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For Eric Kilnkowski, half the fun is in finding the forgotten items that will become his next project.

Klinkowski, of Franklin, runs Smokey Lights alongside his wife Jill Bode. Klinkowski transforms old, forgotten household items and appliances into light fixtures with a vintage flair. A great many things can be repurposed into something else, he said.

����app�And as you make things, sometimes an idea comes to you,����app� he said. ����app�It becomes a challenge to keep it different every time and make sure that each one is unique.����app�

On Saturday, Klinkowski and Bode, each sporting a fedora, reveled in the reactions of customers and passers-by who stopped to admire his work. It was their third year with a booth at Fort Wayne����app�s annual Art in the Park event at Freimann Square.

����app�We like to help people design their space and make it theirs,����app� Klinkowski said. ����app�Each one of these lamps has its own personality, and there����app�s a person out there somewhere for every one of these lamps.����app�

Hosted as part of the Three Rivers Festival, this year����app�s volunteer-run Art in the Park drew more than 100 artists and vendors to Fort Wayne, said Kay Kleinschmidt, who co-chaired Art in the Park 2024 along with fellow volunteer Jane Surbeck.

����app�These are all people who are mostly regional, but some come from as far as Pennsylvania, Texas, Iowa,����app� Kleinschmidt said.

Hundreds of festival goers, visitors and art lovers passed through Freimann Square on Saturday for Art in the Park����app�s first of two days. The bright summer sun helped the annual summer art festival blossom into a vibrant display of artisanship and artistry, as creators showcased their work.

����app�Fort Wayne is a very welcoming, upbeat community,����app� Klinkowski said. ����app�It����app�s a welcoming, diverse community. You get as big a crowd as you get in Indianapolis, but the crowd here is much more relaxed.����app�

South Bend resident Julie Johnson, owner of Original Art by Julie, said art buying is still something people like to do in person. Art shows such as Art in the Park, she said, allow them the chance to do that.

Johnson said she likes Art in the Park because it draws a good crowd and puts a lot of thought into curating the artists participating.

����app�People like to see things in person,����app� Johnson said, adding that she definitely sells more in person than she does through her online store.

Kleinschmidt, who����app�s been involved with Art in the Park in various capacities for about eight years, said she thinks it����app�s wonderful to see how the event has grown and changed over time.

����app�It is amazing every single year, and it����app�s more amazing every single year,����app� she said.

Art in the Park is free and open to the public. It continues from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sunday.