If there ever was a bar that wasn’t, it’s Tony Henry’s Deer Park Irish Pub. There is something pleasantly different about this place at the corner of Spring Street and Leesburg Road across from the University of Saint Francis.

“It’s not a bar,” Henry will politely correct you in his friendliest tone. “It’s a pub.” 

Whatever it is, Henry has been its “owner/publican” the past 25 years, and they’ll celebrate that anniversary June 24 from noon-10 p.m.

They’ll do it with music, barbecue, raffles, and specially commissioned craft beers produced by brewers based in the 46808 ZIP code: Hop River, Junk Ditch, 2Toms, Dot & Line, and Fortlandia. 

But what’s not listed is three decades worth of friendships and memories.

For music, Jeff Bender will kick things off at 1 p.m., followed by Waldrons at 2 p.m., Chris Hambrick at 3 p.m., Meka Schwartz at 4 p.m., Tony Norton & Kevin Smith at 5:15 p.m., String Theory at 6:30 p.m., and Humans Among Us at 8:30 p.m.

Henry labels Customer Appreciation Day as “a reunion of patrons, old employees, and old bands with lots of memories.”

Henry has seen the highs and lows of life inside the walls of the Irish pub: parties, meetings, proposals, laughter, and sorrow. All this while serving only beer and wine, none of the hard stuff.

Voted the No. 1 Craft Beer Bar in Indiana in 2019, the neighborhood establishment is more like a ministry. At least that’s what Henry will tell you if you corner him long enough to chat.

Years before taking the reins … er, the taps at Deer Park, he was a chaplain for a group of nursing homes around Washington, D.C., after he completed graduate work at Catholic University.

Even his jump into the pub business sounds like a leap of faith. Henry had just returned to Fort Wayne to help one of his brothers in the juice vending business. Deer Park, a mom-and-pop watering hole, was one of his regular customers. When the owner fell gravely ill and was looking to sell, Henry’s life changed course.

Beyond the boarded-up windows and under the canopy of smoke thicker than London fog (this was before the city smoking ordinance) he saw something more in 1997.

Henry affectionately remembers it as a gaudy, dingy, shag-carpeted “den of iniquity.” He cleaned it up, gave it some TLC, and put it in a polo shirt. Not long after rebranding it as an “Irish pub,” the craft beer industry exploded. Soon it became a haven for brands like Sam Adams and Sierra Nevada. Now they boast more than 200 brews: craft, domestic, and import with Guinness and Smithwick’s always on tap.

“We were the first to introduce craft beers in Fort Wayne and northeast Indiana,” Henry said. “I’m convinced of that. We found that niche and never let go of it.”

The fellowship flows as faithful have a place they can drop their defenses. There are authentic conversations and connections. As a result, the line between the sacred and the secular gets blurry, if not erased.

“There really should not be any separation,” Henry said. “Here in our midst, we have small miracles that happen, that we celebrate.” 

Crumbl Cookies opening 2nd location

Crumbl Cookies will celebrate the grand opening of their second Fort Wayne location on Friday, June 16. 

Joining the Orchard Crossing location will be the North Fort Wayne spot at 433 Coliseum Blvd. W., next to Midwest Eye Consultants. 

Auburn library hosting Strawberries fundraiser

Eckhart Public Library in Auburn is hosting Strawberries by the Fountain on Thursday, June 22, from 5-8 p.m. 

They’ll be serving up strawberry shortcakes and fun at the library at 15th and South Van Buren. It’s a fundraiser by the library benefiting youth programs. 

Live music, face painting, and games. It’s first come, first served until sold out.

Icing for Izaac gets into island vibe

Icing for Izaac, 243 Airport North Office Park,is hosting a Princess Day on Saturday, June 24.

From 2:30-4:30 p.m., celebrate with Moana and Pacific vibes that will include Hawaiian treats, music, and attire. 

Off the Eaten Path is the Whatzup weekly column that covers Northeast Indiana’s restaurant and food news. Send your news items to info@whatzup.com.