Get Out and Play - June 16-20

No, this isn't the Shoaff Park splash pad.  I didn't have a picture of that one.  Bonus points to anyone who can correctly identify it!

Monday - Take a virtual trip Chicago's Field Museum through activities and crafts at your nearest Michael's craft store.  Today is the start of Michael's seven week Passport to Imagination, featuring crafts inspired by seven of the country's top museums - every Monday, Wednesday and Friday from 10-noon until August 1.  The link gives an overview, stop by the store to pick up a full list of which craft will be offered each day.  Drop-ins are welcome, space permitting.  One catch -- a parent needs to stay in the store during the two hour class.  10am-noon, $2.

Tuesday - Summer weather is here!  Take a walk through one of the trails at Shoaff Park, and then cool off in the splash pad.  6401 St. Joe Road.

Wednesday - Take a color scavenger hike through Eagle Marsh at Short Hikes for Short Legs. Ages 3-5 with their adults, 9-10am, 6801 Engle Road, meet at the barn.

Thursday - Explore the sweet side of science with hands-on Candy Science experiments at the Hessen Castle Library.  This program runs at 10:30am and 1:30pm.

Friday - Drive 20 miles SW of Fort Wayne to the Huntington Drive-In Theater.  Grab some dinner at the concession stand and listen to the movie through your car's radio.  Movie will be announced later in the week, movies start around 9:30pm.  1291 Condit Street, Huntington.  Ages 12 and up $8, 3-11 $3, under 2 free.

Weekend Fun in the Fort - June 14-15

I seem to have no relevant pictures, so Max would like to offer you this generic high-five.

Germanfest and Steuben County's Renaissance Faire headline the festival scene this weekend.  And don't forget those ongoing concert series, strawberry picking is still in full swing, and it looks like it'll be a great weekend for just about any sort of outdoor plans you want to make.  Enjoy this Father's Day weekend!

Saturday, June 14
Familienfest at Germanfest - Midway rides, moonwalks, historic reenactments from the local SCA, free carriage rides, and wiener dog races.  11am-6pm.  Additional Germanfest activities (not necessarily for the kids) continue until 1am.  Germanfest admission $2 from 2-5pm, $5 after 5pm.

Turtle Days Festival in Churubusco wraps up today.  Parade at 6pm, fireworks at 10:15, complete schedule here.

Enchanted Lakes Renaissance Faire in Steuben County Park, 100 LN 101 Crooked Lake, Angola, 10am-8pm

Ice Cream Social benefiting Kate's Kart - Kate's Kart is a non-profit that gives books to children during hospital stays.  (We've been the recipient of several Kate's Kart books.  Hospitals are boring places for children, and the books were a welcome distraction.  Also, there's something nice about being given a gift when you're going through a rough time with a child.  So, good cause, go buy some ice cream!)  Ice cream, of course, and also games, prizes, pony rides and live entertainment. Grace Point Church 8611 Mayhew Road, 11am-3pm, donations accepted.

Tincaps vs. Bowling Green - QuickChange performs their show of dance & magic, and stick around for fireworks after the game.  7:05pm.

Sunday, June 15
Enchanted Lakes Renaissance Faire in Steuben County Park, 100 LN 101 Crooked Lake, Angola, 10am-5pm

Tincaps vs. Bowling Green - Stick around after the game to get your favorite players' autographs.  1:05pm.

Get Out and Play - June 9-13

A hive of bees practices for Friday's dance at the Fort Wayne Dance Collective.

Monday - Magician Daniel Lusk combines science & slight of hand in shows at each of the Allen County Public Library branches as part of the Summer Reading Program.  Today he'll be at Monroeville at 3:30pm, at Tecumseh at 6:30pm.

Tuesday - Get outside to Foellinger Theater for a free concert from the Fort Wayne Area Community Band.  7:30pm.

Wednesday - Teams of two compete to stuff plush pigs into sausages at Germanfest's annual Ferkel Wurst Stuffin'.  Free to watch, free to play, just sign up your team at the information booth. 6-8 year-olds at 1pm, 9-12 year olds at 5pm (and adults can come back and try their hand at the game at 9pm.)  Germanfest admission is $2 from 2-5pm and $5 after 5.

Thursday - Celebrate World Oceans Day with special events at the Children's Zoo.  Special activities from 10am-3pm, zoo open 9am-5pm.  Activities free with regular admission (adults $14, ages 2-14 $9).  P.S. - Any day you want to go to the Zoo, check out this schedule of animal feedings, zoo keeper talks, and K'Zoo sightings.

Friday - The Fort Wayne Dance Collective presents "Three Sisters Who Changed the World."  Follow three sisters as they learn about the world--with help from the FWDC dancers.  Adults $13, students $11, South Side High School, 3601 S. Calhoun.  7pm.

Weekend Fun in the Fort - June 7-8

Is everyone done with school now?  Everyone?  Oh, good, it's finally summer!  We'll be spending our weekend introducing Toby to the Star Wars movie--which has nothing at all to do with local events, or summertime, or the fabulous weather, but it's all we've heard about in our house for the past two weeks.  I'm pretty sure we can't top that, but once the movie is over I'm hoping for some time in the sun, some fresh veggies and some free music.

Saturday, June 7
McMillen Park Community Center reopens to the public.  This redone facility now houses sports fields, a dance studio, a walking track, an art room and more.  All day passes to use the facilities are just $1.  The Center opens with a ribbon cutting at 11am and a community carnival from noon-5pm.  3900 Abbott Street.

Canal Days in New Haven - this local festival finishes today.  There's a parade at 11am, Kids Day activities & reduced price midway wristbands from noon-3pm, and you can end the day with the Rhett Walker Band on the main stage at 7:30.  Full schedules here.

Strawberries are ready for picking at Cedar Creek Produce (8am-6pm 11709 Clay Street, Leo) and Hilger Family Farm (8am-7pm, 5534 Butt Road.) Check their websites for times on Sunday and throughout the week, too.

Barr Street Market - Listen to the sounds of the Fort Wayne Children's Choir and Pinky Swear, meet the SCAN (Stop Child Abuse Now) duck and enjoy children's activities hosted by SCAN, and make & take an art project with the Library crew.  Oh, and buy some veggies.  9am-1pm.

Andy Grammar concert at Jefferson Pointe - hear "Keep Your Head Up" & more at this free concert.  2pm.

Siege of Fort Wayne 1812 at the Old Fort - 10am-6pm.  Guided tours will be offered, advanced tickets recommended.  Parking available at Headwaters and Lawton parks.

Rock the Plaza - Black Cat Mambo, Velvet Soul, Freak Brothers.  6pm-10pm.

Voyage of the Dawn Treader - A Fort Wayne adaptation of the C. S. Lewis classic.  Put on by Kinetic Revelation Academy of Dance.  7pm, Salvation Army, 2901 N Clinton St, tickets $8.

Sunday, June 8
Siege of Fort Wayne 1812 at the Old Fort - 10am-4pm.  Guided tours will be offered, advanced tickets recommended.  Parking available at Headwaters and Lawton parks.

EuroFest gathering of European Cars - IPFW parking lot #16, 2101 Coliseum Blvd. 10am-4pm, spectators free.

Gera Accordion Orchestra - Kick off Germanfest with a free accordion concert.  (The festival tent opens up on Wednesday.)  4:30pm, 3355 Elmhurst Drive.

Voyage of the Dawn Treader - A Fort Wayne adaptation of the C. S. Lewis classic.  Put on by Kinetic Revelation Academy of Dance.  3pm, Salvation Army, 2901 N Clinton St, tickets $8.

Free Summer Concert Series

Hooray for summertime, when parents don't have to get a babysitter to dance around to loud music!  Free concerts abound around the Fort, and this monster of a post has the schedules for ongoing concert series.  Have I missed any?  Let everyone know in the comments!

Living Fort Wayne Concert Series
5-9pm, Headwaters Park West

We skipped the first concert of the summer because it looked like rain, and then it was beautiful out and I regretted it.  Here's hoping we'll make it out to the next one, because those YLNI folks always put on a good event.

5:00 - Food, drink, and acoustic music.
6:30 - Showtime

June 4 - Sunny Taylor, Fernando Tarango and the Wickersham Bros
July 2 - Left Lane Cruiser, Unlikely Alibi
August 6 - Adam Strack, Bluebird Revival

Lunch on the Square
Thursdays from noon-1:30
One Summit Square

More than anything else around town, lunching at One Summit Square makes me feel like I'm taking a trip into the big city.  Button-downed downtown office workers, families pushing strollers, hipsters enthusiastically greeting their friends in line for fancy hot dogs -- there's something for everyone.  Toby loves the very-climbable (you didn't hear that here) new bike sculpture and the big, green, lawn for running.  Max loves dancing to the music.

A hint?  Park at the Library's east lot, it's just two blocks away.  Finish off your lunch with a trip inside the library to pick up a few more summer reads and get your ticket punched.  Parking is free if you have an Allen County library card and $1 per hour if you don't.

*The lines for food trucks were ridiculous at the first concert this summer--at least they were when we got there at 12:15.  But when we were leaving at 1:15 there were no lines at all.  Next time we go I think we'll bring our own sandwiches and splurge on dessert from Ginger Kitchen, where there is never a line.  (Not because they aren't awesome, they are, but because their ice cream is pre-packaged and the transactions move quickly.)  Or if I'm hankering for food truck fare, then we'll snack well, play first, and grab food at the end.

June 6 - Shade & Shannon
June 12 - Fernando Terrango & Ken Jehle
June 19 - The Jay Taylors
June 26 - The Todd Harold Band

3 - Honey Badger
10 - Joe Justice
17 - Jug Huffers
24 - Night to Remember
31 - Pop 'n' Fresh

August 7 - Fringe Preview
August 14 - Scratch 'n' Sniff
August 21 - Mike Connely
August 28 - Grand Finale!


Rock the Plaza
900 Library Plaza, outside the Main Library, under the big red tent

Pint & Slice is out every week offering pizza, snacks, and drinks, and Dunkin' Donuts is open during shows.  Bring your blanket or lawn chairs to enjoy the show on the library's lawn.

More than the other concerts, Rock the Plaza is loud (I know, I'm old), and there's not a whole lot of space to do much other than sit on your blanket and listen to the music.  Which sounds like a fine way to spend an evening, unless your 5-year old gets antsy after 3 minutes.  Next time we go I'll be bringing some sit-down toys -- plastic dinosaurs, coloring books, maybe some sidewalk chalk or bubbles.  And snacks.  I think adding some props that make relaxing easier for the kid will make the next concert more enjoyable for everyone.

May 31 - Walkin' Papers, URB, and Orange Opera

June 7 - Black Cat Mambo, Velvet Soul, Freak Brothers
June 14 - Bonafide, Jug Huffers, Pop-N-Fresh
June 21 - Tim Herrington Band, Sparrow 5, Sum Morz
June 28 - Earphorik, Ivory West, Shelly Dixon & Jeff McRae, Kill The Rabbit

July 5 - Roustabout, The Rescue Plan, Brother
July 12 - Soft N Heavy, Marnee, Small Town
July 19 - the Humanity, Taj Maholics, Unlikely Alibi, Moser Woods
July 26 - PFL, Clusterfolk, the Insta-Gators, Tone Junkies

August 2 - Bekah Bradley Band, Casket Sharp, Sunny Taylor Band
August 9 - Joel Young Band, ButtonHead, Infantry Of Noise, Cougar Hunter
August 16 - Seattle Rain, Trackless, Hip-O-Fonic
August 23 - Yellow Dead Bettys, Mike Conley & Jane Heald, Dan Dickerson's Harp Condition, Quincy & Q-Tet
August 30 - Grateful Groove, Pink Droyd


Friday Nites Live at Jefferson Pointe
6:30-8:30pm by the Fountain

If you're interested in the music, bring your lawn chairs out early to claim your spot near the fountain.  If you're more interested in a place to picnic while the kids run & you chat with friends, then you'll find plenty of seating in the lawn around the corner -- you'll hear the show but you won't see it.  Remember that the Fort Wayne Farmers Market is also at Jefferson Pointe on Fridays from 4-7, over by the movie theater.

June 6 - Junk Yard Band
June 13 - Goodnight Gracie
June 20 - Sugar Shot
June 27 - Fort Wayne Jazz Orchestra

July 11 Hubie Ashcraft and The Drive
July 18 - Big Caddy Daddy
July 25 - Sierra Shame

August 1 - Urban Legend
August 8 - Ty Causey
August 15 - Loudmouth Soup
August 22 - New Millenium Orchestra
August 29 - Rosemary Gates

September 5 - Todd Harrold Band

Get Out and Play - June 2-6

Monday - Get to your nearest branch of the Allen County Public Library and pick up your reading log, the Summer Reading Program begins today!  Yes, even babies are invited to play along.  For every six hours spent reading or doing other literacy activities your kid will get a prize -- first a toy (duckies for the littles and airplanes for the bigger kids) and then two books.

Tuesday - While the big kids are still in school, check out Toddlerpalooza with your 1-3 year old at the New Haven Library Branch.  This program is planned especially for the littles, and if you miss it today, it'll be traveling to all of the branches over the next few weeks.  We got a preview of the toddler activities at the Main Branch last week, and it was great fun for the 1, 2 and 3 year old (yup, one of each) that I brought along.  10:30am.

Wednesday - Take in the first of three free concerts this summer sponsored by Living Fort Wayne.  Sunny Taylor plays acoustic at 5pm and Fernando Tarango and the Wickersham Bros rock out at 6:30. (And check out Living Fort Wayne's blog for more ideas of stuff to do in the Fort this summer!)  Headwaters Park West.

Thursday - Kick off Lunch on the Square with a free outdoor concert from Shade & Shannon.  Pack a lunch, get takeout from one of the many nearby restaurants, or grab a taste from the food trucks parked right on the square.  One Summit Square, corner of Wayne and Calhoun, noon-1:30pm.

Friday - School is out for pretty much everyone in the area by now, so celebrate with a late night movie at New Haven's Canal Days.  Chris Worth plays at 7pm, and Despicable Me 2 starts around 9:30 or 9:45.  Schnelker Park, New Haven.