Fort Wayne will soon be home to it’s first indoor farmer’s market running through the winter season! The Fort Wayne Farmer’s Market celebrates its grand opening day Saturday, October 9 at 9 a.m. at Parkview Field’s Lincoln Financial Event Center. The market will be open seasonally from October through May on Saturdays and will feature more than two dozen local vendors. Vendors include local farmers and food producers along with artisans and craft vendors.

Along with local produce, baked goods and non-perishable food products will be for sale. Market organizers plan for entertainment, educational sessions and cooking demonstrations to happen in the coming months, including the feature of Parkview Field’s own top chef.

The idea for the market started with Leigh Rowan of Big Brick House Bakery and Lora Schnurr of Aunt Lora’s Sweets, who noticed a need for local produce in the winter. Both vendors who will sell their products at the market. Market organizers aim to promote a motto of “Buy Local, Buy Fresh” to Fort Wayne consumers, in addition to building up awareness for healthy eating, consumer advocacy and Fort Wayne support. The aim of the market is also to draw visitors from both locally and out of town.

Organizers strive to make this market a staple in the Fort Wayne area and an annual attraction. Can’t attend the grand-opening event? While most local farmer’s markets close by October or November each year, the Fort Wayne Farmer’s Market will be open every Saturday through May.

Organizations supporting the market include the Foellinger-Freimann Botanical Conservatory, Urban Enterprise Association, Founders, Northeast Indiana Sustainable Business Council, Visit Fort Wayne, Parkview Field, Pint and Slice and the Downtown Improvement District.

The Parkview Field’s Lincoln Financial Event Center is located at 1301 Ewing Street in downtown Fort Wayne. Free parking is available behind the stadium. Can’t attend the grand opening event? Don’t worry. You can check out the Fort Wayne Farmer’s Market every Saturday from 9 a.m. to 12 p.m. For more information on the market itself, or to learn how to become a vendor, visit the market on online.

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It is undeniable that the gluten-free diet is becoming a permanent fixture in our culture. Some folks, like me, must eat gluten free because we have Celiac Disease or have a gluten/wheat allergy. While others find that a gluten free diet improves their health and/or quality of life. Regardless of why, gluten-free is here to stay.

If you are in Fort Wayne and looking for places to buy gluten-free products and supplies you will not be disappointed. There are several good options. Getting the hang of cooking and eating gluten-free at home is a key first step in instituting a gluten-free life. I find that shopping at small specialty shops that spotlight gluten-free products, rather than the large box stores, makes it easier to get what you need without the temptation of your old wheat-tainted favorites. Once you figure out how to eat dinner at home it makes it easier to tackle restaurant eating. It is a process!

Here are the top 5 businesses in Fort Wayne that sell gluten-free products. They are in no particular order, as I highly recommend and shop at them all regularly.

1. The Three Rivers Co-op Natural Grocery & Deli (the “Co-op”). Located at 1613 Sherman Street in Fort Wayne, the Coop offers a complete selection of organic vegetables and fruit, gluten-free baking, cooking, and snacking supplies, including both frozen and fresh. It is exciting to see so many gluten-free options in one place! If you are looking for flour, chips, noodles, bread, ice cream, sweets, or crackers the Co-op has it. The Co-op also has a large section devoted to supplements and nutrients, a selection of gluten-free beers, and a deli/cafe that is open daily. The Co-op is open Monday through Saturday 8:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m. and Sunday 10:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m.
2. The Health Food Shoppe. Located at 3515 North Anthony Blvd (next to Firefly Coffee House) in Fort Wayne and open Monday through Saturday from 8:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m., is a great source for gluten-free cooking and snacking options. The Health Food Shoppe has an extensive offering of fresh vegetables and fruit, snacks, boxed items, and healthy nutrients and supplements.
3. Fort Wayne Custom Rx. Custom Rx is a compounding pharmacy located at 414 East DuPont Road in Fort Wayne. Custom Rx is locally owned and operated by a family that adheres to a gluten-free lifestyle. On the pharmacy’s website they highlight Celiac Disease and gluten-free living. The pharmacy offers a small but excellent selection of gluten-free cooking, baking, and snacking supplies. Since the selection is small the ownership have taken great care to sell the best products. It is a great place to get your Amy’s, Pamela’s, or Glutino products, among others. This is an especially great option for folks who live in northern Allen County. Custom Rx is open Monday through Friday 9:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m.
4. Grabill Country Store. The Grabill Store is one of my favorite places in Allen County. Located in Grabill at 13813 Fairview Drive the Grabill Store has everything that a traditional bulk store should, including an Amish run deli and bakery. The Grabill Store also has a gluten-free section of baking supplies and a bakery that will bake gluten-free breads on request (call ahead). If you are looking for a variety of flours to experiment with then the Grabill Store is a great place to visit.
5. Fresh Market. Fresh Market is a great grocery store, although it is my only recommendation that is not locally owned and operated. It is located at 6306 West Jefferson Blvd in Fort Wayne and as you probably know is a full service grocery store. Fresh Market offers a wide variety of naturally gluten-free fruit, vegetables, and meat. It also offers many different canned, boxed, and bagged gluten-free options to enjoy. It was at Fresh Market that I discovered Tasty Bite all natural, vegetarian, and gluten-free Indian entrees (some are not gluten-free, so read the bag) that all cook in 90 seconds in the microwave. It is a major victory when you find something you truly love. Fresh Market is open Monday through Saturday 9:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m. and Sunday 10:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m.

Good luck to you as you shop gluten-free in Fort Wayne!

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Ladies: Gather your girlfriends, put on your favorite pink outfit, and make it a girl’s night at the Vera Bradley Foundation for Breast Cancer’s annual Girl’s Night Out, on Saturday, September 29, from 6:00 – 9:30 pm. The pink soiree will feature behind-the-scenes looks at Vera Bradley, food and spirits from local eateries, an auction and live music, all while raising funds for breast cancer research.

“Our guests look forward to this night every year. It’s about celebrating friendships, health and our shared commitment to ending breast cancer,” says Catherine Hill, Foundation Executive Director.

Last year more than 500 ladies attended the event and helped raise over $80,000 for the cause. This year’s party will be held for the first time at Vera Bradley’s new design center in Roanoke, IN.

“We have many fun things planned for our guest to do and learn,” says Lynda Houk, Foundation Event Coordinator.

Guests will tour the various departments for a behind-the-scenes look at the design center and meet with designers and hear about upcoming trends for the season, plus take a sneak peek at winter’s upcoming colors and styles.

In addition, attendees will hear from visual design specialists and see first-hand how Vera Bradley’s stores are created and will have the chance to design their own store. And, if you’ve ever wanted to model, here’s your chance – ladies will be able to strike a pose for a Vera Bradley catalog in the photo studio, too!

Throughout the evening you can enjoy culinary delights from local favorites including Casa’s Italian Ristorante, Eddie Merlot’s, Moe’s Southwest Grill, Vanilla Bean and Chocolate Thimble. Check out the auction, too, which will have great items, including an autographed guitar from Taylor Swift, a Vera Bradley-themed bike, Cookie Cottage cookies for a year, wall papering with prints used in Vera Bradley stores, family photos and sketched portraits, fine jewelry, spa packages and more. Vera Bradley Foundation apparel will be on sale as well.

Also, meet Vera Bradley’s co-founders and breast cancer researchers from  the Vera Bradley Foundation for Breast Cancer Research Laboratories with an update on the latest scientific breakthroughs in the search for a cure.

At the end of the night, walk away with a special gift in Vera Bradley’s newest breast cancer awareness color, Ribbons, and great memories of a fun evening out with your girlfriends.

Insider Note: Register online at verabradley.org, space is filling up fast. Must be 21 and over to attend.

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Looking for a place to find obscure vinyl records? Wooden Nickel Music might be the place for you. The local chain, which has three stores, was started in 1982 by Robert Roets as “Wooden Nickle Records.”  He wanted to create a cool place to buy records and tapes.  In about 1992, they changed into what is today known as Wooden Nickel Music because much more than records are sold now. Thirty years later he still caters to the interests of local music lovers.

What is unique about this local enterprise is that each location boasts something different.  For example, the North Clinton store has a large assortment of classic rock, new rock, alternative, country, and  some soundtracks, jazz, rap, hip-hop, R&B and soul.  They also carry t-shirts, tapestries,  carrying cases, blank disc and cassettes.   This location also has hundreds of music DVD’s.  Not to mention that this location has thousands of used movie DVD’s and hundreds of cassette tapes too.  They will do cash for trade.

The North Anthony store is the place for vinyl albums.  In fact, half of the store is album-related merchandise.  This store is a music lovers’ paradise. They also specialize in buying albums here. Last, the store in the Village of Time Corners is the best of Clinton Street location and the Anthony location.  It has a good selection of vinyl like the Anthony location and a good selection of mainstream CD’s like the Clinton location.

Another neat aspect is the owner takes pride in promoting local bands and music. For the past few years, Roets has invited acts to perform throughout the day as part of Record Store Day, in April.

Indeed Wooden Nickle is one of the last remnants of the days of the golden age of records. It’s nice that Wooden Nickle makes it possible for people to pick up a record and re-live old, happy times.

For more on Wooden Nickel, visit their website.

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Brides to Be: Mark your calendar! The Bridal Spectacular is coming to the Allen County War Memorial Coliseum on Sunday, September 30th, from noon to 4 p.m.

The Bridal Spectacular is known as a one-stop shop to plan your wedding in one day. I began my wedding planning process with a trip to the show just so that I could get an idea of what different vendors had to offer. I walked around collecting business cards and brochures for caterers, florists, limo rentals and photographers. I didn’t plan my wedding in one day, but it gave me a pretty good starting point as to what I was actually looking for as a bride.

I was able to look at sample bridesmaid dresses and bridal gowns during the fashion show that is put on by some of the local dress shops in town. Make up and jewelry were also featured during the fashion show. There were food samples from various caterers and cake samples from bakeries.

Photographers bring their portfolios and albums with samples of wedding photography. I loved this because I was able to compare the different styles of photography in order to narrow down what I wanted in a photographer.

DJ’s are on sight with sample set ups and playlists. One DJ had a pre-printed list of a typical reception and examples of songs that might be used for specific events during the reception. For me, anything that could simplify the planning was exactly what I was looking for.

Travel agents are available with brochures on destination weddings to traditional honeymoons. One thing that I never realized was that you can actually register for your honeymoon. The basic premise is the same as registering for gifts, but rather than asking for typical gifts, your guests purchase pieces of your honeymoon, whether it is an excursion or a spa day or just putting money toward the total amount. I had never heard of this until I was planning my wedding and honeymoon, but it made really great sense for my future husband to be and myself, because we had accumulated most everything that we already needed. Why hadn’t I discovered this sooner?!?!

All these vendors (and more) under one roof:

Affordable Photography Group
Island Photo Booths
Mirage Banquet Hall
The Landmark Centre
Club Car Limousine
Nelson’s Catering
Dr. Feelgoods Inc.
Goegleins Catering
A Party Apart
K & S Travel
MegaSound
Quattro Systems
4Ever Photography & Design
The Bride to Be
Totally Inclusive Travel
The Red Stiletto
Mutton Rental Center

The Bridal Spectacular is definitely a must for planning the perfect wedding day.

I’m obviously not a wedding planner or an expert by any means, but I know from experience that wedding planning can be overwhelming. So, over the coming weeks, I will be sharing some of my favorites from caterers and DJ’s to photographers and florists. And, for brides on a budget, I’ll share some of my tips for helping to keep your expenses low!

Happy Wedding Planning!

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