The annual Vera Bradley Outlet Sale is a BIG deal here in Fort Wayne. The entire community gets in on the action, including local hotels. Many offer special discounts for attendees of the sale - all you have to do is mention “Vera Bradley” when you make your reservation.

So how can you find the best deals? I recommend that you check out the Vera Bradley website’s hotel accommodations list - scroll down to the bottom of that page to start your comparison shopping. Remember, the more money you save on accommodations, the more you will have available to spend at the sale!

I have been anxiously waiting for my ticket to the 2008 Vera Bradley Outlet Sale preview day, to be held on April 30th. I ordered it two weeks ago (February 14th - the day they went on sale) through Ticketmaster. Since that time, I have been watching the mailbox. Granted, I still don’t need it for another two months, but I wanted to make sure it ended up in the right hands (mine!). Anyway, not to worry - I received my ticket today, and now all that’s left to do is wait for the big day!

I’m from the Fort Wayne area (born and raised here), so unlike many others that will be attending the sale, I’m not going to be making a Vera Bradley “pilgrimage”. Nope, no bus trip for me! But for those of you attending from out of town, I’m planning on passing the time until the sale by sharing a little information with you about Fort Wayne - where to stay, what to do, the best places to eat - just a hodge podge of information to make your trip here a little more interesting.

By the way, you don’t need a ticket to attend the sale. Tickets are only required for the preview day on April 30th. Admission to the sale is free during the regular sale dates of May 1 through 4. However, you will need to fork out a couple of bucks for parking. The last time I was at the Allen County Memorial Coliseum (the site of this year’s sale), parking was $4.00. I guess nothing in life is really free (but trust me, it will be worth it)…