Pumpkin Patches, Corn Mazes and Fall Farm Fun – Living Fort Wayne
Newly updated for 2018! What is fall without a trip to one of the local pumpkin patches, complete with an apple orchard and corn maze? NOTHING! That’s what! Luckily, northeast Indiana has plenty of opportunities to take advantage of the fall weather, pick pumpkins and apples, and get lost in corn mazes. Johnny Appleseed Festival – 1500 N. Harry Baals Drive, Fort Wayne Saturday, Sept. 15 – 10 a.m. – 6 p.m. Sunday, Sept. 16 – 10 a.m. – 5 p.m. Did you know the Johnny Appleseed Festival started way back in 1974? When you head out to the festival today you’ll see more than 100 craft booths, numerous food booths, tinsmiths, apple pressers, blacksmiths, trappers, traders and more. Kuehnert Dairy Farm Fall Festival – 6532 Cook Road, Fort Wayne Friday, Sept. 14 – Sunday, Oct. 21, 2018 Friday: 6 p.m. -10 p.m.Saturday: 10 a.m. – 10 p.m.Sunday: Noon-5 p.m. This 6th generation family farm has opened for its sixth annual fall festival. The farm features a LEGO-themed corn maze, straw mountain, the corn pit, farm tours, tetherball and more. Admission is $8 per person. Children 2 years old and under are free. Military members, both active or veteran, are free. There is also $1 off admission of for service personnel and Boy/Girl Scouts. Season passes are $15 per person. Amazing Fall Fun – 3150 C.R. 43, Waterloo Friday, Sept. 14 – Sunday, Oct. 28, 2018 Friday: 6 p.m. – 10 p.m. Saturday: Noon – 10 p.m.Sunday: 2 p.m. – 6 p.m. Amazing Fall Fun features what’s billed as “Indiana’s Largest Corn Maze.” There is also a pumpkin patch featuring a variety of pumpkins and gourds. Other activities include a jumbo jumping pillow, the barrel roll, straw mountain, duck races, the corn box, farmer foosball and much, much more. You won’t want to wait! Tickets are $8 for ages 3 and up with additional pricing options for small and large groups. Cedar Creek Produce – 11709 Clay St., Leo-Cedarville Open seven days a week! Cedar Creek has a variety of produce year-round but since fall is in full-swing, they have pumpkins, gourds and plenty of corn. Ridenour Acres – 2935 E. 20 N., Angola Saturday, Sept. 15 – Sunday, Oct. 28, 2018 Friday (only in October): Open 5 p.m. – 9 p.m.Saturday: Noon – 6 p.m.Sunday: Noon – 6 p.m. This farm includes a corn maze, pumpkin patch, and other activities for the whole family! New for 2017 is the Trick or Treat Trail. Admission is $7 per person ($1 off for groups of 15 or more) and children 3 and under are admitted free. Salomon Farm Fall Harvest Festival – 817 Dupont Road, Fort Wayne Friday, Sept....
YLNI Farmers Market In Full Swing
Downtown Fort Wayne has the PERFECT place to grab a morning cup of coffee, a bite for breakfast, some groceries and a little something extra for yourself too! The YLNI Farmer’s Market on the corner of Berry and Barr is a HUGE gathering of local farmers, entrepreneurs, bakers and craftsmen that set up shop from 9 a.m.-1 p.m. on Saturdays in the summer. My best advice is to arrive right at 9. On my visit to the farmer’s market I left around 9:45 and the street was packed! Some vendors even had items crossed off their menus because they had ALREADY sold out. Like the saying goes, the early bird…well, you know…the early bird gets the last fresh snickerdoodle! Here are some finds from my most recent trip to the YLNI Farmer’s Market: I made off with a bath bomb from Redmaster Fusion that, no joke, smells like Fruit Loops . The owner, Kerry Redmaster, started her shop 8 years ago making soy candles and expanded from there. One of the coolest things I have seen is her creation of a bath bomb/soap bar. Just throw the whole thing in the tub and when the bath bomb fizzes out, you are left with soap- Genius! Visit her shop at https://www.redmasterfusionllc.com/ or in person at 537 W. Jefferson Blvd. Did I mention there is a surprise in the middle of her bath bombs? For my kitchen table I purchased some pea shoots and pine berries. Pea shoots taste just like peas, and are loaded with even more nutrition than the full grown plant. These and other “micro greens” are available at the market, and taste delicious on a salad or in a sandwich! I ate my pea shoots tossed with some mozzarella and parmesan cheese, served over lemon and herb spaghetti. Pineberries are white “strawberries” with red seeds and have the faint taste of pineapple in each bite. Tea drinkers- visit Teajutsu. Actually, you non-tea drinkers go too, just to enjoy the catchy names! With teas called “I Am Froot” (Guardians of the Galaxy) and “Winter at Hogsmeade” (Harry Potter), it’s hard to resist geeking out with a cup. I purchased the Strawberry Shortcake tea, it tastes as bold as it smells and saves calories. This tea tastes just like the real thing! Your taste buds will thank you for visiting the online shop- http://www.teajutsu.net/. You can even place an order online and they will bring it to the market for you to pick up. (Editor’s note – the Teajutsu is a part of the nearby Fort Wayne Farmers Market, also on Barr Street). The YLNI Market is truly a...
Market Wagon delivers the Farmer’s Market to You
I don’t know about you, but I go to a lot of different grocery stores each week. I like some stores for their prices, others for their products, and some for the quantity. One thing I’d like to work on is buying more locally grown food. My grocery says they’re buying “locally grown” but when I say that I mean around Fort Wayne, not Michigan. We do have a few farmer’s markets in town, but sometimes it’s hard to get to them when they’re open. Well, now we have a back-up plan. Market Wagon brings the farmer’s market to you. Order before Tuesday at midnight, and Market Wagon will bring you fresh, locally-grown and made products on Thursday. They charge a $5.95 delivery fee. To me, the fee is small compared to dragging three boys through a farmer’s market, making the time for the shopping, and the over-buying of pretty flowers, baked goods and other enticing items that I really don’t need. Also, it’s a pretty far drive to any of the local markets for me, so it helps me save time. Plus, it’s supporting yet another small business. Market Wagon sells meats, produce, dairy products and other items all from local farmers and makers. They began in 2016 in the Indianapolis area. In 2017, they acquired the Evanston hub and continued to expand. I thought I really needed to see this process for myself and check out the goods. So, I placed an order. Thursday, I got a text while I was out that it was delivered, and I found it right where I’d asked them to place it. My order came in two insulated bags to keep my products cool until I could get to them. The products were well packed and fragile items were on top. I ordered meats and eggs from Seven Sons Family Farm, Pastries Chefs Basil Pesto Butter, Brick House Creamy Garlic Herb Vinaigrette, Our3 Chicken Bone Broth, large basil and micro basil from The Mushroom Diva, arugula from Atom Acres, Summer Crisp Green Lettuce from Micro Farms, The Olive Twist‘s Garlic & Herb seasoning blend, and Egg Challah Bread (a family favorite for toast and french toast) from Pastries Chefs. Market Wagon included a checklist of my order, clipped onto the bag – it was nice to see they had ticked off each item as it was added. I used the ingredients from my order to make a delicious spaghetti and meatball dinner with two different garlic breads. We used ground beef, ground sirloin, Italian sausage, and eggs along with garlic and herb seasoning blend to make meatballs. I also used the...
Your Guide to Surviving the 2018 Vera Bradley Sale
It is almost that time of year! Starting April 11, the Vera Bradley Outlet Sale will begin its five day run at the Allen County War Memorial Coliseum. In order to be sure you are ready for this shopping spectacular, we have compiled a cheat sheet so you can have a successful shopping trip! There’s still time left! Join us next week in Fort Wayne, Indiana for our 2018 Annual Outlet Sale: https://t.co/jT2xqtLjuW #vbas18 pic.twitter.com/QEbiz8f3si — Vera Bradley (@verabradley) April 5, 2018 The Event Details Wednesday, April 11, 2018 $5 Per Session Session 1: 7:30 am – 10:00 am Session 2: 11:00 am – 1:30 pm Session 3: 2:30 pm – 5:00 pm Session 4: 6:00 pm – 8:30 pm Thursday, April 12, 2018 $5 Per Session Session 1: 7:30 am – 10:00 am Session 2: 11:00 am – 1:30 pm Session 3: 2:30 pm – 5:00 pm Session 4: 6:00 pm – 8:30 pm Friday, April 13, 2018 $5 Per Session Session 1: 7:30 am – 10:00 am Session 2: 11:00 am – 1:30 pm Session 3: 2:30 pm – 5:00 pm Session 4: 6:00 pm – 8:30 pm Saturday, April 14, 2018 Free Admission All Day Session 1: 8:00 am – 8:00 pm Sunday, April 15, 2018 Free Admission All Day Session 1: 10:00 am – 5:00 pm If you want to attend a weekday session, visit Ticketmaster to get a ticket. All purchasers at the sale must register! Bring Your Employee ID or Bring Canned Food Many fields will have special discount days! If you bring your employee ID, you may be able to get a discount. If you don’t work for one of these public service fields, bring some non-perishable food as a donation to Community Harvest Food Bank! The one thing this sale never strays away from is giving back. Don’t forget to make a donation to the Vera Bradley Foundation and Charis House as well! Wednesday, April 11, 2018 Military/Law Enforcement receive 10% off their purchase Thursday, April 12, 2018 Healthcare professionals receive 10% off their purchase Receive $10 off a $100 purchase with a charitable donation to Charis House Military/law enforcement receive 10% off their purchase Friday, April 13, 2018 School faculty receive 10% off their purchase Receive $10 off a $100 purchase with a charitable donation to Charis House Military/law enforcement receive 10% off their purchase Saturday, April 14, 2018 Receive $10 off a $100 purchase with a charitable donation or non-perishable food donation to Community Harvest Food Bank Military/law enforcement receive 10% off their purchase Sunday, April 15, 2018 Receive $10 off a $100 purchase with a charitable donation or non-perishable food donation to Community...
Valentine’s Ideas in the Fort
Valentine’s Day in Fort Wayne 2018 Ah Valentine’s Day. Whether you’ve been dating for a few weeks or a few decades, the pressure and rewards of Valentine’s can be hard on any relationship. Cut out the stress and the awkward silence at one of these fun events around Fort Wayne this season. Rather than a classic dinner for two, how about one of these fun and different activities? Dinner? Movie? Both? Neither? Try out these six ideas around Fort Wayne for a different Valentine’s Day. Science Central- My Cold Hearted Valentine We all know that Fort Wayne is a great place to raise a family, especially with such local treasures as the Fort Wayne Children’s Zoo or Science Central. Lately, the Adult Only events have been gaining popularity and should be recognized for their creativity. On Friday, February 9, you could be dressed in Classic Clue Attire solving a Cold Hearted Mystery. One hand can hold a cocktail while the other gets to explore evidence. When: Feb 9, 6-10 PM Where: Science Central, | 1950 N. Clinton St., Fort Wayne, IN 46805 See more:http://sciencecentral.org/programs-on-site/for-familes-2/current-adult-programs Price:$20-25 for individuals or $35-45 for couples. IvyLiving – Valentine’s Day Night Are you a foodie or an amateur chef? Rather than surprising your honey with a meal, make one together with IvyLiving at Ivy Tech Community College. Learn how to cook surf & turf plus dessert. This is a great activity to do with a date or with a friend. Must register by Feb 5. When: Feb. 12 5:30 to 8:30 p.m. Where: Ivy Tech’s Fort Wayne Campus Coliseum Campus Room CC1696 3800 N. Anthony Blvd. Fort Wayne, IN 46805 See more and register: https://www.ivytech.edu/northeast/living/ Price: $200/couple, $125/single Funny Honey Valentines Event Couples who laugh together, stay together, right? Be My Funny Honey Valentines Event – Join Indy’s comics Tennah McDonald, Dan Alten, and Ray Hensley at Belgian Horse Winery to enjoy some laughter with your love, or at least be at a place where others love to laugh. I know this event is a little far from home, so that’s why your date will be so impressed, right? When: Wednesday, Feb 14 – 7PM – 9PM Where: Belgian Horse Winery 7200 West County Road 625 North Middletown, IN 47356 See more: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/be-my-funny-honey-valentines-event-tickets-41891460486?aff=es2 Price: $10 A Bazaar Evening on the Maumee Ready for something strange or bizarre? Sample a variety of events while fundraising for clean water. Bring your kids, your friend, or your date to A Bazaar Evening on the Maumee. Enjoy headliner , The Be Colony and special musical appearances by The Vision Machine, U.R.B., Wil Brown, The Last Word, Venus in...
ReStore Your Passion with Habitat for Humanity
Habitat for Humanity of Greater Fort Wayne invites members of the community to an exclusive sneak peak of their new retail space at the ReStore Your Passion event on February 8th from 6 to 9 p.m. Why a New ReStore? According to Lindsay Hannah, director of development for Habitat for Humanity of Greater Fort Wayne, the ReStore’s is not able to reach its full potential in their current location on Wells street. “It is not a high-traffic area, it is not easily accessible, the parking is limited, donation drop-off and pick-up was not convenient for customers and the sales floor size limited our ability to properly display all the great items we’re trying to sell.” With their new location on Lima Road near Glenbrook mall, all of these issues will be resolved and Hannah said Habitat can expect to grow their annual ReStore revenue from $750,00 to $1.5 million within the first few years. “Doubling our revenue at the ReStore would cover Habitat’s annual operating costs, allowing us to commit 100 percent of donations to families in need of affordable homeownership.” Why is this so important? Habitat’s vision is, “a world where everyone has a decent place to live.” Right now there are more than 1,000 people in Fort Wayne on the waiting list to apply for Habitat’s affordable homeownership program. The predicted increase in revenue from the new ReStore will support their vision by providing a 300% annual increase in the number of families served through Habitat for Humanity in Fort Wayne. Now that is something to celebrate! With champagne and local cuisine, the ReStore Your Passion event will cheers to the upcoming grand opening of the new ReStore and benefit Habitat’s Women’s Build. Tickets cost $40 for single attendees, $70 for couples and $25 for groups of at least four...