Spending Spring Break in South Bend? There's plenty in and around South Bend to keep you busy during your week off. Take advantage of some free time and (hopefully) nicer weather to explore Michiana and find some of the hidden gems just around the corner.
Sugar Camp Days - Bendix Woods
This annual tradition celebrates the end of winter with a whole lot of maple syrup. Over the course of two days, you can visit St. Joseph County's Bendix Woods to see sap cook into maple syrup, enjoy pancakes, tour a sugar bush (where the sap comes from) and buy home-made booked goods, all made with pure maple syrup. There will be other activities throughout the two days, including live music and Rent-A-Sap Bucket, which you can rent for maple syrup treats to bring home.
Fiddler's Hearth
Fiddler's Hearth, a local Irish pub, is the perfect way to celebrate the end of midterms and a week off of school. The pub has an extensive menu of Irish-inspired food, such as fish and chips and boxties, and a tap to go along with it for those of age. The atmosphere is charming and friendly - with a host of large tables, you may even make new friends with the people sitting near you. Fiddler's offers an excellent variety of live music every night at 9 p.m. Their traditional Irish music and pub songs are not to be missed. Fiddler's is a hidden gem of South Bend, but for a new night out, it can't be beat.
Movies at DPAC
For those staying on campus, Spring Break can be a time of relaxing and catching up on TV shows and movies that manage to escape our time during busy school days. Squeeze a few intellectually challenging films into your rotation, as DPAC is screening several of the most recent popular and acclaimed indie films. On the first weekend, it is showing "Margaret," starring Matt Damon and a pre-Sookie Anna Paquin, which was shot in 2005 and released last year. "Take Shelter" features a performance by Michael Shannon that was widely considered to be a major Oscar snub. 2011 breakout actress Jessica Chastain plays his wife in the psychological thriller. The second weekend of break panders to Michael Fassbender fans, who can see both his emotionally and physically revealing sex addict in "Shame" and his portrayal of Carl Jung in "A Dangerous Method" with Keira Knightley and Viggo Mortensen.
St. Patrick's Day Festivities
If you are looking for a fun way to celebrate St. Patrick's Day while on campus, the city of South Bend has organized number of activities for the whole community to enjoy and participate in. This year, festivities will begin early with a "St. Paddy's Tent Party and Pub Tour" on Friday from from 5 to 11 p.m. at 350 South Michigan Street downtown. For those of you 21 or older, this is an event you won't want to miss. On the holiday itself, the annual St. Patrick's Day Parade will take place. It will begin at 11 a.m. in Jefferson and Francis streets and end at Washington Street. The "Greening of the East Race," sponsored by Fiddler's Hearth, will immediately follow the parade and the festivities will continue there with live music until 1 a.m.
Chippewa Bowl
Bowling is fun for everyone, whether you're a seasoned pro or a frequent bumper-user. A trip to the lanes is a great way to relax and hang out with friends while enjoying a little friendly competition. Chippewa Bowl provides a wonderful location for these activities. And they frequently have cosmic bowling, to add a little excitement to your experience. Just to sweeten the pot, they have $5 unlimited bowling from 9 p.m. to close on Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, Saturday and Sunday.
