Fort Wayne Magazine

26/02/2025

For our March education issue, we will be celebrating some of the region’s best and brightest students in high school and beyond. These are students who embrace challenges and lean into difficulties instead of shrinking from them. These are students who have discovered what they love and are masterfully achieving their academic and personal goals. These are students who have strong characters and work ethics and who positively influence other students. These are students who are even changing their schools and teachers for the better. These are students who are already making a big difference in the world.

21/02/2025

Why is actor Michael Shannon performing the music of R.E.M.? “What?” you are no doubt exclaiming before immediately moving on to ask, “Michael Shannon is performing the music of R.E.M.?” Yes, he is and he will do so at The Vogue Theatre in Indianapolis on Monday night. The hilarious Dave Hill will open the show. If you want to plumb this mystery that combines Hollywood with the Chicago music scene and Georgian jangle pop, click below…

When a famous actor decides that he wants to sing, the results aren’t always strictly musical. To illustrate my point, let me ask you a question…

13/02/2025

Brides- and grooms-to-be, not to mention singles who are favorably predisposed to marriage and people who are favorably predisposed to attending weddings, will want to seek out our Weddings issue. It is the only handbook you will need for anything wedding-related in the region. It boasts comprehensive vendor listings, plus planning tips and gorgeous photography. Also, it’s about love and what’s not to love about love?

Brides- and grooms-to-be, not to mention singles who are favorably predisposed to marriage and people who are favorably predisposed…

12/02/2025

In February, we ran a Cheap Eats article that was so comprehensive that some of us felt that everyone in the world could stop writing about cheap eats for at least the next 10 years. Even so, there were omissions. For example, daily specials. When we discovered we had forgotten daily specials, we were beside ourselves with shock/anger/worry and forward slashes. So here, without further ado, is our supplement on daily specials, which we promise is both supple and sincerely meant.

Here you will find information about specials at Miyabi Sushi & Asian Cuisine, Salsa Grille, Ziffles Rib Bar, Three Fires Pizza, Carl’s Tavern, Taqueria Rancho Alegre, Charlie’s Place, Bravas Chance Bar and Eddie Merlot’s.

In our February issue, we addressed the topic of Cheap Eats, which is a more complicated matter than one might initially assume, and which requires the sort…

29/01/2025

Eating out is supposed to be pleasurable. And sometimes, given the hecticness of our lives, it’s unavoidable. Because of multiple national and international factors, eating out is costly these days. So, we at Fort Wayne magazine decided to devote our February issue to Cheap Eats. This is a massive guide to regional restaurant bargains, and it is not just devoted to order-at-the-counter fare. We will also let you in on ways you can enjoy fine dining in Fort Wayne for less. The issue also contains Jennifer Dodds Fox’s Valentine’s Day gift guide. Photography by

30/12/2024

A day may come when a Fort Wayne magazine issue devoted to AI is entirely written, edited and designed by AI. That is one possible future. We are not there yet. So where are we headed? For our annual innovation issue, we decided to delve into the world of AI and how some Fort Wayne entrepreneurs and enthusiasts are trying to put the city at the forefront of the AI revolution. If you are anything like us, AI fills you with a combination of fear, excitement and confusion. We’ve asked local people from many fields to tell us what thrills them and what concerns them about this fairly unprecedented technological moment in human history. https://www.fortwayne.com/good-reads/fort-wayne-magazine-january-2025/

16/12/2024

More than four decades ago, actor (and writer and director) Peter Billingsley played the role of Ralphie Parker in “A Christmas Story,” a movie that went on to become a beloved cinematic perennial. Now, Billingsley is on a tour with the film that will bring him to the Embassy Theatre for a screening and Q&A. Fort Wayne magazine interviewed Billingsley about his experience making the film and his experience watching it become a Christmas classic. 🐰🎄🎅

One part of the mythos of “A Christmas Story” is its lack of initial success. The movie was no blockbuster or barnburner when it was released…

09/12/2024

Winter drinks are great for helping you warm up on chilly nights and they help you get into the festive spirit, a spirit that can be elusive without spirits (if you know what we mean). 🥃🧉 Below is part two of our look at what some area bars and restaurants are doing for the winter drink season. There is a link to part one in the second sentence. We know it is confusing but have a winter drink and it will all make sense. Ingenious things are afoot at Copper Spoon, Miracle on Jefferson, Night Train, Rune, Charlie's Place and Connor's Rooftop. Read about it here…

For the December issue, I wrote an article about winter drinks, both the history of winter drinks and some current winter drink developments in the Summit City…

26/11/2024

The world may be filled with bad news, but our annual People of the Year issue is always filled with good news. The good news has to do with local citizens who have done powerful things. Those powerful things have lifted area residents up in practical fashion and have galvanized the rest of us. These are people who have made Fort Wayne a better and brighter place in myriad ways. They are people who have gone the extra mile and who inspire us to do the same. Also inside is Part Two of Jennifer Dodds Fox’s Gift Guide, in which she asks some prominent local folks for their holiday wish lists, and Steve Penhollow’s winter drinks piece, which goes into the history of holiday drinking and includes a few distinctive elixirs and special events planned for the end of 2024 by area establishments. You can find it all at fortwayne.com. Link to the issue is the the preview text. Photography by

01/11/2024

“Little is more extraordinary than the decision to migrate,” John F. Kennedy Jr. wrote in his book, “A Nation of Immigrants,” “little more extraordinary than the accumulation of emotions and thoughts which finally leads a family to say farewell to a community where it has lived for centuries, to abandon old ties and familiar landmarks, and to sail across dark seas to a strange land.” In our November Gratitude issue, you will read the stories of immigrants who found their way, often against long and terrible odds, to Fort Wayne. You will learn about the grit and perseverance they share and their love for their new home. You will appreciate anew how immigrants, to paraphrase President Kennedy, give Fort Wayne a flavor and a character that make it unmistakable and remarkable. Photography by

14/10/2024

01/10/2024

You can’t have a strong city without strong neighborhoods. In our October “Love Thy Neighbor” issue, we look at Fort Wayne’s neighborhood-building successes and its neighborhood-building challenges. We look at how to be a good neighbor and how to be a good neighborhood builder. What is the recipe for creating a thriving neighborhood? How much do street and sidewalk improvements help in this endeavor? How do we encourage neighbors to get to know each other better? What are the characteristics of a good neighbor?

19/09/2024