Canal Days began in 1958 when a “Canal Boat” was brought to New Haven during the event. Throughout the years the festival has undergone many changes and adjustments, but has been held in the downtown area since 1987 and continues to draw crowds each year. The annual parade, and 5K race benefiting the New Haven High School Track program, are among the event highlights. Thoughout the event, enjoy traditional fair food, rides on the midway and an arts and crafts show.

Highlights from this year’s schedule of events include:

Friday, June 1
Car Show

Tuesday, June 5
Army Invades Schnelker Park

Wednesday, June 6
Karaoke Night
Teen Glow Dance

Thursday, June 7
Quilt Show
Movie Night

Friday, June 8
Senior Picnic

Saturday, June 9
Parade
Kids Day
Cornhole Tournament

The midway and vendors are open daily. Visit Canal Days online for a full schedule of events and times. Registration forms for the “Wellness 4 Everyone” 5K race, held Saturday, June 9, are available here. For more information on Canal Days visit the event website and join the Canal Days group on Facebook. New Haven is located just east of Fort Wayne, only a 12 minute drive from downtown.

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Do you have a Pug? Or are you a Pug or dog lover?

If so, you do not want to miss Fort Wayne PUGfest on June 2 at the Memorial Coliseum!

Who doesn't love a pug?

Kentuckiana Pug Rescue hosts and participates in many events throughout the year to help promote awareness of the need for rescue, giving people in the community the opportunity to learn more about all that KPR is doing to help Pugs in need.

But more than that, PUGfest is a way for people and their Pugs to have a fun filled day together!

The day is packed with fun events starting off with a Parade of Foster Pugs followed by vendor highlights. Some of the vendors include The PUGzone!, Tupperware, Pugs in the Kitchen and Smiling Dog Photography.

PUGFest will also feature several raffles and contests throughout the day as well as Pug races!

Some of the contests you can enter your Pug in include best shredder, curliest tail, biggest Pug, smallest Pug, best dressed, best kisser, longest tongue, costume, banana eating, best trick and Pug owner lookalike.

Come celebrate PUGfest and enjoy the day surrounded by Pugs of all shapes and sizes!

Hours:

• 10:00 am – 4:00 pm

Parking:

• Main Lot – $4.00
• Preferred Lot – $8.00

Allen County War Memorial Coliseum
4000 Parnell Avenue

Schedule of Events:

• 10:00  Doors Open
• 10:30  Parade of Foster Pugs
• 10:45  Vendor Highlights
• 11:00  Best Shedder and Curliest Tail Contests
• 11:15  Chinese Raffle Pull
• 11:30  Biggest Pug and Smallest Pug Contests (over 1 year of age)
• 11:45 1st Raffle Pull
• 12:00  Pug Races
• 12:30  Pug Races
• 12:45  2nd Raffle Pull
• 1:00  Best Dressed Boy and Girl   and Best Dressed NON Pug Contests
• 1:15 2nd Chinese Raffle Pull
• 1:30 Best Kisser and Longest Tongue Contest
• 1:45 3rd Raffle Pull
• 2:00 Costume Contests Group and Individual
• 2:15 Vendor/Foster Highlights
• 2:30 Banana Eating Contest
• 2:45 4th Raffle Pull
• 3:00 Best Trick
• 3:15 3rd Chinese Raffle Pull
• 3:30 Pug Owner Lookalike Contest
• 3:45 5th Raffle Pull

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Did you know that Colonel Sanders of KFC fame was from Indiana? So, was that Southern drawl he used in TV commercials just a show? Guess we’ll find out that nugget of information and others about some of the Hoosier state’s most notorious sons at the Fort Wayne showing of Michael Martone’s book-turned-play Alive and Dead In Indiana.

The comedy/drama adapted from Martone’s book by play adaptor Doug Long is a fictional account of Sanders and other Hoosiers including James Dean, former Vice President Dan Quayle, and Indiana University sex researcher Alfred Kinsey. Martone was born and raised in Fort Wayne.

Content advisory status for Alive & Dead in Indiana: Mild sexual situations.

Performance dates and times:
Friday, June 1, 2012 8:00 PM
Saturday, June 2, 2012 8:00 PM
Sunday, June 3, 2012 2:00 PM
Friday, June 8, 2012 8:00 PM
Saturday, June 9, 2012 8:00 PM
Sunday, June 10, 2012 2:00 PM

Tickets: $24.00

It's all part of the Northeast Indiana Playwright Festival

Performance dates for Alive And Dead In Indiana coincide with the 3rd Annual Playwright Competition to be held Saturday, June 2 and Saturday June 9, 2012.

First place: Althea’s Well by Ruth Tyndall Baker
Second place: Hands Under the Table by Theron RD Steinke
Third place: Spring at the Willowbrook Inn by Douglas C. Evans and Jonathan Van Dyke

3rd Annual Playwright Competition schedule:
Saturday, June 2:
• 10AM Workshop
• 11AM Lunch break (on your own)
• 12PM Spring at the Willowbrook Inn
reading with post discussion
• 3PM Civic hosted break
• 4PM Hands Under the Table
reading with post discussion
• 7PM Dinner break (on your own)
• 8PM Althea’s Well
with post discussion
• Post-show reception in the Ian Rolland Gallery

Sunday, June 3: (Coffee available)
• 12PM Panel discussion
• 1PM Box luncheon
• 2PM Alive and Dead in Indiana
with post discussion

Fees for each of the events are listed at the Civic website.

The Arts United Center charges a parking fee of $3 per car. Parking options free after business hours include 1st Source Bank building parking garage, City-County Building parking garage, and metered spaces behind Freimann Square.

For additional information, please visit the Fort Wayne Civic Theatre website.

Arts United Center
303 E Main Street
Fort Wayne 46802
260.422.8641 X 221
Box office: 260.424.5220

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I am constantly in search of new and interesting food experiences. Fort Wayne is full of great food. It is awesome to be in a place where there are so many new and old options. One of the newest spots in town is Honey on the Table. I had lunch at Honey on the Table and I am looking forward to going back. It is in a very small storefront in a small strip mall on Hobson Road at State Street. The decor is fun and complementary to the space (which is light and happy, maximizing the small seating area).

The food was great. I had the HOTT House Salad – spinach, goat cheese, toasted walnuts, raisin bread croutons, and a chestnut-honey vinaigrette. Of course dirt would taste good if you put goat cheese on it, so needless to say the salad was tasty. It was properly dressed and there was enough for a meal with the bread on the side. I spied on my neighbor’s lunches and noticed that the sandwiches looked fantastic – the half-sandwiches are not halves at all, they are from smaller loaves of bread. Cute!

Honey on the Table's homey interior

Honey on the Table bakes their own bread and it is interesting, made in-house, fabulous, and served with everything. You can buy fresh bread by the loaf as well. Available for snacks and dessert are house-made pastries, cookies, or cupcakes. Honey on the Table also has a selection healthy snacks, pasta, and various food accoutrements that you can tote home with you. In addition to the good food the service is also great. What is better than good food and nice folks?

I arrived just before noon. Luckily. By the time I left at 12:30-ish it was packed. Be advised.

Also, do not plan on being pretentious here – the plates are paper and the utensils are plastic. Why waste cash on those things when the food is so good? No need. The seating is tight but fun and the folks are friendly. Honey on the Table is a great neighborhood spot. I will go back and recommend that you go too.

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Whether you are in town for a convention at the Grand Wayne Center, discovering your roots at the Allen County Public Library or if you are a leisure traveler enjoying some time away; you still need a good cup o’ joe to get your morning started!

While locating all the coffee and breakfast stops for this list, I noticed that no matter where you are in downtown Fort Wayne, you are no more than two blocks from at least one or two coffee shops (and that makes for a happy town – maybe that’s why visitors always say that Fort Wayne is so friendly). Most of our coffee shops are local, with a few chain shops along the way.

Bistro (inside Courtyard by Marriott Downtown)
Cindy’s Diner
Dash-In
Pembroke Bakery and Café (inside the Auer Center)
1020 Bistro (inside the Hilton Hotel)
Bagel Station Uptown (inside the Botanical Conservatory)
Downtown Grind
Dunkin Donuts (inside the Allen County Public Library)
Higher Grounds (inside Star Financial)
Lincoln Tower Soda Fountain
Starbucks
Zia’s Coffee Sweets and More (inside Lamp Light)

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