Christmas Carol Watercolors on Display at the History Center

A new addition to the Festival of Gingerbread this year brings back fond memories of the holidays in downtown Fort Wayne. The History Center will display original watercolors by local artists Fred Gilbert and Patricia McKee that once adorned Patterson Fletcher department store in downtown Fort Wayne during the holidays in the 1940s and 1950s.

These watercolors were based on the illustrations in the 1938 edition of A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens. Many visitors remembered these paintings from their younger days, and this year the complete set of 20 individual paintings will be on display.

This is the 23rd anniversary of the Festival of Gingerbread fundraiser, held November 28–December 14, 2008. More than 10,000 visitors come through the History Center every year to enjoy the many fanciful gingerbread creations on display during the Festival of Gingerbread.

Hours during the Festival of Gingerbread are: Monday through Thursday, 9am-5pm; Friday, 9am-8pm; Saturday, 9am-5pm; and Sunday, Noon-5pm. For more information, call the History Center at 260.426.2882, or visit http://www.fwhistorycenter.com/.

The History Center is located at 302 East Berry Street, Fort Wayne. Admission is $5.00 for adults; $3.00 for seniors and students; free to children age 5 and under.