Ragamuffin Is Closing... 🥺🥐💕(Its Storefront)

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

In today’s digest:

• Road Work Ahead? Summer Construction

• 2045 Downtown Master Plan: Presentation

• Curated events this week

• Waitress Auditions

A Note from Alayna: Y’all I gotta know: What’s your favorite thing to do on the first 50+ degree day of the year? For myself, I love walking around the city (in fact, I just got back from a 3 mile run via a new route around the river!)

This issue is 1,194 words, a 4-minute read.

The Digest

The Ragamuffin Bakery is Closing (its storefront)

If you’ve never heard of the Ragamuffin, then take a moment out of your next two weekends to take the kiddos, your friends, your partner — or just yourself — and enjoy some warmer weather and a sweet treat at the Ragamuffin Bakery before Abigail (owner) closes her storefront to pursue her growing catering business.

If you’ve been a long-time friend of Ragamuffin, then perhaps the words of Kath Keur on her blog, Food-Belt, will help soothe the ache:

“You may have your own Ragamuffin rituals, and saying goodbye is hard. But rest assured—the bakery isn’t going away, it’s just evolving. You’ll be able to find The Ragamuffin’s treats at Purple Porch Co-Op, Quad Coffee, and Down to Earth. Abigail will also pop up in person at Quad Coffee regularly, and you can always order a box of treats online. So, this isn’t an ending—it’s a return to what Abigail loves most. And that is something to celebrate.”

Read Kath’s full article here: Food-Belt.

Place some catering orders for Abigail here: Ragamuffin.

Summer Construction Season: Road Work Ahead? Uh, Yeah, I sure Hope it Does…

Big changes are coming to Mishawaka Avenue and the Wall Street-Greenlawn area near Potawatomi Park!

• Mishawaka Avenue will be reduced from five lanes to two, adding a median, better sidewalks, and a multi-use path to improve pedestrian safety near the Farmers Market.

• Wall Street-Greenlawn will get 80 new parking spaces, speed bumps, sidewalks, and a small roundabout to ease traffic near Potawatomi Zoo.

• Potawatomi Park Pool will be demolished before work begins.

Expect construction through 2025, but once finished, these improvements will make the area safer and more walkable! 🚶‍♂️

Check out the details to learn more.

More Parks? More Green Space? More Nature? And all in St. Joseph County? YES PLEASE

A long-awaited park at Anderson & Beech roads could open in 2026! If approved, construction will start this summer.

🔹 What’s Planned? Paved trails, a pavilion, and restored natural areas.
🔹 How’s It Funded? A $6.2M bond (no tax increase) also upgrades other county parks.
🔹 What’s Next? Key votes and public input meetings before final designs.

Check out the details

The Happenings

Curated picks 📆 

🎭 Fat Tuesday at Chicory: Downtown South Bend Location

Everything you could want to swing into the Lenten season! Beads! Music! Family Fun!

Chicory Cafe is South Bend's Fat Tuesday spot! FREE Beads for all guests! Family Friendly!

Come get your favorite New Orleans favorites such as our Jambalaya, Seafood Gumbo, Muffulettas, and Beignets!

We will have Hurricanes on special for $7!
$5 drink specials
$4 16oz Abita Purple Haze
More drink specials to come!

Live Music from 7 pm - 9 pm with local Jazz band Phat Tuesday Dixieland Band Chicory Cafe in South Bend will be open from 7:30 am - 9 pm! This is our biggest party of the year!

Details

🌆 What’s Coming to YOUR Downtown? Check it Out!

Big changes are coming to Downtown South Bend, and you have a chance to be part of the vision! Join us for a special Downtown South Bend 2045 presentation and open house events to see the draft plan, share your thoughts, and help shape the city's future.

📅 Main Presentation:
📍 Thursday, Feb. 27 | 6 PM
📍 Leighton Auditorium, St. Joseph County Public Library

📅 Open House Events:
📍 Tuesday, March 4 & Thursday, March 6 | 9 AM – 4:30 PM
📍 Howard Park Event Center (Brief presentations at 12 PM)

This is your city, so stop by to explore key themes and help create a vibrant, thriving South Bend! Check out all the Details.

More events

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

🛠️ Build South Bend: Connect with local developers at the General tonight and learn more about how you can become a professional DIYer. Details

🌷 Trading Turnips - A new gardening group meeting up at The Well today. Details

 🫖 High Tea at Iron Hand Wine Bar: Need your London High Tea fix? Check out this event by Ironhand and experience a High Tea without leaving the States! Details

⛹️‍♀️ Still want to see ND Women’s Basketball in action? There are still regular season tickets left! Tickets

☀️ Freedom Summer Presentations: Students from IU South Bend’s Freedom Summer 2024 and community members will share their transformative journey through the Deep South, reflecting on powerful Civil Rights Movement sites and how the experience shaped their perspectives. Check out the details

 🎯 Game Night at the Well: Join a free murder-mystery game night filled with deception, strategy, and fun—no experience needed, just bring your friends and uncover (or conceal) the truth!Details

🎸 Check out this local band at Cheers bar! For only a $5 cover, enjoy this fun, local band. Details.

✨Coming soon✨

If you’re like me and love planning ahead, mark your calendar for these events after March 6th!

📚Brain Lair Books & Indiana Whiskey are coming at you with the coolest collab! Check out the details.

 🥁 Wrecked Wrens at Lang Lab: Lang-Lab hosts tons of cool shows (art, music, and theatre) and this next show is sure to be fun for everyone! Details

 🌷 South Bend’s Spring Artisan Market: The annual spring artisan market is coming to the Bend. Check out the details

🐒 Zoo Luminate: The Potawatomi Zoo is bringing a special event to town this year! Tickets.

Rapid Fire Hits

Quick headlines and things to know from all around 🌐

Waitress Auditions: The South Bend Civic Theatre is holding auditions for this iconic production. (Details)

New Prices at the Conservatory: Check out the updated prices at the Conservatory for this year and snag yourself a membership! (Details)

Gene’s Camera Store Changes Hands: Gene’s camera store is entering a new era! (Details).

More New Developments? Check out the most recent news from the Redevelopment Commission! The three most recent decisions mean more old buildings and vacant lots being redeveloped. Details

A Reddit thread discussing where to get the best Caesar salads in South Bend (Reddit)

Happy Thursday! See you around the Bend!

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