Need St. Patricks Day Plans?

Happy Thursday! This newsletter is for the newbies, the lifers, the townies, and the domers.

In today’s digest:

• Fusion Fest

• Blackthorn Opens Early

• Curated Events

• New Apartments

A Note from Alayna: 

As Spring approaches this year, I’m trying to figure out if it’s worth paying someone to come out and do quarterly fertilizing. Is it worth it? Are you paying someone to do this for you?

This issue is 1,268 words, a 4.5-minute read.

The Digest

Fusion Fest Returns to Howard Park!

South Bend's global celebration is back for its third year! From September 27-28, Howard Park will transform into a global cultural hub with authentic food, performances, and art from around the world.

This year's festival features four distinct zones: North/South America, Africa, Europe, and Asia/Australia. Each area will be packed with regional flavors and experiences.

Want to get involved? Performers, artisans, and vendors, this is your chance to showcase your culture and creativity! Whether through storytelling, dance, food, art, or music, apply to be part of the fun.

👉 Apply at sbfusionfest.com
🗓️ Vendor/Artisan Deadline: May 30
🗓️ Performer Deadline: June 30

How to see tonight’s total lunar eclipse 🔴🌕️ 

If you’re lucky and willing to stay up, you can catch a rare lunar moment tonight (and maybe some glimpses of Jupiter and Mars). Fingers crossed no clouds get in the way!

The timing 🕙

• Eclipse begins around 11:57 pm tonight

• Totality between 2:26-3:31 am Friday

• Eclipse will end around 6:00 am Friday

Blackthorn swings into golf season 🏌️‍♂️

Blackthorn Golf Club opened its links Tuesday, kicking off the season ahead of their typical late March/early April timeline.

Some history: Blackthorn Golf Club, founded in 1992, is a premier golf destination in South Bend, offering a challenging 18-hole, par-71 course designed by Dr. Michael Hurdzan. Known for its meticulously maintained grounds and diverse terrain, it regularly hosts prestigious events like U.S. Open qualifiers.

Their upcoming icebreaker Saturday is sold out, but their website has plenty of other tee times to get some golf in.

Local Business

Highlight of the week: The Grateful Pie Company

Just outside the Bend, At 71, Barbara Funnell is thriving with her Grateful Pie Company at Fernwood Botanical Garden’s cafe near Buchanan, Michigan! 🍰✨

Starting with 85 fruit trees and a bustling market business, Barbara built her pie empire at a South Bend food incubator. But in 2024, she jumped at the chance to take over Fernwood’s cafe, offering affordable comfort food—soups, salads, sandwiches, pies, and her famous lemon lavender bar.

Inspired by her love of The Grateful Dead and gratitude, Barbara’s business continues growing, now serving garden visitors and hungry locals. You can still find her goodies at Purple Porch, but the real magic’s at Fernwood!

Check out the details to learn more.

The Happenings

Curated picks 📆 

Our St. Pat’s Parade Is This Saturday! 🇮🇪 ☘️

By now, you're either finalizing plans to join thousands downtown or strategically plotting your parade-avoidance route for Saturday.

The 25th Annual St. Patrick's Parade kicks off at 11 am March 15 on Jefferson Boulevard in the East Bank Village, promising green everything, festive music, and what promises to be an all-around good time.

Immediately following, catch the Greening of the East Race and visit the Teeling Irish Whiskey Parade Patio at The Hammer & Quill.

Need parade route details? Click here.

Parking information? Click here.

However you plan to spend your Saturday, sláinte!

St. Patricks at Madison Oyster Bar

Get ready for a St. Patrick's Weekend like no other at Madison Oyster Bar! 🍀 Starting Friday, March 14th through Monday, March 17th, dive into the fun with the DTSB Pub Crawl, festive food specials like corned beef dinners and sandwiches, and drink specials that include green beer and Irish whiskey.

Enjoy free swag, like shirts and beads, while soaking in the Irish vibes all weekend. Whether pub crawling or enjoying a pint, Madison Oyster Bar is your St. Paddy’s destination! 🍻

Check out all the Details.

The Addams Family

Get ready for a spooky good time as The Addams Family hits the Morris Performing Arts Center this weekend! 🖤 

Join Gomez, Morticia, and the gang for a hilarious, creepy, and kooky musical filled with dark humor and heartwarming moments. Don't miss out on this family-friendly show full of surprises, laughter, and the iconic Addams charm.

It's the perfect way to kick off the weekend with some offbeat fun!

Details

More events

A mix of things happening this weekend and into next week!

🐱 Cats & Cards at The Cat Lady Café - Dive into Tarot and kitten cuddles with Sky Apothecary! Learn the basics of Tarot while sipping tea and enjoying the company of adorable cats in this fun, hands-on class. Details

🍀 Shamrock Shuttle Pub Crawl - Shamrock your way through South Bend’s best bars on the official St. Patrick’s Pub Crawl, complete with drink specials, live music, and the Shamrock Shuttle to take you to all the fun—costumes encouraged! Details

🧀 Fondue Night at Ironhand: Dip into a delicious cheese fondue evening on February 18th from 5-8 PM! For just $35 per person, enjoy savory fondue with tasty dippables. Reserve your spot: RSVP

💃 South Bend Latin Dance: Try something new or meet some new friends at Ironhand Wine Bar for Latin dancing, including salsa dancing. Check out the Details

 🌱 Growing Summit: Learn everything you need about gardening at the library this Saturday! Details

✨Coming soon✨

If you’re like me and love planning ahead, mark your calendar for these events after March 12th!

🧠 Brain Awareness Fair: Get ready to explore the brain in a fun and interactive way at the Annual Brain Awareness Fair. Check out the details.

 🤠 Country Night @ The Garage Arcade Bar: Throw on your boots and bop over to the Garage arcade bar for a fun-filled night. Details

🥣 Jammies and Cereal Bar Party: Join the Jammies and Cereal Bar Party for a cozy morning of pajamas, a potluck-style cereal bar, and Saturday morning cartoons! All generations are welcome to enjoy nostalgic fun and good vibes. Details 

🏀 March Madness Watch Party: Take a break from the office and connect with fellow downtown workers at Gibson to watch some March Madness. Tickets

Rapid Fire Hits

Quick headlines and things to know from all around 🌐

Kylo Ren, I mean Adam Driver, was recently seen hanging out at Pirates Cove. That’s pretty neat! (Reddit)

Road Improvement Grants: St. Joseph County is getting major road improvement funds through Indiana's Community Crossings Matching Grant Program! Mishawaka, Osceola, South Bend, and Lakeville all scored grants to boost local infrastructure. (Details)

New Riverfront Apartments: Big plans for downtown South Bend! The City Council just approved the $61.5M Riverwalk Apartments project, aiming to boost the local economy and enhance infrastructure. (Details)

A Note for the Train Commuters: ​The South Shore Line's lobby at South Bend Airport will close for about a month starting March 10 for flooring construction. A temporary waiting area will be set up, and passengers can use other restrooms and purchase tickets via vending machines or the mobile app. The lobby is expected to reopen in mid-April 2025. (Details)

Round-About-We-Go: A new roundabout is coming to the Cleveland and Beech Road intersection in Mishawaka, aimed at improving safety and traffic flow. Construction is set to begin soon, with NIPSCO and other utilities working to prepare the area. Expect smoother travel once completed! (Details)

New Era on the Horizon at Washington: South Bend Washington High School’s coach Reynolds is stepping down and will be exploring new coaching opportunities. This marks the end of an era, and now the school will begin the search for a new leader to guide the team forward. Big shoes to fill for whoever takes the reins next! (Details)

Happy Thursday! See you around the Bend!

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