| Three Rivers Festival | |
| Begins: | First Saturday after Independence Day |
| Frequency: | Annual |
| Location: | Fort Wayne, Indiana |
| First: | 1969 |
The Three Rivers Festival is an annual multi-day event held in Fort Wayne, Indiana. The festival lasts for nine days in mid-July, starting on the first Friday after Independence Day. Events include concerts, a community parade, amusement rides, a bed race, art and craft shows, children's and seniors mini-fests, an International Village, and a fireworks finale.[1]
It is a celebration of the heritage of Fort Wayne, established during the French and Indian War at the confluence of three rivers: the Maumee, St. Marys, and St. Joseph.
At the first Three Rivers Festival in 1969, an estimated 100,000 people attended a grand parade and 60 events on the Columbia Street Landing.
The 1973 edition attracted one million visitors. Among the highlights was an air show by the Navy's Blue Angels. In 1976, the festival included an international beer can collectors convention. That year, attendance topped 2 million. In 1977, the festival added fireworks for the first time. That edition's opening day parade was the second largest in the state. The opening of the 1979 festival was marked by 700 balloons released from the top of a city building.
By 1980, the festival had grown to 206 events across Fort Wayne. The following year, the festival introduced a children's parade and attempted to set a record for the World's Longest Hot Dog, at 527feet long. In 1980 the festival featured the World's Biggest Pretzel at 10feet in diameter.[2]
In 1991, a $20,000 Arts United grant expanded Sunday in the Park to art events at Seniors Day and the Children's Festival. By 1999, the Art in the Park was expanded to include Main Street, featuring a juried show of 85 national artists. That same year, the Three Rivers Festival had a crowd of 500,000, maintaining its position as the second-largest event in Indiana.
In 2021, the festival held its inaugural drag show. The two-hour event featured Fort Wayne local, Della Licious.[3]
The Three Rivers Festival events are centered in Headwaters Park in downtown Fort Wayne, Indiana.
Art in the Park takes place on the first weekend of the festival. It includes a juried fine arts show and sale, located on Freimann Square, Main Street and Barr Street. Over 100 artists from across the country sell oils, watercolors, photography, sculpture, pottery, and more.
The two-hour parade starts in the West Central neighborhood and winds through downtown Fort Wayne. A local musical group typically opens the parade with the national anthem, followed by many parade units, area high school marching bands, local celebrities, and approximately 100 other entries.
The finale of the festival is a fireworks show, noted as one of Northeast Indiana's largest pyrotechnic show.
Three Rivers Festival is a 501(c)4 not-for-profit organization founded in 1969, and funded entirely by vendor participation fees, souvenir sales, refreshment sales, entertainment ticket sales, and the sponsorship and support of area businesses.
The Festival Title sponsor for the 2009 and 2010 editions was Fort Wayne Newspapers. PNC, Sweetwater and STAR 88.3 were other major sponsors in 2010, with National Serv-all sponsoring the edition's Fireworks Finale.