The unofficial kick off of summer, Memorial Day weekend, is right around the corner.  You’re planning to enjoy a little time away from work, celebrating what it means to be an American.  Bring on the brats, beverages, and burgers! In between those cookouts we have some great events for you to check out that weekend.

Start your holiday weekend a little early with these events on Friday:

“Hotel California: A Salute to the Eagles” at Foellinger Outdoor Theater.  You’ll be singing along with your favorite hits like “Get over it”, “Take it Easy” and “Hotel California”.  Tickets are just $13.

Tincaps take on South Bend Silver Hawks.  Go for the game and stay for the fireworks that light up the downtown sky. The first pitch will be thrown at 7:05 at Parkview Field.  Tickets start at $5.

“Wild Minds: What Animals Really Think” will give you and your kids insight into what your pets are thinking. This exhibit takes place at Science Central and runs from April 19 – September 8.  Admission starts at $7.

Enjoy the first day of your long weekend with these events on Saturday:

Fort4Fitness CycleFest provides a family-friendly environment for bicycle riders to enjoy the sights of Fort Wayne. Events will start from One Summit Square and will offer 3 different distances for riders to choose from.  Cost is $30 for adults and $15 for children ages 7-12.

Take in the arts with exhibits at various museums and galleries around Fort Wayne.  The 33^rd Annual National Print Exhibition and the HALO Project and Ceramic Wall Work exhibit will both take place at Artlink Contemporary Art Gallery.  Additional exhibits include Live2Love at Northside Galleries and Afros: A Celebration of Natural Hair by Michael July at the Fort Wayne Museum of Art.

Honor our troops and veterans at the Amateur Radio Military Appreciation Day (ARMAD) “A Tribute to Those Who Serve” at Parkview Memorial Regional Hospital Park.  The event will take place from 11 a.m. – 1 p.m.  The public is welcome

If you’re not exhausted from Friday and Saturday, check out these events on Sunday:

Butterflies with an African Beat is at the Botanical Conservatory.  This event runs from April 13-June 7 and is sure to mesmerize visitors.  Admission starts at $3

And of course, be sure to celebrate Memorial Day with a Parade on Monday.

The Memorial Day parade and Ceremony will begin at the corner of State and Parnell at approximately 11 a.m. and end at the Coliseum.  Enjoy this great parade and honor those who have served our great country.

For information on these events, and many more, please check out our detailed Calendar of Events online!

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I’m so excited about a unique opportunity for people who like to write for children in Fort Wayne in May!

The Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators is conducting its regional conference at Hotel Fort Wayne, 305 E Washington Center Road on May 3-5. Organizers are calling it the Wild, Wild Midwest Conference which is a little different for the theme in a Midwest location, but it is sure to be informative and fun!

I say it is a prestigious group because this is a well-known international group of people who care about producing quality children’s literature. I joined the group in 2012 and have learned much from them through their magazine and on-line chat forums, postings for work, etc.

Even though I’ve published nine non-fiction books for middle schoolers (several are available in Allen County Public Library) and two additional books by another publisher to be released in 2013, I still have lots to learn about writing for kids. That’s why I registered for the conference.

For possibly the first time in the group’s existence it is conducting its regional conference in Fort Wayne.

I’m thrilled with the line-up of authors scheduled to be at the conference: Jane Yolen, Franny Billingsley, Kathi Appelt, Peter Brown, and SCBWI founder Lin Oliver to name a few. These names are familiar to me after working in a middle school library for several years. Most have won awards and have a well-established place in children’s literature. I’ve volunteered to help with Jane Yolen’s book signing and hope to meet her! She has written 300+ books for children and even has an award named after her!

The conference encompasses five regions for children’s writers and illustrators so it promises to attract many attendees. The conference features editors, agents, illustrators, an art director, and marketing pros.

The summer national conference takes place in Los Angeles later this summer. I won’t be attending that one, but with 25 faculty members right in Fort Wayne, this event is available at a fraction of the cost.

Here is the link to the on-line brochure: http://www.scbwi.org/Resources/Documents/WildWildMidwest2013Brochure.pdf.

Registration for the conference closed on April 24, but keep the Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators in mind for your own writing needs and consider becoming a member!

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A young voice & member of Fort Wayne Children’s Choir’s Apprentice Choir

The Fort Wayne Children’s Choir will host the Appleseed Children’s Choir Festival in Fort Wayne this May 3-5 at IPFW.

The festival will welcome 100 young singers from throughout the Midwest. Singers from groups such as Kantorei, the Singing Boys of Rockford, IL, the Milwaukee Children’s Choir, and the Grand Rapids Children’s Choir will all be in attendance.

“Hosting the event in Fort Wayne is a no brainer,” says Denice Beights, Executive Director of the Fort Wayne Children’s Choir. “People like to come here, and there’s lots to do in Fort Wayne making it attractive to other choirs.”

The Fort Wayne Children’s Choir program is considered one of the best in the country, making the opportunity to attend a festival in the choir’s hometown attractive to other choirs.

The festival will offer programing for 9-12 year old singers. Traditionally only the older children in a choir such as the Fort Wayne Children’s Choir will go on international tours.

“This festival focuses on younger singers to get them ready for touring without taking them too far away from home,” Beights explains.

Singers, directors, and chaperones won’t just be practicing music while they’re in town.  Their schedule is quite full with local activities.  The festival also provides educators the opportunity to for professional development as they spend time together.

The festival will culminate with a free concert on May 5^th at Rhinehart Music Center in the Auer Performance Hall where all four choirs will be performing.  Log on to www.fwcchoir.org for more information.

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ACT NOW!
AS OF PRESS TIME, ONLY A FEW SINGLE SEATS REMAIN FOR THIS SOON-TO-BE SOLD OUT SHOW!

Fort Wayne’s War Memorial Coliseum continues to feature the best that popular country music has to offer. If you missed Jason Aldean or Zac Brown you can make up for it by catching country music star Carrie Underwood. On April 14, 2013, at 7:30 p.m. the coliseum will be rocking to the sounds of five-time Grammy winner. Ms. Underwood is touring in support of her fourth studio album, Blown Away.

Blown Away features fourteen new songs ranging from the rocking anthem “Good Girl” to the message piece “Blown Away,” as well as tropical tunes such as “One Way Ticket.” This album is characterized the singer’s most “ambitious.”

Ms. Underwood has sold more than 15 million albums and is known for her talented vocals and high energy performances. Her awards are many and include three Country Music Association female vocalists awards, the two Academy of Country Music entertainer of the year trophies, and she is a member of the Grand Ole Opry.

The tour also features Hunter Hayes whose tune “Somebody’s Heartbreak” is moving up the Billboard Hot 100 country music chart. Mr. Hayes was the Country Music Associations’ best new artist in 2012.

Get your tickets and cowboy boots ready for an evening of country music at its best! Visit www.ticketmaster.com to snag one of those few remaining seats!

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Get ready to let your hair down and take your shoes off. The artist known for his laid-back, summertime-loving anthems returns to Fort Wayne, Indiana once again this spring. The one and only country music star — Kenny Chesney.

Chesney brings his “No Shoes Nation Tour” to the Allen County War Memorial Coliseum on Thursday, May 16. The show includes special guests the Eli Young Band and Kacey Musgraves.

Showtime is 7 p.m. Chesney’s tours are incredibly popular and most of his shows do sell out! Don’t hesitate to buy tickets now for the best seats available! Tickets start at $25 each and go up to $79.50 each, depending on seating. They can be purchased in person at the Memorial Coliseum Ticket Office or online via Ticketmaster.com or at any Ticketmaster outlet.

Chesney’s national tour kicked off this week in Florida and is sure to be a crowd pleaser. Due to the popularity of Chesney’s shows they are only held at very large venues. Fort Wayne is fortunate to be one of the few chosen cities for this 2013 tour! The Memorial Coliseum and box office are located at 4000 Parnell Avenue on the city’s northside. For more information call 260.482.9502.

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