The newly established Fort Wayne Lawn Bowls Club will operate as a division of the Fort Wayne Curling Club, offering lawn bowls April-September each year, while curling will continue September-April. 

Lawn bowls, or “bowls,” is a precision sport popular in the United Kingdom, New Zealand, Australia, and other Commonwealth nations.

A bowling green will be constructed on the grounds of the Fort Wayne Curling Club, 3837 N. Wells St., directly across from the SportOne Parkview Icehouse. A bowling green is a roughly 120-foot-by-120-foot, extremely flat grass area with short bentgrass, similar to a golf green, and a shallow ditch around it.

Once the green is completed, the Fort Wayne Lawn Bowls Club will offer weekly leagues, “Try Bowls” sessions for community members, corporate, and private events, and programs for individuals with disabilities and senior citizens. The green will also accommodate croquet.

“The addition of lawn bowls will provide the Fort Wayne community with an excellent spring and summer activity for families and people of all ages and abilities,” said Craig Fischer, president and co-founder of the Fort Wayne Curling Club. “We are committed to making lawn bowls accessible to everyone, just as we have done with curling, and we are excited to extend our adaptive programs year-round.”

Area visitor centers receive recognition

Indiana’s annual tourism conference was recently held at Grand Wayne Convention Center.

During the Indiana Tourism Conference, awards were given to honor tourism businesses that are creative, innovative, and maximize the dollars invested. 

Visit Fort Wayne were among the organizations to be recognized, winning for: Best Meeting/Group Partnership (Marketing Budgets over $300,000) for International Association of Venue Managers Super Regional Conference; Best Overall Marketing Campaign (Attraction) for Fort Wayne Zoo’s So Much to Sea; and Best Sports Partnership for National Wheelchair Basketball Association, 2024 Women’s and Military National Championships.

LaGrange County Convention and Visitors Bureau was also awarded Best IN Indiana Activation for their I Love Shipshe campaign.

Kosciusko County Convention and Visitors Bureau were awarded Best Visitors Guide (Marketing Budgets Over $300,000).

Wells Corridor welcomes new art gallery

Strong Art Gallery, 1736 N. Wells St., will host a grand opening Friday, March 14, from 5-8 p.m.

Located in Fort Wayne’s Wells Corridor, the gallery will feature the works of Ruth Koomler, Sara Manco, Terry Ratliff, Kara Saylor, Paige Strong, Strong Design Woodworking, and Beth Wright. 

Community theater this weekend

If you’re looking for some live local theater this weekend, there are plenty of options, including:

  • all for One productions’ Walk Two Moons at PPG ArtsLab, March 14-16.
  • Anything Goes at Three Rivers Music Theatre, March 14-16 and March 21-23.
  • I Hate Hamlet at Arena Dinner Theatre, March 14-15, March 21-23, and March 28-29.
  • 26 Pebbles at First Presbyterian Theater, March 14-16 and March 21-23.

Arena Dinner Theatre holds open auditions

Arena Dinner Theatre will hold open auditions for their upcoming production of Girls’ Weekend at 7 p.m. on Sunday-Monday, March 16-17, at the theater, 719 Rock­hill St.

Directed by Sue Kahn, the show is about four women who travel to a cabin to consume copious amounts of wine, laugh at their lives, trade stories, and chat about their book club’s latest selection. However, after the third case of wine comes through the door, it becomes clear there will be more stewing than reviewing.

Arena is looking to cast four women and four men for the show.

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