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June 1-9
New Haven Canal Days

June 2-10
Germanfest
Enjoy authentic German food, dance, music, activities and fun!

June 14-17
BBQ Ribfest
Voted one of the “Top 10 BBQ Fests in the USA.” Enjoy live bands, great food and cold brews.

June 21-24
Greekfest
Opa! Take in four days of authentic Greek food, drink and festivities!

June 23
River Fest
RiverFest rocks the banks of the St. Joe River with vendors, art, music and more!

June 23-24
Covington Art Fair

June 30
Buskerfest

July 4-7
Gold Wing Road Riders’ Wing Ding 34

July 13-21
Three Rivers Festival
Enjoy the opening day parade, arts, crafts, amusement rides, International Village, live music and the all new RiverGames Water Wars and canoe races!

July 24-29
Allen County Fair
Fun for all ages with art, crafts, food and entertainment.

July 27-28
Pride Fest

July 26-28
Swiss Days

July 28
Muddy River Run
Enjoy a swap meet, car corral, car judging, poker run, games and more!

August 4
Country Fest

August 9-11
St. Joe Pickle Festival
An old time festival that was one of the Food Network’s All American Festivals.

August 18
RockFest
Headwaters Park

August 25
Taste of the Arts
Fine arts and food festivals. Five performance stages, art marketplace, and food vendors!

August 30-September 2
Auburn Cord Duesenberg Festival
The world’s greatest classic car show and celebration.

September 6-8
Grabill Country Fair
Enjoy this country-style fair that highlights the area’s Amish heritage, food and crafts!

September 7-8
Mad Anthony Oktobeerfest

September 8-9
West Central House and Garden Tour

September 8-9
War of 1812 re-enactment
200^th Anniversary! Transport back to the 19^th Century and talk with the soldiers, watch demonstrations and more.

September 9
Be a Tourist in Your Own Hometown

September 15-16
Johnny Appleseed Festival
This period-authentic festival celebrates the life and times of John Chapman, aka Johnny Appleseed. Includes food, crafts, antiques, children’s area, re-enactors, and entertainment!

September 22-23
Brick World

September 28-29
Fort4Fitness Mini-Marathon
Half marathon, 10K and 4 mile walk/run in a festival atmosphere.

Oct 6
Chili Fest

October 6-7
Maker Faire

A regular question that we receive in the Visitors Center is from people who have about an hour in downtown Fort Wayne before they have to leave town and want to make the most of it. Here are a few ideas to help you squeeze in every minute of fun that you can!

Outdoor Recreation
Parkview Field, home to the Fort Wayne TinCaps – Take a walk around the concourse or stop at The Orchard for a few souvenirs (or better yet, a t-shirt or hat for yourself).
Rivergreenway - There is a great 2-mile loop called the Circle of Hope, which will take you through downtown Fort Wayne. Points of interest include Headwaters Park, Lawton Park and the Historic Wells Street Bridge.
Historic Fort Wayne – Although the “Fort” doesn’t have a re-enactment every weekend, you can walk around at anytime, but you will not have access to the interior of the buildings.

Check out the Fort Wayne Firefighter's Museum: Weekdays from 10am-4pm, and Saturdays 10am-3pm.

Museums
Cathedral Museum – See religious artifacts dating back to the 13^th century. (Tuesday-Friday from 10am-2pm)
Fort Wayne Firefighter’s Museum – Take in items that were once used by the Fort Wayne Fire Department; there is even fire truck on the first floor. (Weekdays 10am-4pm, Saturdays 10am-3pm, closed Wednesday and Sunday)

Art
Fort Wayne Museum of Art – Tour permanent collections and enjoy various exhibitions. (Tuesday-Saturday 11am-6pm, Thursday 11am-8pm, Sunday 12pm-5pm)
Artlink – A visual art gallery, emphasizing the Greater Fort Wayne area. (Tuesday-Saturday 12pm-6pm, Thursday 12pm-8pm, Sunday 12pm-5pm)

**If you have more time (2-3 hours), check out African/African-American Historical Society, Foellinger-Freimann Botanical Conservatory, Fort Wayne Children’s Zoo, The History Center or Science Central.

Whether you are in town for a convention at the Grand Wayne Center, discovering your roots at the Allen County Public Library or if you are a leisure traveler enjoying some time away; you still need a good cup o’ joe to get your morning started!

While locating all the coffee and breakfast stops for this list, I noticed that no matter where you are in downtown Fort Wayne, you are no more than two blocks from at least one or two coffee shops (and that makes for a happy town – maybe that’s why visitors always say that Fort Wayne is so friendly). Most of our coffee shops are local, with a few chain shops along the way.

Bistro (inside Courtyard by Marriott Downtown)
Cindy’s Diner
Dash-In
Pembroke Bakery and Café (inside the Auer Center)
1020 Bistro (inside the Hilton Hotel)
Bagel Station Uptown (inside the Botanical Conservatory)
Downtown Grind
Dunkin Donuts (inside the Allen County Public Library)
Higher Grounds (inside Star Financial)
Lincoln Tower Soda Fountain
Starbucks
Zia’s Coffee Sweets and More (inside Lamp Light)

Last week, I took the opportunity to take a stroll in the beautiful spring weather and stop by Higher Grounds Star, located at 127 W. Berry St. in the heart of downtown Fort Wayne, IN. Not only was I greeted by a beautiful building and decor, but I was also greeted with great smiles and nice conversation with the owner, Scott Thrasher-Herndon.

I had to know what the best sellers were and here’s what I found out:

By the pound: Cinnamon
Summer: Shoaff Shake
Winter: Peppermint and Cinnamon
Year-round: Pumpkin Latte (which other shops only offer in the fall) and The Zebra

My favorite blueberry scone in town!

They are open Monday-Friday from 7am-5pm. Along with coffee (including Brews of the Day), espressos, smoothies and shakes (made with hand-dipped ice cream – it doesn’t get much better than that!), they also offer bagels, scones and a few other snack items.

Whether you are on your way to work or if you need to ward off that 2 pm feeling, stop by Higher Grounds Star for the caffeine to make it through your day (and a smile to go with it). You can also check them out on Facebook.

The Fort Wayne Komets take home ice at the Allen County War Memorial Coliseum TONIGHT: Tuesday, April 24^th, 2012 at 7:30pm for the Turner Conference Finals. This is the sixth game out of a seven game series, and the Komets must win to continue. The Komets have been battling the Missouri Mavericks (who are leading the series 3-2) for the past 10 days. So far, the teams have really made each other work during the last five games, with 1 OT and 1 double OT.

I can’t think of a better way to wrap up the 60^th anniversary of the Komets! So, be a part of history in the making; call your friends, grab your tickets, a cold beer and watch some Komet magic!

Need a place to celebrate after the game? Fort Wayne nightlife can accommodate any group, no matter what atmosphere you are looking for.