New Plan Elevates Hendricks County Tourism
RISING TOGETHER COMMUNITY RALLIES AROUND LONGTIME BROWNSBURG BUSINESS, ROCK STAR PIZZA
Brownsburg Library
Updates Aim to Better Serve Community
JANUARY 2026
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RISING TOGETHER Community Rallies Around Longtime Brownsburg Business, Rock Star Pizza
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JANUARY EVENTS
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BROWNSBURG LIBRARY
Updates Aim to Better Serve Community
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JANUARY CROSSWORD
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NEW PLAN ELEVATES HENDRICKS COUNTY TOURISM
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RISING TOGETHER COMMUNITY RALLIES AROUND LONGTIME BROWNSBURG BUSINESS, ROCK STAR PIZZA Writer / Ashley Watters Photographer / Amy Payne
6 | January 2026 | TownePost.com
f you’ve ever been to Rock Star Pizza, you know Ron and Colby Mathews have never shied away from any opportunity to support their surrounding communities. For the better part of the last two decades, the Mathews have taken every opportunity possible to give back to schools and anyone struggling in the surrounding area. For better or worse, the beloved pizza parlor recently found themselves facing a struggle of their own. Their pizza oven died. Suddenly, the Mathews found themselves on the opposite side of the giving arrangement, trying to find creative ways to restore a critical piece of equipment. It wasn’t comfortable, it wasn’t desirable. But after nearly two decades of pouring their hearts and souls into a community they loved, they found themselves on the receiving end of that same community, which wanted to pay them back for their kindness. Upon investing more than $6,000 in a secondhand oven and finding it unusable, the Mathews were left with few options.
It was time to toss the used version and buy new. But new industrial ovens can range anywhere from $30,000 to $70,000, an amount that she and her husband didn’t have available and couldn’t conceivably raise on their own. That’s when longtime community resident Diane Tedder decided it was time to pay back the small business owners with a healthy dose of return kindness. Tedder was no stranger to Rock Star Pizza. Although the Mathews weren’t directly acquainted with her at the time, Tedder had long heard of the selfless help the owners generously bestowed on others. An avid follower of their Facebook group and Pay-It-Forward Board, Tedder felt it was time to repay the Mathews’ kindness. Despite some initial pushback, Tedder insisted, and she convinced the couple to let her start a GoFundMe to help them raise the needed capital for a new oven. “You know, it was difficult for us to agree to the GoFundMe campaign at first,” Colby says. “It’s truly humbling to be faced with needing help and feeling guilty about asking for it. At first, I told her we couldn’t possibly accept that kind of help, but she insisted that it was time for our kind deeds to be repaid. How could I
TownePost.com | January 2026 | 7
argue with that.” And it was indeed difficult to argue with that. Over the years, the Mathews have showed up time and again for anyone needing help in Brownsburg and surrounding communities. There wasn’t a meal train that didn’t have the Mathews’ names on it. They’ve always felt inspired to help others, however far or near. If they saw a gap, they stepped up to fill it. The Mathews have always particularly felt compelled to support local education. With two kids enrolled in their local schools, it was easy to see how much teachers contribute to the youth and surrounding communities. For more than a decade, Colby would drive donated pizzas to Arsenal Tech High School to
8 | January 2026 | TownePost.com
help incentivize student performance. Then and many other times, Colby would also tap The Hayloft business owner Sarah Simon, who would throw in some cupcakes to sweeten the deal. “We have always been supportive of our schools,” Colby says. “They don’t get nearly enough credit. I remember when the teachers marched Red for Ed and we gave every single person with a school ID a free item. I have a great appreciation and respect for teachers.” The Mathews also want to see goodwill spread in their community. After an incident in the area where two boys were verbally attacked, involving racial comments, Colby and Ron opened up their store so the boys could have a safe
haven for selling their candy. The town showed up, and the line wrapped around the corner. “I know firsthand the heart of the people who live here. Brownsburg is a wonderful community and place to live,” she says. Colby and Ron have always used Rock Star Pizza as a conduit to bring their community closer together. And if anyone was ready to prove to Colby just how wonderful the community was, it was Diane Tedder. “A lot of people assume I was friends with the Mathews,” Tedder says. “Although I’d been in and around Rock Star Pizza, I didn’t know them. I have just always been moved by their generosity toward
the community, and I thought it was time that they get to benefit from all the good they’ve done over the years.” The GoFundMe campaign ended on Nov. 17, 2025, with more than $24,000 in funds. The community wasn’t going to let that be the end. From the moment Colby posted on their social accounts asking for grace and patience as they struggled with only a single oven, the community dropped in and started leaving checks, cash, kind letters and donations to help the family in their time of need. “It was just really amazing to see this community show up for them,” Tedder says. “I think they were more shocked than anyone that others would so readily help them in their time of need. But I had no doubt that the community would be there for them.” The oven arrived on Nov. 25, 2025, just in time for the Thanksgiving holiday to a
crowd awaiting its arrival and the results of the pizza name contest. The winner took home gift certificates and bragging rights for a creative name. The oven couldn’t have come at a better time. With the Christmas holiday right around the corner, the employees would have a brand-new oven to use for their yearly tradition. Per their request, employees open from 4-8 p.m. on Christmas Day. The Mathews buy the supplies, and whatever profits they make are theirs to take home. “We aren’t just a business, we’re a family,” Colby adds. “That’s ultimately how they sold me on the GoFundMe. Diane asked me how I would be able to support our employees’ holiday tradition without an oven, and I just couldn’t accept that as a possibility. That’s how she got me.”
Resolve to Get Organized in 2026!
Thanks to the community’s generosity, the Mathews and their employees celebrated a very merry, pizza-filled Christmas. To learn more about Rock Star Pizza, visit them on Facebook or at rockstarpizza.net.
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CALENDAR OF EVENTS
16–17
THE 3 MEXICAN TENORS
JANUARY
AROUND THE COMMUNITY, 2026
Hilbert Circle Theatre, 45 Monument Circle. 11 a.m. (Jan. 16), 7:30 p.m. (Jan. 16–17)
Submit Your Events!
16–17, 31 6
INDIANA PACERS VS. CLEVELAND CAVALIERS
Gainbridge Fieldhouse, 125 S. Pennsylvania St. 7 p.m.
10
CANDLELIGHT: QUEEN VS. ABBA TRIBUTE
Scottish Rite Performing Arts Center, 650 N Meridian St. 8:45 p.m.
INDIANA PACERS VS. MIAMI HEAT
Gainbridge Fieldhouse, 125 S. Pennsylvania St.. 7 p.m.
12
INDIANA PACERS VS. BOSTON CELTICS
Gainbridge Fieldhouse, 125 S. Pennsylvania St.. 7:30 p.m.
AZIZ ANSARI: HYPOTHETICAL TOUR
Clowes Memorial Hall of Butler University, 4602 Sunset Avenue. 8 p.m. (Jan. 16), 7 p.m. (Jan. 17)
16–17, 31
BEST OF SECOND CITY
Shelton Auditorium, 1000 W 42nd St. 8 p.m. (Jan. 16), 7 p.m. (Jan. 17)
16
INDIANA PACERS VS. NEW ORLEANS PELICANS Gainbridge Fieldhouse, 125 S. Pennsylvania St.. 7 p.m.
16–25
INDIANAPOLIS HOME SHOW
Indiana State Fairgrounds, 1202 East 38th St.
16–17, 31
PAULA POUNDSTONE
Shelton Auditorium, 1000 W 42nd St. 8 p.m. (Jan. 16), 7 p.m. (Jan. 17)
13–18
MJ - THE MUSICAL
Old National Centre, 502 N. New Jersey St. 7 p.m. (Jan. 13–16), 2 p.m. (Jan. 17), 7:30 p.m. (Jan. 17), 1 p.m. (Jan. 18), 6:30 p.m. (Jan. 18)
14
INDIANA PACERS VS. TORONTO RAPTORS Gainbridge Fieldhouse, 125 S. Pennsylvania St.. 7 p.m.
17
THE HARLEM GLOBETROTTERS 100 YEAR TOUR
Gainbridge Fieldhouse, 125 S. Pennsylvania St. 2 p.m.
TownePost.com | January 2026 | 11
INDIANA PACERS VS. CHICAGO BULLS Gainbridge Fieldhouse, 125 S. Pennsylvania St.. 7 p.m.
30
BATMAN IN CONCERT
19
FREE ADMISSION - MARTIN LUTHER KING JR. DAY
White River State Park, 801 W. Washington Street. FREE White River State Park attraction admission on Martin Luther King Jr. Day, January 19th! Explore White River State Park attractions for FREE on January 19th to celebrate MLK Day!
FREE DAY: MARTIN LUTHER KING, JR. DAY
(all ages) Indiana State Museum, 650 W Washington St. 10 a.m.–5 p.m. Enjoy free museum admission as we honor the legacy and contributions of Martin Luther King, Jr.
MARTIN LUTHER KING JR. FREE DAY Eiteljorg Museum of American Indians and Western Art, 500 West Washington St. 3–10 p.m. Celebrate Martin Luther King Jr. Day at the Eiteljorg Museum with FREE admission for all visitors! Honor Dr. King’s legacy through art, culture, and community engagement.
Clowes Memorial Hall of Butler University, 4602 Sunset Avenue. 7:30 p.m. Experience the caped crusader like never before.
CLUE: THE MOVIE WITH LESLEY ANN WARREN
Clowes Memorial Hall of Butler University, 4602 Sunset Avenue. 7:30 p.m.
30–31
INDIANAPOLIS SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA: HARRY POTTER AND THE SORCERERS STONE IN CONCERT Hilbert Circle Theatre, 45 Monument Circle. 7 p.m.
31
INDIANA PACERS VS. ATLANTA HAWKS
Gainbridge Fieldhouse, 125 S. Pennsylvania St.. 7 p.m.
27
BIG HEAD TODD AND THE MONSTERS
Old National Centre, 502 N. New Jersey St. 7:30 p.m. In this life, very few friendships withstand the test of time. Naturally, people go their separate ways and chase their own dreams.
28
HENDRICKS COUNTY WOMEN CONNECT - AVON CHAMBER
Cooper&’s Hawk Winery, 8696 E US Hwy 36. 5–7 p.m.
12 | January 2026 | TownePost.com
MONSTER JAM - DAY 1
Lucas Oil Stadium, 500 South Capitol Avenue. 8–10 a.m. Experience Monster Jam® live and become a fan for life with an ultimate day of family fun at Lucas Oil Stadium on January 31.
BROWNSBURG LIBRARY UPDATES AIM TO BETTER SERVE COMMUNITY Writer / Ashley Watters
Brownsburg Library is the home of many great community programs. With classes and events for all ages, and access to ebooks, the latest reads and learning and research programs, there is something for everyone. To help ensure the library
is continuing to meet the community’s needs, recent updates have been made to the building’s infrastructure. As part of the updates, the Brownsburg Library has added a new roof, repaired
loose drywall in the clerestory, updated their HVAC system and reconfigured their parking lot to make it more accessible to patrons with mobility issues and safer for small children. TownePost.com | January 2026 | 13
“Thus far, the parking lot has made the biggest and most immediate impact for our patrons,” says Amie Scott, assistant director at Brownsburg Library. “Our goal was to create parking that was Cold & Flu Season is WE Accept most all beside the building to make the parking WE Accept most all already In full force Insurance including experience more accessible. With the Insurance including and has been for a Medicare and Medicaid remaining sfunds, we hope to replace the Medicare and Medicaid r te ster few months. Try these Web on b e end panels our shelves, electronic e W u iq ue immune boosters at chnmeeting Tefor signage room spaces Tand echniq ed the 1st sign of illness d e i f i t i er replaceCshelving in our used bookstore. or if already sick, to Certif This is on our list for 2026.” decrease the duration Helps with: Helps of the sickness. • Rib Painallwith:WE Accept most all• Rib Pain Accept most • Round Ligament pain WE • Round pain Insurance includingLigament The funding for these newest renovations Insurance including • Hormone headaches Medicare and Medicaid induced • Sciatica Elderberry Medicare andAndrographis Medicaid• Hormone induced headaches er • Sciatica was part of a bond that amounted Webst ue to less Webster •kids Upper back pain and Another more • Upper iq e n u Safe for even as goodback herbpain for and more Care can help with h • Low back pain iq c e n T Care can help than $0.02 for every $100. • Lowwith back pain Tech ied ied Certif young as 1! colds and flu Aches and pains during pregnancy! Certif Aches andalignment pains duringcan pregnancy! Proper pelvic helppelvic to putalignment can help to put Proper Great for upper respiratory Helps with: Helps with: The library is excited to host new and • Rib Pain • Round LigamentBaby pain incolds optimal birthing position and the Astragalus • the Round most Ligament pain flu• Rib Pain Baby in the most optimal birthing position • Hormone induced headaches • Hormone induced headaches pre-existing programming in their Dr.• Sciatica Vicki Crum • Sciatica Strengthens and regulates • Upper back pain and more • Upper back pain and more • Low back pain • Low back pain updated space. One new partnership Echinacea help to put the immunize system Proper pelvic alignment can Proper pelvic alignment can help to put with the Kiwanis Club of Brownsburg Helps reduce days of Helps with colds, Baby in the most optimalto birthing position Baby in the most optimal birthing position and their Key Club will pair high school illness when taken at the respiratory viruses, and first sign. allergies students with younger, struggling readers Female Chiropractic as part of a Book Buddies program to Female Chiropractic *Always consult your PCP before taking help boost literacy skills. The team is herbs with your current medication. Dr. Danis & Dr. Van Matre Dr. Vicki also continuing to partner with local Dr. Danis & Dr. Van Matre Dr. Vicki DanisDanis Dr. Vicki DanisDr. Vicki Danis museums and parks to allow for 7651 freeE. US Hwy 36 • Avon, IN 46123 | CommunityChiroAvon.com | (317) 272-7988 7651 E. US| Hwy 36 • Avon, IN 46123 | CommunityChiroAvon.com (317) 272-7988 7651 USactive Hwy 36 • Avon, 7651 IN 46123 CommunityChiroAvon.com | (317) |272-7988 access to local areas withE.an E. US Hwy 36 • Avon, IN 46123 | CommunityChiroAvon.com | (317) 272-7988
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library card. Patrons can also expect new digital library passes in the near future, making it easier to partake in the library’s amenities. Scott and team hope these new and exciting programs and updates will encourage more patrons to come take advantage of all that Brownsburg Library has to offer. “We still have folks who haven’t been in since our last renovation and of course, many new faces within our library community,” Scott says. “Our building is very open and, we hope, a welcoming environment. We aren’t a quiet library per se, and are often quite busy with programs, meetings and other events.” Another exciting opportunity will involve the library’s annual fundraising event, which will take place on February 21, 2026. “A Night in the Stacks” is a funfilled, adults-only event conducted in partnership with Books and Brews and TownePost.com | January 2026 | 15
Valkyrie’s Vault. The evening will be jampacked with board games, video games, putt-putt golf, trivia, indoor pickleball and more. “It’s a perfect opportunity for a date night or ideal for getting a group of friends together,” Scott adds. “We’re hopeful it will be a huge success.” The library also hosts a variety of other services available to community members. Patrons can book a meeting room at the library for a small fee or take advantage of the various other services provided, including newsletters, remote printing, notary and Bestseller’s Club. “We constantly have new and varying options for our patrons,” Scott says. “We’re looking forward to another great year serving our community.” To learn more about the Brownsburg Library, visit bburglibrary.net.
16 | January 2026 | TownePost.com
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2/5/18 11:46 AM
CREATIVE CORNER
HASH BROWN CASSEROLE
DIRECTIONS 1.
2.
INGREDIENTS • 1 (32 oz) bag frozen shredded hashbrowns, thawed • 1 can (10.5 oz) cream of chicken soup • 2 cups shredded sharp cheddar cheese • 1/2 cup melted butter • 1/2 cup finely chopped onion • 1 cup sour cream • 1/2 tsp salt • 1/2 tsp black pepper • Garnish with Chives (optional)
18 | January 2026 | TownePost.com
3.
4.
5.
Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C). Lightly grease a 9×13 inch baking dish with nonstick spray or butter to prevent sticking. In a large mixing bowl, combine the thawed hashbrowns, cream of chicken soup, shredded cheddar cheese, melted butter, chopped onion, sour cream, salt, and pepper. Stir well until all ingredients are evenly distributed and the mixture is creamy. Spread the mixture evenly into the prepared baking dish. Use a spatula to smooth the top for even baking. Place the dish in the preheated oven and bake uncovered for 45 to 50 minutes. The top should be golden brown and the edges slightly crispy. Remove from the oven and let it rest for 5 minutes. Serve warm and enjoy!
TownePost.com | January 2026 | 19
VHC Staff
JANUARY CROSSWORD PUZZLE
ACROSS 1. Novelists 4. Sober 7. People from Calcutta 8. Move with effort 9. Parish ministers 12. Earphone units
20 | January 2026 | TownePost.com
15. Issued (from) 17. Astonished 18. Locates 21. Cellophane cover 22. Give birth (of dog) 23. Retaliated for
Solutions
DOWN 1. Set in motion 2. Aircraft shed 3. Hit with hand 4. Waist ribbon 5. Embarrassed 6. Bird of peace 10. Gun blasts 11. Bamboo-eating mammal 13. Depressed 14. Great slaughter 16. Inn 18. Went by air 19. Exchange 20. Statistics
NEW PLAN ELEVATES HENDRICKS COUNTY TOURISM Writer / Ashley Watters
Hendricks County is a beautiful place to live and a wonderful destination to visit. No one knows that more than the group over at Visit Hendricks County, a team whose sole focus is to demonstrate to others that the county is a visit-worthy destination. They also strive to make sure that Hendricks County residents are happy and thriving. That’s exactly what they’re hard at work doing with their bold new strategic plan. An organization with roots dating back to 1998, Visit Hendricks County is solely funded by a pass-through visitor tax. The group is given funds from a hotel tax enacted in 1996, creating a model specifically designed to keep visitors funneling into Hendricks County. But
mostly, the group’s love of Hendricks County drives their passion for bringing people in to see what the county has to offer.
A recent overhaul of the organization’s strategic plan includes four new areas of focus, based on community feedback, staff and industry input, and — for the first Longtime employees Jaime Bohler Smith, time — resident sentiment. Those include executive director and CEO, Josh Duke, senior organizational excellence, destination communications manager, and the rest of the development, awareness and marketing, and staff spend their days strategically planning connectivity of industry and community. This how they will bring tourists into Hendricks roadmap means Visit Hendricks County has County and help support local businesses and some exciting new things coming in the new year. residents. “We are heavily invested in locally owned businesses that need support,” Duke says. “Everything we do is geared towards helping those businesses thrive and giving them what they need to succeed.”
“Our goal is to bring value to our community, vitalize the places that we live and enhance the visit for anyone traveling to see us,” Smith says. The resident sentiment data revealed that TownePost.com | January 2026 | 21
the top key priorities were fun, connectivity, inclusivity and managed growth. Residents indicated they want more events, outdoor experiences and a broader culinary scene. Visit Hendricks County is developing programs to support those initiatives. The group also plans to provide enhanced support for local businesses, helping boost their marketing efforts and connecting them to affordable resources. Strides in destination development have also been made through additional investments such as accessibility — in partnership with Wheel the World — to make it easier for visitors and residents to get around Hendricks County. “We’re evaluating the physical accessibility of locations and will provide recommendations for how businesses can make improvements, not just for wheelchairs, but also for moms with strollers and those with sight, hearing or sensory issues,” Smith says. To help bring all of these new initiatives to life, the group has expanded its team to add three new roles, including a director of destination development, a senior research and data manager, and a partner services coordinator, bringing its total team to 11. “We’re transforming what it means to be a destination leadership organization,” Smith adds. “We’ve been Visit Hendricks County for 14 years, but we really wanted to put some weight to those words and provide more value. Now, instead of just marketing to visitors, we have new initiatives to communicate locally and keep residents informed of what’s going on. We really want to lean into our residents and help improve their quality of life by bringing in more tourism.” The group is certainly a leader in the destination industry. Over time, they turned what was originally a trifold brochure into a robust 40-page magazine that outlines all Hendricks County has to offer. This magazine won them the award for Best Visitors Guide in 2024. As a result of their hard work, visitor spending has risen from $228.9M in 2013 to $370.3M in 2023 — a nearly $150M increase over a decade. Alongside those efforts, Duke devotes 22 | January 2026 | TownePost.com
much of his time to the Insider blog, an undertaking that has been wildly successful and a resource for those inside and outside Hendricks County. Insider blogs are written by residents, for residents, and serve as a forum for communicating about local events, restaurants, new attractions and upcoming things to know. All contributors are local and many have businesses or work full time within the community. The Insider program has since expanded to include short-form video, and five new Insiders joined the team in December. “The Insider has been extremely successful,” Duke says. “We’ve found that people don’t want to watch videos or hear from Visit Hendricks County. They want organic, authentic people talking about where they live.” The groundbreaking Insider blog has even led to speaking engagements for Duke and has helped set the standard for Midwest tourism blogging. In addition to these new initiatives, Visit Hendricks County also distributes a holiday gift guide, summer and fall campaigns with things to do, and two monthly newsletters — one for visitors and locals and another for industry partners to keep everyone keyed into what’s going on and upcoming opportunities. To further sharpen their focus on the community, the organization is undergoing a rebrand scheduled to launch in February 2026. Smith and the team are highly engaged in that project and excited to unveil an allnew look for Visit Hendricks County that demonstrates their reinvigorated dedication to the area. “I’m excited about the future and where we’re headed,” Duke says. “Jaime and the leadership team found all the right people to fit what was needed to make our strategic plan a success. It’s like all the pieces to a puzzle. We all complement each other really well and play to our strengths and weaknesses. It’s going to be an exciting year.” To learn more, email the team at info@ visithendrickscounty.com or visit them online at visithendrickscounty.com.
BROWNSBURG / 251 W Northfield Dr / (317) 520-9377 TownePost.com | January 2026 | 23
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