Sol Fest, the yearly event that serves to raise funds for Allen County’s two county parks, Metea Park and Fox Island County Park. This year, due a storm that caused significant damage to Fox Island, the festivities that mark Sol Fest will take place Saturday, June 10, 2023 at Metea Park, 8401 Union Chapel Rd, Fort Wayne, IN. Funds raised will go toward efforts to restore trees at Fox Island, and the repair of walkways and trails at Metea Park.
Sol Fest: supporting county parks in Fort Wayne
Because most of Fort Wayne consists of suburban and urban regions, the existence of county parks gives residents and visitors a wilderness retreat just a short drive away from suburban areas on the north and southwest sides of town.
Before its closure as a result of the June 2022 storm, Fox Island offered swimming, a dog beach, and nature education. The park is a popular place for families, nature lovers of all ages, and even for field trips for area schools. Thus, the preservation of Fox Island is essential to what Fort Wayne has to offer in terms of nature education and recreation.
Metea Park is a large property divided by a river. Its administrators offer a variety of programs that are either lead by park employees, or that allow visitors to participate in self-guided activities. Some examples of programming offered at Metea Park are Nature Story Time, Construct a Nature Journal, Prairie Ecosystems, Wildflowers, and workshops for teachers, to name a few.
The county parks are an invaluable resource for natural education and recreation. It should be noted that Fox Island will be closed throughout 2023, and it is hoped that with sufficient resources, the park will reopen in 2024.
Sol Fest: What to expect in 2023
Food, fun, music, and more. That is what to expect at Sol Fest. Its subtitle is “A Celebration of the Sun,” but a reason for attending Sol Fest might better be described as concern for county parks. Even with a serious cause as the core reason behind the event, Sol Fest seems to be an event with fun on the agenda.
Two stages of musical acts will keep the fun vibes flowing. The event kicks off at 11 a.m. and runs until 10 p.m. That gives attendees a full day of music. Local musical favorites are scheduled to perform. Among them are: Left Lane Cruiser, Sunny Taylor, Shellie Dixon, Wailhounds, and the kids from School of Rock.
Other activities and food will be part of the day’s activities. Food trucks, Mad Anthony beer-cider-wine, homemade baked goods, fire/LED spinning, kayak rentals, swimming at the park’s beach, and “interactive acrobatics.” For more information about the event, including tickets and schedule of musical performers, visit: http://visitfortwayne.com
