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Looking for the most outlandish holiday spirit? I’ve found it here in Fort Wayne!

Last year I wrote a post that featured three homes around Fort Wayne that have been favorites on our annual holiday home tour. But three is just not enough! Feast your eyes on these spectacles of the season.

9346 Auburn Road

“Fa-la-la-la-la-Lot of Yard Decor”

• Northwest Fort Wayne
• 9346 Auburn Road
• This yard is decorated for many holidays, not just Christmas.
• Over 20 different scenes set up in the yard and on the roof featuring classic and modern Christmas decorations.

Blow-Up Bonanza on West Wallen Road

“Wallen Road Wonders”

• Northwest Fort Wayne
• “Blow-up Bonanza” at 750 West Wallen Road has nearly 20 blow-up decorations in the front yard.  These larger-than-life displays will leave you wide-eyed in wonder.
• “Candy Land” at 224 West Wallen Road features what my child’s imagination sees as hundreds of trees decorated in the colors of the season.
• Caution: there are not great spots to pull over and enjoy these displays, so take advantage of the low 35 mile per hour speed limit as you drive by.

1828 S Tyland, New Haven, Indiana

1828 S Tyland as seen from Summit Street

“Season’s Greetings…on all sides”

• New Haven, Indiana
• 1828 South Tyland
• Over 30,000 lights cover all four sides of this house and both sides of the roof!
• A unique feature of this home is that the owners have the lights on at night and in the morning. Using timers, they take advantage of daylight savings and turn the lights back on from 5-8 am each morning now through January 2nd. What a lovely way to start the day!
  

8512 Forsythia Court

“Festive Fanatic”

• Southwest Fort Wayne
• 8512 Forsythia Court in Westcott Ridge
• The lights don’t just dazzle…they dance! Tune your car radio to hear the music behind the motion.
• As far as we know, this is the only house in Fort Wayne that even puts lights over their yard!

Plumbago Court

“Hoosier Hysteria”

• Southwest Fort Wayne
• Plumbago Court in Vera Cruz
• Some people are basketball fans. And then there is this house.
• Of Yahoo! Sports fame, thanks to their choreography of Christian Watford’s 3-pointer.

The ever changing…

…sights timed to sounds…

…and even a talking head!

“Symphony of Sights”

• Southwest Fort Wayne
• Corner of Ruffner and Caravelle in Bridgewater addition
• This house has been lit since 2006 and has grown to feature of 40,000 lights timed to an hour’s worth of music.
• Tune your car radio to 91.3 to hear the music making these lights move. You can even watch these lights online at lacawb.com!

I encourage you to grab a coffee or hot chocolate from a local spot like Old Crown, Firefly, the Friendly Fox, or DeBrand location to take on your home tour. While you’re touring the town, listen to 95.1 or 97.3 and enjoy the sounds of the season as you search for crazy Christmas houses. And let me know what houses I’ve missed!

To help you navigate, I’ve put this year’s homes plus last year’s (minus “The Clark W Griswold” house, which will not be lit this year) in a Google Map. Just add your starting location and final destination to enjoy an evening out gazing at the lights.

View Larger Map

Do you need ideas for your child’s next party? Not interested in hosting all their friends at your house? Good news! There are plenty of great locations around Fort Wayne for you to celebrate your child’s next birthday.

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  Science Central staff makes Ice Cream

  Science Central – You choose a theme, science experiment, and invite the friends. Science Central will take care of the sweet treats – including ice cream made in front of your party using liquid nitrogen – and the educational fun! You have access to the “party room” from one hour but the price for the party includes admission to the museum for the entire day. Cost: $175 for non-members, $150 for members with additional fees for larger groups. Ages 3+ up.

• Bounce House at Canlan Ice Sports – This unique, fun option is available year-round. Hosting your party here provides one hour in the “Birthday Party Room” and one+ hour of bounce. These aren’t the moonwalks in the backyard. You will bounce, climb and slide for birthday fun! It is adjacent to the ice rinks, so be sure to bundle up and remember your socks; no socks, no bounce. Cost: $175 for 12 children. Ages 3+ up.

• Tea Party at Sweet Violets – Perfect for your darling daughter, Sweet Violets will host your fancy gathering complete with a hat and jewelry for the little ladies to wear during tea. You choose sandwiches, savories and cupcakes. Child-friendly beverages will be served in tea pots. Cost: $10.50/child, plus tax and 18% gratuity for parties over 10 people. Ages 3+ up.

• Art Party at Michael’s – This creative party couldn’t be simpler. Just schedule your party with one of our local Michael’s store, select your project and celebrate the special day with whatever food and sweet treats you provide. Michael’s will provide invitations, thank you cards or goodie bag tags, keepsake apron for the birthday child, crafting prep and instruction and all the clean-up. Cost: $50 staff/set-up/clean-up fee plus cost of selected craft. Ages 5+ up.

• Ice Skating at Canlan Ice Sports – Whether you have a hockey player in training or a budding figure skating star, this is the ideal location to host their next birthday party. Enjoy a private room with pizza, pop and snacks for one hour and then enjoy a free skate during public skate hours. Cost: $175 for 12 children. Ages 3+ up.
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  Pick up some cupcakes from a local bakery to complete your Park Party!

  Park Party – perfect for outdoor activities and kids who enjoy being active. There are many city parks that offer pavilions, splash pads, playgrounds and wide open spaces for you to enjoy. Keep in mind that you won’t have the park to yourself so there is no guarantee you will have tables to use. (Send someone early!) All Ages.

• Gymnastics Party – area gyms will allow you to host a party complete with gymnastics instruction for your child and their friends. This is a great idea if you have a child interested or enrolled in a gymnastics program. Check out More Than Gymnastics or Summit Academy for details and costs. Ages 5+ up.

• Laser X – Enjoy an hour and a half in the Birthday Party room plus two Laser X games and $4.00 in arcade tokens per person. Your birthday star will also receive a VIP Pass! Cost: Starting at $13.95/person plus any food and beverage you purchase. Ages 10+ up.

• Paintball Plex – Located just north of Fort Wayne on US 3 in LaOtto, the Paintball Plex offers year-round birthday fun. The cost of the party includes up to two and a half hours of play, reserved tables, gun, mask, air and paintballs. Cost: Starting at $199 for up to 8 players plus any food and beverage you purchase. Ages 10+ up.

Happy celebrating!

Geocaches are small and well-hidden, like this one found in northwest Fort Wayne.

Growing up a fan of “Choose Your Own Adventure” books, I was intrigued to learn about “geocaching,” a choose-your-own-adventure meets treasuring hunting activity. According to the official global website for this activity, there are over 1.933 million active geocaches and over 5 million geocachers worldwide. Simply searching the 46802 postal code brings up a list of more than 3,000 geocaches in the Fort Wayne area.

So what is it exactly? It’s simply a free real-world treasure hunt all are welcome to be a part of. You can track them, hide them or both. All you need is some creativity, stealth, and a smartphone app or GPS. Check out this link for a great 101 primer in getting started.

If you’re using a smartphone app, it will use your phone’s location services and suggest three caches for you to find. You can select the one you want to hunt based on distance, terrain, difficulty of view, and size. The clues provided will depend on the geocacher who hid it originally. It will also tell you if there’s an opportunity to leave a ____ or if you need to bring your own pen to record your find in the log. Once you’ve found the geocache, you’ll receive a “Victory!” message confirming your find.

Whether you are looking for an urban adventure, a hike through the woods, or simply something to do over your lunch hour, geocaching will certainly fit the bill.

What’s inside a geocache will vary, but there will always be a log to write down your find. BYOPen!

If you cache, please share your tips and tricks in the comments below. We’d love to hear about your favorite local geocaches!

Santa and Reindeer Display

It has been a family tradition of ours for as long as I can remember.

As a child, my grandfather would bring me downtown to enjoy a Coney Island hot dog under the lights of Santa and his reindeer. Now, as a mom, I make sure my family never misses the opportunity to make the same memory.

This tradition is one you can customize for your own family. The must-have ingredients are Coney Island and the historic Santa and Reindeer display. How you choose to mix them is up to you! Consider these options:

• Enjoy a carriage ride through downtown before or after dinner at Coney Island. There are a few carriages that leave from under Santa. I recommend making reservations if you’re planning for a weekend.

• Eat at the famous Coney Island. No matter how you like your dogs, you can’t go wrong with this classic Fort Wayne establishment. Don’t forget to grab a classic Coke in the glass bottle!

• Sit in the glow of Santa and his reindeer. There are always a few other families in the parking lot doing the same. Don’t be afraid to ask someone to capture your family photo under the lights. Just be sure to return the favor!

Our family tradition is to get our Coney Island to-go and enjoy dinner in the car, under the lights. After we’ve eaten and taken a few photos, we drive through downtown enjoying the other light displays and waving to the carriages.

My husband is not a Fort Wayne native and every year he remarks that “this” is what makes him love our community. Creating these traditions and memories feel like small-town America, while at the same time being in a city that offers so many big-city amenities.

Fort Wayne is fortunate to have a rich cultural fabric, and one result of this is our many ethnic restaurants. There’s no need to frequent the chain restaurants when we have so many authentic, locally owned restaurants throughout the community.

As someone who could eat Mexican food for every meal, every day, here are my top five recommendations of restaurants to visit for your next authentic Mexican meal.

• Agaves Mexican Grill – 212 East Washington Center Road, Fort Wayne, IN 46825 – The convenient location near I-69 and Coldwater Road make Agaves a desirable location to meet up with friends from around the region. In warmer months, their patio offers great outdoor seating. Portions are large, offering you a good value. My pick: Extreme Nachos with Chicken.

• Albertos – 2529 South Calhoun Street, Fort Wayne, IN 46807 – Just a short drive south of downtown, you’ll find this small, well-lit authentic Mexican restaurant. I’ve always experienced quick and pleasant service, which makes it a great choice for your lunch hour meal. My pick: Alberto’s Burrito with chicken.

• El Azteca – 535 East State Boulevard, Fort Wayne, IN 46805 – Centrally located, El Azteca offers a full bar featuring over 100 tequilas as well as a full menu. Be sure to mark your calendar for their Cinco de Mayo party each year! My pick: A cup of Fideo Soup and the Chicken Almendra Burrito.

• Don Chavas – 1234 North Wells Street, Fort Wayne, IN 46808 – Don Chavas is part of the Cebolla’s family of restaurants, however, this location features additional menu items featuring seafood dishes. Similarities include their colorful and unique furniture and some signature menu items. My pick: an order of their Queso dip and the Tijuana Enchiladas featuring green tomatillo sauce.

• Tacos Arandas “El Amish” – 2012 Broadway Street, Fort Wayne, IN 46802 – Reviews rate this as “the most authentic and delicious tacos I’ve had since moving” and “los precios razonables, el servicio de excelencia.” While the menu is basic, the options are not. My pick: the Tacos, of course!

Bonus:

• Indiana Mexican Bakery – 1419 North Wells Street, Fort Wayne, IN 46808 – This could be considered a hidden gem. A perfect spot to enjoy dessert after a meal across the street at Don Chavas. My pick: warm Churros.

• La Michoacana – 1421 North Wells Street, Fort Wayne, IN 46808 – Right next door to the bakery, you want to make this a spot to stop in during the summer months while you’re out enjoying the trails. They do offer food, but desserts like fresh fruit popsicles are what they’re known for. My pick: homemade, natural popsicles.

There’s no excuse not to taste all that the community has to offer. Try these local favorites out, and let me know what others you would add to the list!