5 things Three Rivers Festival says about Fort Wayne

While northeast Indiana is home to people of many ages, backgrounds, cultures, and beliefs, you don’t often see everyone in one place.

But for one week every summer since 1969, people from all corners of Fort Wayne have come together to celebrate the city’s Three Rivers. Jack Hammer

This year marks the 50th annual Three River Festival (TRF), which is underway at Headwaters Park from July 13th-21st.

As usual, it started with the parade, and it will end with fireworks on Saturday night atop the Indiana Michigan Power Center building.

But what happens in between these days is something truly special that goes beyond the festival itself, and speaks to the broader nature of our regional community throughout the calendar year.

“The Three Rivers Festival is the fabric of our lives here in northeast Indiana,” says Jack Hammer, TRF Executive Director.

Here are five things the Three Rivers Festival shows us about Fort Wayne and its surrounding communities:
 

1. We have a spirit of volunteerism.

As a non-profit, volunteer-driven organization, the Three Rivers Festival showcases the dedication people across northeast Indiana have in putting on this week-long passion project for the community.

Each year, more than 700 volunteers come out to make it happen, so if you want to know see the heart of our community, it comes to life at the Three Rivers Festival.

More than 700 volunteers make the Three Rivers Festival possible.

2. We are home to people of many backgrounds and places.

Diversity was one of the main concerns of the family that first started the Three Rivers Festival. They envisioned a way for everyone to enjoy the downtown area, regardless of personal income or culture.

Today, that spirit of inclusion lives on in the festival’s many free events and the broad spectrum of local citizens who make it part of their annual plans.

Stop by the International Village from July 20-21, and you’ll find everything from cultural dances and story-telling, to Greek Gyros, Spanish street tacos, and a variety of handmade goods by the many people of our dynamic place.

Since its inception, the Three Rivers Festival has showcased regional culture.

3. We support small business.

Along with celebrating diversity, the Three Rivers Festival was also designed to promote local businesses in Fort Wayne and the surrounding region.

Every year, businesses enjoy many opportunities for sponsorship from floats and banners at the parade to various booths and activities throughout the week. This allows festival-goers to see the broad range of local products and services available to them in our region throughout the year.

In turn, it provides business owners with a great opportunity to make an impression, earn new customers, test new ideas, and feel the power of Fort Wayne’s local-first environment.

Events like the raft races allow local businesses an opportunity to fly their flags.
 

4. We have a thriving arts scene. A lion at the 2018 Chalk Walk.

Look no further than the Chalk Walk outside the Arts United Center on Main Street to see the artistic talent among our ranks. Businesses and individuals spend days designing chalk masterpieces for festival-goers to enjoy, and each piece showcases the artists’ unique skills and vision—from cartoon characters, to realistic portraits, to modern art, and 3-D effects.

Just beyond the Chalk Walk, Main Street and Headwaters Park are lined with dozens of tents where artists sell their work at Art in the Park. Rachel Hastie, a transplant from New York, sees these events as representations of the active arts scene she’s found in Fort Wayne the past two years.

“It was a pleasant surprise that there is so much creativity,” Hastie says. “Everyone has a unique take on their art medium as opposed to some commonality in what you might find at the fairs on the streets of New York. The art scene is this city’s best kept secret.”

The Chalk Walk demonstrates northeast Indiana's creative talent.

5. We build on each other’s success.

As Fort Wayne’s largest, longest-running festival, the Three Rivers Festival is paving the way for other festivals and events to thrive in our region, too.

The relatively new kid on the block, the Middle Waves Music Festival, is a fast-growing two-day outdoor music festival in September, featuring local and national acts. Going into its third year, its leaders have been meeting with Hammer and his TRF team to get advice and counsel since before the music festival launched in 2016.

“Jack is definitely the captain of the ‘rising tides lift all boats’ ship,” says Katy Sillman, Middle Waves Festival Chair. “Starting something like Middle Waves has been a scary endeavor at times. But knowing and seeing what Jack and his team have done to elevate the Three Rivers Festival over the last several years has given us confidence that we can have a similar impact with our destination music festival. What Three Rivers Festival means to me is love, support and mentorship.”
 

Matt Kelley and Katy Silliman of the Middle Waves Music Festival.
 

So there you have it.

The Three Rivers Festival not only provides summer memories and mementos for people of all ages and walks of life in northeast Indiana, but also it is setting the stage for success in our region by driving commerce, encouraging creativity, and fostering a greater sense of community spirit.

Experience what Fort Wayne is all about

The 50th Annual Three Rivers Festival has several free events open to the public in downtown Fort Wayne from July 13th-21st. For a full schedule, visit www.threeriversfestival.org.