Here in Fort Wayne, we love to host a party! Many of those parties take place in the form of festivals. where we celebrate our heritage, our love of certain foods, our traditions, and our community all summer long.  Here’s a list of the great festivals you won’t want to miss this year.

June

Germanfest                            June 2-9                                 Headwaters Park

www.germanfest.org

Locals know that Germanfest kicks off “festival season” in Fort Wayne.  Everyone looks forward to the food, the entertainment, and beverages, and the fun.  It’s what German’s call “Essen, Trinken, und Gemutlichkeit,” or what we here in America call “Eating, Drinking, and having a really good time”.  Not German?  They don’t mind.  Just come on in and join the party.  Admission is $2 from 2-5 p.m. and $5 after 5 p.m. Military personnel with I.D. admitted free of charge.

Ribfest                                    June 13-16                            Headwaters Park

www.bbqribfest.com

Don’t think of Fort Wayne when you think of barbecue   Join us for Ribfest in June and we’ll change your mind.  Bring a hardy appetite and comfortable shoes (you could be in line a while for the good stuff) and see what it’s all about.  Ribfest wraps up on Father’s Day so why not take Dad, which makes it the perfect family day out.  In addition to the ribs they’ll have live rockin’ blues, a little bit of jazz, and a little bit of country music a the main stage.  They call it “the biggest piggin’ out in the park party” for a reason.  Admission is free daily until 5:30 p.m.  After 5:30 admission for adults is $8, $6 for seniors, and $4 for students, military members, fire, and police with proper I.D.

Riverfest                                 June 22                                  IPFW Campus

www.ipfwriverfest.org

At Riverfest we celebrate one of Fort Wayne’s most prominent resources, our Rivers.  A day for families and fun is on tap for anyone who wants to join the party.  If you love sports, art, live music, food, and nature you’ll love this festival that takes place on the IPFW Campus.  Go for a boat ride on the river, participate in the volleyball tournament, or participate in the Riverfest Mud Run 5K.  At the end of the day sit under the stars and enjoy one of the city’s best fireworks displays.  Admission is free.  The festivities start at 9 a.m. and last until midnight.

Buskerfest                              June 29                                  Downtown Fort Wayne

www.downtownfortwayne.com

The art and celebration of the street performer comes alive in downtown Fort Wayne each year at Buskerfest.  Join us for this unique festival in the streets of downtown Fort Wayne.  Whether you’re interested in live music, fire breathers, sword swallowers, snake charmers, poets, magicians, or caricature artists you’ll find something that appeals to you.  Buskerfest promises to give you and your family a festival experience like no other in the area.  Admission to this event is free.

July

Three Rivers Festival            July 12-20                              Headwaters Park

www.threerviersfestival.org

Welcome to Fort Wayne’s biggest summer party! The Three Rivers Festival is a Fort Wayne classic event.  Don’t miss the parade, bed races, concerts, crafters market, river games, or waiter-waitress contest.  This 8 day festival wraps up with the city’s largest fireworks display on Saturday night.  Join in the fun throughout the week.  Admission varies based on the events of the day/evening so be sure to check their website for up to date information.

Pridefest                                July 26-27                              Headwaters Park

www.fwpride.org

Pridefest is not only a celebration of our community but also a celebration of LGBT members of our community.  Celebrate with us in Headwaters Park for two full days of fun and entertainment.  The party starts off with a parade at 11:30 on Saturday celebrating diversity in our great city.  You’ll find family fun in KidSpace, a Cornhole Tournament that includes cash prizes, LGBT friendly businesses, retailers and food concessions.  Various workshops will take place on Saturday also.  Check their website for a complete list of topics and times.  Friday night admission is $3 and Saturday admission is $5.  Kids 12 and under are free both days.

September

Country Fest                          September 21                                   Parkview Field

www.k105fm.com

If you’re a fan of country music, make plans to join us at Country Fest 2013.  It’s a full day of music, food, and fun.  2012 performers included Montgomery Gentry, Lee Brice, and Colt Ford.  While this year’s line up hasn’t been announced yet, we are sure they’re booking acts you won’t want to miss.  Be sure to check their website for tickets as last year’s event sold out.

Johnny Appleseed Festival   September 21-22                 Johnny Appleseed Park

www.johnnyappleseedfest.com

In the pioneer spirit of John Chapman, aka Johnny Appleseed, Fort Wayne celebrates his colorful life spent right here.  He’s known to have plated orchards in Fort Wayne and the surrounding areas in the latter part of his life.  In fact, his gravesite memorial is located in Fort Wayne’s Archer Park not far from the site of the Johnny Appleseed Festival.  You’ll enjoy the best of the pioneer life at this festival complete with the foods that remind you fall is on the way.  Admission is free!

For additional festival and special event information, visit our complete Calendar of Events!

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The newest addition to the Fort Wayne arts scene is the Wunderkammer Company’s downtown gallery.

Wunderkammer Company is a nonprofit organization led by Dan Swartz, a Fort Wayne native and independent curator. Dan has been described by some as an “art instigator,” and that may be true, but at his core he is a driven and dynamic force of nature. You cannot be in Dan’s presence and not be inspired to do or create something. Therefore, it isn’t surprising that the mission for his project is grand and important: to revitalize communities through contemporary art. So far, he is succeeding. The gallery opened in January 2013 and has hosted a number of shows, including Fort Wayne Fringe featuring dance and other performance art.

Wunderkammer Company’s next trifecta of exhibitions includes, “Three Ladies”, “Texted Riot”, and “Not Tara Donovan.”

“Three Ladies” is a historic and educational exhibition honoring the lives and accomplishments of Margaret Ann Keegan, Helene Foellinger, and Madolon “Madge” Rothschild. These three women made crucial and lasting positive contributions the Fort Wayne community during their lives and through their continued charitable spirit once passed.

“Texted Riot” is a group exhibition featuring five artists focusing on text, or written language, in art and “Not Tara Donovan” is as described in the gallery’s release “an installation produced by W< questioning the validity of an art piece when the audience is immediately queued into the processes which took place to create it.” The public is encouraged to contribute to the installation, and is “let in” on the “inside jokes within the contemporary art world.”

Wunderkammer Company is an extraordinary member of the Fort Wayne art community; it will challenge, entertain, and educate all who are open to it. Check out these shows or visit Wunderkammer Company’s Facebook page and learn more.

These three exhibitions opened on Saturday, April 20th, and will continue through May 19th (Texted Riot until May 26th). Wunderkammer is located at 3402 Fairfield Avenue in Fort Wayne. Suggested donation is $2.00.

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Have you ever sat back and realized how important seeds are? It may seem trite at first, but without plants and the oxygen they bring we would not be breathing right now! Artist Jerrod Tobias takes a closer look at agriculture, seeds and the importance of nature in his latest exhibit “Seeds of Symbiosis” on display now at the Fort Wayne Museum of Art.

According to Tobias, “This body of work continues an inquiry into agrarian traditions. Through a variety of drawing and painting processes, I strive to reveal rhythms and patterns found in nature.  These harmonies with natural living systems offer a glimpse into a symbiotic relationship between man and nature. These ‘seeds of symbiosis’ seek to preserve the wisdom of the past while searching for economic and agricultural sustainability in the present.”

Get in touch with the natural world and visit this amazing display today!

“Seeds of Symbiosis” is on display now through May 12. Check the art museum’s website for information on hours of operation or call 260.422.6467. Admission to the Fort Wayne Museum of Art is $7 for adults, $5 for students and $12 for families. The museum is located in downtown Fort Wayne at 311 E. Main St.

Insider Tip: Admission is free on Thursdays and Sundays.

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Cinco de Mayo is a great time to celebrate the arrival of spring, and get in a festive mood.  Think El Azteca for your Cinco de Mayo destination.

El Azteca will welcome guests for two days of Cinco de Mayo fun, May 4-5th.

El Azteca, located in the East State neighborhood, has been a staple of Fort Wayne dining since 1973, and it’s easy to see why! Maybe it’s the quality food – this certainly isn’t your average Mexican joint. They serve up quality and consistent dishes, fresh from their kitchen. All of their sauces are home-made, which sets them a part from a lot of restaurants. Not sure what to order? They have a few popular menu items.  You can’t go wrong with an order of their nachos, Benji Burritos, Black Bean soup, and Fideo soup. I love their dinner combinations, which allow you to pick from your favorite Mexican staples, like enchiladas and burritos. Many loyal customers  swear by their Mariscos, which is a seafood option for most of the items offered on the menu. Their friendly and fast service is worth mentioning, too.

Their tequila selection is another point of difference. They offer more than 100 types of tequilas. That’s right…you read that right–100 varities!! Their tequilas are 100 percent  Blue Agave and are available as a Blanco, Reposado, and Anejo.

As far as Cinco de Mayo celebration, join them 7-10 pm May 4th, with live music from local band Island Vibe in their outside tent.  Also, on May 5th guests can enjoy face painting, corn hole, live music from Island Vibe from 4-7 p.m. and D.J. Ric Ramos from 7-11 p.m. Drink specials and give-a-ways are also a part of the fun.

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When the sun starts shining for days in a row, the breeze doesn’t make you run for your coat, the temperature lets you wear short sleeves, and you can breathe in the smell of flowers is in the air; you know it’s outdoor concert season.

Enjoying a concert in the freedom of the outdoors is a great way to have a little care-free fun with friends, dance and sing along as loud as you want to the music (guilty!) and enjoy the fresh air. Fort Wayne may not have a huge outdoor venue, but we do have the Foellinger Outdoor Theatre, which never fails to bring high quality performances to Fort Wayne without breaking the bank. This summer will be no different! With acts like Chicago, Kansas, Little River Band and America, the Foellinger Theatre summer concert lineup, being tagged “A Summer Like No Other”, promises to be one of the best yet.

The sounds of Chicago will come to Fort Wayne on August 27.

One amazing concert we’ll get to see this summer is from one of rock’s most well-known groups, Chicago, who will take the Foellinger Theatre stage Tuesday, August 27 at 8 p.m. This will definitely be a concert no classic rock fan will want to miss! With over 100 million records sold, 21 Top 10 singles, 5 consecutive number one albums, 11 number one singles, 5 gold singles and 25 platinum albums, Chicago is still a force to be reckoned with even 40 years after they first came together. They are known to put on a powerful live show, so get your tickets fast!

Kansas will perform at Foellinger Theatre on September 14.

One of my personal favorite classic-rock bands, Kansas, will perform on September 14. Not only has Kansas had some huge hits throughout their nearly 40-year career (anyone else belt out “Carry On Wayward Son” when it comes on the radio?!), but they’ve had a ton of success. The band boasts 8 gold albums, a platinum selling live album, over 200 weeks on the Billboard charts throughout the 70s and 80s and a million-selling gold single “Dust in the Wind”.

Other nationally acclaimed acts bringing music to the Foellinger stage are Little Red Band and America. Two powerhouse bands featuring some of the best musicians rock music has to offer. Beloved acts Fort Wayne audiences are sure to want to catch again include Cherish the Ladies and The Lettermen.

Several great tribute bands will also be performing as a part of the lineup this summer. Come on down to Margaritaville for the first Fort Wayne performance of Parrots of the Caribbean, a Jimmy Buffet tribute band. The British will invade the Foellinger Theatre with a performance from Chicago Beatles tribute band, BritBeat. Travel back to the 70s and 80s with Midnight Special. Listen to the smooth sounds of The Eagles with Hotel California.

Beyond concerts, Foellinger is once again hosting nine free, family-friendly, movies on Wednesday nights throughout the season at 9 p.m. Madagascar III will kick off the movie season on Wednesday, June 19. Other movies being shown under the stars are: ParaNorman, Brave, The Lorax, Hotel Transylvania and Oz: The Great and Powerful. This is a great chance to kick back and relax while leaving the couch and

With all of the excitement coming with the upcoming concert and movie season, Foellinger Theatre is also rolling out improvements to the venue. Phase 1 of this improvement project will provide an additional 48 seats beneath the roof, including a new patio seating area. This phase will also include functional and cosmetic improvements, new landscaping at the eastern edge of the theater and an expansion of the enclosed area to the east of the theater by 18,000 square feet. Phase two of the project will add a new building to the expansion area for concessions and a covered pavilion for group rentals.

If you have the chance to make it out to Foellinger Theatre, whether it’s for a concert, movie, or just to check out the venue, DO IT! It’s a gem you don’t want to miss.

Tickets for “A Summer Like No Other” events are on sale now! For a complete line-up for the summer, and more information, you can click here,  here or here.

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