By Catherine Ake
This year South Bend commemorates its 150th anniversary with a yearlong celebration, SB150. Throughout the year, local organizations and businesses are acting as Celebration Partners and hosting events with a South Bend theme or mission. Enmeshed within the community, the University of Notre Dame is strongly committed to South Bend. Every year, Notre Dame utilizes many resources to help strengthen and to make a difference in the surrounding community. Now, the University is celebrating South Bend’s rich past, present, and future with many of its departments becoming Celebration Partners and hosting events.
The DeBartolo Performing Arts Center, Notre Dame Student Film Festival, Notre Dame Center for Arts and Culture, and the Snite Museum of Art are all holding events that tie back to the South Bend community. To incorporate SB150, the DeBartolo Performing Art’s Center is holding a poster design contest in conjunction with “The Bergamot in Concert.” Notre Dame students are encouraged to submit posters that include the SB150 logo. The winning design will be displayed in various South Bend locations, and 150 silk screen event posters will be given away at the performance. Additionally, different schools and departments within the University are hosting events and exhibits for SB150. The School of Architecture is constructing 3-dimensional replicas of historic South Bend buildings and reconstructing a miniature depiction of the historic downtown.
SB150 is the perfect opportunity to uncover what South Bend has to offer. Throughout the year the city is leading a “Discover … South Bend” series that highlights a different aspect of the city’s past, present, and future each month, and offers participants unprecedented access to different South Bend locations. March 1st highlights the city’s Faith & Culture with tours of different South bend religious centers. Some of the other themes include: Transportation, Innovation, Sports, and Architecture.
The celebration peaks on South Bend’s birthday weekend, May 22-24. The three day weekend centers on the St. Joseph River which will feature 10 activity zones. There will be concerts featuring local, regional, and national artists, a Taste of South Bend event featuring the food of almost 50 food providers, a Kid’s Activity Zone, an Adventure Park, an Artisan Gallery, an Island Wine & Brew Mixer, and fireworks to close each night.
Visit the calendar on SB150.com to see a complete list of upcoming events. Online you will find information about numerous lectures, performances, cultural events, scavenger hunts, and adventure activities. Keep checking back throughout the year as the calendar is continually updating as new Celebration Partners join in.
It is easy to become a Celebration Partner. Either create a new event, or tweak an existing one, so that it incorporates South Bend in some way. To find more information about how you can become an official Celebration Partner, click here.