Heritage Festival, History Center provide opportunities to Discover Fort Wayne
Fort Wayne, Ind. -- Mayor Tom Henry joined the Germanfest Committee of Fort Wayne in kicking off the official 30th anniversary opening of the festival and tapped the keg to open the festival.
Germanfest started in Fort Wayne in 1981. It ushers in a summer season full of festivals in the Summit City. The festival – staged atHeadwaters Park on Clinton Street -- began Sunday, June 5 and runs through Sunday, June 12. Festival organizers invite residents to join in the week-long festival of Essen, Trinken and Gemutlichkeit, or “eating, drinking and having a really good time!”
In addition to German food and beer, the event features dancing, wiener dog races, an organ concert, a volleyball tournament and other entertainment. The Germanfest Committee was created by four German organizations: The Fort Wayne Turners, the Fort Wayne Männerchor/Damenchor, the Fort Wayne Sport Club, and the German Heritage Society.
“Our city is a city rich with culture and tradition,” said Mayor Henry. “The German culture has played a significant role in making Fort Waynethe family-oriented community that it is today.”
Residents can learn more about the German influence in our Fort Wayne by visiting the History Center. Next week, as a Discover Fort Wayne event, they can do so for free. To celebrate it's 90th anniversary of the History Center will offer free admission for the entire week. It's a great opportunity to learn about German ties to Fort Wayne and the heritage of all events, people and businesses that shape Fort Wayne.
The History Center is located at 302 E. Berry St., from June 13 thru June 18. The center is open 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday thru Friday and noon to 5 p.m. Saturday. For more information on the History Center, go to http://www.fwhistorycenter.com/ or call (260) 426-2882.
"The History Center is important to our City and connects us to the knowledge of our past. Its recent restoration brings new life into what was once our City Hall building and this is a great opportunity for the entire community to see the restoration as a free guest. I commend the History Center for offering the Discover Fort Wayne opportunity," said Mayor Henry.
Germanfest originally began as an initiative to bring a German folk festival to Fort Wayne. The event continues to grow larger and larger each year. For more information on the festival, or to see a schedule of events, go to http://www.germanfest.org/index.html
