Ever wonder what your pet is thinking when he looks at you? Does it seem like he really understands what’s going on? Chances are, it’s more than just a coincidence you’re feeling this way. Animals are so much smarter than we give them credit for! Take the kids to Science Central for the Wild Minds exhibit and see just how brilliant animals are.

Learn about how animals think!

From now through September 8, learn about the lesser-known cognitive skills that animals possess. Created as a partnership with the Fort Wayne Children’s Zoo, Wild Minds takes you inside the minds of animals, ranging from the family dog to an ocean-dwelling octopus. Animals use their thinking capabilities as a strategy to adapt to changing environments, and they use all their senses to experience their surroundings.

The exhibition was developed by the New York Hall of Science, and illustrates the shared cognitive skills of animals that are key signs of higher mental abilities. Not that you can expect to carry on a scintillating, intellectual conversation with Fido, but you’ll learn how smart animals are by their ability to use tools, solve problems, develop self-awareness, and the ability to communicate. Like humans, they are able to invent, plan, and empathize. Who would have thought?

Visit the Wild Minds at Science Central this summer to explore the way animal minds think.

Science Central

1950 N. Clinton St.

Fort Wayne, IN 46805

260.424.2400

sciencecentral.org

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You’re never too old for magic. Magic is exactly what BusketFest and its related activities are all about!

The 4th Annual BuskerFest will take place just two blocks from the library at Wayne & Calhoun Streets, downtown Fort Wayne on June 29, from 4 – 10 p.m. The free festival offers unique performances, food, activities–and more! BuskerFest is a celebration of the street performer and a festival of the unexpected, no performance is too quirky! Scheduled stage performances guarantee the audience a great line-up of entertainment but the random street performers are the energy, excitement and ingenuity of the festival.

The schedule is as follows:

• 4-4:10 River City Breakers: Spins, freezes, acrobatic moves and eye-pleasing rhythmic original choreography
• 4:10 Dumpster Drummers: Educational performance group making music out of trash
• 4:30 FW Summer Music Theatre: Songs and scenes from the upcoming play 9 to 5…the Musical
• 5:00 River City Breakers: Fort Wayne’s breakin’ crew
• 5:15 Jug Huffers: An old time, bluegrass, acoustic local folk band
• 6:00 The Circus of Learning: Juggling and more
• 6:30 Samuel TrueBeDOOR: Acoustic folk and soul with a distinctive beat
• 7:00 Beautiful Freakshow: Dancers, fire performers, acrobats, glass walkers & more
• 7:45 Hope Arthur Orchestra: An eclectic mix of classical piano, quirky accordion and orchestra set this act apart
• 8:15 Pyroscope Entertainment: Fort Wayne’s first fire performance troupe create enticing illusions including a set to live music with Hope Arthur Orchestra
• 9:00 Wickersham Brothers: Americana JazzRock with Soulful Grooves that make you want to sing and dance like nobody’s watching
• 9:40 Pyrotechniq: Expert fire theatrical performers from Chicago with superb choreography executing a visually stunning kinetic fire performance
  

  Photo By Jeffrey Crane

Photo By Jeffrey Crane

Buskers are the highlight of BuskerFest. Professional buskers from T.A.G. Art and Joy Unspeakable are scheduled throughout the evening with random or unplanned performances scattered along sidewalks, in One Summit Square and on the lawn giving the audience a sampling of the originality, novelty and creativity in Fort Wayne’s artist community. Look for street drummers, human statues, chalk artists, guitarists, aerialists, fire breathers, caricature artists, magicians, jugglers, mimes, painters, musicians, balloon artists, poets and more. The DID encourages patrons to tip buskers for their efforts.

But the fun doesn’t end here! Families may attend a free magic show at the downtown Allen County Public Library between 2 – 4 p.m. Magic of Fort Wayne features a meet and greet with Ronald McDonald, a magic show and a tribute to magician Dick Stoner and special performance by a local ventriloquist. After the show, guests are invited to parade down to BuskerFest for more fun. Children must be accompanied by a parent and seating is limited so guests are encouraged to sign-up on the DID website.

All that fun can really work up an appetite.  Satisfy your hunger with food from local food trucks Jumby’s Joint and Bravas. Additionally,  JK O’Donnell’s will offer both food and beverages. Numerous restaurants around the Wayne and Calhoun area will also be open for BuskerFest.

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Most of us assume when we make our first visit to Fort Wayne that it was named for a fort.  Seems logical enough, right? Right. What most people don’t expect is that the fort (or a very good replica of the fort at least) is located in downtown Fort Wayne.  That’s right, while you’re in town you too can visit Old Fort Wayne and find out how this great city began.

When I first met my husband, he seemed incredibly impressed that I lived near the historic fort. I admit, I hadn’t given it much thought and simply assumed that his history degree meant he got geeked up by that kind of thing often. But after the first trip to the old fort, I understood what he was so excited about.

The current replica of the fort is a replica of Major John Whistler’s fort in 1815 and stood at the junction of the three rivers in Fort Wayne, the St. Mary’s, St. Joseph, and Maumee Rivers.  As my husband points out, without the bravery of the men who fought at the forts built in Fort Wayne, commerce in the United States would have struggled to move west.  The headwaters of these three rivers became the gateway from the Great Lakes to the rest of the Midwest, allowing for commerce and trade to flourish.

Historic Fort Wayne, Inc hosts many events throughout the year showcasing the importance of this historic landmark.  Upcoming events include:

Siege of Fort Wayne 1812

Guided tours will be offered Saturday June 8 from 10-7 and Sunday June 9 from 10-4.  Tickets for the tour can be obtained in exchange for a donation at the Kegionga Mercantile, located on the Fort property.  Tour groups are limited to 12 participants at a time.

Revolutionary War-The Western Front 1775-1783

Guided tours will be offered on Saturday July 13 from 10-7 and Sunday July 14 from 10-4. Tickets for the tour can be obtained in exchange for a donation at the Kegionga Mercantile, located on the Fort property.  Tour groups are limited to 12 participants at a time.

Fort Miamies 1754-1763

Guided tours will be offered on Saturday August 24 from 10-7 and Sunday August 25 from 10-4. Tickets for the tour can be obtained in exchange for a donation at the Kegionga Mercantile, located on the Fort property.  Tour groups are limited to 12 participants at a time.

The Old Fort is open from 6 a.m. – 11 p.m. daily however; tours are only available during scheduled events.

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This post is part of a series highlighting the Your Story. Made Here. videos recently produced by the Northeast Indiana Regional Partnership. These videos share the stories of Northeast Indiana, and our many strengths. Click here to view the rest of the series.

When you think of Northeast Indiana what do you think of? For many it’s farming, manufacturing, possibly the Amish community, and maybe beautifully patterned handbags from Vera Bradley. Chances are you don’t think of Northeast Indiana as a cultural hub for the arts. Let’s change that.

When I moved to Fort Wayne from the south suburbs of Chicago, I thought I was moving to just another Midwestern small town. I practically expected cows to be wandering down Main Street. I’m only half kidding. What I found when I moved here was much more culturally diverse than I could have ever dreamed. Within a few months of exploring this great community I found myself telling friends back home that Fort Wayne had everything a much larger city had to offer with better accessibility. I won’t compare us to Chicago or Indianapolis because we’re our own city with our own attributes, but I will say that the opportunities are just as plentiful and are often more affordable and accessible here.

“The Drinkers” by Fort Wayne artist Terry Ratliff was purchased at Taste of the Arts 2012

Taste of the Arts is one of our favorite events every year. Living downtown, it’s a short walk from home and provides great food, entertainment, and the chance to experience beautiful art. With over 30 restaurants providing delicious food, decadent desserts (I highly recommend the Purple Mountain cheesecake) and wonderful beverages you’ll get a taste of what Fort Wayne’s culinary scene has to offer. More than two dozen fine art vendors, some nationally recognized, participated in 2012 with the hopes of bringing more in for 2013  In addition dozens of art groups perform throughout the day highlighting groups such as the Fort Wayne Ballet, Northeast Indiana P.O.E.T.S, and the Old Crown Brass Band.

While Taste of the Arts only last for one day, Fort Wayne’s love for the arts is showcased throughout the year. The Arts Campus in the Fort Wayne Cultural District (the east side of downtown Fort Wayne) includes Freimann Square Park, Arts United Center, The Auer center, The History Center, the Hall Community Arts Center, the Rankin House, Barr Street Market, and the Fort Wayne Museum of Art. This campus is the realization of a Fort Wayne vision 50 years in the making.  It is devoted to arts and culture and is the artistic foundation for activities throughout the region.

Cultural Arts don’t just exist on the Arts campus. It exists throughout the city on campuses such as IPFW and University of St Francis offering a large variety of cultural exhibits throughout the year.  Galleries such as the Castle Gallery and the Orchard Gallery of Fine Art are also area favorites.  Wunderkammer Company is one of Fort Wayne’s newest spaces to view contemporary art with the mission of “revitalizing communities through contemporary art.”

So the next time you think of Fort Wayne think of the arts and culture available right where you never would have expected it.

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Carrie Snyder at the Sky Zone Indoor Trampoline Park

Sky Zone Indoor Trampoline Park recently made its indoor debut in Fort Wayne 401 Fernhill Avenue behind Glenbrook Square, featuring 25,000 square feet of bouncing recreation, according to general manager and co-owner Carrie Snyder.

The huge arena is filled with a variety of walled trampoline courts on which children and adults can indulge their playful side with a fast game of 3-D dodgeballor basketball (check out the SkySlam basketball dunk court), or give their muscles a powerful workout with SkyRobics fitness or on the Open Jump courts.There’s even a Foam Zone – and no, it doesn’t involve blowing the foam off your beer.To learn more about that intriguing activity, you’ll just have to go out and see for yourself!

Be the most popular kid or parent in the neighborhood by holding birthday parties or other celebrations at Sky Zone. Your kids can even tie a long towel around their necks and pretend they’re Superman as they fly high in the air, thanks to the huge bounce-ability of their surroundings.They can soar much higher than Kobe Bryant on the walled basketball court and simply drop the ball through the net from high above!Whee!

As for SkyRobics, according to the Sky Zone website, you can, “burn up to 1,000 calories an hour” on these trampolines, using these low-impact combos of “advanced calisthenics, core exercises and strength-building aerobics.”  So, come in for a workout that is a lot of fun as well as gratifyingly intense.

And you’ve probably enviously witnessed the stunts and aerobics performed by professional skateboarder and snowboarder Shaun White – you can do the same thing at Sky Zone.Leap high in the air and do multiple aerial somersaults so you can give White some competition next time the Olympics rolls around.

Court monitors will patrol the area, after having given a speech on safety before one gets on the trampoline.Waivers must be signed.There will be a concession stand and a parent observation room and three rooms for private events.

Finally, 80 part-time employees are already in place, and Sky Zone is still hiring, in case you’re in the market for a fun job.Check it out and adopt the park’s motto of “Have Fun, Fly Safe!”

WHAT:  Sky Zone Indoor Trampoline Park

WHERE:  401 Fernhill Avenue

WHEN:  Opens May 1, 2013.  Hours:  3-8 p.m. Tuesday-Thursday; noon to 9 p.m. Friday; 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. Saturday and 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. Sunday.  The park which is closed Mondays will extend its hours in the summer.

COST:  $10 for a 30-minute jump; $13 for an hour; $18 for 90 minutes and $20 for 2 hours.  Toddler Time:  $8.  A Super-Pass is a punch card of 10/60-minute jumps for only $120. Times can be reserved online, and a pair of shoes (available up to men’s size 13) must be rented which are included in the price.  Folks with bigger feet can jump barefoot.

OTHER EVENTS:  SkyMania every Friday night 9 p.m. – 11 p.m. (ages 10-15) and SkyJam every Saturday night from 10 p.m. to midnight (ages 16+)

For more information you can visit the Sky Zone website, or Visit Fort Wayne.

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