🐦🔥 Weekly refresh
Good morning, Fort Wayne! 🌤️
Welcome to the first edition of Kekionga Today. Each Tuesday, we’ll bring you a quick, smart roundup of what’s happening in the Fort Wayne area. Local stories, events, and highlights, right in your inbox.
Here’s your first scoop ⬇️
🚧 Lane Closures This Week - Expect some slowdowns as utility work closes the northbound lane on Fairfield Ave (Locust-Bass) through Wednesday, sidewalk repairs shut down the right southbound lane on Ewing St (West Berry-West Wayne) through Friday, and today sanitary sewer work has the right lane closed on East Berry St. (103.9 Wayne FM)
🛍️ Coldwater Commons Proposal - Developers are eyeing a new shopping center on Coldwater Road, with plans for retail, dining, and community space. (WANE)
🚗 Library Parking Changes - This September, the downtown Main Library will have a new gateless parking system. Visitors get the first 3 hours free; after that, it’s $1/hour up to 7 hours, and you'll need to enter the library to activate your free session. (WPTA)
🎬 AMC Jefferson Pointe 18 Closes Again - The AMC at Jefferson Pointe has shuttered once more, following a reopening earlier this summer. (WANE)
✈️ FWA‑Fort Lauderdale - Starting November 20, 2025, Allegiant Air will launch seasonal, non‑stop flights from Fort Wayne International Airport to Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International, flying twice weekly on Thursdays and Sundays. (fwairport.com)
📊 By the Numbers
Quick stats from this week.
$3.19 per gallon → Current average gas price in Indiana - up by 6.1 cents over the past week. ⛽
34′ Sunflower → National record held by a local gardener. 🌻
1,000 Cats Adopted → at Black Forest Cat Café since 2022 🐾
50,000 Books Mailed → to youth in Allen County through the ACPLs partnership with Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library. 📚
🗓️ Upcoming Local Events
Bugs & Tourists & Bonsais, oh my!
Need something to do? Fort Wayne’s event calendar is buzzing (literally).
🐛 Big Bugs at The Zoo? - The Fort Wayne Zoo’s annual Big Bugabaloo is underway through September 28, featuring larger-than-life bug displays and a new Bug Day Camp for curious explorers. (Fort Wayne Zoo)
🖼️ Taste of the Arts Festival Returns - Fort Wayne’s free all‑ages art celebration lands at Arts Campus on Saturday, August 23, packed with live music, visual art, performances, STEAM activities, and local food vendors. (Arts United)
🌱 Fall Bonsai Show Arrives - Saturday, September 20, the Fort Wayne Botanical Conservatory presents the Fall Bonsai Show (10 a.m.–5 p.m.), featuring mini tree displays, expert tips from the Club, and starter specimens and pots for sale. (City of Fort Wayne)
🗺️ Be a Tourist in Your Own Hometown - Sunday, September 7 from 12p.m. to 5 p.m. at Promenade Park, Fort Wayne invites you to stroll painted sidewalks, snap photos at the Tree Canopy, enjoy treats from Ted’s Snack Bar, and play whimsical games. (Visit Fort Wayne)
🎉 Fiesta Fort Wayne Returns - Saturday, August 23 (11 a.m.–10:30 p.m.) at Headwaters Park’s Lincoln Pavilion, celebrate Hispanic and Latino culture with folkloric dancers, live music, authentic food, games, face painting, and more. Tickets are $5 before 5 p.m., $7 afterward, and kids under 10 get in free. (Fiesta Fort Wayne)
🐈⬛ Small Biz Spotlight
Black Forest
Cat Café Hits
1,000 Adoptions
4716 Coldwater Rd
Congratulations to Black Forest Cat Café for reaching their 1,000th adoption last week! 🎉
“We hope you come out to join the festivities! To celebrate the wonderful accomplishment of the Black Forest Cat Café, they will be offering $5 admission into the cat lounge all week long. Cat and kitten adoptions are also just $5 with an approved application.”
Check out their website below to schedule your lounge visit!
💬 From the Community
Reddit & Beyond
🌻 Giant Sunflower - Fort Wayne gardener’s giant sunflower, “Clover”, has officially beaten the national record for tallest sunflower at 26’ 8” tall. UPDATE: Clover has officially reached 34’ tall! (WANE) (Facebook)
🌸 Lakeside in Bloom - Lovely photos of Lakeside Park’s summer colors were shared by Reddit user u/Adventurous_Honey902. (Reddit)
🎨 Storm Drains Get a Splash of Art - From August 16–24, local and regional artists are transforming Fort Wayne’s storm drains into colorful murals as a part of the ongoing Clean Drains Fort Wayne: Be River SmART initiative. (City of Fort Wayne)
🧠 Fort Facts
Blackberry Bush
“Kekionga”, pronounced KEY-key-awn-guh, literally means “blackberry bush” in the Miami–Illinois language. This was the original name for Fort Wayne, back when it was the capital village of the Miami people.
“Its name refers to the abundance of blackberries in the region, and was located in the most expansive brier patch in the state.”
That’s the scoop for this week. 🍦
If you think we missed something cool, don’t keep it to yourself. Hit reply or DM us. 💌
- Kekionga Today 🐦🔥