Today’s Weather

Friday, July 11
Hi – 89° Low – 67° | 🌤️ Partly Cloudy with a Few Pop-Up Storms | Wind SW 5–10 mph (day & night)
Expect a warm and partly cloudy Friday, with clouds increasing in the afternoon. A stray pop-up shower or storm is possible later in the day. Highs will reach 89°F with moderate humidity at 62%. Light southwest winds and a very high UV index mean it’s still a great day to be outside just stay weather-aware. Friday night stays partly cloudy and mild, with a low near 67°F and increasing humidity at 79%.

In today’s edition:

🎶 Big Fort Fest Launches at Headwaters Park

🤝 Parkview & Anthem Insurance Deal Extended

🍔 Powers Fest: 85 Years of Powers Hamburgers

🏠 Volunteer as a Home Visit Assistant with Catholic Charities

🔥 Fort Wayne Fire Department Adds More Firefighters

🚗 Fort Wayne Driver Crashes on I-69

🚨 Police Seek Help in Hit-and-Run Investigation

Sports

⭐ Zach McKinstry Named to MLB All-Star Game

A Message from The Fort Wayne Update

Members make it possible.

The Fort Wayne Update helps readers like you stay in the know quickly and clearly.

If you love what we do, becoming a Member is the best way to support it.

You will help us cover more of the city, and give back to the community.
Members also get exclusive perks along the way.

👉 Become a Fort Wayne Update Member

📰News

🎶 The inaugural Big Fort Fest has officially opened at Headwaters Park and runs through Saturday, July 12. The festival features food trucks, a vendor market, family activities, and live local music each night. Gates open at 6 p.m. daily, with admission options including general, early, and VIP access. Parking is available downtown and at a lot on Fourth Street with shuttle service. Read more from WANE 15 here.

🤝 Parkview Health and Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield have reached a new agreement that keeps Parkview in Anthem’s health plan networks through 2029. The deal covers employer-sponsored, individual, and Medicaid plans, ensuring uninterrupted care for patients. Parkview will also stay in Anthem’s Medicare Advantage network through December 31, 2025, while those negotiations continue. Anthem will pay Parkview less for hospital care than it did in 2020, part of a broader effort to reduce healthcare costs and attract top physicians to northeast Indiana. Read more from WANE 15 here.

🍔 Powers Hamburgers is celebrating its 85th anniversary with the return of Powers Fest, a week-long celebration happening July 10–16. The event includes balloon creations, a car show, a slider eating contest, and a world record attempt for most sliders sold in one day. Highlights include “Powers After Hours” with midnight sliders and free mugs, a family day with kid-friendly activities, and a Tuesday eating contest aiming to beat the 20-slider record. Read more from WANE 15 here.

🏠 Catholic Charities is seeking Volunteer Home Visit Assistants to support Case Managers with weekly home visits in Fort Wayne’s State/Crescent area. Volunteers will help observe client well-being, report conditions, assist with documentation, and offer emotional support. The position requires a 2-hour weekly commitment for at least 3 months, with flexible scheduling. Volunteers must have reliable transportation and complete background checks. Experience with low-income or homeless populations is preferred but not required. Read more and apply here.

🔥 The Fort Wayne Fire Department will be hiring and training more firefighters following approval from the FWFD Merit Commission. The updated staffing plan comes after months of contract negotiations with the firefighters union and city officials.
Fifteen EMT-certified individuals will begin training in December 2025, with 25 more recruits starting later and graduating in May 2026. The plan addresses vehicle issues, financial concerns, and staffing shortages, aiming to improve public safety and service. Read more from WANE 15 here.

🚗 A Fort Wayne man crashed into a concrete barrier Wednesday evening on I-69 near the 325 mile marker in DeKalb County. Witnesses told police he was weaving through traffic in a Honda Civic when he clipped a Ford truck, lost control, hit a guardrail, and then the concrete barrier. He complained of neck pain and was taken to the hospital. No other injuries were reported. Read more from WANE 15 here.

🚨 Fort Wayne Police are asking for the public’s help in locating a blue 2015 Chevy Cruz involved in a hit-and-run that seriously injured a pedestrian early Sunday morning at Illinois and Scott roads. The car likely has front-end damage, a dented hood, and a broken windshield. The pedestrian remains in intensive care with multiple fractures and internal injuries. The vehicle's license plate is 998EDZ. Anyone with information is urged to contact 260-427-1318, Crime Stoppers at 260-436-7867, or use the P3 Tips app. Read more from WANE 15 here.

Enjoying the newsletter? Forward it to a someone in the Fort! 👇

The Update’s Community Showcase

If you have an event or story, you'd like us to cover. Please reach us by email here. Or message us on Instagram.

Love staying in the know? Spread the word, Share the update with friends!

Events 

Friday, July 11th

🎨 Arts

• Hubble and Webb Space Telescopes: New Views of the Universe
  10:00 am – 4:00 pm @ Science Central
  $10 – $12

• 47th Members’ Showcase
  10:00 am – 6:00 pm @ Artlink
  Free

• Watercolors & Mononprints by Laura Barnhardt Corle; Otis Family Pottery
  10:00 am – 6:00 pm @ The Orchard Gallery of Fine Art
  Free

• Habatat International Glass 53rd Invitational
  10:00 am – 6:00 pm @ Fort Wayne Museum of Art
  $8 – $10

• Echoes of Home
  10:00 am – 6:00 pm @ Fort Wayne Museum of Art
  $8 – $10

• 20th Century Japanese Prints
  10:00 am – 6:00 pm @ Fort Wayne Museum of Art
  $8 – $10

• Buried Treasure: Edward Curtis’ Unpublished Works
  5:00 pm – 8:00 pm @ Garrett Museum of Art
  $10

• Friday Night Live Outdoor Art Experience
  5:00 pm – 11:00 pm @ Junk Ditch PlayHouse
  Free

• John Henry David Wagner: I Am About to Disappear Reception
  7:00 pm – 11:00 pm @ Johnson Studios
  Free

🎶 Music

• Sheeza (Featured)
  12:00 pm @ Sweetwater Sound
  Free

• Alicia Pyle & Michael Patterson
  6:00 pm @ Charlie’s Place
  Free

• Joel & Pam
  6:00 pm @ Charlie’s Place
  Free

• Cougar Hunter
  6:00 pm @ The Landing
  Free

• The Hubie Ashcraft Band
  6:30 pm @ Vinland Reserve Winery
  Free

• Two Guys in Suits & Ties (Weekends Uncorked)
  6:30 pm @ Two-EE's Winery
  Free

• Andy Pauquette & Michael Patterson
  6:30 pm @ Club Soda
  Free

• Sunglasses at Night (Huntertown Free Concert Fridays)
  7:00 pm @ Huntertown Family Park
  Free

• Big Fort Fest: Bubba Sparxxx w/Sankofa, Timbrwlf Tone, Rick Moore
  7:00 pm @ Headwaters Park
  $25 – $50

• Chris Worth & Co.
  7:00 pm @ American Legion Post 98, Columbia City
  No cover

• GrooveSmash
  7:00 pm – 9:00 pm @ Markle Fish & Game Club Park
  Free

• Thurston Howell (Feel Good Fridays)
  7:30 pm @ Fountain Park, Van Wert
  Free

• Family Tradition: Hank Williams Jr. Tribute (Featured)
  7:30 pm @ Eagles Theatre
  $29

• Quiet Riot w/Aldo Nova (Featured)
  7:30 pm @ Honeywell Center
  $39

• Friday Night Vibes: Yacht Party (Featured)
  8:00 pm @ The Club Room at The Clyde
  No cover

• Joy Ride
  8:00 pm @ American Legion Post 47
  No cover

• Nathan Van Horn w/Austin Marsh
  8:00 pm @ Deer Park Irish Pub
  No cover

• #IYKYK
  8:00 pm @ Hook & Ladder
  No cover

• Sturm Band w/Olivia & The Garden Dogs, Mike Neglia & The Nobles
  9:30 pm @ The Brass Rail
  $7

🎉 Festivals

• Big Fort Fest
  11:00 am – 11:00 pm @ Headwaters Park
  Organizer: Big Fort Fest

• Angola Balloons Aloft: Day 1
  4:00 pm – 10:00 pm @ Angola High School
  Free

• Vineyard Vibes
  6:00 pm – 9:00 pm @ Country Heritage Winery
  Free

• Fort Wayne Air Show Friday Night Welcome Party
  6:00 pm – 9:00 pm @ The Landing
  Free

• All Things Open Mic
  6:30 pm – 9:30 pm @ Visions Event Hall
  $5

🎭 Theater

• The Dinner Detective True Crime Murder Mystery Dinner Show
  7:00 pm @ Courtyard by Marriott Downtown
  $65.95

• Jimmy Buffett’s Escape to Margaritaville (Featured)
  7:30 pm @ The Clyde Theatre
  $27.75 – $49.75

• Sweeney Todd
  7:30 pm @ Homestead High School
  $19.90 – $24.10

• Sister Act
  8:00 pm @ Wagon Wheel Theatre
  $21 – $51

• Hadestown: Teen Edition
  8:00 pm @ Three Rivers Music Theatre
  $20 – $30

🎶 Special Events

• Ryan Hamilton
  7:00 pm & 9:45 pm @ Summit City Comedy Club
  $30 – $40

• Dicky’s Wild Hare Karaoke
  9:00 pm @ Dicky’s Wild Hare
  Free

🏀🏈Sports🏒⚾

⭐ Fort Wayne native and Detroit Tigers utilityman Zach McKinstry is heading to the MLB All-Star Game in Atlanta, replacing Houston’s Jeremy Peña on the American League roster. McKinstry has played 84 games this season with a .286 average, 13 steals, and a team-high .817 OPS. His selection marks the first MLB All-Star from Fort Wayne since 1967 and gives the Tigers five total representatives tied for the most in the league. Read more from WANE 15 here.

🗓️ Tincaps Schedule

Fri, July 11
⚾ vs Quad Cities— 7:05 PM EDT

Sat, July 12
⚾ vs Quad Cities— 6:35 PM EDT

Sun, July 13
⚾ vs Lansing— 1:05 PM EDT

🗓️ Fort Wayne FC Schedule 

Sat, July 12

⚽ vs Kings Hammer FC - Cincinnati— 7:00 PM EDT

A Message from The Fort Wayne Update

Members make it possible.

The Fort Wayne Update helps readers like you stay in the know quickly and clearly.

If you love what we do, becoming a Member is the best way to support it.

You will help us cover more of the city, and give back to the community.
Members also get exclusive perks along the way.

👉 Become a Fort Wayne Update Member