Northeast Indiana Local Food Network is back shine a spotlight on farmers with their fourth annual Local Food Week from Friday, July 28, to Sunday, Aug. 6. 

This 10-day celebration of local food features tours and events hosted by 30 different farms, markets, artisan food producers, and organizations. This region-wide event provides an opportunity for the public to visit and connect with those who grow, sell, serve, and support the local food we all love. Come learn where our local food comes from, meet the folks who produce it, and taste the bounty that comes from Our Land to Our Tables.

Local farms, businesses, and organizations are hosting tours and events to help us all celebrate our local food community. Most Local Food Week events are free but many require pre-registration. Plan how you want to celebrate Local Food Week 2023 by checking the detailed listings at
neifood.org/news/local-food-week-2023.

Musical stairs back at Science Central

Science Central has unveiled a newly restored exhibit, Musical Stairs, featuring laser lines that, when crossed, produce a musical note. Musical Stairs features several laser lines in succession, with the programmed notes combining to form a tune. 

The exhibit is built into the center’s Grand Staircase, which connects the Entry and Top levels.

Reception for Artlink exhibits on July 27

On Thursday, July 27, from 5-8 p.m., Artlink will hold an opening reception for two concurrent exhibitions, The Red Planet by Mary Johnson and Moments: The Plein Air Movement. 

The Red Planet is a solo exhibition by Johnson of Alfred, New York, that looks within and outside our collective American experience to examine how myth plays a role in how we experience ourselves and others. Using drawing and collage, landscape and archetype become central in this narrative, where the Red Planet stands in for the ultimate terra incognita.

In partnership with the Fort Wayne Artists Guild, the group exhibition Moments: The Plein Air Movement includes several paintings by plein air artists: Carla Bosch of Georgetown, Texas; Susan Ritter of Perrysburg, Ohio; and Anna Cherkashina of Chicago. 

Translating to “in open air” in French, plein air painting sets out to convey the atmosphere and natural experience of a subject by painting outdoors from life, generally in one sitting. In adherence to this approach, artists seek to capture the true essence of a given landscape, emphasizing color, light, and movement.

Museum taps sister city for exhibit

Fort Wayne Museum of Art is presents Poetry in Painting: Scenes from Fort Wayne’s Sister City Taizhou, China through Sept. 17. 

Landscape painting is a traditional form of Chinese art with a history spanning over 1,500 years. It reflects the deepest deposition of human emotions and displays the cultural heritage, classical charm, and temperament of the Chinese nation. Painters use their experiences in nature to perceive its essence, thus nourishing their own personalities and nurturing their affections for mountains and waters.

Fort Wayne Children’s Choir at Foellinger

The Fort Wayne Children’s Choir will present their first concert of the season, “Christmas in July,” on Friday, July 28, at 7 p.m. at Foellinger Theatre, 3411 Sherman Blvd.

The concert is free and open to the public.

Life Sports Academy completes 25th year

The 25th season of the Lifetime Sports Academy recently wrapped up with a fun day and award ceremony at McMillen Park for kids and parents. 

More than 850 participants in 2023 — and more than 31,300 since its inception — developed skills in golf, tennis, and swimming. Group lessons were offered to boys and girls, ages 7 to 18, for seven weeks in June and July. Lessons focused on skill development.

Each year, the Fort Wayne Parks and Recreation Department provides certified coaching and highly trained professionals who direct lessons in swimming, tennis, and golf. Offering instruction in three sports has been a successful formula throughout the years. 

This year, the following numbers of lessons were given: 1,735 golf lessons, 1,116 tennis lessons, and 554 swim lessons. Participants have the opportunity to earn new tennis rackets, golf clubs, and more. 

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