In this Highland Local Scoop Issue…
Friday, Oct. 30: Partly cloudy - High 62° / Low 50°
Saturday, Oct. 31: Cloudy with showers likely, mainly early - High 58° / Low 50°
Sunday, Nov. 1: Mostly cloudy with a chance of rain - High 65° / Low 52°
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Highland Events
👻 Have you seen the Highland Halloween Guide it was updated with new events last night….
Check out our Highland Halloween Guide 2026 for haunted homes, trunk-or-treats, family activities and more!
Friday October 30
8:30-9:15 AM - SilverSneakers Classic - at Lincoln Community Center, 2450 Lincoln St
10:30-11:30 AM - SilverSneakers BOOM - at Lincoln Community Center, 2450 Lincoln St
1:00 PM - Chair Zumba - at NWI Parkinsons, 2927 Jewett Ave
5:30 PM - NWI Parkinsons Style Show and Dinner - at Avalon Manor, 3550 E. U.S. Route 30, Merrillville
6:30-8:30 PM - Metaphysical Discussion Group - at Trinity Healing Center, 3145 45th St Suite A, Highland
7:00 PM - Tinker’s Open Mic Night $5 cover at door cash only - Tinker’s Attic 2513 Highway Ave Highland
9:00 PM-2:00 AM - Halloween Costume Party - at Emilio’s Restaurante & Cantina, 9400 Indianapolis Blvd, Highland
Saturday, October 31
11:00 AM-1:00 PM - Trick or Treat at Porte de Leau - at Porte de Leau Plaza, 45th St & Prairie Ave
12:00-3:00 PM - Elks 981 Annual Trunk or Treat - at Highland Elks Lodge #981 parking lot, 3120 45th St
5:00-7:30 PM - Mission Bible Church Trunk or Treat - at Mission Bible Church, 3010 41st St
5-7 PM Highland Trick or Treating
7:00-10:00 PM - Halloween Concert w/ Radiator Hospital, Dusk & The Cherry Tops - at Grindhouse Cafe, 3805 Ridge Rd, Highland
8:00 PM–12:00 AM Halloween Night at Elements (Costume Contest) at Elements Cigar Lounge, 8349 Indianapolis Blvd Suite C.
Sunday, November 1
7:00-11:00 AM - Blue Top Monthly Swap Meet - at Blue Top, 8801 Indianapolis Blvd
9:00 AM - Dia de los Muertos 5K Run/Walk - at Wicker Memorial Park, 8554 Indianapolis Blvd
10:00 AM-12:00 PM - Fur Baby Land Grand Opening - at Fur Baby Land, 9515 Indianapolis Blvd, Suite 2, Highland
2:00-4:00 PM - Pumpkin Smash & Roll - at Oak Ridge Prairie, 301 S Colfax St, Griffith
4:00-7:00 PM - Blue Top Live Music - at Blue Top, 8801 Indianapolis Blvd
Highland Sport Events
Saturday, October 31
10:00 AM - Highland Titans 9U vs Michigan City (Pop Warner State Championship) - at Crown Point Sportsplex, Field A, 1313 E North St, Crown Point
12:00 PM - IHSAA Boys Cross Country State Finals (Malachy C.) - at LaVern Gibson Championship Course, 599 S. Tabortown Rd, Terre Haute
Sunday, November 1
9:00 AM - Highland Titans 8U vs Hanover Central (Pop Warner State Championship) - at Crown Point Sportsplex, Field B, 1313 E North St, Crown Point
2:00 PM - Highland Titans 12U vs Hammond (Pop Warner State Championship) - at Crown Point Sportsplex, Field A, 1313 E North St, Crown Point
Card My Yard Munster created custom graduation displays for Highland High School’s Class of 2026. Photo courtesy of Card My Yard Munster.
💛 Business Spotlight: Card My Yard Munster
A birthday sign for Sarah Nuetzel’s grandmother sparked an idea that eventually became a family business spreading joy across Munster, Highland and nearby communities.
Sarah and her family launched Card My Yard Munster in May 2020, creating personalized yard displays for birthdays, graduations, anniversaries, new babies, retirements and other big moments.
The business has also become a familiar sight around Highland, creating signs for Highland High School graduations, the Highland Education Foundation Fun Run and other community events.
For Sarah, some of the most meaningful displays have marked wedding proposals, cancer milestones and other major life events where the sign becomes part of a memory the family will always have.
“We truly appreciate the support to our small family business. We’re really just grateful for the community and the ties that we have to the community.”
From One Sign to a Family Business
The idea started when Sarah’s cousin, who owns Card My Yard Naperville, created a sign for their grandmother.
“We thought it was awesome,” Sarah recalled. “We’d never seen it before in our area.”
That one display inspired the family to bring Card My Yard to Northwest Indiana, and Card My Yard Munster launched in May 2020.
Every installation starts with the person being celebrated. Customers share favorite colors, themes, hobbies and interests, and Sarah uses those details to create a display specifically for them.
“I will pull the whole sign together,” she said. “And then when I go to install the sign, I will install it in the person’s yard.”
More Than Birthdays
Birthdays and graduations are a big part of the business, but the Nuetzel family has also created displays for:
Anniversaries
New babies
Retirements
Welcome-home celebrations
And many more special occasions
Beyond individual celebrations, Card My Yard Munster has also used its displays to support schools, fundraisers and community events throughout the area, giving local organizations another way to make their events feel special and visible.
Card My Yard Munster created a custom display for the Highland Education Foundation Fun Run, one of several Highland school and community events the family business has supported. Photo courtesy of Card My Yard Munster.
A True Family Operation
Card My Yard Munster runs year-round, and the whole family helps make that possible.
Sarah operates the business with her husband, their children pitch in, and even her parents help with pickups.
That family involvement is part of what Sarah believes sets the business apart, along with personalized service and attention to each celebration.
Still Spreading Joy
Looking ahead, Sarah’s goal is simple: continue reaching more people and helping families celebrate important moments in a big way.
“Just continuing to reach as many people as possible and spreading joy by our yard signs.”
Card My Yard Munster serves Highland, Munster and surrounding communities.
Learn more: cardmyyard.com/munster
Call: 317-840-3412
Follow: Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, TikTok and X/Twitter at @CMY_Munster
Did you catch last week’s about the candy tax? If not go here.
Highland received an $886,300 Legacy Foundation “Love Where You Live” grant for Kennedy Commons, a new public gathering space planned for the former gas station site at 8436 Kennedy Ave. The Highland Redevelopment Commission is adding another $100,000 toward the project. Image courtesy of the Town of Highland / Legacy Foundation.
🌳 Kennedy Commons Lands Full $886,300 Grant + Nearly $1 Million in Funding
The long-vacant former gas station at 8436 Kennedy Ave. is officially on its way to becoming Kennedy Commons after Highland landed the full $886,300 it requested from Legacy Foundation’s “Love Where You Live” grant program.
The Highland Redevelopment Commission is adding another $100,000, bringing the planned investment to $986,300. Highland was one of just seven Lake County projects selected to share $4 million in grants.
Plans call for a small performance stage, shaded picnic areas with solar-powered tables, food truck hookups, sculptures, an outdoor classroom and a mural by local artist Billy Pozzo, surrounded by native landscaping. A storage building will also include a community pantry.
The location sits beside the Erie Lackawanna Trail, connecting the new gathering space with downtown Highland and other nearby destinations.
Councilman Alex Robertson said resident input helped shape the final design and summed up the next step simply in a town video shared Oct. 28: “We can’t wait to welcome you here.”
Lake County Parks will host Pumpkin Smash & Roll on Sunday, Nov. 1 at Oak Ridge Prairie, just outside Highland. Families can bring pumpkins to roll or smash, with Purdue Northwest students and Lake County Parks naturalists on hand for pumpkin science and activities. Image courtesy of Lake County Parks.
🎃 Two Smashing Ways to Say Goodbye to Your Jack-o’-Lantern
Halloween may be over, but your pumpkins still have one more job to do. Instead of tossing them in the trash, bring them to one of two pumpkin-smashing events coming up nearby.
🎳 Roll it down a hill: Sunday, Nov. 1
Lake County Parks is hosting Pumpkin Smash & Roll from 2 to 4 p.m. at Oak Ridge Prairie, 301 S. Colfax Road in Griffith. Bring your own pumpkins and send them rolling down the hill - or just give them a good smash. Purdue Northwest students and Lake County Parks naturalists will also be on hand with pumpkin science and activities.
🎯 Smash it in Highland: Saturday, Nov. 7
Highland Neighbors for Sustainability will hold its 4th annual Pumpkin Smash from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. at Main Square Park. Bring your carved pumpkins, aim for the bullseye and smash away.
The pumpkins will be donated to a local farm, so no paint, glitter or glue.
Either way, it’s a fun family send-off for spooky season - and a way to give those jack-o’-lanterns one last hurrah before they’re put to better use.
Highland Neighbors for Sustainability will hold its fourth annual Pumpkin Smash on Saturday, Nov. 7 at Main Square Park. Pumpkins will be donated to a local farm after the event. Image courtesy of Highland Neighbors for Sustainability.
🍴 Last Call for Your Highland Food Favorites
We’re getting ready to build the official 2026 Best of Highland Food & Drinks ballot, but first we need your nominations.
Who has Highland’s best pizza? Wings? Breakfast? Burgers? Coffee? Sandwiches? Soup? And all the other local favorites worth recognizing?
Nominations close Sunday, Nov. 1.
You don’t have to nominate someone in every category. Add the Highland restaurants and food businesses you think deserve a spot, then we’ll use the nominations to build the ballot.
🗳️ Official voting opens Nov. 10 and runs through Nov. 30.
Talk soon,
Shannah Holt
Founder & Publisher, Highland Local Scoop