NOV. 17-23, 2016 FACEBOOK.COM/WHATZUPFORTWAYNE • WWW.WHATZUP.COM ----------------------------Feature • Festival of Trees --------------------------- Dressing Up for Christmas By Steve Penhollow Snare also promises entertainment on tival because it just grows larger and larger the Embassy’s iconic stage, which will in- each year. Although heading downtown for holi- clude those visitors from CW as well as the “We had record-breaking attendance last day fun is now a way of life, there may be Fort Wayne Children’s Choir on Wednesday, year at over 20,000 – actually it was 22, 210. some young residents who do not remember November 30. There will also be a visit from Our numbers have been slowly increasing the relatively dark days of downtown Fort Fort Wayne’s Sister City in the form of the since 2008 when the economy was down, Wayne. The only light to be seen downtown Taizhou Opera. going up hundreds and thousands each year in fact came the night before Thanksgiving As for the trees themselves, you can since then. We’re hoping to top 22,000 again when Santa and his reindeer and the Sea- expect a return of the popular Wells Fargo this year.” son’s Greetings wreath were all to be en- Money Tree, a refurbishing of the TinCaps Senior Day will take place on November Saturday, December 17 • 6pm joyed downtown during the holidays. Or maybe any time of year. $5 Plus a Canned Food Item That’s all changed now, and the for Community Harvest Food Bank streets are alive with not only light but with activity, enthusiasm and excite- ment. A C2G Among the first to change the holiday landscape of Fort Wayne was CHRISTMAS the historic Embassy Theatre which in 1984 began its now traditional and SHELLY DIXON & JEFF MCRAE beloved Festival of Trees. The largest SUNNY TAYLOR, ALICIA PYLE fundraiser for the Embassy Foundation, FRANCIE ZUCCO, SUGAR SHOT Festival of Trees has not only been part Hosted by MIKE CONLEY of the revitalization of downtown and the explosion of holiday festivities in the last three decades, but it has more firmly established the Embassy as one of the city’s treasures. This year, with more than 50 trees on exhibit, Festival of Trees will open on Thanksgiving Eve as part of the city’s Night of Lights and remain open through Wednesday, November 30. There are even more opportuni- ties to visit the exhibit this year as FESTIVAL OF TREES hours have been expanded. “There are new public eve- 6-9 p.m. Wednesday, Nov. 23 ning hours this year,” says Kyle 4-8 p.m. Thursday, Nov. 24 Snare, special events director for 12-8 p.m. Friday-Sunday, Nov. 25-27 28 from 9 a.m. until 1 p.m., with the Embassy. refreshments provided by Kings- Friday, Dec. 30 • 8pm • $10 “On Monday, November 28 9 am.-1 p.m. & 5-9 p.m. Monday, Nov. 28 ton Healthcare. we’ll be open from 5-9, and tradi- 9 a.m.-1 p.m. Tuesday-Wednesday, Nov. 29-30 Kids’ Day will be Novem- tionally we had not been open that ber 30 and is promising to be ALEXANDER WREN day on the second week.” Embassy Theatre family-friendly. The Embassy As part of the Night of Lights 125 W. Jefferson Blvd., Fort Wayne even encourages people to visit Friday, Jan. 6 • 8pm • $12-$20 celebration, the trees will be on Tix: $4-$8 thru Ticketmaster and box office, the historic stage and take selfies display to the public for the first to share on social media. time. Additionally, Fort Wayne 260-424-5665 With recent restorations, THE ACCIDENTALS Komets mascot Ice Eagle will be the Embassy Theatre continues to visiting as well as characters from popular tree and a tree which depicts the advent of thrive, having long ago been saved from de- Saturday, Jan. 28 • 8pm • $15-$30 CW programs, a Festival of Lights first. That color television at the time when network molition and continuing to be a coveted ven- evening will also feature the unveiling of the Christmas specials like A Charlie Brown ue for theatrical and musical performances. ANTHONY GOMES Harrison Street window displays which is Christmas and How the Grinch Stole Christ- Having grown the popular Down the Line now part of a larger effort to feature deco- mas became part of our lives 50 years ago. event (also one of their biggest fundraisers), Friday, Feb. 3 • 8pm • $15-$30 rated windows as Fort Wayne famously did While it may seem like the seamless op- the theater has become an important part of many years ago. In addition to the Embassy eration of Festival of Trees happens calmly the city’s heartbeat, the rebirth of downtown windows, other downtown businesses will each and every year, Snare says that plan- and a place to celebrate the Christmas and DAVY KNOWLES join the theater and feature decorated win- ning begins almost as soon as one festival is holiday season. Snare says seeing all of that dows of their own, bringing back the full over. happen has been rewarding. nostalgia of Wolf & Dessauer’s heyday. “This is my fourth Festival of Trees, and “I love watching it all take shape,” he GO TO OUR WEBSITE Of course, Santa and Mrs. Claus are I had been working with Barb Richards the says. “It’s great to work with the sponsors FOR TICKET INFO & MORE prominently featured at the Festival of last few years,” he says, referring to the Em- and see them all become part of it. It’s excit- Trees. Although the annual Breakfast with bassy’s former marketing director who left ing to see the decorations go up. In two short ALL SHOWS ALL AGES Santa always sells out immediately, there this year to become program director for the days, it goes from being a building with no are other plentiful opportunities to get your local CW affiliate. decorations to be a fully decorated building. list to the jolly old fellow. This is the second “We usually hit a lull in special events, It’s such a great tradition and such a part of year of the new décor for Santa’s area, and which is my area, around April and May our holiday wonderment. It was so exciting visitors will be treated to not only audience which is when we can start really focus- to experience it the first time and to watch it with the chief executive of Christmas, but ing on Festival of Trees. But we’re already all unfold. It’s amazing to see a year’s worth might score a candy cane along the way. reaching out to people about next year’s Fes- of work unfolding in just two days time.” 2 ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------- www.whatzup.com ----------------------------------------------------------November 17, 2016 whatzup Volume 21, Number 16 e warned you last week in this space to prepare yourself for the holiday onslaught that would be taking over pretty much everything starting – well – now. The Christmas tree at WJefferson Pointe this past Saturday was just the beginning. Our cover this week is but a precursor of what’s to come. Starting next week, even before the turkey’s stuffed and roasted, all Yule is going to break out. The Embassy Theatre’s Festival of Trees and downtown Fort Wayne’s Night of Lights – both of which are featured this week – are just a sam- pling of the holiday festivities intended to make spirits bright throughout Fortland. Week by week, from now till our last 2016 issue on December 22, we’ll be keeping you posted on whatzup for the holiday season. And we’ll keep on doing the other things we do, too, like profiling area musicians (this week: Walkin’ Papers) and personalities (the Brass November 17 | 7:30pm Rail’s Corey Rader); turning out reviews of new (and old) CD releases, community theater productions, books, restaurants and movies; and EDESC H I RUCKS AND publishing the most complete and informative art and entertainment T T B calendars you’re ever going to find. Our mission is to help you have a good time, so please find some fun stuff to do and get on out there. And remember, please, to tell ’em what- zup sent you. Thanks. inside the issue • features ROAD NOTEZ .................................. 12 ON BOOKS ...................................... 16 The Hike FESTIVAL OF TREES ..................................2 December 2 | 8pm Dressing Up for Christmas SCREENTIME ................................. 15 Hold On: The Big Stuff’s Coming NIGHT OF LIGHTS/HOLIDAY FEST ..........4 Making Spirits Even Brighter DIVERSIONS .................................. 18 JOE BONA M ASSA Putting the ‘Thanks’ in Thanksgiving WALKIN’ PAPERS ........................................5 Growth & Change COREY RADER ............................................5 • calendars Serving Up Music LIVE MUSIC & COMEDY ....................8 • columns & reviews MUSIC/ON THE ROAD .................... 12 ROAD TRIPZ ................................... 14 SPINS ................................................7 ART & ARTIFACTS .......................... 17 Red Fang, Goat, Kacey Musgraves STAGE & DANCE ............................ 17 BACKTRACKS ...................................7 Bauhaus, In the Flat Field (1980) THINGS TO DO ............................... 18 OUT AND ABOUT ...............................8 Cover by Brandon Jordan December 3 | 7:30pm Christmas Ideas for Music Lovers HAL HOLBROOK Live Auctions Every Friday MARK TWAIN TONIG ht Night ON SALE NOW Mannheim Steamroller ................. Dec. 6 Moscow Ballet: Great Russian Nutcracker Dec. 7 Check Our Straight No Chaser .......................Dec. 13 Website for Online Auctions Embassy Theatre 125 W. Jefferson Blvd. 123 E. Van Buren St., Downtown Columbia City Fort Wayne, Indiana 260-580-3184 || belltowerauctions.com ticketmaster.com November 17, 2016 ------------------------------------------------------------ www.whatzup.com ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------3 BROUGHT TO YOU BY: ---------------------Feature • Night of Lights/Holiday Fest -------------------- arena dinner Theatre/The Cemetery Club ..........................17 Bell Tower auctions .................................................................3 C2G Live .................................................................................11 C2G Music Hall.........................................................................2 Making Spirits Even Brighter Calhoun Street Soups, Salads, Spirits ...............................8 By Michele DeVinney element to it.