Headwaters Ice Skating Rink opened for its 10th season on Sunday, November 18.

The Headwaters Park Outdoor Ice Skating Rink opened at noon on Sunday, November 18, for its tenth season. The Lincoln Financial Group is the corporate sponsor for the season, which lasts through Sunday March 4, 2013.

Prices remain $3 for children 13 and under and $5 for children 14 and over and adults.  There is a $2 charge to rent skates, or patrons can bring their own skates.  Every Wednesday, between November 28 and February 27, will be a free skate day for children 13 and under, thanks to grants from the Lupke and Auer Foundations. What a great way to spend the winter season!

Regular Hours

Monday-Thursday……………………………… 1-8 pm

Friday…………………………………………… 12-10 pm
Saturday…………………………………. 11 am-10 pm
Sunday…………………………………………… 12-8 pm

Extended Holiday Hours

December 21 – January 5

Monday-Friday……………………………….. 12-10 pm
Saturday …………………………………. 10 am-10 pm
Sunday……………………………………. 11 am-10 pm

CLOSED CHRISTMAS DAY

Closes at 6 pm on Christmas Eve

Admission

Age 13 and under……………………………………. $3
Age 14 and over……………………………………… $5
Skate Rental…………………………………………… $2
Parking and spectators ………………………………FREE

Gift certificates and skating passes are also available at the rink.

Kids Skate FREE Days

Kids age 13 and under skate FREE every Wednesday. Skate rental $2.

The Headwaters Park Ice Rink also offers concessions, skate sharpening services, and private ice rentals (during non-public skating hours).

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Now through Christmas Eve, you can view Indiana’s largest snow village, Holiday Houses for Habitat, located right here in Fort Wayne. This annual event is a fundraiser for Habitat for Humanity, which helps local families in need. The entire display is created from Department 56 snow villages, masterfully showcased on the 2nd level west of the food court inside Glenbrook Square Mall.

In addition to the holiday display, Habitat will offer gift wrapping Monday through Saturday from Noon to 8:00 p.m. and Sunday from Noon to 6:00 p.m. You and your family will also enjoy live holiday performances Sundays at 2 p.m. featuring the Summit Middle School Band, 490 Live and Tuba Christmas.

The entire experience is available for a free-will donation. One hundred percent of proceeds collected from Holiday Houses go directly toward Habitat’s mission of improving housing solutions for families in Allen County. They anticipate over 10,000 people enjoying this year’s display. Don’t miss the unique holiday experience!

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Click here to see all posts about what’s going this season in Fort Wayne!

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

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“That’s what Christmas is all about, Charlie Brown.”

So says Linus, the blanket-carrying character after relaying the biblical account of the birth of Christ in ‘A Charlie Brown Christmas’. The plot revolves around a young boy, Charlie Brown, who, repelled by the commercialism he sees around him, tries to find the true meaning of Christmas. This show was first shown on TV in 1965. It is replayed on TV annually as a holiday favorite.

More than a decade earlier in 1951, a group of people in the Fort Wayne area were also concerned that Christmas was becoming too commercialized. Their solution was to create a Christ Child Festival, an event that would focus on the events leading up to the birth of Jesus Christ.

This festival has been held every year since 1951, making it one of Fort Wayne’s oldest festivals.

The message of the festival is revealed through the dozens of displays, games, crafts, and musical performances offered during the weekend of December 14-16. There is even a live nativity with animals.

It doesn’t matter what church you attend or if you don’t attend a church. This festival is a non-denominational religious event for the entire community.

Another appealing aspect is that the event is free and refreshments are provided at no charge. Keep in mind parking at the Coliseum will cost you $4.00 per vehicle. Attendees are also encouraged to bring a non-perishable food item for the Associated Churches Food Bank or a baby item to be donated to local crisis pregnancy centers.

My must-do of the event will be stopping by the Veterans Tree to write a note of encouragement and thanks to our active service members from the community.

Could this become a traditional event for your family?

Date(s):
Friday, December 14, 6-9pm
Saturday, December 15 Noon-8pm
Sunday December 16, Noon-6pm

Allen County War Memorial Coliseum
4000 Parnell Ave
Fort Wayne
260.482.9502

Parking: $4.00 Main Lot / $8.00 Preferred Lot

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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!

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