Lake Effekt is a dynamic, two-day street art and mural festival held in the Miller Beach neighborhood of Gary, Indiana. The event brings together nationally recognized graffiti and mural crews, live music, and the local community to celebrate and expand upon the area’s vibrant public art landscape.
Live Mural Painting: Watch renowned crews—including Midwest Masters and ATT—and local artists create new public art.
Community Participation: Take part in creating a collaborative community mural.
Guided Tours: Join organized walks to view over a decade of existing Lake Effekt murals.
Local Festivities: Enjoy live music, a neighborhood raffle, and shopping along Lake Street.
Bikeshare Access: Try out a bike from Gary’s Cycle 219 program, with pop-up events offering transit information and prizes. [1, 2, 3, 4]
Dates: June 13 & 14, 2026
Time: 1:00 PM to 6:00 PM both days
Location: Old Miller Ave and Lake Street, Miller Beach, Gary, IN
Host Organization: Miller Beach Arts & Creative District (located at the Marshall J. Gardner Center for the Arts) This special event features Crazy IN Style Artists as they create new public art on Old Miller Ave and Lake Street in Miller Beach. Watch two nationally recognized crews, Midwest Masters and ATT, and Miller Beach artist Grace Krupchak at work creating new murals for Miller! Enjoy music by MonoSOUL and Trino Cavazos, curator of music.
CISA is recognized as Indiana’s oldest Latino artist cooperative, a milestone highlighted in their upcoming exhibition, Still Crazy: 40 years of the Crazy IN Style Artists, opening at South Shore Arts in August.
The collective’s pieces often blend bold graffiti lettering with vibrant color palettes and exaggerated forms, creating high-energy visual language that becomes part of a neighborhood’s identity. In communities impacted by disinvestment, these works don’t just beautify spaces—they spark connection, visibility, and pride. Today, CISA remains a cultural force—mentoring young artists, collaborating with community groups, and amplifying regional identity through public art. Their legacy endures in the murals that shape neighborhood landscapes and in the generations of creatives they continue to inspire.
ATT (Always Top Tier) was founded in 1987 by East, who was originally from Crown Point, Indiana, and cut his teeth in East Chicago, Indiana, with the HitMen and World Famous CISA crews. With over 20 active members, scattered mainly throughout the Midwest and overseas, Always Top Tier consistently delivers quality in all its productions, whether at a festival, in a competition, or just for fun!
Midwest Masters is a collective cut from the same ATT cloth; it’s a movement that lives by the same principles of style, where quality over quantity reigns supreme.
Grace Krupchak is a multimedia artist from Miller Beach, Indiana. Her work is deeply rooted in spirituality, nature, and the soul’s purpose. Through each piece, Grace hopes to create art that resonates deeply and leaves a lasting impact on anyone who encounters it.
Visit Lake Street Shops to be entered in a free raffle. Take part in creating a community mural. Try out a bike from Gary’s Cycle 219 bike share program. Join a guided tour of the Lake Effekt project – two streets of existing murals painted over 10 years. Free and open to the public.
Miller Beach has had outdoor murals for 13 years, with the initiative officially launching in 2013 when the original “Lake Effect” project brought over 40 artists to the Miller Beach Arts & Creative District to transform 19 local walls and alleys. Located at 540 S Lake Street, the Marshall Gardner Center serves as the primary hub for the Miller Beach Arts & Creative District and hosts indoor graffiti exhibits alongside the surrounding street art.
The New Jackson 5 Mural is situated at 610 S Lake St on the wall of Vogue Cleaners. This massive piece by Felix Maldonado Jr. replaces the weather-worn 2013 original with a vibrant tribute that is three times larger.
SATURDAY SCHEDULE JUNE 13TH:
Saturday, 6/13/26Community Mural project -1pm – 6pm
Take part in creating a new community mural that will be installed at the Gardner Center. No experience necesary – our art guide will help you create a block that will become part of the finished painting! Creatives of all ages welcome! At the Nelson Algren 616 Sound StageGuided Art Walk – 1pm
Join a guided tour of existing Lake Street corridor murals and learn more about the artists who created them. Wear comfortable walking shoes. The tour last about 45 minutes and includes a stop at MIller Bean Ice Cream.Guided Art Walk – 3pm
Join a guided tour of existing Lake Street corridor murals and learn more about the artists who created them. Wear comfortable walking shoes. The tour last about 45 minutes and includes a stop at MIller Bean Ice Cream.
Music by MonoSOUL – 3 pm – 5 pm
Live Music! Catch two sets of MonoSOUL at the Nelson Algren 616 Sound Stage.
Guided Art Walk – 5pm
Join a guided tour of existing Lake Street corridor murals and learn more about the artists who created them. Wear comfortable walking shoes. The tour last about 45 minutes and includes a stop at MIller Bean Ice Cream.
SUNDAY SCHEDULE JUNE 14TH, 2026:
Sunday, 6/14/2026
Community Mural project – 1-6pm
Take part in creating a new community mural that will be installed at the Gardner Center. No experience necessary – our art guide will help you create a block that will become part of the finished painting! Creatives of all ages welcome! At the Nelson Algren 616 Sound Stage
Music! 1-6pm
Trino Cavazos, curator of music, performing in front of Del’s Fun Bar.
Guided Walking Tour, 1pm
Join a guided tour of existing Lake Street corridor murals and learn more about the artists who created them. Wear comfortable walking shoes. The tour last about 45 minutes and includes a stop at MIller Bean Ice Cream.
Free Bike Rides, 2-4pm
Try out a bike from Gary’s Cycle 219 bike share program. Made possible by Gary Public Transportation Corp.
Guided Walking Tour, 3pm
Join a guided tour of existing Lake Street corridor murals and learn more about the artists who created them. Wear comfortable walking shoes. The tour last about 45 minutes and includes a stop at MIller Bean Ice Cream.Guided Walking Tour, 5pmJoin a guided tour of existing Lake Street corridor murals and learn more about the artists who created them. Wear comfortable walking shoes. The tour last about 45 minutes and includes a stop at Miller Bean Ice Cream.
For more information visit https://millerbeacharts.org/events/lake-effekt-2026/, or call (219) 885-9114 or email mbacdarts@gmail.com.
MORE RELATED ARTICLES YOU MIGHT LIKE . . .
Grand Opening of the Marquette Greenway Trail From Miller Beach to Indiana Dunes
On June 6th, 2026 the official ribbon cutting of the new 2.7 mile section of the Marquette Greenway trail was opened. Thank you from the bottom of our hearts to National Park Service Rafi Wilkerson and Northwestern Indiana Regional Planning Commision Mitch Barloga, and everyone else involved for our magnificent trail. The…
Birding in the Miller Beach Area
Late Fall and Early Winter are the Best times to find migrating Birds in Indiana’s diverse habitats that are home to over 400 documented bird species, making it the perfect place for a birding adventure. The birding experiences won’t disappoint, from the one-of-a-kind migration of Sandhill Cranes to Bald Eagles perched atop tree-tops.…
Susie Young Baxter, CEO, has published PanoramaNOW Magazine for 31 years. Her hobbies are Camping, Boating, Hiking, Nature, Gardening and Outdoor Activities. She is an Artist, Graphic Designer, an Avid Seamstress, Dabbles in Homemade Crafts and Landscaping. Since her Father was a Health Teacher, she also likes homeopathic Health Solutions. Since blogging started over 10 years ago, PanoramaNow has been added to Newsbreak – a national news affiliate.
