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August 20 – September 2, 2025
Don’t Miss Out!
You’re receiving this email because you’re a friend of Ball State Public Media, but to keep getting these handpicked recommendations delivered to your inbox, make sure to subscribe by hitting that button below:
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But Wait, There's More...
Subscribe to Arts & Rec by August 29, 2025, for the chance to win a $100 gift card to 1925 Pub House!
Once subscribed, you’ll receive this newsletter every other Wednesday, packed with fresh ideas and direct links to the top events in the area. It’s a quick, easy read, and we think you’ll love it.
Each issue of Arts & Rec brings you a curated roundup of standout arts, culture, and entertainment event recommendations across East Central Indiana, so you always know what’s worth checking out. Whether it’s indie concerts, fairs and festivals, local theater, or family-friendly happenings, we’ve got your cultural calendar covered.
This issue was prepared by our Media Sales Manager, John Morgan. Read more about John below.
| | Top Rec for August 20 - September 2: | |
Muncie Three Trails Music Series: Vanessa Collier
Saturday, August 23, 7pm
Brown Ampitheatre, Ball State University
Acclaimed blues horn player Vanessa Collier will be performing in a FREE outdoor concert as part of the 2025 Muncie Three Trails Music Series. The concert will take place at 7:00 PM on Saturday, August 23, at Brown Family Amphitheater on the campus of Ball State University. Local favorites The Fierce will open the show.
Vanessa Collier is a master musician and instrumentalist, weaving funk, soul, rock, and blues into powerful performances and dynamite recordings. With soulful vocals, searing saxophone, and witty songwriting, Vanessa is blazing a trail, racking up an impressive arsenal of honors, and has already singled herself out as an artist of distinction and one we would all do well to watch. She is a 15-time Blues Music Awards (BMA) nominee and a 4-time winner, including in 2024 for Horn Player of the Year (her third time winning that award). Her 2025 BMA nominations include Contemporary Blues Female Artist of the Year (an award she won in 2022) and Contemporary Blues Album of the Year for Do It My Own Way.
Learn More
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—The Ball State Public Media Team
P.S. Don't forget to hit that subscribe image below for your chance to win a $100 gift card to 1925 Pubhouse!
| | Top Recs for August 20-September 2: | |
Ball State Cardinals vs Purdue Boilermakers
Saturday, August 30, noon
Ross-Ade Stadium, West Lafayette
Ball State University Football at Purdue University. Ball State Football’s huge first game match-up vs Big Ten rival, the Purdue Boilermakers. Chirp, chirp!
BallStateSports.com
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America's Hometown Band presents AHB's Got Talent Show
Thursday, August 21, 7:00 pm
Westside Park, Muncie
Bring your friends, neighbors, and family—along with a lawn chair or blanket—and enjoy the show.
AHB’s Got Talent! This special performance shines a spotlight on several of America’s Hometown Band’s most talented musicians.
The AHB Concert Band will accompany these featured artists on piano, voice, trumpet, saxophone, piccolo, and xylophone—showcasing the incredible range and talent that make AHB so special.
In case of last-minute changes or weather relocations, check the America’s Hometown Band Facebook page.
amhometownband.org
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Central Indiana Tenderloin Trail
I thought I should do something "controversial" in my first issue of The Arts and Rec Newsletter. As a lifelong Hoosier, I have a true love for the Tenderloin sandwich. It’s probably true that many restaurants, bars, and cafés can make a tenderloin; few can say they are great. Looking over the “Tenderloin Lovers Trail” from the Indiana Foodways Alliance – a non-profit that touts its members, I’d say they are close to correct. Just looking over the Central Indiana Trail, there are many Tenderloins on their ranking that I have tried. Mulligan’s, Muncie; Amazing Joe's Grill, Muncie; Lemon Drop, Anderson; Cammack Station, Yorktown, to name a few.
They did miss a few, like Savage’s Ale House—I believe Foodways only rates its members. At the top of their list is 1925 PubHouse, with locations in both Muncie and Anderson—and I have to agree, it deserves the number one spot.
Speaking of 1925 PubHouse, be sure to share this newsletter with friends: anyone who signs up in August will be entered to win a $100 dining card to 1925. Don’t miss out!
Get on the trail and let me know what you think of the greatest sandwich ever, the (fried) Tenderloin – mayo, lettuce, pickle – only.
More Info
—John
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Get to know John
I’m not JUST about Tenderloins—I’m all about family and my work as Media Sales Manager at Ball State Public Media. My wife, Melanie, and I have been married 27 years, and we’re proud parents to Marshall, Megan, and Miles—all Ball State grads or current students (Megan and Miles). We also share our home with Jackson, our 10-year-old Pug, who happens to love tenderloins too!
On December 2, I’ll celebrate 23 years with Ball State Public Media, where I started as a sales rep for WIPB-TV after seven years in commercial radio. Media is in my blood, but what brought me here was PBS. When my son Marshall was little, he adored Thomas the Tank Engine on PBS KIDS—and we even taught him to read at 18 months using Thomas learning materials. That was all the proof I needed of the power of PBS and PBS KIDS for children and families. I knew then I had to be part of it, and I’ve been proud to share that mission ever since.
| | | | Check out this related content: | | Islam's Greatest Stories of Love | |
A young woman devastated by the loss of her father seeks solace from five of Islam's greatest love stories, which unravel the mysteries of the Taj Mahal, reveal an unsung hero in Malcolm X's life, and show how love can change the world.
Airs Friday, August 22 at 9 p.m. on Ball State PBS
| |  | On Point "Can Public Media Survive?" | |
The U.S. Congress cut federal funding for public media, shuttering the Corporation for Public Broadcasting. What does that mean for the future of local news across the country? Hosted by Meghna Chakrabarti, On Point is produced by WBUR Boston.
This show aired on August 13 on IPR. Listen to the episode here!
| | | Drawing disclaimer: No purchase necessary; Ball State Public Media staff are not eligible to win. | | | | |
