News release from the Downtown Improvement District:
Spend the End of the Year Downtown
It’s the last weekend of the month and there is plenty to do in downtown Fort Wayne for the Last Saturday and New Year’s Eve. For all of 2012, the Cultural District in the heart of our city has been celebrating the successful revitalization of our downtown with activities on the Last Saturday of every month. It’s been a busy year with record-breaking festivals, family activities at downtown establishments and once-a-month discounts at popular museums and attractions including the Foellinger-Freimann Botanical Conservatory, the History Center and Science Central.
Last Saturdays is a comprehensive approach to attract visitors downtown to experience the diverse social, arts, and cultural opportunities in our community. Taking regularly scheduled activity and splicing it with a “First Fridays” concept adopted in cities around the country, the Fort Wayne Cultural District wishes to empower all of its diverse venues, artists, and businesses by assisting them in attracting significantly larger customer bases and augmenting their promotional capacity. Last Saturdays is a great way for individual artists and organizations to share their message with a large, built-in audience, and create vibrancy in downtown Fort Wayne.
The Fort Wayne Cultural District is supported by four partners: Arts United, the Downtown Improvement District, Visit Fort Wayne, and the City of Fort Wayne promoting the Last Saturdays concept as an opportunity to promote our community’s arts and cultural assets.
Here is the list of Last Saturday activities and also some New Year’s Eve activities in the line-up of holiday weekend activity.
December 29, 2012, Last Saturdays Activities
1.) Headwaters Park Ice Skating Rink
Saturday, 10 am – 10 pm, Headwaters Park East
311 S. Clinton Street
Admission:
$3 – Ages 13 and under; $5 – Age 14 and over; $2 – Skate Rental; Parking is free
2.) Stoner’s Funstore
Dick Stoner will give free magic demonstrations and show children how to do some of the magic tricks he sells in his fun store.
9:30am- 5:30pm.
FREE
3.) Foellinger-Freimann Botanical Conservatory
From the Dr. Seuss tale, “How the Grinch Stole Christmas,” comes a new twist on Fort Wayne’s annual holiday celebration. In this new garden exhibit, join the citizens of Whoville in the midst of colorful poinsettias and discover the power of Christmas to overcome the dourest of Grinches.
10:00 am – 5:00 pm
1100 South Calhoun Street
$1 off admission price
https://www.botanicalconservatory.org
4.) The History Center
Don’t miss the new exhibit on Allen County Innovation spotlighting local industry.
Half price admission is offered every last Sat of the month at the History Center.
Noon to 5:00 pm
302 East Berry Street
www.fwhistorycenter.com
(260) 426-2882
5.) Science Central
Will offer half price admission! Disease Detectives: This interactive exhibition invites visitors to investigate a case by meeting a series of patients, interpreting their lab tests and exploring their environment to learn more about infectious disease transmission and prevention.
10am to 5pm!
$4.00 children and adults, $3.50 for seniors, free 2 and under.
1950 North Clinton Street
260-424-2400
6.) Embassy Theatre
Down the Line: Hard Chord
Plug it in and turn it up! Down the Line: Hard Chord hits it hard with the greatest hard rock covers played by local bands.
7 pm
7) Artlink
Auer Center for Arts & Culture
• 9th regional Exhibition
View over 70 pieces of artwork from regional artists.
12/7/12-1/16/13
• White to Brite, A community art installation.
• Photography: Amy Schreiber and Seder Burns
www.artlinkfw.com
8.) Fort Wayne Museum of Art
311 East Main Street
• Hidden Treasures: The John Whittenberger Collection of G. David Thompson at Peru High School
• Freedom Riders and Bus Boycotters: Threads of a Story.
• Breach of Peace: Portraits of the 1961 Mississippi Freedom Riders
• Joel Fremion and 21st Century Collage
• Ode to My Architect: Harmony of an Islamic Art
$5 adults, $3 students, $10 families, free for members.
9.) Castle Gallery
1202 W Wayne
Holiday Show, 11 – 6 pm, Tuesdy – Saturday or appt.
10.) Cinema Center
• Snafu in Santa’s Workshop
Ecstatic Theatrics presents this holiday play
11 a.m. $4, Free photos with Santa afterward
• Midnight Movie Series: Brazil
437 E Berry St; $5
260.426.3456 (FILM)
11.) Hall’s Gas House
Music by Joe Stabelli
6pm – 9pm
No cover
426-3411
12.) Jazz at Club Soda
Cliff Webb Trio
9:30 p.m.-12, 235 E Superior St.
No cover
426-3442
13.) Columbia Street West
Good Night Gracie
10 pm, $5 cover, 135 W Columbia St.
New Year’s Eve Downtown Fort Wayne
Monday, Dec. 31
Science Central
Countdown to Noon
Monday, December 31, 2012
10 am – 2pm
Not able to stay up till midnight? Then come down to Science Central for the annual Countdown to Noon event! Science Central will have multiple activity tables and demonstrations all centered around New Year’s Eve! Then after a soda pop toast, Science Central will count down the seconds till noon and end the festivities with the annual 1000 balloon drop!
Admission: $7.00 per person (Ages 3-Adult)
Bring a canned food item and receive 1/2 off admission (one can per person).
Carriage Rides
Sentimental Journey Carriage Rides begin and end at Don Hall’s Gas House & Takaoka restaurant.
Rosewood Carriage rides and Camelot Carriage Rides reservations are available most evenings.
Special locations can be arranged too. Details for all of these are available on the Visit Fort Wayne website: VisitFortWayne.com
Jazz at Club Soda
West Central Quartet
9:30 p.m.-12, 235 E Superior St.
Columbia Street West
The Freak Brothers & Unlikely Alibi
10 pm, $10 cover, 135 W Columbia St.
YLNI Masquerade Ball
Grand Wayne Center; Hours: 9 p.m. – 2 a.m.; Masks are required * Black tie optional.
Courtyard by Marriott is offering YLNI members and Masquerade Ball patrons a wonderful New Year’s Eve rate.
The Philmore on Broadway 3rd Annual New Year’s Party
Monday, December 31, 2012
Doors open at 7:30 pm, Live music at 9 pm
Attend the best New Year’s Eve party in town! Join us for food, beverage, and the musical talents of INFLUX. Bring in 2013 with a bang! Group reservations available and encouraged. Tickets start at $20.
2441 Broadway Street
260-745-1000
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RT @TheAFWBlog: New AFW post: Spend the end of the year downtown – http://t.co/eYuqZRIw #FortWayne @fwdid