Valentine’s Day is just around the corner. In celebration, several on-campus businesses and student clubs offer festive flowers, candy and gifts, many of which support local South Bend businesses and organizations.
Irish Gardens offers custom floral arrangements
Irish Gardens, Notre Dame’s student-run flower shop located in the basement of LaFortune Student Center, created 20 special Valentine’s Day floral arrangement options this year.“We also can do custom arrangements where you can build your perfect arrangement stem-by-stem,” Marty Kennedy said over email. Kennedy, a senior, is the shop’s general manager.
Irish Gardens locally sources their flowers from Kennicott Brothers Store, an employee-owned, wholesale flower shop in South Bend. In honor of Valentine’s Day, Irish Gardens will also be selling heart-shaped balloon arrangements, boxes of chocolates, chocolate roses and heart-shaped lollipops.
Students can order floral arrangements and other Valentine’s Day treats online at flowershop.nd.edu. Orders can be picked up in-store or delivered anywhere on the Notre Dame and Saint Mary’s campuses.
“We can make an arrangement for you in under 10 minutes right then and there,” Kennedy wrote. “This is also a great way to support the only official student-run business at Notre Dame. Plus we are fun. We have music, laugh and always bring the energy.”
Latinx Student Alliance candygram sale benefits community center
The Latinx Student Alliance’s (LSA) Valentine’s Day candygram sale offers a variety of treats and cards to choose from. All proceeds benefit La Casa de Amistad, a Latino community center on the west side of South Bend.“La Casa de Amistad offers various programs to assist Hispanic youth in self-acceptance and appreciation of their culture,” senior and co-president of LSA Nicole Leon said. “We decided to donate to them because we love what they do and stand for and would love to help people in our community on a day of giving and love.”
This is the first year LSA is holding a candygram sale, and Leon said she hopes it offers a taste of home for Latino students and an opportunity for all students to try new cultural treats. Students can purchase a treat bag that includes Takis, Hispanic candy and a meme card. Another treat bag includes two conchas from local bakery La Central Panaderia and a meme card, and the Candy Heart Box features a variety of treats including Pelon, Takis, Bocadin and Slaps.
Students can purchase candygrams Monday from 2 p.m. to 5 p.m. in the Duncan Student Center.
Mariachi ND provides Valentine’s Day serenades
Known for its lively performances at campus events like the Latin Expressions talent show and the celebration of the Feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe, Mariachi ND is offering multiple Valentine’s Day serenade packages.Students can purchase serenades for their friends, significant others, professors or anyone else they would like, and the band will perform for that special person anywhere on the Notre Dame, Saint Mary’s or Holy Cross campuses that the purchasing student requests.
“The only places we can’t play at are religious services, sporting events, quiet study spaces and the Grotto,” said junior Josh Hernandez, social media manager and guitarist for Mariachi ND.
Purchasers can also request the time and date of the serenade. Serenades are available Friday through Monday.
The band offers four songs and three serenade packages to choose from. Students can purchase the Basic Package which includes one song of their choice. The Full Package includes two songs, a rose and Mexican candy, and the Deluxe package includes three songs, Mexican candy, a rose and a mariachi-themed teddy bear.
“Getting a serenade for someone on Valentine’s Day is really special,” Hernandez said. “It’s not something that happens often, and this is a really convenient way to do it and support an on-campus club.”
ND Cake Service sells Valentine's Day specials
Also located in the basement of LaFortune, the ND Cake Service is offering two special Valentine’s Day treats. Students can purchase four festive chocolate or vanilla jumbo cupcakes or the Cookie Special, 10 heart-shaped frosted sugar cookies.“Both are packaged in a bright red box and include a handwritten note,” said Student Activities Office (SAO) services coordinator Kimberly Miller.
Students can also order any of Cake Service’s regular products — including giant cookie cakes, cannolis and brownies — and have them decorated for Valentine’s Day.
The Cake Service currently employs six students and sources their treats from a locally-owned South Bend bakery.
“All of our proceeds are used to enhance the student experience at Notre Dame,” Miller said. “We believe that our partnerships with local, small businesses to source our products provides us with an opportunity to give back to our community.”
The Cake Service is accepting special Valentine’s Day orders online until 5 p.m. Friday and delivers anywhere on Notre Dame’s campus. Students can also pick up their orders at the LaFortune information desk between 10 a.m. and 8 p.m.
ND Candied Creations allows students to customize Valentine's Day package
ND Candied Creations is a new student-run service that sells and delivers Valentine’s Day candygrams and treats. Options range from $5 to $30 and feature candy, artificial flowers, teddy bears and balloons. Sherry Miller, a junior at Notre Dame, handles the communications for the service.“The idea came from my friend and roommate and I who usually make a competition out of giving each other candy we like every day up until Valentine’s Day and Christmas,” Miller said. “We found it to be a fun and cute way to share our love and thought it’d be a great idea to spread across campus.”
ND Candied Creations has options in a variety of price ranges and sizes, and many items are sourced locally from the South Bend Chocolate Company. The festively decorated Love Baggie treat bag includes assorted small candies. The Small Love Cup features both small and large candies. The Medium Love Basket includes a teddy bear and a large variety of candies, and the Large Love Bouquet includes artificial flowers, assorted full-size chocolate bars, a teddy bear and a small balloon. Students can customize the candy and mix-and-match many of the items offered to create their ideal Valentine’s Day package.
“If there is anything they’d like to change, we’d be happy to do so if within our power,” Miller said.
Orders should be placed by Friday via direct message on the service’s Instagram page, @ndcandiedcreations. The service delivers anywhere on Notre Dame’s campus, and deliveries will be made by 9 a.m. Monday morning.
“It’s especially perfect for friends who’d like to make each other feel special on a day when not many people do,” Miller said. “That is how I felt when I was single and woke up to my favorite candy on my desk thanks to my friend and co-founder.”
