Three Rivers Festival

Every summer in July, half a million people descend on downtown Fort Wayne, Indiana, for the annual Three Rivers Festival. Patrons of the festival enjoy nine days of fun events, entertainment, and food. In 1968, Dean Phillips of the Fort Wayne Convention and Visitor Bureau came up with the idea of holding a community festival. With the support of Mayor Harold S. Zeis, Phillips, along with Paul Shaffer, Joan White, Bob Walda, Elston Ehrler, Tommy Manny, and Ruth Whearly, hosted a festival that promoted business and industry, celebrated Fort Wayne's culture and diversity, and helped revitalize the downtown area. Celebrating its 50th anniversary in 2018, the Three Rivers Festival remains Fort Wayne's largest summer celebration and is the second-largest festival in the state of Indiana!

Lori Angela Graf earned her bachelor of arts in history and anthropology from Indiana University in 2008 and her master of arts in public history from the American Military University in 2016. She worked in historic preservation for eight years before changing careers and becoming the event specialist for the Three Rivers Festival in 2014. Lori and her three children enjoy the festival together each year.