Happy Friday, Fort Wayne. In today’s edition: Children’s Village closing update, Wild Lights, Nature’s Christmas, and more. Let’s get to it!

— Cait Baker

📰 In the news

Community impact and next steps: LSSI will close the Children’s Village Early Learning Center in Fort Wayne on January 16, 2026, following voucher suspensions. LSSI and Brightpoint will help families find childcare and support staff — get all the details.

Creative workaround boosts pay: Fort Wayne City Council approved union contracts Tuesday, granting FWPD officers a 3% raise funded internally by increasing banked hours, while most city employees got 1.5% or 2% — see how they funded raises.

Lawmakers weigh casino relocation: An Indiana Senate panel voted 8-0 Tuesday to advance a bill letting Rising Star Casino relocate to Fort Wayne or Allen County, with $25 million fee and $500 million investment — get details on SB 70.

Compare rates for free: The national average for car insurance is around $175 per month. Paying more than that? Same, so I did some shopping around and ended up cutting my premium in half. If you haven’t checked in a while, you’re probably overpaying too — here’s the comparison tool I used.

Identity theft is up 25%: Last year, Americans lost $12.5 billion to ID theft & fraud, and the stories behind those numbers are brutal. My friend just told me his dad’s on his fourth replacement credit card. Other folks have woken up to empty bank accounts or their personal info dumped online after a breach. Aura catches these kinds of attacks early by monitoring for new accounts, weird money movements, leaked data, and other red flags so you’re alerted before things blow up — learn more about it here.

Highlights this week

• Watch A Christmas Story with Peter Billingsley
• Celebrate Holiday Pops with Fort Wayne Philharmonic
• Enjoy a pancake breakfast with Santa
• Meet Santa amid dazzling zoo lights
• Celebrate winter magic at PSM Icehouse
• This pet insurance plan reimburses up to 90%
• A tiny hearing aid is taking the US by storm

🫶 We got your back

Guided creativity with ease: Fort Wayne School of Art opened in October in a cozy, sunlit loft off Lafayette Street, offering classes and events for kids and adults. Founder Lauren VanderHorst leads beginner-friendly courses in watercolor, drawing, and crochet, plus Thursday/Saturday paint nights and private events. She hopes to add advanced workshops as the studio grows. Get all the details.

Start your year smarter: Fort Wayne Newspapers will kick off 2026 with the free “New Year, New Growth” webinar series for local businesses, every Wednesday at noon in January starting Jan. 7. Expect practical tools, expert insights, and live Q&A. Registration is required. Topics span digital marketing, hiring, finance, and productivity. See the schedule and register.

Fresh cut, happier week: Whether you want a subtle trim, a fresh color reset, or that heavenly shampoo with scalp-and-hand massage, Pin-Up Curls brings salon, spa, and boutique together, so you leave with great hair, relaxed shoulders, and a little extra pep.

Thinning hair? Same: I’ve been shedding a lot, and recently noticed my ponytail feeling thinner. After way too much panic-Googling, I decided to take Hers’ online quiz. They recommended a Biotin + Minoxidil green-apple gummy for regrowth and overall hair health. The whole thing was surprisingly easy: just verify who you are and a licensed provider signs off. Here’s the quiz if you want to check it out.

Makeup that actually works: My sister and I were talking the other day about how the makeup we used in our 20s… just doesn’t work now that we’re in our 30s and 40s. Laura Geller’s entire makeup line addresses this shift, with formulas that smooth, brighten, and actually stay put. If you’re in the same boat, their curated kits are worth a look.

📆 Around town this weekend

All events are subject to change without notice. This is entirely outside our control. Please check official event pages and social media for the most up to date information.

Today

🕵️ The Dinner Detective True Crime Murder Mystery Dinner Show @ Courtyard by Marriott Fort Wayne Downtown | Friday (12/12) at 7:00pm – Finally, a place to put your true crime podcast degree to work. In this interactive Fort Wayne dinner, actors blend in without costumes, the culprit lurks in plain sight, and your ticket covers the show, a full plated meal, gratuity, and gleeful accusations.

🎶 Straight No Chaser: Holiday Road Tour @ Embassy Theatre | Friday (12/12) at 8:00pm – Holiday season calls for harmonies, cozy seats, and cheesiness you secretly love. Straight No Chaser hits the Embassy with a wink to Christmas Vacation, serving tight a cappella, classics you know by heart, and enough dad jokes to make your actual dad feel seen.

This weekend

🎄 Christmas Time in Chicago| Saturday (12/13) at 8:00am – Let someone else brave the Dan Ryan and hop on for a holiday jaunt to Chicago. We bring the bus, festive brunch, and tunes; you get four hours to roam the Magnificent Mile, sip hot chocolate, skate, and see the lights. Zero parking, maximum cheer.

🥕 Winter Fest | Summit City Farmers Market| Saturday (12/13) at 9:00am – Swing by the Summit City Farmers Market for Winter Fest, a cozy holiday shake-up with family-friendly fun, local makers, and that small-town cheer you actually like. Think warm drinks, easy browsing, and neighbors you only sort of recognize, in a good way.

🌲 Nature’s Christmas @ Metea County Park | Saturday (12/13) at 2:00pm – If you’ve been waiting for a sign to swap mall chaos for real cheer, this annual tradition delivers. Make handmade ornaments, munch homemade cookies, ride in a horse-drawn hay wagon, and get a photo with Father Christmas by the fire, cocoa in hand, dignity intact.

🥂 Holiday Cheer @ Promenade Park | Sunday (12/14) at 1:00pm – Nothing says small-town holidays like an afternoon at Promenade Park with Santa, the American Legion Band, and a flurry of kid crafts. Bring the grandkids, write a letter or three, snag a photo, and soak up the classics. Free, cheerful, and blissfully screen-light.

🧘 Melt and Manifest @ Wixporium Candle Bar | Sunday (12/14) at 4:00pm – This candle-centric night blends music, intention setting, and a fundraiser, so you can feel virtuous and smell amazing. Bring your baggage, melt it down, and trade it for good vibes, better playlists, and a cause that matters.

🎤 Steven Rogers @ Summit City Comedy Club | Sunday (12/14) at 7:00pm – Steven Rogers is headlining, bringing crisp, witty stand-up, relatable slices of adulthood, and the kind of punchlines that sneak up on you. Consider it a quality night out with minimal hassle, maximum laughs, and no forced small talk, just how locals like it.

Next week

✨ Wild Lights @ Fort Wayne Zoo | Monday (12/15) at 5:30pm – Cold nights call for sparkle, and the Fort Wayne Zoo delivers with a million lights, Santa, elves, and a tree lighting. Stroll the paths, ride the Evergreen Express, toast s’mores, decorate cookies, and trade looks with reindeer, because nostalgia pairs well with mittens and grandkids.

⭐ Peter Mayer – Stars & Promises Christmas Tour @ Emmanuel Lutheran Church | Monday (12/15) at 7:00pm – Skip the mall soundtrack and catch Peter Mayer’s annual Stars & Promises Christmas tour, a warm, well-played holiday show that favors heart over hype. Expect shimmering guitar, thoughtful originals, and carols you actually remember. Fort Wayne gets twinkle, you get a night off from wrapping.

✨ Fern’s Fairylight Express @ Foellinger-Freimann Botanical Conservatory | Tuesday (12/16) at 10:00am – Step out of the daylight and into a twinkling wonderland as the Conservatory transforms into a cozy, fairylight-filled escape. Wander through glowing displays, lush greenery, and magical nooks that feel straight out of a storybook.

Wanna see more? Browse our full events calendar →

🎶 Live music & entertainment

• 12/12 The Dinner Detective True Crime Murder Mystery Dinner Show @ Courtyard by Marriott Fort Wayne Downtown – 7 pm
• 12/13 Corks & Cords – Singo Holiday Edition @ Country Heritage Winery – 6 pm
• 12/13 Allen Stone and more @ Clyde Theatre – 8 pm
• 12/13 90 Proof @ Knockin’ Boots Saloon – 9 pm
• 12/16 Ok Boomer Band @ The Club Room – 6 pm
• 12/16 Singo: 90’s Pop @ Country Heritage Winery – 6 pm
• 12/17 Jingle Mingle: Holiday Sing-Along @ ACPL – 1:30 pm
• 12/18 Holiday Pops @ PFW Music Center – 7:30 pm
• 12/19 Corks & Cords – Hubie Ashcraft Solo @ Country Heritage Winery – 6 pm
• 12/21 Billy Ballenger @ Kingdom Reign Ministries – 6:30 pm

🏠️ Price is right – Fort Wayne edition

How it works: We’re going to give you some facts about a home for sale, including a picture of the outside, the kitchen, and one additional room. Your job? Guess how much it’s listed for (preferably before you click to find out).

Listed by: Joelle Ruefer (Encore Sotheby's International Realty)

Architect-designed 1948 classic on storied Forest Park Blvd in Fort Wayne, set on a half acre. Nearly 6,000 square feet, 4 beds and 2.5 baths. Sunlit formal rooms frame an entry. The oversized great room shows off cherry detailing, a wood-burning fireplace with gas conversion, and a window wall to landscaped grounds and a lighted sports court.

Grabill cabinetry, a pro Frigidaire range, and a butler’s pantry elevate the kitchen. A second family room opens to the patio with gas Weber and awning. Upstairs, a primary retreat. Downstairs, rosewood paneling and a fully concrete flex room.

Make your guess, then (and only then)… see how much it costs →