The Botanical Roots concert series returns to the Foellinger-Freimann Botanical Conservatory every Friday night from July 27th through August 31st.

Summer in Fort Wayne is definitely the season for great music and great concerts! On top of the already great concert series, another one is getting ready to start on July 27^th. That’s right! The Foellinger-Freimann Botanical Conservatory’s concert series Botanical Roots is back for its 7^th year. You can expect a great concert every Friday night until August 31^st. All performances will be held outside on the Terrace. Rain or Shine, there will be a concert!

Each concert consists of a national touring act with a local band as the opener. These concerts are not something you will want to miss. Doors open at 7:30 pm. Opening act begins at 8:30 pm. Food and beverages will be available for purchase, but not outside food or drink will be allowed. You are allowed to bring your own lawn chair. Admission is $6 for adults. Admission is free for children 12 and under.

This year’s lineup includes:

Friday July 27^th: Kenny Neal, Blues, With the Todd Harrold Band

Friday, August 3^rd: Unknown Hinson, Rockabilly (Satire, not recommended for young audiences), With the Kenny Taylor Trio

Friday, August 10^th: The Aggrolites, Reggae/Ska, With Black Cat Mambo

Friday, August 17^th: The Honeybees, Rockabilly, With Scratch ‘n Sniff

Friday, August 24^th: Gizzae, Reggae, With Dan Dickerson

Friday, August 31^st:The Lost Bayou Ramblers, Cajun, With Old and Dirty

For more information in this great concert series, visit the Botanical Roots website.

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Did you know you can take a journey to Africa right here in Fort Wayne, Indiana? Take trip to the Fort Wayne Children’s Zoo, voted Indiana’s #1 Gotta Do Summer Attraction,  and visit the newest part of the zoo: the African Journey! Watch this video in our series Tour Fort Wayne as Connor shows you just a few of the things that you can expect to see in The African Journey section of the zoo.

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One of Fort Wayne’s favorite parks is turning 100 and YOU’RE invited. Foster Park’s 100^th Year Celebration event is scheduled for July 27 -28. Below is a schedule of the weekend’s events:

July 27:

• 5 pm – Family Fun Walk Kicks Off: The whole family is invited to join a fun, fitness walk around Foster Park’s two-mile loop. The first 1,000 walkers will receive free wristbands, and paid participants will be entered into door prize drawings. Pre-register online, or you may register the day of the event at 4 pm in Pavilion #2. All participants should check in at Pavilion #2 at 4:30 pm. Fee: $5 per individual or $10 per household to benefit improvements at the Foster Park Flower Gardens.
•  6 pm – FREE Community Picnic: The Southwood Park Neighborhood Association is hosting a picnic at Pavilion #1 (the largest pavilion near the volleyball courts). Free-will offering will be accepted to benefit Foster Park Flower Gardens.
•  6pm – 9:30 pm FREE Sports Activities: Open recreational volleyball for all ages on the volleyball courts (6pm – 9:30 pm); children’s tennis activities (6pm – 7:30pm); Introduction to Pickleball on the tennis courts (7:30pm – 9 pm).
•  6pm – 8:30 pm FREE Carnival: Kids, come out and play carnival games like the ring toss, basketball toss, fish pond, lollipop tree and much more. And learn about 8 Healthy Habits families can undertake to get fit and healthy with Parkview Health’s LiVe program. Free carnival games and LiVe will be located near the playground.
•  Special Golf Promotion All Day: Foursomes can play 18 holes with a cart at Foster Park Golf Course for $100. Call 260-427-6735 to reserve your tee time, or reserve online.

July 28

• “Rediscover Your Parks” Tours: Have you driven past one of our Legacy Parks and always vowed to stop and explore when you had more time, or are you curious about the history of our older parks? If so, this bus tour is perfect for you! Ride along with a knowledgeable guide and explore Swinney, Foster, Lakeside, McMillen and Memorial Parks, as well as Rudisill Blvd. The stops are all part of the historical George Kessler Park and Boulevard System—the first city plan—which is also celebrating its 100^th anniversary this year. Tour buses will depart from Swinney Park at 10 am and 1 pm. The 10 am tour will return to Swinney Park at approximately noon. The 1 pm tour will stop by the Ice Cream Social at Foster Park for a short time and return to Swinney at approximately 3:30 pm.  Fee: $10 per adult / $5 per student / Children 14 and under free / $25 maximum per family. Register online by July 25.
• 1 – 3 pm Free Ice Cream Social: Join neighbors and Friends of the Parks of Allen County for some Edy’s ice cream. This event is sponsored by Mr. John Oldenkamp. RSVP to Robin Holley at 260-417-3804 or email her at robin_holley@comcast.net by July 25. Donations are appreciated and will go directly to Foster Park projects.
• Want to support the parks? Donations for the Legacy Trust Fund and Foster 100^th Celebration are being accepted online as well.

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On a dark desert highway
Cool wind in my hair
Warm smell of colitas
Rising up through the air
Up ahead in the distance
I saw a shimmering light
My head grew heavy and my sight grew dim
I had to stop for the night.

Who would guess the lyrics to Hotel California were written to alert the American public to the dangers of living the high life?

According to an Internet source that quotes Eagles’ band member Don Henley, the song Hotel Califronia, released in 1977, was written to make a statement about the condition of the world: ‘It was a bicentennial year and the country is 200 years old. We figured since we are the Eagles and the eagle is our national symbol, we were obliged to wake people up and say, ‘We’ve been okay so far for 200 years, but we’re gonna have to change if we’re gonna continue to be around.’

I’ll admit, my interpretation of the song’s meaning was something less honorable, such as the pleasures of indulging in some things that might get you arrested.

Whatever the purpose behind the penning of Hotel California, the album of the same name became an instant success. The song ‘Hotel California’ was ranked #49 on Rolling Stone’s list of ‘The 500 Greatest Songs of All Time’.

The album became the band’s highest selling with over 16 million copies sold in the U.S. The album topped the charts, yielding three Top 20 singles: ‘Hotel California’, ‘New Kid in Town’, and ‘Life in the Fast Lane’.

It won the band two Grammy awards for ‘Hotel California’ and ‘New Kid in Town’, both of which topped the Billboard Hot 100. And, the album was ranked #37 on Rolling Stone’s list of ‘The 500 Greatest Albums of All Time’.

Hear your favorite Eagles hits live at the Foellinger Theatre.

You can hear ‘Hotel California’ and other Eagles’ greatest hits (‘Take It Easy,’ ‘Heartache Tonight,’ ‘Get over It’ and ‘Love will Keep Us Alive’) at a tribute band concert on Thursday, July 26 at the Foellinger Theatre. The concert begins at 8:00 p.m. Tickets cost $12.00.

For additional information call 260.427.6000 or go to http://www.fortwayneparks.org/.

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Growing up in Fort Wayne, I often saw museum visits as an opportunity to get out of school.

Today I see our museums as some of Fort Wayne best assets. The African African-American Historical Society Museum is one of those great museums. I recently got a chance to revisit it with a fresh outlook and open mind. And I really enjoyed it.

The African African-American Historical Society Museum takes you back to a village in African as part of the Museum's experience.

The museum is located in Downtown Fort Wayne and gives an in-depth look into African and African-American history starting from the time when Africans were brought to America as slaves through present day. Each room is dedicated to a specific part of history. There is one room that is dedicated to a traditional African village, one that is dedicated to African-American inventors, another that is dedicated to the protests, the sit-ins, and the movement to get rid of segregation during Dr. Martin Luther King’s life, still another room is dedicated to the many “Firsts” for African-Americans in Fort Wayne. There is a lot to see and learn.

One of the best things about the museum is that it is a guided tour through the house-turned-museum. My tour guide was full of insight, not only because he grew up while much of the history was taking place, but also because he personally knew many of the people where were some of the “firsts.” It gave a personal touch to a part of history that can sometimes seem so distant and removed.

So next time you are in Fort Wayne, and have a couple of hours to spare, stop by the African African-American Historical Society Museum, located at 436 East Douglas Ave. Fort Wayne IN 46802. It is open Tuesday – Friday 9 am- 1pm; Saturday 12 pm- 4 pm; Sunday by appointments only; and Closed on Mondays. Admission is $3 for children and $5 for adults.

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