Fort Wayne Insider Blog

As Indiana’ second-largest city, Fort Wayne is often visited by major headliners from around the world. Touring Broadway productions, Top-40 artists, famous classical artists--you name it, Fort Wayne has it.

Music is a mini-vacation from life and in Fort Wayne, Indiana, you can enjoy live music most nights on your romantic weekend away. Pull up a seat at the bar or take a seat in the crowd and enjoy all sorts of music for the price of a drink or a great dinner! 

When I moved to Fort Wayne from Ann Arbor, MI in 2015, I felt some trepidation. Most of my fellow graduates from the University of Michigan’s Master of Music program were moving to New York or Chicago, with their bustling arts communities; when I told them I was moving to Indiana to take a full-time singing position, they raised their eyebrows. Little did they--and I--know that I was walking into an arts goldmine.

Back to school ads are making their way to stores. But summer isn’t over yet! There is still time to enjoy some last-minute summer activities with your family. Try one or try them all, and create a fun-filled end of summer getaway in Fort Wayne, Indiana.

The Clyde Theatre is an old Fort Wayne, Indiana favorite, with a history dating back to 1951. It started out as a movie theatre, changed names, closed, became a church, and now rises from the ashes as an impressive concert venue with a capacity in the thousands. And national artists are noticing: in their first few months, The Clyde is hosting The Used, The Flaming Lips, B.B. King’s Blues Band, and more.

Do you watch The Voice on NBC and/or Snapchat? If so, then you know that the Fort Wayne music scene is earning its stripes out there in Hollywood. Good vibes like ours don’t come without a strong local music scene. From the homegrown to the regionally-acclaimed to the national powerhouses, Fort Wayne has a TON of concerts to offer this year.

If you're a music lover like me, the first thing you wonder whenever you go somewhere is "Where can I catch a live show?"

Fort Wayne is home to a handful of quality venues that host both local and regional/national musicians and bands. A little rock and roll, some garage rock, psychedelic rock, b;country, bluegrass, rap--no matter what your interests are, whenever you come to Fort Wayne, you're going to have a plethora of options on a daily basis. 

In January, the holiday cheer wears off, the Christmas lights come down, and we are left with a stretch of cold weather before us. That makes performances--the theatre, concerts, what have you--a regnant activity in the first month of the year.

Fort Wayne is a fun place. We’ve come a long way in the nearly four decades I’ve called this town home. The locals find more and more to do each year. Discover how you can live like a local in Indiana's second-largest city!

Sweetwater is a must-do Fort Wayne attraction. It’s a music lover’s paradise with enough free fun built-in to keep the family busy for hours.