The arrival of spring is greeted with glee for many who look forward to outdoor activities again. But one of the best reasons to herald spring and summer months is the return of food trucks around the city and surrounding areas.
Unlike favorite restaurants, food trucks have a lovely habit of coming to us, and there are plenty of places to find them in the coming weeks. Food Truck Thursdays have become a big draw at Ted’s Beer Hall, so popular that Ted’s has built a lawn bar and stage for music which will accompany food and drink from 6-9 p.m. Many popular food trucks will visit Ted’s every Thursday throughout the summer starting at 5 p.m. The schedule each week can be found on Ted’s Facebook page.
Another summer tradition is Lunch on the Square, where food trucks line up at Freimann Square each Thursday at midday, and the music lineup this year includes Jon Durnell, the Alicia Pyle Quartet, Shade Jonez, and Mike Conley in June with Joe Justice on July 11, Todd Harrold Duo on July 18, and Blue Pluto on July 25. (There is no Lunch on the Square on July 4.) August rounds out the summer with Sunny Taylor, Will Certain, Jen and the Foggy Creek Band, Shelly Dixon and Jeff McRae, and Damon Mitchell.
Snider High School is the place to be for food truck rallies on Wednesday nights from 6-8 p.m. through June 12 while Lakeside Park hosts a new rally on the first Monday of each month including June 3 and July 1.
And we can’t talk about food trucks without mentioning Sweetwater’s GearFest 2019 on Friday, June 21, and Saturday, June 22. Seventeen local food trucks will be on hand to feed the gathered musicians. Admission to GearFest is free, but you’ll need to register online at http://sweetwater.com/gearfest.
As more and more locations begin hosting the popular rallies, listings can be found on the Fort Wayne Food Truck Facebook page which regularly posts of truck locations and is very responsive to queries about where favorites can be found.
Fall in love with Hate Mail
For a unique theater experience in a different venue, check out Hate Mail, a play written by Bill Corbett and Kira Obolensky and starring Chandler Chastain and Shelby Lewis. A humorous take on the classic Love Letters, the play revolves around a pair who can’t stay away from each other — even if they want to.
The synopsis says that Hate Mail is “the story of Preston, a spoiled rich kid who meets his match in Dahlia, an angst-filled artist. Their worlds collide when Preston sends a complaint letter that gets Dahlia fired from her job, and then there’s no turning back. The play stays with their increasingly crazed correspondence as they move from hate to love, and then right back again.”
The play is performed at the Fort Wayne Ballroom Company on Dupont Road on May 16 and May 18. Tickets are only $10.
Beautiful Additions at the zoo
The Fort Wayne Children’s Zoo is open for another season, and the new Monkey Island and River Otter exhibit are beautiful additions to the beloved stop for summer fun. Aside from the daily pleasures of visiting the many animals and exhibits, there are some special dates to remember.
For those who have particular favorites, keep these dates in mind:
World Turtle Day, May 23; World Otter/World Sea Lion Day, May 30; Animal Enrichment & Training Day, June 5; National Pollinator Week at the Zoo, June 17; World Rainforest Day, June 22; American Zoo Day, July 1; Cow Appreciation Day, July 10; World Snake Day, July 16; Ice Day, July 24; Zoo Animal Care Day, August 1; and World Cat Day, August 8.
Based on Instragram evidence alone, that last one should be a big draw in Fort Wayne. All special events are free with zoo admission.
Summer Reading Program
June 1 marks the beginning of the Allen County Public Library’s Summer Reading program which offers prizes for summer reading and special events and programs for kids of all ages to attend.
Each branch will host its own events throughout June and July (the program ends July 31). Schedules are available both online and in paper format at the individual locations.
Also, there are eight branches offering free lunches and snacks to anyone under 18. This year’s theme, SPARK (Science Play Arts Reading Knowledge), can be tracked on paper or through the Beanstack Tracker app.
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