Time flies! It’s hard to believe The Fort Wayne Derby Girls are gearing up for the 5^th Annual Spring Roll. As a former member of the Roller Derby league, I remember planning the first back in 2008. The tournament has grown tremendously since then. In 2008, it featured only a handful of women’s leagues from our region, and today, it features men’s, women’s, and junior roller derby leagues from across the country.

Mark your calendar. This year’s Spring Roll will feature three days of hard-hitting, heart- stopping, roller derby competition from May 17-19 at the Allen County War Memorial Coliseum. Spectators will enjoy two tracks of action, featuring 25 teams from as far away as Jacksonville, Florida, and Fargo, North Dakota, competing in one of the largest roller derby tournaments in the world. For a full list of teams competing in this year’s event, visit the Spring Roll Website.

The fun gets underway on Friday at 5PM with a Men’s Roller Derby Association sanctioned event featuring Harm City Homicide taking on Milwaukee Blitzdkrieg. The women’s tournament kicks off at 5:30, featuring Fargo Moorehead Derby Girls against Hammer City Roller Girls from Hamilton, Ontario. And once the train starts moving, there’s no stopping until Sunday evening. For a full schedule of bouts, visit the Schedule page on the Spring Roll website.

Never been to a Roller Derby bout before? Spring Roll offers you the perfect opportunity to get acquainted with the fastest growing sport in the world. Tickets are $13 per day (plus Ticketmaster fees) or $29 for a three-day pass. Get yours today at Ticketmaster.com or from the Coliseum Box Office.

I will be there and I hope to see you too.

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This post is one in a series of Fort Wayne’s favorite celebrities: the Bad Apple Dancers! Click here to meet the rest of the bunch!

Bad Apple Dancer Austin Allen

Play Ball!

It’s that time of the year again! Time for ballgames by Tin Caps at Parkview Field!

If you’ve not yet attended a ball game at Fort Wayne’s outstanding ball field, please consider doing so this year. Not only does the team offer a beautiful place to sit and watch baseball, they offer some fascinating local entertainment between innings. The name of that entertainment is the Bad Apple Dancers.

These are four guys whose main function is to smooth out the dirt on the field. While pulling a big rake, they add their own moves on the route around the diamond.

To help you get to know the Bad Apple Dancers we’ve asked them to contribute some personal information about themselves. First up is Austin Allen who also works as Ticket Sales Manager for the Tin Caps.

Name: Austin ‘Flava A’ Allen
Hometown/State: Owosso, MI
Position on the ball field: Bad Apple Dancer
Years playing for the Tin Caps: 2013 will be my third season with the team, second season as a Bad Apple Dancer

1. Favorite Fort Wayne restaurant? Pint N Slice
2. Favorite place to go to relax in Fort Wayne? I like to run on the trails or play disc golf at Shoaff Park.
3. Favorite thing to do in Fort Wayne—other than dance on Parkview Field? I play volleyball a couple times a week. I enjoy the different festivals throughout the summer as well.
4. Favorite store/shop? The Orchard at Parkview Field
5. Favorite Fort Wayne park? Shoaff Park or Swinney Park
6. Favorite Fort Wayne summer festival? RibFest
7. Favorite place to go for a burger and fries in Fort Wayne? Dash In
8. Favorite concert venue in Fort Wayne? The Embassy
9. Favorite place to go for ice cream in Fort Wayne? Yo-Yo
10. Likes most about Fort Wayne? There is a lot going on, and it is easy to keep myself busy. I can always find something to do or somewhere to go.

To order tickets for Fort Wayne TinCaps Baseball at Parkview Field call 260.482.6400 or learn more here.

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This post is part of a series highlighting the Your Story. Made Here. videos recently produced by the Northeast Indiana Regional Partnership. These videos share the stories of Northeast Indiana, and our many strengths. Click here to view the rest of the series.

The crack of a bat, the cheering crowd, the taste of a ballpark hotdog and an ice-cold beer, it’s all waiting for you!

Locals love Parkview Field because it’s about so much more than baseball. The addition of Parkview Field to the downtown landscape generated a sense of community. Cheering on the TinCaps to their numerous victories has brought a sense of pride and togetherness to the community. The success of the community collaboration that brought Parkview Field to downtown Fort Wayne has continued through such events as Taste of the Arts and Buskerfest.

Opportunities to meet up with friends, network, or simply relax on the lawn are endless.  Whether you’re a young fan or a seasoned armchair pitcher there’s plenty to enjoy at Parkview Field. Young professionals are drawn to Thirsty Thursdays to network with peers, meet up with friends, and enjoy dollar beer night. Fireworks nights are great for a casual yet romantic date night or for families who enjoy looking up at the stars. Suites are available for those looking to entertain large groups or host business colleagues. The Homerun Porch and the Picnic Pavilion make great places to bring your employees for a fun activity away from the office.

3 Rivers Federal Credit Union Employees enjoying a night off with Johnny TinCap at Parkview Field

Be on the lookout for “theme nights” at the ballpark as well. Love getting dressed up for Halloween? Why not celebrate on May 10 with “Halfway to Halloween” night at Parkview Field. Several “Decade Celebrations” are planned for the 2013 season with nights honoring every decade from the 50’s-90’s. There’s even “Star Wars Night” for you to sport your Darth Vader costume and a “Social Media Night” to give you an excuse to be on your smart phone throughout the game.

Great minor league sports aren’t limited to downtown Fort Wayne. Experience the Mad Ants Basketball, Komets Hockey, and the Derby Girls at the Allen County War Memorial Coliseum.  There’s something for every sports fan throughout the year.

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When the sun starts shining for days in a row, the breeze doesn’t make you run for your coat, the temperature lets you wear short sleeves, and you can breathe in the smell of flowers is in the air; you know it’s outdoor concert season.

Enjoying a concert in the freedom of the outdoors is a great way to have a little care-free fun with friends, dance and sing along as loud as you want to the music (guilty!) and enjoy the fresh air. Fort Wayne may not have a huge outdoor venue, but we do have the Foellinger Outdoor Theatre, which never fails to bring high quality performances to Fort Wayne without breaking the bank. This summer will be no different! With acts like Chicago, Kansas, Little River Band and America, the Foellinger Theatre summer concert lineup, being tagged “A Summer Like No Other”, promises to be one of the best yet.

The sounds of Chicago will come to Fort Wayne on August 27.

One amazing concert we’ll get to see this summer is from one of rock’s most well-known groups, Chicago, who will take the Foellinger Theatre stage Tuesday, August 27 at 8 p.m. This will definitely be a concert no classic rock fan will want to miss! With over 100 million records sold, 21 Top 10 singles, 5 consecutive number one albums, 11 number one singles, 5 gold singles and 25 platinum albums, Chicago is still a force to be reckoned with even 40 years after they first came together. They are known to put on a powerful live show, so get your tickets fast!

Kansas will perform at Foellinger Theatre on September 14.

One of my personal favorite classic-rock bands, Kansas, will perform on September 14. Not only has Kansas had some huge hits throughout their nearly 40-year career (anyone else belt out “Carry On Wayward Son” when it comes on the radio?!), but they’ve had a ton of success. The band boasts 8 gold albums, a platinum selling live album, over 200 weeks on the Billboard charts throughout the 70s and 80s and a million-selling gold single “Dust in the Wind”.

Other nationally acclaimed acts bringing music to the Foellinger stage are Little Red Band and America. Two powerhouse bands featuring some of the best musicians rock music has to offer. Beloved acts Fort Wayne audiences are sure to want to catch again include Cherish the Ladies and The Lettermen.

Several great tribute bands will also be performing as a part of the lineup this summer. Come on down to Margaritaville for the first Fort Wayne performance of Parrots of the Caribbean, a Jimmy Buffet tribute band. The British will invade the Foellinger Theatre with a performance from Chicago Beatles tribute band, BritBeat. Travel back to the 70s and 80s with Midnight Special. Listen to the smooth sounds of The Eagles with Hotel California.

Beyond concerts, Foellinger is once again hosting nine free, family-friendly, movies on Wednesday nights throughout the season at 9 p.m. Madagascar III will kick off the movie season on Wednesday, June 19. Other movies being shown under the stars are: ParaNorman, Brave, The Lorax, Hotel Transylvania and Oz: The Great and Powerful. This is a great chance to kick back and relax while leaving the couch and

With all of the excitement coming with the upcoming concert and movie season, Foellinger Theatre is also rolling out improvements to the venue. Phase 1 of this improvement project will provide an additional 48 seats beneath the roof, including a new patio seating area. This phase will also include functional and cosmetic improvements, new landscaping at the eastern edge of the theater and an expansion of the enclosed area to the east of the theater by 18,000 square feet. Phase two of the project will add a new building to the expansion area for concessions and a covered pavilion for group rentals.

If you have the chance to make it out to Foellinger Theatre, whether it’s for a concert, movie, or just to check out the venue, DO IT! It’s a gem you don’t want to miss.

Tickets for “A Summer Like No Other” events are on sale now! For a complete line-up for the summer, and more information, you can click here,  here or here.

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Ah, spring! It’s nice to finally be able to say that after what felt like the longest winter ever. It means I can get back outside and do some planting (and some mowing, a necessary evil) and I can start wearing shorts and flip-flops again, probably earlier than I should.

It also means that a very particular kind of person awakens from his or her hibernation: the golfer. Golf courses around the city are coming to life just like everything else does this time of year, and I get it – there really is something to be said about a golf course on a sunny day.

Sycamore Hills Golf Course

Golfers (and golf enthusiasts) should also look forward to the other side of summer – which is not as far off as it seems – when Sycamore Hills Golf Course in Fort Wayne, Indiana, will host the inaugural Hotel Fitness Championship, August 26 through September 1, 2013. This is the first of four Web.com Tour Finals events that will determine which 50 golfers will earn cards to join the PGA TOUR for the 2013-2014 season. It’s a big deal, it’s right here in our backyard, and you can participate. Here’s how.

Putting together an event as big as this – around 150 golfers will be participating – requires a heck of a lot of manpower. That’s where you come in. The Hotel Fitness Championship is looking for about 800 volunteers to fill a variety of roles, like volunteer hospitality, admissions, marshaling, scoring, and more. Volunteers will be required to work a minimum of three (3) shifts, or about 15-20 hours, over the course of the week. And while volunteers will have to purchase a $50 Volunteer Package, it’s a real deal. Each volunteer will receive:

• Two (2) Championship golf shirts
• A Championship ball cap or visor
• Tournament credential valid all week that allow you to watch when you aren’t working
• One (1) Weekly Grounds guest ticket
• Catered food and drink
• Free parking

And if you’re wondering where the money goes, the proceeds will be donated to the Evans Scholarship Fund, which provides college tuition and housing scholarships for caddies with financial need, and to various local charities.

If this sounds like fun – and really, who wouldn’t think this was fun? – please visit http://www.visitfortwayne.com/meeting-professionals/hotel-fitness-championship, http://www.hotelfitnesschampionship.com, or contact Sally White, tournament manager, at (224) 260-3786 or white@wgaesf.org, for more information.

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