Our second On the Ground Southeast event on Friday, Sept. 18, was a night filled with dancing, drums, portraits, and community pride in a renovated parklet at 5110 Smith Street.

The evening began with an outdoor photo gallery of portraits from our On the Ground Southeast series, as well as snacks and the opportunity for residents to weigh in on community development concepts for the Mount Vernon Park neighborhood.

After that, residents enjoyed a special performance by members of the Fort Wayne Ballet who led the crowd in dancing demonstrations. Then the Omotayo Rite of Passage "Drums, Not Guns" group took the stage to perform several songs, including "Don't Shoot," in the video above.

Throughout the evening, Fort Wayne's own Blacklight Media captured the highlights and resident portraits. A full photo series is coming soon. 

In the meantime, here are a few shots our staff gathered at the event.