IJA eNewsletter - June 2019

www.juggle.org

IJA eNewsletter

June 2019

Editor: Don Lewis
(ijanews@juggle.org)

CONTENTS

What’s happening at the festival ?
Last minute festival registration
Festival hotels, room, and ride sharing
Festival schedule available online
Workshop schedule is online
Staying Nourished and Hydrated in Downtown Fort Wayne
Things to do in Fort Wayne
2018 Festival video available in IJA Store
Latest articles in eJuggle
Upcoming juggling festivals

2019 IJA Festival – Fort Wayne, Indiana – June 24 – 30, 2019

Yes, exceptionally the festival is in late June this time!

Check out Fort Wayne at https://www.visitfortwayne.com/#

What’s happening at the festival ?

Festival Director David Cain has published an engaging article over at eJuggle which describes exactly what will be happening, and when, during the festival.
Go to https://juggle.org/2019-ija-fest-preview/ to read the preview. You don’t have to log-in to read the article.

Last minute festival registration

You can still register for the festival in person at the Convention Centre in Fort Wayne. We know that some jugglers like to decide to join us at the last minute, so we make sure to have room for everyone. Just show up and be welcome. Monday is a free day while we set up for the week.

Festival hotels, room & ride sharing

See our website for up-to-date hotel information at https://juggle.org/festival-details/lodging/. If you want to share a room or a ride to the festival, check out the room and ride share group. Members who have paid the hotel booking fee and cannot now attend the festival may use the room and ride share group to try to find a buyer for their reservation. It is up to the buyer and seller to arrange the transfer.

IJA Festival Room and Ride Share Group

Festival schedule available online.

This year the IJA is using sched.com to provide an online schedule of festival events and workshops. You don’t need a special app, any web browser can access the schedule. Free WiFi will be available in the Convention centre. Just look for the GWCC Guest network and connect.

Check out the schedule at https://ija2019fortwayne.sched.com

Workshop schedule online.

The workshop schedule announced last month has now been integrated into the master schedule at https://ija2019fortwayne.sched.com. Many of the workshop leaders are adding detailed descriptions of their workshops to help you decide which to choose.

We are also still accepting workshop submissions. Expect more workshops to be added to the schedule by the time the festival begins, and even during the festival. Workshop signups can be found here: https://tinyurl.com/ija2019workshopsignups

If you are disappointed that there is no workshop for something you really want to learn, just ask at the workshop table. It may be possible to find a teacher, and others may be interested as well. You’ll never know if you don’t ask.

Staying Nourished and Hydrated in Downtown Fort Wayne, by Mike Sullivan

As your Future Festival Site “advance man” for the IJA since 2008, I’ve had the special treat of being able to visit our future festival destinations well in advance of our festival week, and usually more than once.

My first visit is to qualify and tour the destination as a prospective festival host city; if the destination is eventually selected for a future festival by IJA’s Board of Directors, I’m often able to accompany our Festival Director for a “pre-con” (pre-conference) visit the fall prior to our festival; and then, finally, I come to the city a third time for the festival itself, to be joined by hundreds of happy jugglers like you for a week of carefree fun. During those advance visits, I carefully survey and make notes on all the best, close-by places to eat and drink near our festival venues.

We have an embarrassment of riches awaiting us this year in downtown Fort Wayne! Once you arrive and find your way around our main venues (which, by the way, are all adjacent and connected to each other!), you’ll see that we’re literally surrounded by many fine independent restaurants and bars in every direction, all within a safe, easy walk of the hotels, theater and gym.

So for this year’s 72nd Annual in Fort Wayne, I’m happy to pass along these tips for where you can find good food and drink near our main event venues.

BREAKFAST:

Cindy’s Diner: “Feeding the world 12 people at a time.” A classic railcar diner and a Fort Wayne tradition since 1952, Cindy’s is just a short walk from the IJA hotels. Excellent breakfasts and lunch in an “intimate” atmosphere where you’ll literally “rub elbows” with the locals. Highly Recommended
Courtyard Hotel Grab & Go: In the lobby of the Courtyard by Marriott Fort Wayne Downtown, ready to get you going with quick breakfast and snack items, a full coffee bar and more.
Conner’s Kitchen & Bar: Adjacent to the lobby of the Courtyard by Marriott Fort Wayne Downtown is the newly-opened Conner’s Kitchen & Bar, serving three meals a day.
The Dash Inn: (MUST BE 21 TO ENTER) The Dash Inn is a pub and restaurant that serves breakfast as well, and is a quick 6-minute walk from the gym. Breakfast sandwiches, wraps, eggs to order, omelets and more, plus many other lighter breakfast choices starting at just a buck or two. They also serve a great menu of coffee drinks of all kinds. Opens at 7am Monday-Friday, and at 9am on Saturday.
Hilton Grab & Go: Like the Courtyard, there’s a nicely-stocked grab-and-go counter in the lobby of the Hilton, as well as full-sized, full-service Starbucks Coffee (open 6a-6p 7 days) just a few steps away.
Features Restaurant – Hilton Hotel: The full-service Features restaurant serves cooked-to-order and buffet breakfast every day, and is also open for lunch and dinner.
Dunkin’ Donuts: Tucked alongside the main branch of the Allen County Public Library, just one short block from the Grand Wayne Convention Center, you’ll find a full-size Dunkin’ Donuts, opening at 7am Monday-Thursday, 8am on Saturday and 11am on Sunday.

LUNCH & DINNER

Conner’s Kitchen & Bar: New in November, 2018, Conner’s is a great, casual, full-service restaurant and bar just off the lobby of the Courtyard by Marriott Fort Wayne Downtown. Open all day for breakfast, lunch and dinner, with a full bar open until late, Conner’s features farm-to-table local fare, classic American entrées, and much more. Reasonable prices, great food and ultimate convenience!
Henry’s: “Meet Me at Henry’s” — that’s what Fort Wayners have been saying since this classic American steakhouse opened in 1959. It’s an authentic “old school” independent steakhouse, classy but casual, with a great, cozy atmosphere, a huge antique carved wood bar, and excellent food and drinks at nice, low Midwestern prices! How low? How’s $4.25 sound for a call brand mixed cocktail? Or $20.99 for a New York strip steak dinner? Drive over or hop in an Uber/Lyft/taxi to enjoy dinner and drinks at Henry’s any night during the week — Henry’s opens every day at 4pm.Highly Recommended
Features Restaurant – in the Hilton Hotel: The full-service Features restaurant serves lunch and dinner every day, and the bar is open from about 3pm until late.
The Hoppy Gnome: The Hoppy Gnome is an outstanding new restaurant and bar just a few minutes’ walk from the gym in downtown Fort Wayne. Excellent, fresh, locally-sourced ingredients go into their “taco-focused” menu, but you’ll find plenty more on their menu for lunch or dinner. Their GnomeTown Brewing Company ales and lagers are brewed on-site, and anchor a tapline featuring over 30 brews from near and far. Open 11a-10p Monday-Thursday, and until 11pm on Friday and Saturday. Highly Recommended
The Dash Inn: (MUST BE 21 TO ENTER) Only a 6-minute walk from the gym, the Dash Inn has a HUGE menu of lunch and dinner items, all of them VERY reasonably priced, as well as a 20-beer tapline, a nice wine selection, desserts and more. Open for three meals seven days a week, until 10pm Monday-Thursday and until 11pm on Friday and Saturday.
J.K. O’Donnell’s Irish Ale House & Castlebar: Known simply as “JK’s” by the thousands of locals who have made it famous, this authentic Irish pub and restaurant has everything for a great dinner out. From the house-made Irish entrées to more American fare and much more, JK’s also features an extensive selection of drafts and whiskeys from around the world. If you’ve always wanted to sample an Old Speckled Hen, a Weihenstephaner Hefeweizen, or a superb Rochefort Trappist 10 Quadrupel, you can do it at JK’s! Highly Recommended
816 Pint & Slice: Pint & Slice is downtown’s best bet for good pizza and cold beer, quick or at your leisure, just a 5-minute walk from the gym or either hotel. Located in an historic building, Pint & Slice is a must-visit establishment that serves up great pizzas, salads, wings, appetizers and pastas for lunch and dinner. Opens at 11am daily, through 10pm Tuesday-Saturday. They’re open even later on Friday night during festival week for the Tincaps baseball game!

BARS

You shouldn’t go thirsty in downtown Fort Wayne! Nice, fun, cozy bars are easy to find in every direction around our festival venues. See the restaurant listing above to get a good start on your hydration needs.

FAST FOOD

Our festival venues are surrounded by all the usual fast food chains within a short walk of everything.

Just outside the doors of either the Hilton or the Courtyard, you will find all of these outlets within a 10-minute walk along West Jefferson Blvd: McDonald’s, Taco Bell, Subway, Rally’s, Dunkin’ Donuts, Arby’s, Burger King, Powers Hamburger Shop, Wendy’s, Jimmy John’s, King Gyros, and more.

This link to a Yelp map page will help you find all the fast food you could want nearby our main venues.

ADDITIONAL LINKS & MAPS

Our hosts at Visit Fort Wayne have a great set of maps and guides for the downtown area on their website. Check these links for even more information about your visit. In addition, a friendly, expert local volunteer from Visit Fort Wayne will be in the gym on Tuesday from 1-4pm, Friday from 1-4pm, and Saturday from 11am-2pm.

Visit Fort Wayne – Downtown Map Explorer– As a point of reference, the Grand Wayne Convention Center, Hilton Hotel and Courtyard by Marriott Fort Wayne Downtown are all located along West Jefferson Blvd. between Harrison & Calhoun.
Visit Fort Wayne – Printable Maps & Guides
Visit Fort Wayne – Things to Do & Places to See in Downtown
Download: Downtown Dining Map
Download: Downtown Breakfast Dining Map
Download: Fort Wayne Visitors Guide
WikiTravel – Fort Wayne

Save me a seat at the bar, and we’ll see you in Fort Wayne!

Things to do in Fort Wayne, by Visit Fort Wayne

Fort Wayne, Indiana’s second-largest city, is delighted to host the 2019 International Jugglers’ Association Festival!
In addition to the amazing event venue at the Grand Wayne Convention Center, we offer countless activities, restaurants and special events to enjoy while you are here!

Discover nearby hotels, restaurants, shopping, and entertainment!

Looking for more things to do while you are here? Our Calendar of Events is full of great ways to spend your free time exploring Fort Wayne. Greek Fest, Buskerfest and Lunch on the Square are just a few events happening downtown during your stay!

Come Early
Want to make a trip out of your time in Fort Wayne? We have more than enough to keep you entertained. Come into town early to experience our diverse dining, amazing shopping and lively attractions. And of course no trip to Fort Wayne is complete without a visit to the award-winning Fort Wayne Children’s Zoo. You’re bound to have a wonderful stay.

Reps from Visit Fort Wayne will be in the gym during the week to help everyone find the best places to eat, drink and see while they’re in town. Stop by the Visit Fort Wayne table and talk to their friendly volunteers to find out how to make the most of your festival week.

visitfortwayne.com/ijaevents

2018 Festival video available

The DVD is up and can be purchased in our online store here: https://ym.juggle.org/store/ViewProduct.aspx?id=12959088

IJA members can view the festival video for free in segments within these four eJuggle articles:

https://juggle.org/2018-ija-festival-video-part-1

https://juggle.org/2018-ija-festival-video-part-2

https://juggle.org/2018-ija-festival-video-part-3

https://juggle.org/2018-ija-festival-video-part-4

Latest articles in eJuggle

06/18 Richard Hartnell on “Drop Everything” podcast with host Dan Holzman (by Daniel Holzman)
06/17 Paul Spadoni – Strongman Juggler (by David Cain)
06/15 IJA Regional Competition – IRC Central America 2019 Highlights Video (by Erin Stephens)
06/14 Sorin Munteanu – A Video and Photo Retrospect (by David Cain)
06/12 IJA Tricks of the Month by Tyfoods of the USA | Poi Juggling (by IJA Tricks of the Month)
06/08 IJA Tricks of the Month by Bar Story Show of Russia | Flair Bartending (by IJA Tricks of the Month)
06/04 The 20th Bungay Balls Up Juggling Convention – Review (by Jon Peat)
06/02 The Mongadors (by David Cain)
05/30 2019 IJA Fest Preview (by David Cain)
05/29 IJA Tricks of the Month May by Dalton Sessumes from USA | Leviwand (by IJA Tricks of the Month)
05/29 EJC Mini Interviews (by Guest Writer)

Upcoming juggling festivals

Below is a list of some upcoming juggling festivals. For a list of even more fests, check our worldwide juggling event listings.

To get a festival listed here for free, just drop a note to us at ijanews@juggle.org. Hey, jugglers want to know about juggling fests. Help them out and get more jugglers to your fest at the same time.

21. Freiburger Jonglierfestival

30 May – 2 Jun 2019

Sporthallen der Wentzinger Schulen; Seepark, Falkenbergerstraße 21, 79110 Freiburg im Breisgau Germany

https://jonglieren-in-freiburg.de/

NICE Jonglierfestival 2019

30 May – 2 Jun 2019

Neue Mittelschule/Florianer Halle St.Florian, Wiener Straße 44, 4490 St.Florian Austria (Österreich)

https://www.nice-convention.at/

Flatland Juggling Festival

07 Jun – 09 Jun 2019

Lincoln, NB 68502 USA

https://www.underthecouch.com/flatland