If you’re looking for an excuse to get out of the house this month — either with your kids or solo — look no further than The Landing in downtown Fort Wayne. 

Enjoy the outdoors with food, drinks, live music, ice carvers, and fire performers when Downtown Fort Wayne hosts the ninth annual Weather the Fort on Saturday, Feb. 17, from 3-8 p.m.

Fun for all

This will be the second year Downtown Fort Wayne has organized the event, taking over for The Landing.

Preston Wallace, director of marketing for Downtown Fort Wayne, recalled feeling “incredibly thrilled” when his organization obtained the winter festival. He said the event focuses on embracing and celebrating the winter weather that Indiana “so gracefully provides us.” 

Much like Fort Wayne Park & Recreation’s Winterval, Wallace said Weather the Fort aims to fill the void of major events in the first quarter of the year by providing a venue for the community to converge and enjoy live music, interactive rock painting, and good eats. 

“Really, it’s just a fun way to come together and gather as a community and celebrate the arts and cultural aspects that make downtown Fort Wayne such a great place,” he said.

Families with young kids will not want to miss a free meet and greet with Frozen characters Anna and Kristoff from 4-6 p.m.

“It’s a really fun time for families to be able to bring their young kids out and have them have the opportunity to meet some of their favorite characters from some of these great wintertime hits,” Wallace said. “We’ve seen a lot of kids dress up and be prepared and ready to meet these characters dressed in the same costumes or outfits as them. It’s a great photo opportunity and the kids always enjoy it.”

Outside of the opportunity to meet wintry characters, Wallen Road Band will provide live music from 3-5 p.m., followed by The Be Colony from 5:45-7:30 p.m.

Pyroscope Entertainment will close the night with a fire performance at 7:40 p.m. 

“These performers are really talented and incredible at what they do,” Wallace said. “So to be able to watch them put on this fire performance as they dance, it’s just really incredible to watch, particularly in such a vibrant area like The Landing.”

Have a drink

Wallace pointed out that Weather the Fort also provides an opportunity for businesses on The Landing and in the surrounding area to thrive during a season that usually sees a slowdown in shopping and going out to eat.

“It’s a really great opportunity to go out and support those local businesses at a time that they really need it most,” he said.

Cocktail bars Dana’s and Night Train, which plan to open on The Landing in the spring, will provide craft beer tappings at 3 p.m., 4:45 p.m., 5:30 p.m., and 6:45 p.m.

While Weather the Fort has been known as a “beer-heavy event” in past years, Wallace said this year’s festivalgoers can also look forward to hot mulled wine, cocktails, and non-alcoholic cocktails, in addition to coffee and water. 

Come together

Wallace, who said Weather the Fort is one of his favorite events, added the festival also affords festivalgoers who have not experienced the beauty and offerings of The Landing the opportunity to interact with vendors and the built environment.

“And it’s a fun way for these new businesses to be able to tease what they’re going to have to offer on the Landing in the next month or so as they get ready to gear up for openings,” he said.

Overall, building community and beating the winter blues remains an outsized benefit of the event. 

Wallace thinks it is important to “provide an avenue for people to come together” this time of the year, especially because people have a “desire and need to get out and interact,” particularly with friends and neighbors.

“It’s another great opportunity to make memories in downtown Fort Wayne, and it’s no secret downtown is growing and developing at a never-before-seen rate,” he said. “And so, to really be in the heart of the city, and experience all that we have to offer, particularly as we continue to grow and flourish as a thriving arts and cultural scene in the downtown community, it’s a great time to be a part of that and experience it firsthand and continue to make good lasting memories with family friends.”