Fort Wayne might be just a little north of the Path of Totality, but we can still get a pretty good show on Eclipse Day, Monday, April 8. And just because we’re on the cusp does not mean you can watch the eclipse without ISO certified eclipse glasses.

 The eclipse begins at 1:53 p.m. in the area, with the peak at 3:10 p.m. The eclipse will end at 4:24 p.m.

In anticipation of the once-in-a-lifetime event, public schools will not be in session. There will also be some venues hosting viewing parties.

Below are just some of the options in our area you will have for the memorable day. 

• University of Saint Francis, Achatz Hall of Science & John & Toni Murray Research Center, 2701 Spring St., will host a free event from 1:30-4 p.m. with the first 500 registrants receiving eclipse viewing glasses. The event will also feature 10 stations with science activities, live music, and free Kona Ice for the first 500 participants to complete their eclipse passport. For more information, go to calendar.sf.edu/event/eclipse_viewing_party
• Purdue University Fort Wayne, Science Mall (grassy area between Kettler and Neff halls) will hold a free event, from 1-4:30 p.m. Free eclipse glasses will be available while supplies last. For more information, go to pfw.edu/events/2024-solar-eclipse
• From 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Science Central will hold indoor and outdoor activities and demonstrations. Outdoor activities are free but indoor activities require an $11 entry fee. Planned indoor and outdoor activities include telescopes, activity tables, creating a sundial, chalk art, corn hole, and food trucks. At 2:30 p.m., a high-altitude balloon with cameras will be launched to record the eclipse’s progression. Eclipse glasses can be purchased for $3.99 and are recommended to be purchased in advance. Go to sciencecentral.org/eclipse for more information.
• Star*Quest Observatory at the Fort Wayne Astronomical Society, 1720 S. Webster Road, New Haven, will host a free event. Volunteers will be on hand with solar telescopes and makeshift solar viewers.

Window decorating contest returns

Downtown Fort Wayne will hold their fourth annual Fort Wayne in Bloom: Nature’s Awakening, a spring window decorating contest for downtown businesses.

There will be two juried categories: Most Thematic and Best Instagrammable Window. There will also be a People’s Choice winner based on online votes. 

The winners will receive a Downtown Fort Wayne Yiftee Gift Card. 

Downtown Fort Wayne will post an album of all the windows on their website, downtownfortwayne.com, so you can vote for your favorite. 

Voting begins Monday, April 22, and each voter will be entered to win a Downtown Yiftee gift card — one vote per IP address. Voting ends Sunday, May 19. The winners will be announced by Friday, May 24. 

For more information, go to DowntownFortWayne.com/Bloom.

Apply to have tree planted in right of way

Applications are being accepted for the city’s annual citizen-match residential street tree planting program to spruce up neighborhoods. 

City of Fort Wayne residents may apply for a street tree to be planted in the street right of way (between the street and the property line)for $50 after the application has been reviewed and the site approved.

 Trees will have a 1- to 1.5-inch diameter trunk and stand 6 to 10 feet in height. The price includes planting and oversight by the city arborist. This oversight doesn’t stop after the tree is planted. 

The Fort Wayne Parks and Recreation Forestry Team is responsible to maintain the publicly owned urban canopy comprised of approximately 50,000 street trees along nearly 1,300 miles of roadway as well as 20,000 trees found within the its 89 parks.

Warsaw youth chorale holding auditions

Young singers between third and 10th grades are invited to audition to become a member of Classic Arts Programs’ youth chorale for the upcoming season.

Auditions for the mixed choral ensemble will be held Monday, April 22, and Tuesday, April 23, at 6:30 p.m. at Warsaw Evangelical Presbyterian Church, 210 S. High St., in Warsaw.

Register at classicartsprograms.com/youth-chorale. For more information on the program and season, email Judie Meulink at jmeulink@classicartsprograms.com.

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