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.

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

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

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.

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)

So, what is the “fare?” Brava’s features all-beef hot dogs, with toppings like fresh chopped veggies (tomato, cucumber, pico de gallo, guacamole, etc) as well as homemade chili. Be sure to try their specialty: a super-secret Brava Sauce. Thick cut Ossian bacon also comes on some of the hot dogs.

They say location is everything. As of right now the mobile unit stays at the intersection of Calhoun and Wayne Streets (across from Jimmy John’s on the One Summit Square plaza). The owner, Bo Gonzalez, has plans to beginning selling at Columbia Street West for the bar scene on Columbia & Harrison. Hours for lunch are usually 11am-2pm. Bar location hours are from 12pm-4am.

Look for Brava's mobile hot dog cart on downtown Fort Wayne streets!

Visitors might be curious about the origin of the business’ name. Gonzalez credits his mother for the namesake. Their favorite Spanish tapa was Patatas Bravas, which had a spicy smokey sauce that makes it.  In addition to the name, the owner says his niche lies in the gourmet toppings that adorn the hot dogs.

The Brava Sauce and chili are made with two spices imported from Spain. All veggies are fresh cut every morning, along with the guacamole. Check out their Hawaiian hot dogs, Bacon Slaw Dogs, Cheddar Fondue Dogs, and many other ones.

Gonzalez is proud to share that his business will expand with a food truck this June. In the meantime, check out their Facebook and Twitter accounts for updates.

Stay cool in one of Fort Wayne's great pools.

The Fort Wayne Parks and Recreation Department has a few options when it comes to keeping cool on those hot summer days.  North Side Park, McMillen Park and Memorial Park pools all open for the season, starting June 9^th.  I suggest checking the Fort Wayne Parks and Rec’s website for hours of operation and admission fees, as they vary depending on which pool you choose. I love that all of the pools have slides; it’s like having a water park in town without driving out of town and paying the water park prices.

Fort Wayne's seven splash pad spraygrounds are free and full of fun for all ages.

Another great option is the seven spraygrounds located around Fort Wayne. The great thing about them is that they are free of charge and offer hours of entertainment for children and adults alike. I love the spraygrounds because they offer just enough water to cool off, with the option to get soaked if I decide. Spraygrounds are located at Memorial, McCormick, Waynedale, Shoaff, Buckner, Robert E. Meyers parks as well as the newest addition at Taylor’s Dream Boundless Playground in Kreager Park.  All spray grounds opened for the season on Memorial Day weekend…and did I mention they are FREE?!?!  Hours of operation, detailed park information and directions are listed on the Parks and Rec website or by clicking the links on the parks listed above.

After being trapped indoors for months, it’s time to bask in the warm summer weather! So, pack up your family (and the sunscreen) and enjoy!

In late winter I viewed the Trench Art exhibit. This amazing display of items made by soldiers during times of war from military objects included a peach pit carved into a basket by a prisoner during the Civil War. How did it survive? And the lamps made from spent shell casings were cool!

The Fort Wayne Museum of Art.

I returned with my husband to view the WWII Aviation Nose art exhibit. We also enjoyed examining the Native American artistic items with the Fort Wayne Collects: Three Viewpoints exhibit. In another hall we discovered fascinating oil paintings of Hoosier barns by Fort Wayne artist Gwen Gutwein and in another hall an exhibit of lovely Colonial furnishings, many from the 1700s. Yet another room had an attractive display of woodworks by artists using lathes.

Considering we had not planned to see anything but the nose art and ended up viewing everything in the museum, it was quite a serendipitous pleasure.

I’ll admit, we were also pleased with the cost of admission. You can’t beat $5.00 for an hour of quiet reflection and awe. Better yet, on Sundays and Thursdays the admission is free!

Now through Sunday, July 15, the FWMoA will present ‘Infinite Mirror: Images of American Identity’. Using dozens of multimedia works, this exhibit will use portraits and figures to depict circumstances and experiences of multicultural populations in present-day America.

Insider tip: for those who would like a guided tour of this exhibit, a free tour is available on June 7 at 12:15-12:45pm. Participants are invited to bring their own lunch or order a box lunch to pick up at the museum. The Museum’s staff will provide beverages and light dessert; No reservations are required unless per-ordering a box lunch. A limited number of box lunches are available from Deli 620 for only $7; please contact Amanda Martin at least two days ahead to reserve yours at 422.6467, ext 322 or martin@fwmoa.org.

Gallery Hours:
Sunday, Noon-5:00pm
Tuesday-Saturday, 11am-6pm
Thursday, 11am-8pm
Sunday & Thursday FREE Admission
Closed Mondays and holidays

Admission:
Free for FWMoA members
Adults $5.00
Students (K-College) $3.00
Family $10.00

Fort Wayne Museum of Art
311 East Main Street

For additional information, please call the Fort Wayne Museum of Art at 260.422.6467 or go visit them online.

The tastings take place in the Treetops Rooftop Party Area at 6:05 p.m., prior to the start of the game. The first tasting will include a variety of delicious beers from local distributors: Five Star Distributing, AALCO Distributing and Mad Anthony Brewing Company.

An all-you-can-eat meal is part of this VIP package, with a menu including burgers, hot dogs, chicken wings, smoked ribs, grilled chicken breasts, apple crisp dessert and more. Food will be served beginning at 6:35 p.m. through the end of the seventh inning of the game.

The TinCaps beer tasting includes an all-you-can-eat meal, beer tastings from local distributors, and free memorabilia.

All fans attending the beer tasting receive a free, one-of-a-kind TinCaps pilsner glass, featuring the TinCaps’ Opening Day lineups from the past three seasons. They also have a chance to win door prizes throughout the night.

VIP tickets to the beer tasting are priced at $40. A limited number of tickets are available and all of the TinCaps’ tastings have sold out well in advance. To make reservations, call Tyler Baker at (260) 407-2802. Fans must be 21 years old or over to attend.

The remaining beer tastings will take place on June 12, and August 8.

Come and enjoy some great baseball and beer!

Then round up a doubles partner or a golf team of four for the Vera Bradley Classic!

Grab a girlfriend and head to the Vera Bradley Classic!

Vera Bradley will be holding its annual Vera Bradley classic on June 1, 2012 – June 4, 2012. This amateur women’s golf and tennis charity tournament is the largest in the country.

The tournament will kick off with a two day women’s doubles tennis competition at Wildwood Racquet Club. One hundred and fifty women will be competing in the tournament playing in various divisions.

Following the conclusion of the tennis tournament, there will be a Tennis Celebration Dinner. The celebration will include a cocktail party, dinner, a featured exhibition match and a silent auction to benefit the Vera Bradley Foundation for Breast Cancer.

The golf tournaments will be held on Monday, June 4^th at the Fort Wayne Country Club and Sycamore Hills Golf Club. There will be a 9-hole and 18-hole tournament that players can choose to play in. Over 400 women will participate in the day.

Monday evening there will be a Golf Celebration Dinner. The night will include a cocktail party, dinner and a silent auction.

If you want to support the Foundation, but are not a tennis player or golfer you can still get involved!  There are opportunities to volunteer at the various events happening throughout the weekend, or you can also pay to attend one of the celebration dinners.

The 2011 Vera Bradley Classic raised $945,185 over the weekend, and since the tournament was established in 1994, it has raised more than $8.2 million dollars for breast cancer research.

 Event Schedule:

Women’s Doubles Tennis Tournament
Friday, June 1, 2012 – Saturday, June 2, 2012
Wildwood Racquet Club
508 North Hadley Road

• Match Play Schedule Depends on Player Rating

Tennis Celebration Dinner
Saturday, June 2, 2012 at 6:30pm
Wildwood Racquet Club
508 North Hadley Road

Women’s 9-Hole Golf Tournament
Monday, June 4, 2012
Fort Wayne Country Club
5521 Covington Road

• Morning Tournament begins at 7:30am
• Afternoon Tournament begins at 12:00pm

Women’s 18-Hole Golf Tournament
Monday, June 4, 2012
Sycamore Hills Golf Club
11836 Covington Road
Assigned Tee Times

Golf Celebration Dinner
Monday, June 4, 2012 at 6:00pm
Sycamore Hills Golf Club
11836 Covington Road

To register your team or learn more, visit www.verabradley.org/classic