additions to the menu will be Drago’s Shish-ka-bobs, Dairy Queen Ice Cream, and Chicago Pierogie’s. The alumni include grilled steak sandwiches by Welch’s, Margarita’s Bar & Grill, and Sammies Sammiches. Carnival rides will also be making a return this year. Friday is wristband night. Also on the agenda are pony rides, games and a 5K run, so get the kids ready, it’s going to be a long weekend of family fun!

Take a break from the heat, the St. John the Evangelist Parish Festival will also be hosting Texas Hold’Em Tournaments for the adults on Thursday and Saturday nights at 7 p.m. inside the air-conditioned gym. Outside there will be a gambling casino right alongside of the beer garden.

Dust off your dancing shoes, their will be plenty of live entertainment every night! Nicole Jamrose, The Crawpuppies, and The Maz Brothers, are among some of the entertainers that will be rockin’ the house.

The festival is located at 9400 Wicker Avenue, on the St. John the Evangelist Parish School Grounds. While you’re there be sure to enter the Big Ticket Raffle for your chance to win $10,000! Fest hours are:
Thursday: 6p.m. – 11p.m.
Friday: 5p.m. – Midnight
Saturday: 3p.m. – Midnight
Sunday: 3p.m. – 10p.m.

A free shuttle will available Friday and Saturday to-and-from the Kmart parking lot and the Community Outpatient Center.

As summertime rolls on so do the festivals, however the biggest fest of all is yet to come.  Since 1852, the Lake County Fairgrounds in Crown Point has been home to the Lake County Fair.  The Lake County Fair is the largest county fair in the entire state of Indiana.  This year the The Lake County Fair begins August 5th and runs through the 14th.

The Lake County Fair hosts agricultural showcases, 4-H displays, horse shows, food galore, games, craft booths, carnival rides, Demolition Derby, live musical entertainment and a slew of other family fun, summertime events.  Thousands of visitors flock from all over to experience all that the Lake County Fair has to offer.

Also in the mix are loads of contests where competitors will compete for some great prizes.  Among the favorites are the Bean Spitting contest, Pie Eating contest, Paper Airplane contest, Apple Peeling contest, Goat Milking contest, Hot Dog Eating contest, and the ever-popular Frog Jumping Contest.

Admission to the fair is $4.00 for adults and children 9-12 are only $2.00, kiddies under eight are free.  However, if you get there before 3p.m. Monday through Thursday, admission is free for everyone!  If you will be parking on the fairgrounds, plan on paying another $4.00.  Free parking and shuttles will also available at the Crown Point High School.

The Lake County Fairgrounds are located at 889 S. Court Street in Crown Point.  Gates to the Lake County Fair open at 9a.m., some of the exhibits do not open until 10a.m. and the rides don’t fire up until noon.  Speaking of rides, wristbands are available for the kids.  From noon until 5p.m wristbands are $14 and from 5p.m. until closing wristbands are $20.  For those with kids that live for these rides, all-day passes can be purchased for only $25.00.  Individual tickets for rides are $1.25.  I suggest you pay close attention to how many tickets each ride takes, the wristbands may be your best bet.

If you are in search of some good family fun, look no further, the Lake County Fair has it all!

Lake County Fairgrounds Location:

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Below is one of our recent videos that will teach you how to make an awesome steak sandwich.

The official Crown Point fireworks display is scheduled to kick off on Monday, July 4th 2010 at dusk (which in English is like 9:30 PM) originating from the Lake County Fairgrounds. Mad Bomber Fireworks will be shooting off the display. Details below…

One again, the Crown Point 4th of July Celebration Committee has put together a planned spectacular fireworks show and parade.  The Crown Point 4th of July Celebration Committee is a volunteer, not-for-profit organization.  They have put a lot of time and hard work into planning this year’s family fun events.

Crown Point’s Fourth of July parade will take place on July 4th at 2:00 p.m.  It will begin at Taft Jr. High School and travel North on Main Street to the army tank. Staging for the parade begins at 12:15 p.m., please make note that Main Street will be closed to traffic at 1:30 p.m.  This year Marty Wheeler, President of the Lake Court House Foundation, will be the Grand Marshal. Marty is well known in Crown Point as she has served in various community, civic, and public service endeavors. Today, she proudly represents the Lake Court House Foundation, which is responsible for maintaining and securing the future of the Old Lake County Courthouse.  Another highlight of the parade will be the internationally known, Jesse White Tumblers!   The Tumblers have been entertaining audiences from all over the world since 1959.  So bring your chairs or blankets, Crown Point’s annual Fourth of July Parade is sure to be a hit once again!

Also on the agenda for the Fourth is the always-amazing, ever popular, fireworks extravaganza at the Lake County Fairgrounds in Crown Point.  Mad Bomber Fireworks Production owned and operated by Crown Point’s very own Andy James will be putting on the display.  Favorites such as, red hearts, five pointed red, white, and blue stars, and multi-colored interlocking two and three rings will be making their return.  This year’s fireworks show will begin at dusk (around 9:30 p.m.).  Entrance into the fairgrounds is FREE however, The Crown Point 4th of July Celebration Committee will again be asking for donations at the door.

Remember, the quality and success of the parade and fireworks show depend on community donations.  The Crown Point 4th of July Celebration Committee is always looking for more volunteers.  If you are interested in volunteering please visit http://www.cpjuly4.com for more information.

Tickets are $80 and you get 18 holes of golf, a grilled steak dinner, beverage coupons, goodie bag, and a chance to win over 100 door prizes.

Last year’s event attracted 80 business sponsors and 85 golfers, which helped bring last years donations to a whopping $10,000!

If you are interested in supporting a great cause that benefits DARE and the kids of Crown Point, you can register at www.crownpoint.in.gov/DARE.

Crown Point’s “Taste of the Region” (formally known as the “Taste of Crown Point”) will kick off their 25th year this Friday, June 24th. This years Taste of the Region will again be hosted by the Crossroads Regional Chamber of Commerce and feature food vendors from all over the area. The Taste is a great opportunity to sample some of the regions best grub and support the community at the same time.

According to Dawn Stokes, of the Crossroads Regional Chamber of Commerce, they decided to change the name because many of the vendors were from outside Crown Point and they wanted the name of the event to reflect that. The name isn’t the only change this year. The event has gotten so popular over the years, this year the city will be shutting down Main Street from Joliet to Clark Street to accommodate the 3,000 to 4,000 hungry people.

This year’s Taste of the Region will consist of 43 vendors which includes restaurants and specialty food centers from around the area. You can find anything from elephant ears to fried rice and shish-ka-bobs. CrossPoint Church will have a kiddie tent featuring arts and craft projects for the little ones and of course, the huge blow up slide will be making its return! The beer garden will be sponsored by Crown Point’s very own, Crown Brewing, which features some of the finest craft beer in Indiana.

The Taste of the Region will have two bands on Friday and two on Saturday. The family event runs Friday and Saturday from 11 a.m. until 10 p.m. on the courthouse lawn. For more information regarding this year’s Taste of the Region please visit http://www.crossroadschamber.org.

If you’re gonna drink some beer at your next party or night out, I recommend you “drink local.”  And if you are someone who is interested in learning about, or breaking into the “craft beer” category, you’re fortunate to be living here in NW Indiana… because the guys and gals at Crown Brewing offer up blends that will appeal to every level of drinker – from the beginner, to the advanced…

Here’s a short video I shot last weekend while visiting with co-owner Chris Stanek and Brew Master Steve Mazylewski. I had the opportunity to try three of their regular brews..

Crown Light: this has a lot of flavor yet is light, crisp and clean. I HIGHLY recommend this brew for you “beginners” to craft beer. This one won’t curl your tongue, but does pack some really nice bready flavor. It will go well with any food.

Weizenheimer Weiss: This is the most awesomely interesting beer I have tried this year! It’s a wheat beer, so it has that nice cereal base to it, but the yeast that is used brings in a really cool fruity and spicy body that is completely pleasurable on the tongue. This beer has a nice dark color and new craft beer drinkers will assume that means it is “strong” or “bitter” but don’t let the color fool you! This brew is quite sweet and super smooth! SMOOTH SMOOTH SMOOTH!

I don’t care who you are, you gotta try this one when you visit. Let me know if you smell the clove and taste the banana!

side note: BrewMaster Steve also has a “Blueberry Wheat” beer that is on tap during the summer that is this very beer with a pure blueberry extract blended into the mash… giving this wheat beer another layer of flavor… this is my wife Becky’s fave!!! (I love that she loves craft beer too, BTW) thank you Steve!!!!

Special Forces IPA: this beer was and is awesome! I reviewed this beer back a while ago. Now you guys must understand that I am VERY passionate about craft beers, craft brewing, and the craft beer movement in general… and on top of all that, I am a bonafide “HOPHEAD.” – I say all that to say that when it comes to West Coast Style American Pale Ale, this is my very favorite! The malt backbone is a wonderful support structure for the heavy hopping that Steve throws in. Interestingly, I learned on my visit that he also dry hops this beer which gives it a VERY fresh bitterness that I enjoy. Dry hopping always makes the beer taste fresher.

next time you are downtown, I highly encourage you to stop into Crown Brewing and try some of their brews. Remember guys, it’s always better to drink fresh, and drink local! Also, I’d love it if you would “LIKE” Around Crown Point on FaceBook – stay up-to-date with our travels! http://www.facebook.com/AroundCrownPoint

Crown Brewing is located at 211 South East Street: