Three Rivers Festival facts for kids

The Three Rivers Festival is a super fun yearly event in Fort Wayne, Indiana. It lasts for nine days in the middle of July. The festival starts right after Independence Day. It's a big party to celebrate Fort Wayne's history. The city was built where three rivers meet: the Maumee, St. Marys, and St. Joseph rivers.

The festival has tons of cool things to do! You can see a big parade, try yummy food, go on amusement rides, and watch a funny bed race. There are also art and craft shows, special mini-fests for kids and seniors, and an International Village. You can also find a shopping area, river games, and a huge fireworks show at the end.

Festival History

The very first Three Rivers Festival happened in 1969. About 100,000 people came to see the grand parade and enjoy 60 different events. By 1973, the festival was super popular, bringing in one million visitors! A cool highlight that year was an air show by the Navy's Blue Angels.

In 1976, when the United States celebrated its 200th birthday, the festival had an amazing 2 million visitors. They even had a convention for people who collect international beer cans! In 1977, fireworks were added for the first time. The opening day parade became the second largest in Indiana.

When the festival opened in 1979, seven hundred balloons were released into the sky from a city building. By 1980, the festival had grown to include 206 events all over the city! The next year, they started a children's parade. They even tried to make the World's Longest Hot Dog, which was 527 feet (161 meters) long! Two years later, they showed off the World's Biggest Pretzel, which was 10 feet (3 meters) across.

The festival has kept growing and adding new, exciting things. In 1999, the art show grew to include 85 artists from all over the country. That same year, over 500,000 people came to the festival. This made it the second largest event in Indiana. Sadly, in 2020, the festival had to be canceled because of the COVID-19 pandemic. It came back in 2021.

How the Festival is Funded

The Three Rivers Festival is a special kind of non-profit group. This means it's not trying to make money for owners. It was started in 1969. The festival gets its money from different places. This includes fees from vendors who sell things, sales of souvenirs and food, and tickets for entertainment. Local businesses also help by sponsoring the event.

Fun Festival Events

The Three Rivers Festival is the second largest festival in Indiana. It has many events that families and kids will love. Most of the main events happen in Headwaters Park in downtown Fort Wayne. Many other events take place all around the Fort Wayne area.

Art In The Park

On the first weekend of the festival, you can visit "Art in the Park." This is a special show where talented artists display and sell their work. You can find it on Freimann Square, Main Street, and Barr Street. It's right next to the Fort Wayne Museum of Art. More than 100 artists from Indiana and other states show off their paintings, photos, sculptures, pottery, and more!

Opening Day Parade

The festival kicks off with a two-hour parade! It starts in the old West Central neighborhood and winds through downtown Fort Wayne. A local music group usually starts the parade by playing the national anthem. Then, you'll see many parade groups, high school marching bands, and local famous people. There's even a huge "Queen Bee" helium balloon! About 100 other groups also march in the parade.

The parade is shown live on TV. It starts around 9:45 a.m. and ends at Calhoun and Superior Streets. The whole parade route is about two miles long.

Fireworks Finale

Tens of thousands of people from the area get excited for the biggest fireworks show in Northeast Indiana! This amazing show marks the end of the nine-day Three Rivers Festival. It's a spectacular way to finish the celebration!