Events Around St. Joseph County Attract Global Audience
By Jeff Jarnecke, Executive Director, Visit South Bend Mishawaka | Guest Columnist, South Bend Tribune
Although it’s no surprise that the University of Notre Dame is known the world over, did you know people from across the world and much of the country have come to St. Joseph County over the last few months?
One of our best-kept secrets, the 53rd annual Fischoff National Chamber Music Festival, took place in May over Mother’s Day weekend. The weekend of festivities included 224 competitors from 26 countries and 29 states who performed at Notre Dame's DeBartolo Performing Arts Center and Indiana University South Bend. Fischoff competitors even joined us in the community at a South Bend Cubs game where they performed on the concourse in addition to delivering the national anthem.
The month of June welcomed the FIRST Tech Challenge Michiana Premier Event at Century Center. More than 1,000 competitors on 96 teams coming from 30 states and six other countries enjoyed the better part of a week competing, eating, staying and experiencing downtown South Bend.
The 55th annual America’s Youth on Parade (AYOP) took place once again at Notre Dame in July. The annual journey and nearly a rite of passage for the baton twirling community once again welcomed more than 1,300 competitors representing their clubs as well as more than 100 colleges and universities.
As I attended one of the sessions, I saw cars decorated with “AYOP,” “Nationals” or “Notre Dame” on the windows. These cars were from as far away as New Mexico to Maine, plus 28 other states as well as Canada and Spain.
In just eight short years, the Concours d’Elegance has seemingly cemented its place on the national calendar of high-quality shows. The idyllic setting nestled between the trees at Copshaholm and Studebaker National Museum makes for a postcard picture complete with vintage cars ranging in price from $2 to $3 million. The additional day of festivities this year for a speaker series and the inaugural Concours d'Lemons brought even more people and cars from around the country.
Beyond these premier international competitions, youth sports continue to lead the way. The Mishawaka Fieldhouse greeted prospective basketball student-athletes from across the country as more than 100 collegiate coaches worked to evaluate their talent, including the No. 1 prospect from California. ETS Sports held its annual World Series, complete with opening ceremonies at Four Winds Field with 106 teams represented.
And the events are not ending! Our inaugural country music festival called “Boots on the Bend” is this Friday and Saturday, August 14-15, at the St. Joseph County 4-H Fairgrounds. Two full days of music will be enjoyed by nearly 20,000 each day and will feature Hardy and Eric Church as the headliners among many others. Parrot Head Fest will take over Kamm Island on August 29, and AC/DC is scheduled to take the stage on September 4 at Notre Dame Stadium.
Did you know that from Jan. 1 to June 30, St. Joseph County had more than 650 live music performances? From bars to lawns to Notre Dame Stadium and everything in between, there were so many great experiences being had. We worked across county lines to be the recipients of a $350,000 Lilly Arts & Culture grant to support the Music Town Initiative brought to our region by Juke. Expect to see even more live performances in the coming months!
Beyond the events, we were grateful to support and join the dedication of the new Miracle League Field at Normain Park in Mishawaka. The park is a first of its kind in Indiana with experiences that are available to all ability levels. This is in addition to the improvements that were made earlier this year at Byers Softball Complex and Leeper Park Tennis.
You may recall last year being a record-setting year in St. Joseph County for hotel occupancy. While we are lagging by less than 5% through June, our annual revenues are up more than $200,000 over the same period. What does this mean? It means that 2025 was not a moment in time nor just a high-water mark. It means our secrets are no more and that people from across the country, and the world, are experiencing all St. Joseph County has to offer. That is thanks in part to 53 years of Fischoff, 55 years of AYOP, and eight years of the Concours.
Could our friend, the late Don Sartell, ever think baton twirlers would continue to flock to Notre Dame and South Bend, even after his death last year?
Yes — Don could. He had a vision and he aggressively pursued that with Notre Dame at a time when it likely wasn’t popular. Don knew he created something powerful that would transcend through the years. We missed our friend Don this year and will continue to deliver upon the vision he created so many years ago.
Who said there is nothing to do in St. Joseph County? Don’t tell people from outside Indiana that.
Visit South Bend Mishawaka is here to help tell our story, highlight our incredible experiences and bring the best to The Bend. Head to visitsouthbend.com to view more exciting upcoming events.