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South Bend/Mishawaka Convention & Visitors Bureau |
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1. Alpacas of Alagaesia, LLC
(574) 299-9356; i-love-alpacas.com Open year-round, Thursday-Saturday noon-6 p.m., other days by appointment. The warm, soft eyes of these gentle alpacas will steal your heart! You might even get an alpaca kiss to take with you. The owners tell you how they raise the animals and how they process their luxurious fur into wearable treasures. You'll find scarves, gloves, necklaces, shawls, sweaters, toys, blankets, rugs, purses and accessories, all made from alpaca fiber. The owners truly love their animals and want to introduce guests to this unique farm lifestyle and the fiber arts that result from it. |
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2. Art Beat
(574) 282-1110; ArtBeatSouthBend.org 11am to 6pm Usually first Saturday after Labor Day in September, call or check Web site for date. The beat definitely goes on in downtown South Bend and you're in for a day of every kind of artistic endeavor imaginable. The event features visual, performing and culinary arts, so you'll have your pick. Browse booths along the street for locally-created arts such as watercolors, photography and jewelry. Every half-hour you'll be treated to a performance, perhaps a ballet or tunes from local musicians. Downtown restaurants present their best treats so you can fill up on an amazing variety, from tasty sandwiches to fancy hors d'oeuvres. |
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3. Artpost Gallery
(574) 287-6293; ArtpostBlog.com Open year-round, Thursday/Friday 12-6; and Sunday 12-4. When you enter this gallery, situated in a beautiful older home in downtown South Bend, you're in for an array of surprises. The owners strive to exhibit regional art that is on the cutting edge. They display the works of local artists for two-month periods, so there are new creations to see every time you visit. You'll find contemporary art, photography, folk art, art books and fine crafts, and the owners are always available to explain the background and motivation of the exhibiting artists. Take your time browsing the art bookstore, gift shop and gallery. You're sure to find treasures to take home. |
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4. Blueberry Ranch
(574) 255-5773; BlueberryRanch.com Open July and August , Monday-Friday 7am to 7pm, Saturday 7am to 5pm. See, taste and enjoy nature's delicious and healthy fruit at one of the largest u-pick blueberry farms in the Midwest. They went organic 18 years ago, and today you can take home blueberries that you pick yourself, those already packaged for you off the bush, frozen blueberries and even blueberry bushes so you can try your hand growing at home. |
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5. Center for History
(574) 235-9664; CenterForHistory.org Open year-round, Monday-Saturday 10am to 5pm; Sundays noon to 5pm; Mondays-Saturdays house tours 11am, 1pm and 2pm; Sundays 1pm and 2:30pm The J.D. Oliver family definitely left their mark on South Bend and the world, making plows that greatly influenced agriculture. You can tour their elegant 38-room Victorian mansion, known as Copshaholm, which retains its original furnishings, plus a charming cottage reflecting the 1930s, a gallery that chronicles local history, a gallery of Notre Dame history and a children's museum all at this location just west of downtown. On the historic house tour, docents provide interesting facts about both the mansion and the family so deeply rooted in Northern Indiana. Stroll thru two acres of historic gardens also on the site. |
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6. Circa Arts Gallery
(574) 233-8400; CircaArtsGallery.com Open year-round, Wednesdays-Fridays 10am to 6pm; Saturdays 11am to 3pm; extended hours in December. The gallery features the works of over 40 artists, both well-known and emerging. The newest addition to the gallery is a concentration on local artists creating works in the Arts and Crafts tradition, made famous by Frank Lloyd Wright. These artists are featured on the new Web site, along with Motawi and Pewabic tiles. Both artists were leaders in the Arts and Crafts movement. Kathy Reddy White, owner of the gallery, is featured with her line called Ziggurat Tiles. Get a preview on the Web site and then come to the gallery and see it all. |
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7. Fire Arts Inc.
(574) 282-2787; FireArtsInc.com Open year-round; Tuesday and Thursday 12:00pm to 9:30pm; first Friday of each month 5pm to 9pm; 11am to 4pm Saturday; or by appointment. Tour work space for three dimensional artists; they may be working on sculpture, pottery or jewelry, allowing an opportunity to watch and ask questions. The processes might include sculpting in clay, creating molds, pouring bronze, carving stone, copper enameling, making glass beads, or cutting and welding metal. Visit the showroom for display and purchase of the artists' work and special exhibitions by nationally recognized artists. There is also an occasional lecture, artist demonstration, or concert. |
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8. Morris Performing Arts Center
(574) 235-9198; box office (800) 537-6415 or (574) 235-9190; MorrisCenter.org Open year-round; call for performance times. Concerts, symphony, comedians, Broadway touring shows, dance and family entertainment all grace the stage at the largest theater in the Northern Indiana region. Located in the heart of downtown South Bend, its roots go back to vaudeville, when it opened as the Palace Theater in 1921. Dinner and show ticket packages are available for most shows, featuring a buffet at the Morris Bistro Restaurant before you watch performers take to the stage. Historic theater tours by appointment Tuesday-Friday. |
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9. Piser Designs
(888) 527-7477; PiserDesigns.com Open year-round, Monday-Saturday 9am to 6pm; other times by appointment. When you enter this century-old house, you're in for a treat. It's been renovated to showcase owner Larry's one-of-a-kind Modern Asian-style furniture, customized for each room. The clean lines echo a Shaker style as well, that emerges in everything from dining room tables to elegant stools. The showhouse also features pottery and paintings that local artists create, along with high-end lighting and plumbing fixtures, all for sale. |
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10. r j clark studio/gallery
(574)- 654-7483 Thursday, Friday & Saturday 11am to 7pm. Sunday noon to 5pm; other times by appointment Viewing the works of Northern Indiana artists is reason enough to stop at this fine art gallery, but you get an even deeper insight into what went into each creation. The artists' profiles, techniques and inspirations are posted next to their works, which include sculpture, watercolors, oils, prints and ceramics. Owner R.J. Clark loves to provide visitors with additional information and give tours of his studio. |
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11. South Bend Chocolate Company
(574) 233-2577; SBChocolate.com Open year-round, Monday-Friday 7am to 6pm, Saturday 8am to 4pm Tours Monday – Friday 9am to 4pm and Saturday 9am to 3pm. You won't go away empty-handed once you stop into this South Bend institution and smell the chocolate. Load down on gifts to take home and treats to keep you satisfied along the way. Chocolate stars in confections that include nuts, fudges, caramels and just about anything you can imagine. You can even try a host of new Notre Dame label coffees. How do they do it all? Take a tour and watch the marvels in the making. |
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12. South Bend Farmers Market
(574) 282-1259, SouthBendFarmersMarket.com Open year-round; Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday. Special hours for May-September, Tuesdays, Thursday, Friday 7am to 2pm and Saturday, 7am to 3pm. It's been 85 years since local farmers started bringing their goods to town for this longtime farmers market. Residents rave that you can get the best breakfast in the city here before you start perusing all the vendors have to offer. Depending on the season, you'll find everything from beans, corn and squash to sweet blueberries, a Northern Indiana staple. Also stock up on fresh meats and poultry and shop for handmade jewelry that local artisans create. |
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13. South Bend Museum of Art
(574) 235-9102; SouthBendArt.org Open year-round, Wednesday-Sunday noon to 5pm. Discover the spirit of the Indiana artist and experience compelling contemporary works by nationally renowned artists. A full spectrum of historical and contemporary American art is featured in six galleries, and a wide-range of artistic traditions are taught in the world-class art studios. Visitors will encounter exhibitions by professional artists living and working in the Midwest, or stroll through a gallery filled with work by local artists. Located inside the Century Center, the SBMA is an architectural delight. Designed by Philip Johnson and John Burgee, the museum occupies three levels in the northern wing of the building. |
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14. St. Patrick’s County Park
(574) 277-4828; SJCParks.org Open year-round, fall and winter 10am to 5:30pm; spring and summer 10am to 8:30pm; closed on major holidays. The hard-working Sisters of the Holy Cross grew crops and raised livestock for the Saint Mary's College back in the 1930s and their legacy lives on in this 398-acre park. Visitors view the old farm buildings, including the Red Barn, one of the largest wooden barns in the county. The Adair Orchard features vintage varieties of apple trees and berry bushes. Interpretive signs along the way tell you the history. But there are lots of modern-day pleasures, including picnicking, hiking and fishing, canoeing the St. Joseph River in the summer and cross-country skiing in the winter. Gate fee on weekends and special events. |
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15. Studebaker National Museum
(574) 235-9714; StudebakerMuseum.org Open daily year-round, Monday-Saturday 10am to 5pm; Sunday noon to 5pm. The design and craftsmanship of the Studebaker family's stunning creations still stands out today when you roam past more than 100 pristinely restored vehicles, such as the 1934 Bendix and the 1935 Commander Roadster. The Conestoga wagon that first brought the Studebakers to South Bend in 1853 is on display, along with carriages that the family created for presidents, including the buggy that Abraham Lincoln took to the theater on his last night. |
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16. Sugar Camp Days Festival
32132 SR 2, New Carlisle, IN 36552 (574) 654-3155; SJCParks.org Open Saturday and Sunday 8am to 4pm, the third weekend in March; other maple syrup programs held February-March, including Tapping Day, Maple by Moonlight and Maple Chili Luncheon – call or check Web site for details. Maple syrup runs deep in Northern Indiana's heritage, right back to Native Americans. For more than 25 years this festival has been celebrating that delicious treat, where visitors view sap collection, old-time cooking methods (both early American kettle cooking and Native American rocks-and-trough method) before they sample the results at a pancake breakfast. Artists demonstrate woodcarving, blacksmithing, spinning and other crafts. Load up on syrup, maple baked goods and other treats to take home. back to top |
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17. The Notre Dame Shakespeare Festival
(574) 631-3777; Shakespeare.nd.edu Performances Tuesday-Sunday, July and August. The Bard would be thrilled to see his works come alive in the stunning DeBartolo Performing Arts Center on the University of Notre Dame campus. You'll see world-known talents in Mainstage productions the last two weeks of August and emerging young stars of tomorrow in touring Young Company productions in July and August. It's all part of an initiative that began in 2001 to broaden the Shakespearean offerings on campus. |
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18. The Oliver Inn
(574) 232-4545; OliverInn.com Open year-round. From the moment you pull into the stately circular drive, The Oliver Inn gently nudges you back into the grandeur of another time and gives you a glimpse of Indiana life at the turn of the century. Built in 1886, it was the home of the Oliver family, which created plows that revolutionized agriculture. Visitors choose from nine antique-filled guest rooms and enjoy a candlelight breakfast in the opulent dining room. Alice Erlandson, who owns the inn with husband Tom, always includes one of her specialties, perhaps caramel pecan French toast. Museums are just a block away. |
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