It would not be summer without a county fair. The Allen County Fair opens on Tuesday, July 24 and closes on Monday, July 30. These seven days will be filled with animals, children, competitions, carnival rides, and fun. Just as it should be.

The Allen County Fair holds a special place in my heart. It was my first “real” county fair. By “real” I mean a fair  with 4-H competitions, a rodeo, big dinners, carnival rides, and lots of animals. My home county, down South, has a fair, but there is no commercial chicken competition or llama tent. Instead there is a car show, quilt competition, and coal tent. See the difference?

At my first Allen County Fair in 2011 a young chicken competitor kindly taught me how to hold a chicken properly, I had my picture made with a llama, and I learned that swine have no sweat glands. I also learned a lot from the 4-H Exhibit Tent, which is open 10:00 a.m. to 10:00 p.m. during the fair. It was exciting to see children and young adults developing very important professional and personal skills through these activities and competitions. The 4-H organization is a great thing. Everyone should support these young people. The fair is a great opportunity for learning, for both participants and visitors – young and old.

This year every day of the fair is full of entertainment and activities. Bring your family and enjoy a day or evening of fun. Activities at the fair start daily at 7:00 a.m. and continue until 10:00 p.m. General admission is $5.00 and children younger than 5 get in free. The Allen County Fair grounds are located at 2726 Carroll Road  Fort Wayne.

A few daily highlights of the fair include:

Tuesday, July 24, 2012

5:00 p.m. – Poultry Show

7:30 p.m. – Rodeo ($7.00)

Wednesday, July 25, 2012 

3:00 p.m. – Goldenaires Vocal Ensemble

6:00 p.m. – PULSE Performing Arts Dance Studio Performance

Thursday, July 26, 2012

11:00 a.m. – Indiana Wild Animal Show

3:00 p.m. – 4-H Silent Auction

8:00 p.m. – Living Stones Music Performance

Friday, July 27, 2012 

4:00 p.m. – Classic Car Cruise-In

7:00 p.m. – 4×4 Truck Pull ($5.00)

7:30 p.m. – Farmer Olympics

Saturday, July 28, 2012

9:00 a.m. – Antique Tractor Cruise

3:00 p.m. – Dog Agility Demonstration

7:30 p.m. – Demolition Derby ($7.00)

8:00 p.m. – Josh Copp Band Performance

Sunday, July 29, 2012

9:00 a.m. – Horse Show Opens

1:00 p.m. – Hearts of Fire Performance

5:00 p.m. – 4-H Awards

Monday, July 30, 2012

12:30 p.m. – Livestock Auction

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Among the many ‘A Summer to Remember’ concerts offered at the Foellinger Theatre, Midnight Special would be top of my list!

I’ll admit I recall hearing these songs on the radio at the time of their release, but hat’s OK because they were my Dreamy Song Groups (Meaning I got all dewy-eyed listening to them).

They’re still popular today, as witnessed on my son’s Wii Rock Band—we’ve played ‘More than a Feeling’ by Boston enough times to wear it out!

Midnight Special

Some sticklers might want to argue that Queen’s music isn’t really dreamy (‘We Will Rock You’, ‘Bohemian Rhapsody’, ‘We are the Champions’). But they are really fun songs and you’ll hear ‘Champions’ played during nearly every Komet hockey game. In Fort Wayne that means something!

This concert is an awesome opportunity to re-live some of the great tunes in your life!

If you need a review of bands and their hits to be included during Midnight Special here it is:

Boston – ‘More than a Feeling’, ‘Peace of Mind’

Journey — ‘Don’t Stop Believing’, ‘Faithfully’

Styx —‘Babe’, ‘Lady’, ‘Come Sail Away’, ‘The Best of Times’

Led Zeppelin — ‘Stairway to Heaven’, ‘Kashmir’, ‘Whole Lotta Love’, ‘Black Dog’.

Foreigner — ‘I want to Know What Love Is’, ‘Cold as Ice’, ‘Waiting for a Girl like you’, ‘Urgent’.

The show starts at 8:00 p.m. Tickets are $10 for reserve and stadium seating.

For more information visit them online or call the box office at 260.427.6715 (Summer only).

Foellinger Theatre is located at 3411 Sherman Blvd — in Franke Park next to the Children’s Zoo on Sherman Boulevard.

Foellinger Theatre offers free parking at all concerts.

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Do you want to take a trip to Australia, but don’t have the time to fly Down Under? Take a trip to the Fort Wayne Children’s Zoo, voted Indiana’s #1 Gotta Do Summer Attraction, and see what they have to offer.

Watch this video in our Tour Fort Wayne series as Conner shows you just a few of the things that you can expect to see in the Australian Outback section of the zoo.

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Synopsis: During the 1960′s, a trio of young female singers from Chicago — “The Dreams” — break onto the music scene with a series of hits. Believing success is the epitome of their dreams, they discover along the way that success comes with its own price tag.

If you’re old enough to remember the story line behind some female musical groups from the 1960s such as The Supremes and The Shirelles (and you’ll admit you’re old enough!), you may also know composer Henry Krieger and lyricist Tom Eyenwrote a Broadway musical to reflect these groups.

Dreamgirls the musical will be performed at the Civic Theatre on July 28-August 12. See below for show times and dates. Dianne Shaw will guest direct Dreamgirls.

Dreamgirls opened on December 20, 1981, at the Imperial Theatre. Nominated for 13 Tony Awards, it won 6 — Book, Choreography, Lighting Design, Actor, Actress and Featured Actor. In 2006 Dreamgirls was adapted into a motion picture from Paramount Pictures.

Talk about a star-studded cast! Jamie Foxx, Beyonce Knowles, Eddie Murphy, and Danny Glover had lead roles. Newcomer Jennifer Hudson’s lead role as Effie meant her voice and name would never again be unknown.

Dreamgirls features tunes ranging from Rock & Roll to Motown and Disco. This is a terrific opportunity to hear a variety of old school musical styles in a cool, comfortable setting.

Tickets are available through the Arts United box office at 260.424.5220 or the Civic Theatre’s website: http://www.fwcivic.org.

Note: Dreamgirls has mild adult language and mild sexual situations.

Saturday, July 28  8:00 PM
Sunday, July 29    2:00 PM

Friday, August 3  8:00 PM
Saturday, August 4  8:00 PM
Sunday, August 5  2:00 PM

Friday, August 10  8:00 PM
Saturday, August 11  8:00 PM
Sunday, August 12  2:00 PM

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Looking for a family friendly event during the Three Rivers Festival (TRF) that won’t cost you and arm and a leg?

Look no further than Family Fun Day at the Foellinger-Freimann Botanical Conservatory on Tuesday, July 17^th from 10 am-3 pm.

Paddle boat races in a parking lot? How fun!

Included in your regular admission (only $5 for adults, $3 for kids 3-17 and under 2 is free) you can enjoy the Soothing Summer Gardens Exhibit while the kids…

• Make crafts
• Get a balloon animal
• Have their faces painted
• Win prizes at games of skill and chance
• The kids will also have a blast with a bubble dance party, moonwalks, giant slides and inflatable paddle ponds

The Botanical Conservatory even has you covered for lunch with hot dogs and other items for just 50¢! Or stop by the Bagel Station Uptown (located inside the Conservatory).

*Insider Tip* Wear your TRF button for a discount on admission

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Three Rivers Festival

Friday, July 13, 2012 – Saturday, July 21, 2012

Indiana’s second largest festival offers 9 days of fun for the entire family!  From the opening day parade, arts, crafts, amusement rides, and International Village, to live music, the Bed Race, and the all-new RiverGames Water Wars and canoe races, Three Rivers Festival brings family-friendly fun to the heart of downtown Fort Wayne! 

Location: Headwaters Park – Downtown Fort Wayne

For additional information, please visit the Three Rivers Festival website.

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