The grand opening of McKinnie Commons Park took was June 28 at McKinnie Commons, 1815 McKinnie Ave. The newly constructed gathering space offers a bandshell for entertainment, space for food trucks and pop-up vendors, outdoor dining areas, bike racks, large swings, and many other amenities.
“McKinnie Commons is a vital addition to the enhancements being made in southeast Fort Wayne,” Mayor Henry said at the grand opening. “I continue to be enthusiastic and positive about the tremendous strides we’re making to bring new energy and excitement for residents, neighborhoods, and businesses. Placemaking and gathering spaces provide opportunities for individuals, families, and visitors to enjoy the outdoors, meet new people, and have fun activities in a safe and inviting environment.”
Fort Wayne Parks and Recreation is exploring programming for McKinnie Commons and will release that information soon. Please visit fortwayneparks.org for future events and activities.
Wagon Wheel celebrates centenarian patron
On July 12, Wagon Wheel Theatre will celebrate the 100th birthday of its most longtime patron, Max Poorman.
“Max has never missed a Summer Season show at the Wagon Wheel,” Executive Director Lakesha Green said. “That’s more than 420 performances he has seen at the Wagon Wheel since 1956.”
“The theater was just a tent then, and I remember the chickens in the back clucking away during the shows,” Poorman said. “It didn’t bother me. I grew up on a farm, so the animal noises just felt like home to me. It was amazing what they did. And in the round too! We’d never heard of theater-in-the-round before that.”
For years, Poorman attended with his wife, Mabel, and now attends with his daughter Arlene.
Kids Carnival scheduled at Foster Park
Acacias Journeys Metaphysical Shop will hold a kids carnival at Foster Park on Friday, July 7, from 2-8 p.m.
The event has free admission with $1 tickets for attractions, which include doughnut-eating contest, popcorn, face-painting, ring toss, a bag race, fortune teller Dia Mystique, and a BBQ food truck, as well as a foam party from 3-5 p.m.
PFW hosting virtual reality camp
Purdue University Fort Wayne’s Virtual Reality Camp for students will be July 10-14 from 9 a.m.-4 p.m. at PFW’s Visual Arts Building.
Students will experience life-like interactive animated holograms and modify their aspects to create a virtual world. See 3-D holograms using headsets and manipulate interactive holographic screens.
The day will start with the creation of models from 9 a.m. to noon. After lunch, from 1-4 p.m., students will experience immersive interactions through virtual reality devices. Students will be able to replicate this experience at home as well using free software.
This summer camp is for middle and high school students. They will be provided with a flash drive to save the information and content.
The camp is $225 and registration can be completed at enrole.com/pfw.
Open Streets returns to Calhoun on Aug. 20
Open Streets Fort Wayne will return Sunday, Aug. 20, from noon-4 p.m. for the sixth year.
The free community people-powered event will provide participants with a safe space to bike, walk, and play along more than 20 blocks along Calhoun Street. There will be something for people of all ages and cultures to enjoy together with games, music, food, and much more planned.
This year’s theme is “Beat of the Street” with musical performers and a live soundtrack of the event provided in partnership with 95.7 WELT. Organizers want attendees to feel the energy of music as they explore.
Many of the returning favorites include the bubble machine, BMX show, and blender bike.
ACPL audio service receives award
The International Association of Audio Information Services has awarded the 2022 Best Consumer Information Program to Allen County Public Library’s Audio Reading Service.
The award was presented at the June 2023 IAAIS Conference in Columbus, Ohio.
The winning program, Weekend, was submitted for award consideration and is as a representative sample of Audio Radio Service programming. In the sample, longtime ARS volunteer Cari Kyle reads about various events taking place in Allen County over the weekend including concerts, festivals, and art exhibits.
“This award demonstrates and validates the care and professionalism of the ARS program and its volunteers in providing access to information for those faced with difficulty in reading print, whether their challenges are visual, physical, learning or language barriers,” said Georgean C. Johnson-Coffey, manager of the ARS.
The ACPL audio reading service broadcasts free programming 24 hours a day and seven days a week. It is specifically designed for and directed to people who have visual, physical, learning, or language challenges to reading traditional printed materials because of blindness, low-vision, a literacy issue, language barrier, or a physical condition. Patrons can access the programming via radio, web streaming, mobile app, podcast, and smart devices such as Amazon Alexa.
News and Venues covers Northeast Indiana’s music and arts organizations, venues, and colleges, from large to small. Send your news items to info@whatzup.com.
