My favorite season is coming…the changing from almost unbearable heat to warm days that turn into crisp cool, evenings…fall! And with fall come more fairs and festivals. I love the Grabill Country Fair! I love that it starts with the short, scenic drive from Fort Wayne and ends in a small town full of history, home-cooking and country charm.

The fair begins on Thursday, September 6th and continues through Saturday, September 8th. Activities at the fair appeal to kids and adults of all ages, from magic shows to musical performances and contests from pie and watermelon eating to cherry pit spitting! All of the contests and events are relevant to the bygone era. The parade through the streets of Grabill begins on the 8th at 10 a.m. and is surely not to be missed! Musical entertainment ends each evening with gospel, country and bluegrass performers.

Over one hundred merchant and craft tents are set up and feature children’s items, blown glass, dolls, quilts and crocheted items. There are also local Amish vendors showcasing their handmade wood pieces. Artisans bring their own twist to creating homemade items including chain saw carvings, T-shirt art and hand-drawn portraits.

And let’s not forget about the food at the Fudergong! Each morning, the day begins with “Breakfast at the Fudergong” a Pancake and Sausage Gravy breakfast from 6:30 a.m. to 10 a.m. The Fudergong offers homemade beef and noodles and freshly made pies from the Grabill Inn on the 6th and 7th from 5 p.m. to 9 p.m. On the 8th, High’s BBQ chicken and more pies from the Grabill Inn, from 11:30 a.m. to 9 p.m. I cannot wait to get some of that chicken! Don’t forget the many food vendors that offer homemade rolled pretzels, ribs and lemon shake-ups!

To make things easy, you can park at Leo High School and catch a shuttle into Grabill. For more on shuttle information, a list of daily activities and a map of the area, visit the Grabill Country Fair website here.

The fair’s slogan is, “Grab your family, meet up with old friends and enjoy a look back at a slower pace and a simpler time!” See you in the country!

This infamous yard sale boasts yard sales that stretch from Iowa to West Virginia, but you can be sure to find a few treasures along Indiana’s own Lincoln Highway. The eighth annual sale runs August 9, 10 and 11.

Yard sales are great way to find your next treasure. Whether you’re searching for a bargain, a treasured antique, your next Pinterest project or Etsy find, you’re likely to come home with at least one thing you can’t live without.

A full listing of all the Indiana BUY-WAY listings can be found here, but I’d recommend making it a day-trip with a few options within driving distance of Fort Wayne:

• Fort Wayne – Breakfast at Cindy’s Diner, located on the Lincoln Highway at 830 South Harrison Street
• Wolf Lake – Sale at Living Water Lutheran Church at 1197 S. US Highway 33
• Van Wert, OH – Lunch or Dinner at Balyeats Coffee Shop for “Old Fashioned” food
• Middle Point, OH – Catch a movie at the Van-Del Drive-In Theatre at 19986 Lincoln Highway

To map your route, use the Official Map of the Lincoln Highway complete with points of interest. It’s as simple as grabbing your keys, map and cash to get shopping. And, if bargain-hunting adventures are your thing, mark your calendar for this event on the second-full weekend in August every year!

 

Farming looks mighty easy when your plow is a pencil and you’re a thousand miles from the corn field. –Dwight D. Eisenhower

Although drought has wreaked havoc in the Midwest with growers trying as best as they can to salvage produce for their customers, here’s a real incentive to pack the kids in the car and come to the Fort as soon as possible: Hardy’s Farm Market’s wonderful corn!

This popular venue is the largest privately-owned farm stand in Allen County and is operated by the fifth-generation of Hardys who own farms in both Allen and Huntington counties – and their biggest seller each year is their corn. Not just any corn, but the absolutely delicious bi-colored Obsession, a supersweet variety that is, “very sweet and tender,” according to Lori Hardy, owner of the southwest farm stand now in its 23rd year of business.

Longtime Hardy’s Farm Market visitors are understandably addicted to these elegant kernels – folks on their lunch hour, after work and on weekends get into hair-pulling fights and mob stampedes when the freshly-picked corn is brought up from the fields. (Well, ok, maybe they don’t go quite that far, but you’ve been warned – add Hardy’s to your speed-dial: 260 747 4644; 4525 Knoll Road, Fort Wayne, IN 46809)

The farm market also has WIC and SNAP designations, said Hardy. Hardy’s Farm Market, which also runs a booth all season at the Barr Street Market, sells a variety of produce, including outstanding tomatoes (their corn’s biggest rival!), potatoes, honey, gladiolas, sunflowers, peaches, melons, fruit butters and a plethora of other farm-fresh goodies, and super-friendly service, to boot. All Lori and Terry Hardy’s four kids have been lifelong involved in farming and three of them have their agriculture degrees; the fourth will do likewise after high school graduation, so there’s a real family, hands-on effort here. So, if a major part of the season is treating your taste buds to awesome summer produce from fresh field to delicious fork, make a beeline to Hardy’s Farm Market . . . before their wonderful corn is all gone.

Got a hobby? Look no further than Phil’s Hobby Shop!

A locally-owned business, Phil’s Hobby Shop began in 1975 when Phil Gieseking bought the 1722 Lake Avenue shop location. Ultimately, he wanted to start a repair business for radios.

An avid remote control plane flyer himself, Phil turned the store into what is now known as Phil’s Hobby Shop. Fast forward 30 years and Phil’s Hobby Shop has added a location on Clinton Street as well as a location in Defiance, Ohio. In 2011, Phil’s son, Steve Gieseking, and his business partner, Paris McFarthing, purchased the Lake Avenue store in hopes of carrying on the family tradition.  The two have expanded the family business to include yet another location in Fort Wayne at the Parkwest Shopping Center. Today, Phil’s Hobby Shop continues to experience healthy growth in the hobby industry.

So, what exactly do they offer? Each Phil’s Hobby Shop location carries a wide variety of remote control vehicles; ranging from cars to airplanes, from boats to helicopters. Customers will also find a wide selection of  plastic models, trains, and general hobby products. In addition to the traditional hobby shop merchandise, Phil’s also carries a wide variety of science and educational kits, games, educational children’s toys, Pinewood Derby cars, rockets, and kites.

As a mom, I have to admit that whenever our family travels more than about 15 miles, we load up our van and all of our gear and it seems to be popping out the windows…and that’s just 15 miles!

No matter how much planning, organization and time we have to prepare for a vacation…there always seems to be the “uh-oh” moment when we arrive. The “oh no, we forgot our socks.” The “what are we going to do now that we don’t have a bathing suit for little Johnny?” The “I am just SURE I packed my little black dress.”

Yep. We have all been there! We can only remember so many things! After all the planning and packing when we take a vacation – who has time to triple check a suitcase? And really, who wants to go spend MORE money on a weekend outfit that we may never need again?

That’s where Fort Wayne’s great consignment stores come into the picture! Fort Wayne is home to many gently-used retail stores that might just pick your vacationing spirits up when caught off-guard.

Kids Wear
(260) 489-4487
614 E Dupont Rd, Fort Wayne, IN 46825

Consignor Boutique Incorporated
(260) 484-6686
3516 N Clinton St, Fort Wayne, IN 46805

Clothes Mentor
4720 Coldwater Road Fort Wayne, IN 46825
(260) 444-4012

Little Sprouts EveryWear
2326 Hobson Rd
Fort Wayne, IN
260-482-6160

Plato’s Closet
(260) 482-7003 platoscloset.com
4726 Coldwater Rd, Fort Wayne, IN 46825

Something Old Something New
(260) 478-6174
2519 Lower Huntington Rd, Fort Wayne, IN 46809

 

…and let us not forgot the awesome-ness of Goodwill locations!

Store Locations

Brooklyn Ave Store
3127 Brooklyn Avenue
Fort Wayne, IN 46809
(260) 478-6346
Mon-Fri 8:00 a.m. – 7:00 p.m.
Sat 10:00 a.m. – 6:00 p.m.
Sun 12:00 p.m. – 5:00 p.m.

Coliseum Corner Store
925 E. Coliseum Blvd.
Fort Wayne, IN 46805
(260) 482-5744
Mon-Fri 9:00 a.m. – 8:00 p.m.
Sat 10:00 a.m. – 6:00 p.m.
Sun 12:00 p.m. – 5:00 p.m.

Chapel Ridge Store
10540 Maysville Road
Fort Wayne, IN 46835
(260) 748-0294
Mon-Fri 9:00 a.m. – 8:00 p.m.
Sat 10:00 a.m. – 8:00 p.m.
Sun 12:00 p.m. – 5:00 p.m.

Covington Plaza Store
6256 W. Jefferson Blvd.
Fort Wayne, IN 46804
(260) 459-3438
Mon-Fri 9:00 a.m. – 8:00 p.m.
Sat 10:00 a.m. – 6:00 p.m.
Sun 12:00 p.m. – 5:00 p.m.

Dupont Village Store
525 E. Dupont Road
Fort Wayne, IN 46825
(260) 338-0202
Mon-Fri 9:00 a.m. – 8:00 p.m.
Sat 10:00 a.m. – 6:00 p.m.
Sun 12:00 p.m. – 5:00 p.m.

Fort Wayne offers many close-to-home vacation must-see spots, so who wants to let a luggage mishap ruin the fun? If you find yourself in a pinch, ready to dive into a hotel pool when you realize you did not remember your suits…time to smile and remember what brought you here! This great diverse city has many consignment shops featuring fashionable attire at an affordable price to help you in a pinch so that you can sit back and relax while enjoying your vacation in the Summit City!