DOWNTOWN IMPROVEMENT DISTRICT. Make Downtown Fort Wayne Your Holiday Destination!

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1 DOWNTOWN IMPROVEMENT DISTRICT 904 SOUTH CALHOUN ST. FORT WAYNE IN, TELEPHONE # FAX # Contact information: Rick Zolman Events & Programming Manager Downtown Improvement District , Events@DowntownFortWayne.com FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE November 2, 2017 Make Downtown Fort Wayne Your Holiday Destination! FORT WAYNE, IN Whether starting or keeping a family tradition make Downtown Fort Wayne your Holiday Mission! HolidayFest returns on Wednesday, November 22 nd with the Night of Lights where we join together to light up Downtown with the iconic Santa and His Reindeer, the 30 th Anniversary lighting of the Merry Christmas Wreath, Northern Lights, and many more. The evening wouldn t be complete without the Ringing of the Bells by Downtown churches at 7:30pm and the Parkview Field Holiday Fireworks at 7:45pm. Also, this year, we welcome a new lighting partner to our holiday showcase! Be sure to visit Ash Brokerage for their Holiday Illumination at 6:40pm. Activities: Family friendly lighting ceremonies as well as indoor and outdoor holiday activities will take place throughout the late afternoon and evening. Warm up with Cocoa and Carols at the Allen County Courthouse. Enjoy a special outdoor holiday concert with Renee Gonzales and her Merry Musicians at I&M Power Center Plaza, presented by Wells Fargo. Don t miss the kickoffs of both the Festival of Gingerbread at the History Center and Festival of Trees at the Embassy Theatre. Participate in activities like Cookies & Cocoa with Santa at Salin Bank, Santa s Workshop at the Community Center, the Holiday Open House at the Grand Wayne Convention Center, Create a Scarf at the Allen County Public Library or Santa at the Train Station at the Baker Street Train Station.

2 Downtown Holiday Window Decorating: We are excited to announce the return of the Downtown Holiday Window Decorating Contest. Take a holiday stroll and view the beautifully decorated windows of participating businesses and organizations. This year's theme is Walking in a Window Wonderland! Voting will begin on the Night of Lights, and with 4 competitive categories this year, the creativity and originality will be breathtaking. Nobody does the holidays like Downtown Fort Wayne! HolidayFest all Season Long: HolidayFest continues through the end of the year with performances, festivals, arts and cultural events, Holly Trolley Shopping, and so much more. For a complete list of lighting ceremony activities as well as a comprehensive holiday calendar, visit: HolidayFestDowntown.com. HolidayFest, featuring the Night of Lights, is presented by your Downtown Improvement District and sponsored by PNC Bank, Fort Wayne Newspapers, Do It Best, Wane TV, Visit Fort Wayne, Hanning & Bean Enterprises, Salin Bank, Majic 95.1 and Fun Night of Lights Lighting Schedule: 5:30 pm History Center Turret Lighting (Barr Street) 5:45 pm Christ Child Festival Nativity Lighting (Ross Building on Main Street) 5:50 pm Aunt Millie s Northern Lights (Pearl Street) 5:55 pm Community Center Santa s Workshop Display (Main Street) 6:20 pm Santa and His Reindeer at PNC Bank (Main and Calhoun Streets) 6:40 pm Ash Brokerage Holiday Illumination (Harrison and Berry Streets) 7:00 pm Wells Fargo Holiday Display and Indiana Michigan Power Merry Christmas Wreath (I&M Power Center Plaza at Calhoun and Wayne Streets) 7:15 pm Botanical Conservatory & Embassy Theatre Displays (Jefferson Boulevard) 7:30 pm Ringing of the Bells (Downtown Churches & ACPL) 7:45 pm Parkview Field Holiday Fireworks (Jefferson Boulevard) April 5, 2013 Page 2

3 Santa & Mrs. Claus at 1 st Source Bank 1 st Source Bank 200 E Main St 4:00pm - 6:30pm Stop by for a treat and visit Mr. & Mrs. Claus. (260) Santa at the Train Station Baker Street Train Station 221 West Baker St 4:00pm - 8:30pm Come to the Baker Street Train Station and visit with Santa! He s bringing one of his reindeer with him too! Enjoy hot chocolate, punch and cookies and crafts for the kids! A free will donation of canned goods and/or cash will be taken for Community Harvest Food Bank. Santa s Workshop Fort Wayne Parks & Recreation Community Center 233 W Main St 4:30pm - 7:30pm Start your Downtown celebration at the Community Center with free holiday activities for the kids. There will be crafts refreshments and movies. Donate a new or gently used bear to the Disorderly Bear Den and be entered into a drawing to win a giant elf bear. Kids can shop for inexpensive holiday gifts for $4 or less at the North Pole Stop-n-Shop. Mom and Dad can shop too, our Community Center patrons have been crafting holiday items to sell in the Crafter s Corner. Finally, check out the light display on the Community Center roof when we turn on the lights at 5:55pm. (260) fortwayneparks.org Warm up at Night of Lights: Create a Scarf ACPL Teen Department 900 Library Plaza 5:00pm Stay warm at Night of Lights by making a cozy no-sew fleece scarf. One per person, while supplies last. Please come into the TEEN Department. April 5, 2013 Page 3

4 (260) acpl.info Aunt Millie s Northern Lights Aunt Millie s Bakeries 350 Pearl St 5:00pm - 6:30pm Start your evening with Aunt Millie s Carolers and spread some Christmas cheer. While you re here, warm up with some free cider and sample Aunt Millie s Cranberry Apple Swirl bread! Count down with us as we light the breathtaking display of Aunt Millie s Northern Lights at 5:50pm. (260) Cathedral Books & Gifts Cathedral Books & Gifts 915 S Clinton St 5:00pm - 9:00pm Hot Wassail & Cookies! Enjoy your refreshments while browsing our great selection of gifts like home décor, nativities, advent wreaths, ornaments, jewelry and much more! 20% off your entire purchase from 5:00pm - 9:00pm. (260) Wells Fargo Presents: Holiday Music and More on the Plaza I&M Power Center Plaza Corner of Wayne St and Calhoun St 5:00pm - 6:00pm and immediately following the lighting ceremony at the I&M Power Center Plaza Holiday music, led by acclaimed vocalist, Renee Gonzales, and a talented group of musicians will open the evening on the plaza. Sing along, dance along or just listen as nightfall ushers in all the exciting sights, sounds and activities of the season. The Wells Fargo Stagecoach will be on hand for photo opportunities in and around the stagecoach, creating the perfect framework of earlier times when everyone eagerly awaited the arrival of the Stagecoach filled with packages of holiday magic. The holiday display lighting will take place at 7:00pm. Holiday Kick-Off Party at the Botanical Gardens Foellinger-Freimann Botanical Conservatory 1100 S Calhoun St April 5, 2013 Page 4

5 5:00pm - 9:00pm $5/Adult, $3/Children ages 3-17 Enjoy hot chocolate and a cookie, meet Mrs. Claus and get a free photo with Santa. You can also meet two live reindeer that know all about the North Pole. The gardens are all decorated for the holidays, and you won t want to miss the animated light show outdoors. Be sure to participate in the Fort Wayne Downtown Lighting Ceremony either before or after your visit to our beautiful holiday garden and display. (260) botanicalconservatory.org Hot Beverages on the Market The History Center 302 E Berry St Just behind History Center 5:00pm - 9:00pm After checking out the Festival of Gingerbread, enjoy hot beverages served on the Barr Street Market, presented by Arch and The History Center. (260) fwhistorycenter.com Lighting Night at the History Center History Center 302 E Berry St 5:30pm The Festival of Gingerbread at the History Center kicks off its special events on November 22-Night of Lights. During the Night of Lights, visitors can get a sneak peek at the handiwork of gingerbread creators from 3:00pm to 9pm. Admission is only $3 person at the door for Night of Lights. At 5:30pm, join us when the History Center s turret will be lit with special holiday colors of red and green. (260) fwhistorycenter.com Cookies and Hot Cocoa with Santa Salin Bank 110 W Main St 5:30pm - 6:45pm Salin Bank has Cookies and Cocoa with Santa. April 5, 2013 Page 5

6 PNC Santa Lighting Celebration PNC Bank Parking lot at Calhoun St and Main St 5:30pm - 7:30pm Come early to join in singing holiday tunes, sit in Santa s lap to tell him your wishes and then stay to see Fort Wayne s biggest and brightest holiday display come to life. The classic Santa and Reindeer will brighten the sky at 6:20pm. Christ Child Festival Nativity Lighting Ross Building W Main & Maiden Ln 5:45pm A lighted nativity hung on the east side of the Ross building for the season. Grand Wayne Convention Center Holiday Open House Grand Wayne Convention Center 120 W Jefferson Blvd 5:50pm - 8:00pm Gather the family for a jolly good time at the Grand Wayne Center s Holiday Open House during the Night of Lights. Entertainment includes Faith in Motion Dancers, Allen County Public Library Children s Department holiday crafts, The Phil s Youth Concert and Symphony Orchestras, and complimentary punch and cookies with Mrs. Claus. FREE family fun to kick-off your holiday season. Festival of Trees Embassy Theatre 125 W Jefferson Blvd 6:00pm - 9:00pm $8/Adults, $4/Children ages 12 & under Lobbies of the Embassy Theatre and Indiana Hotel are transformed into a wonderland of Christmas trees under the theme of Silver Bells. This year marks the festival s 33 rd celebration. April 5, 2013 Page 6

7 (260) Cocoa and Carols Allen County Courthouse 715 S Calhoun St 6:30pm - 7:30pm Warm up with Hot Cocoa while enjoying the Fort Wayne Children s Choir Christmas Carols. (260) allencountycourthouse.org fwcchoir.org Ash Brokerage Holiday Illumination Ash Brokerage 6:40pm Help us light up the city s skyline! With coloring-changing lights surrounding the exterior, Skyline Garage, a part of Ash Skyline Plaza, will be lit with festive colors for the holidays. Come see the illumination and innovation of one of the newest buildings downtown. I&M Merry Christmas Wreath Lighting on the Plaza Indiana Michigan Power Center Plaza 110 E Wayne St 7:00pm Indiana Michigan Power (I&M) is proud to display and light the Merry Christmas wreath which made its debut on the original Wolf & Dessauer department store at the corner of Calhoun and Washington in In 2008, the wreath received a fresh coat of paint and all 8,500 light bulbs were replaced with energy-efficient LED bulbs giving it a warmer, crisper glow. We hope you and your family members will join us as we celebrate the 30 th year of sharing this community gem during this holiday season. 1 (800) Ringing of the Bells Downtown Fort Wayne 7:30pm Listen as you walk to watch the fireworks at Parkview Field and you will hear bells and carillons from the Allen County Public Library, Emmanuel Lutheran, First Presbyterian, First Wayne United Methodist, Plymouth April 5, 2013 Page 7

8 Congregational, St John's Lutheran, St Mary's Catholic, Trinity English Lutheran, and Trinity Episcopal ring in unity marking the beginning of the Holidays Downtown! (260) Parkview Field Holiday Fireworks Parkview Field 1301 Ewing St 7:45pm The Downtown skyline will light up with a firework display set to some of your favorite holiday music. Visitors will also be able to take in the Erin s House Lights of Love luminary display. Stroll Parkview Field s concourse and take in the holiday atmosphere, including the TinCaps 24-foot Christmas tree. Hot beverages and holiday snacks will be available. Admission is free. (260) tincaps.com parkviewfield.com For HolidayFest Activities all Season Long: HolidayFestDowntown.com ### April 5, 2013 Page 8