#1StudentNWI: Schereville’s festivals, fireworks, and fabulous females

#1StudentNWI: Schereville’s festivals, fireworks, and fabulous females

What’s recently happened?

The summer events everyone has been waiting for have finally made their way to Schererville. Schererville Parks and Recreation works hard to put on the “Celebrate Schererville Fest'' year after year. This year’s Schererville Fest took place June 7-10 at Redar Memorial Park. The last day was supposed to be June 11; however, it was canceled due to inclement weather.

This amazing festival had something for everyone, no matter the age. Tickets and wristbands were available for purchase all throughout the days. The park was filled with a variety of rides and carnival games. The festival even added a new ride to the group this year: the Zipper. Along with the attractions, there was a stage for live entertainment. Some of the bands that played were The Sting Rays, Dick Diamond & the Dusters, and Rocky Road Band. 

In addition to the entertainment, there was a huge variety of food vendors with plenty of food choices for people to enjoy. Some of the food vendors this year included Dr. Vegetable, Kona Ice, Jill’s Sweets & Treats, and the Cheesy Truck. 

While all the other fair festivities were going on, bingo was played in the pavilion each night. Craft vendors had tents and tables set up to display their work as well. Overall, the Schererville Fest had another successful year. Families and friends were able to all gather for a fun-filled weekend right in their own town. 

What’s coming up?

The summer festivities are never-ending in the town of Schererville. Schererville Parks and Recreation will also be hosting the annual fireworks show for the town on Friday, June 30 starting at 5 p.m. This event truly is a town favorite at Rohrman Park. 

The firework show will begin at dusk.

Families and friends will flood the park with chairs and blankets to sit and enjoy live entertainment before the fireworks. Food and non-food vendors are able to apply to come out and park at the event. This is a great opportunity for small businesses and vendors to get their name out there. 

There will be a beer garden for adults, and the park is available for kids. It is such a fun event to be a part of.

Citizens who live close to Rohrman Park typically host parties because of their great views. It gets crowded very quickly, so the earlier you find a spot to enjoy the show, the better. 

The town provides a rain date of Saturday, July 1 at dusk as well. 

Community member spotlight:

ReVolt Cheer & Tumble is an all-star cheerleading gym owned by Jamie Hitt and Melissa Matlon. These two women have been incredibly successful business owners and opened their cheer gym to share their strong passion for cheerleading with athletes in Northwest Indiana. 

They opened their first gym in St. John, Indiana in 2018. However, they just moved to a new, beautiful facility located at 1680 E. Porter Street, Crown Point, Indiana. The new gym offers a lot more floor space for athletes to practice and show off their skills and routines.

Hitt and Matlon are both from Illinois and coached cheerleading there. They then used their Illinois coaching experience to kick off their coaching careers in Northwest Indiana. 

“Our goal with the first gym was to bring progressive-based training into Indiana. We wanted to work on proper skill progression and train kids so they can grow between levels and learn the right techniques behind the sport,” Hitt said. 

“We felt that there was a need for facility usage as well,” added Matlon. “Our plan was to have a place that groups could rent out and get training from coaches.”

ReVolt’s new facility is a much bigger space that can accommodate their tremendous amount of growth over the past couple years. They have over 300 athletes.

“We feel like we can fit more programs, teams, and classes. We can give our athletes the best training possible,” Hitt said. 

“The longer tumble track and larger floor space can give our kids more training opportunities,” Matlon said.

ReVolt also recently won the title for “The Times’ Best of the Region” Best Tumbling Facility of 2023. This was a huge accomplishment for not only the owners and staff but the gym as a whole. 

“It’s been a goal since we opened,” said Hitt. “We have always been in second, but this past year our athletes and coaching staff have gone above and beyond to make our name known and show how we’re different from a lot of other places in the area.” 

“Since a lot of the other contenders and winners from the past have been around forever, it felt really nice to finally be recognized,” Matlon said. 

Hitt said that they truly invest in their athletes and staff. They have created a safe and fun environment for athletes to start off as beginners and progress through the levels. Matlon and Hitt make it a priority to have a place where athletes can be challenged and loved. 

“We can train anybody, no matter what their skill set is. We would love for anyone to stop in and see what we’re all about,” Matlon said.