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Bourbon & BBQ + Drinks on Us in Brown County 🍖🍻
Plus - IN zoos and ice cream shops you've got to check out this summer! 🍦
Get IN, Austin Sellers & Nate Spangle
July 24, 2025
Thursday, July 24th
🔥Hard Truth Bourbon & BBQ Festival – July 25–26, 2025🔥
Smoky meats, smooth bourbon, and summer vibes await at the Hard Truth Bourbon & BBQ Festival in Nashville, Indiana! Join us tomorrow and Saturday, July 25–26, at Hard Truth Distilling Co. for two days of bold flavor and live music in the hills of Brown County.
Friday night kicks off with a VIP dinner featuring bourbon-infused BBQ pairings from Pitmaster Dave White and Master Distiller Bryan Smith. Saturday brings nonstop action: live music, a sanctioned BBQ competition, special guest appearances (including Netflix’s Chef James “BBQ” Grubs), bourbon tastings, outdoor games, and a VIP cigar lounge.
🎟️ Tickets are almost gone! Get yours here: https://hardtruth.com/event/bourbon-bbq-festival
Want to meet up with the Get Indiana crew this weekend in Brown County? Here’s what’s on our agenda.
📜 This Week in Indiana History 📜
Neil Armstrong Returns Home with Apollo 11 Crew (1969)
Here’s a fun fact for you… two Purdue graduates have walked on the moon. The most recent of those was Eugene “Gene” Cernan in Apollo 17 in 1972. The first person to walk on the moon was also a Boilermaker… Neil Armstrong. We’re celebrating Armstrong’s achievement on This Week in Indiana History.
In an 8-day mission, Armstrong, along with Buzz Aldrin and Michael Collins made WORLD HISTORY when they were in Apollo 11, which was the first manned mission to the moon. Armstrong was the first man to walk on the lunar service, and him and Aldrin walked on the surface for 21 hours before heading back home.
All in all, Purdue has produced 24 astronauts — the most of any public institution in the country — further proof the Hoosier State always goes to the moon and shoots for the stars.
⚡ Hoosier Headlines ⚡
The 2025 Brickyard 400 will be held Sunday, July 27, to wrap up a three-day race weekend at Indianapolis Motor Speedway. Get IN the know with our guide to the Brickyard, complete with information on how to get tickets, where to park, race day tips, and more. 🏎
A couple special guests will be in attendance, with an Indiana Pacer driving the pace car, Pascal Siakam, and Cookie Monster from Sesame Street as the Grand Marshal. 🏀🍪
So, who to cheer for? Indiana’s own and Mitchell native Chase Briscoe, who is currently eighth in the NASCAR Cup Series standings, will be driving the No. 19 car and vying for his first Brickyard win. Spoiler alert: We’re dropping a special podcast episode with Briscoe on Friday ahead of the Brickyard, and you’ll be able to listen to it here.
The WNBA All-Star Game and festivities, along with Indiana Black Expo, brought 70,000 visitors to Indianapolis last weekend. Hoosiers stepped up in the spotlight yet again, one of many reasons why the Circle City came in at No. 14 on LinkedIn’s top 25 list of cities on the rise!
You can check out the full list and reasons for placement here.
What do Indianapolis, Fort Wayne, South Bend, and Michigan City all have in common? They each have a zoo!
Fun with family and friends is a guarantee at each of these wildlife havens, where dolphin shows and animal encounters are the norm. The Indianapolis Zoo, Fort Wayne Zoo, Potawatomi Zoo in South Bend, and Washington Park Zoo in Michigan City have their own unique experiences, and we’ve got the full breakdown on each of them here.
For fans of big cats, there’s the Exotic Feline Rescue Center in Center Point, too!
Leaks and Creaks? Hope Plumbing and Cooling's Got You Covered
From Broad Ripple bungalows to Irvington fixer-uppers, Indy homes come with their fair share of quirks — and plumbing issues are usually at the top of the list. Hope Plumbing and Cooling knows the neighborhoods, the older homes, and the plumbing problems that come with them. Whether it’s a leaky faucet or a mystery drip behind the wall, they’ll show up fast and get it done right.
🔧 Need a reliable local plumber? Book now at HopePlumbing.com
Recent Get IN podcast guest and Ozwell Fitness owner Gemi Ozdemir shared Eli Coffee Co. as his hidden gem in Indiana.
Housed within Ozwell Fitness (and in Columbus, Ohio), no membership at Ozwell is required to enjoy Eli Coffee Co. and its lattes crafted from premium, clean ingredients—no sweeteners, preservatives, or artificial flavors to be found.
The Eli mobile cart can also be booked for small events here. And if you’re looking for a coffee follow, check ‘em out on TikTok or Instagram.
Located in northeast Indiana off US Highway 6 in Ligonier, The Charger House is quite the catch of a hidden gem.
Serving breakfast until 11 a.m. along with lunch and dinner, The Charger House is best known for its signature fish offerings, including Icelandic cod that is a favorite among visitors.
Check out our full breakdown on The Charger House, and cast your line in Ligonier the next time you’re traveling through Noble County.
What’s your Hidden Gem? Submit here to have it featured!
👏 1 Big wIN 👏
Just last week, two Indiana ice cream shops cracked Yelp’s Top 100 Ice Cream Shops list. To celebrate, we all scream for ice cream!
Coming in at No. 40 was Sundae’s Homemade Ice Cream located near Geist Reservoir. Sundae’s opened in 1995 and has since perfected the craft of making homemade ice cream and coffee roasting. We recommend the Graham Central Station, but you can’t go wrong with any of its flavors.
The second Hoosier-based ice cream shop in the Yelp Top 100 was Danny’s Mexican Ice Cream in Avon coming in at No. 64. Danny’s serves up classics but also has many unique options like Cheeto Esquite with Hot Cheetos, Strawberry Pop-Tart, Churro sundaes, and so much more.
We also highlighted eight more ice cream shops across Indiana worth exploring. Check ‘em out before summer ends! 🍦
🎙 In today’s episode I sat down with Pat Pezet, co-founder of Grinds Coffee Pouches, to discuss the company's journey from an idea in a college apartment to a national brand.
We delve into the challenges and successes of creating a tobacco alternative, the life-changing experience of appearing on Shark Tank, and the strategic move of its manufacturing operations from California to Indiana.
Pat shares personal anecdotes about the startup grind, the importance of supportive community, and the benefits of relocating a business to the Midwest.
You are going to learn about:
- The Ideation of Grinds as a Tobacco Alternative
- Pat’s Appearance on Shark Tank
- Grinds’ Manufacturing Operations Moving from California to Indiana
Want more from us?
🎙 Hear our founder interview Indiana CEOs on Spotify!
📣 Partner with us to get your product/service in front of our audience.
💎 Know any hidden gems we should cover? Submit yours here!