Game On!
Friday, April 4, 2025
5:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m.
About
Downtown South Bend is celebrating sports and games this First Fridays with a "Game On!" theme. Enjoy drop-in games on the Gridiron like badminton, soccer darts (kicky sticky), cornhole, and more!
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We are partnering with South Bend Ultimate for an intro to Ultimate Frisbee on the Gridiron! Learn the basics and participate in some drop-in games.
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You can enjoy a Game Night at the Cat Lady Cafe, plus Chicory and Chocolate Cafe will have their board games out.
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Our Architectural Walking Tours are coming back this month as a special collaboration with the First Presbyterian Church of South Bend as part of its Living Matthew 25 series!
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Catch Chicago at the Morris, live music at Fiddler's Hearth, Chicory, Ironhand, and LaSalle Kitchen & Tavern, plus evening gallery hours and free admission to Bunbury Gallery and the South Bend Museum of Art.
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PEGGS and Early Bird Eatery will be having special dinner hours this month, and you can find other dining deals and full April First Fridays details below!
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FREE PARKING
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Parking (on-street and in City-managed garages) is always free in downtown South Bend nights and weekends. For full details on downtown parking options, click here.
Drop-in Games on the Gridiron - CANCELED DUE TO RAIN
The Gridiron
5:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m.
Game Night at The Cat Lady Cafe
120 S. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., Blvd.
5:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m.
Join The Cat Lady Cafe for a Game Night! Reserve your spot in the cat lounge to enjoy games with the cats! The cafe space is also open with a ton of cat-themed games as well as classics like Connect 4, UNO and lots of puzzles, too!
Guided Architectural Walking Tours of Downtown - CANCELED DUE TO RAIN
101 N. Michigan St.
6:00 p.m. to 7:30 p.m.
Enjoy a fun and informative guided walking tour of South Bend landmark buildings, exploring their history and present day use.
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​This April edition is a special collaboration with the First Presbyterian Church of South Bend as part of its Living Matthew 25 series!
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The tours cover over twenty historical buildings and more than a half-dozen city blocks in the heart of downtown South Bend. Tours are $10 per person (cash only) with reservations requested for each tour. Reservations can be made online here or by calling Downtown South Bend at 574-282-1110. Tours start at the American Trust Company clock, located at the corner of Washington St. and Michigan St., in front of Cafe Navarre.
Special Dinner Hours at PEGGS and Early Bird Eatery
various
5:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m.
Downtown restaurants will be welcoming parents of admitted Notre Dame students this First Fridays as part of "The Rally" - an immersive experience introducing admitted ND students and their parents to Notre Dame and the community. As part of this special event, PEGGS and Early Bird Eatery will be open for dinner hours. Check out more info on The Rally and the participating Downtown Dining Association restaurants by clicking here.
Scholastic Show at South Bend Museum of Art
120 S. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., Blvd.
5:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m.
Visit the South Bend Museum of Art on First Fridays for extended hours and free admission! This month they will be featuring the 2025 Scholastics Art Awards Exhibition which will be on display through April 13.
Ultimate Frisbee on the Gridiron
211 S. Michigan St.
5:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m.
In 2023 we focused on soccer for our Game On First Fridays, and last year we did pickleball. This year we are highlighting Ultimate Frisbee, and partnering with South Bend Ultimate for intro lessons, demos, and exhibitions/open play on the Gridiron. Drop in between 5:00 p.m. and 8:00 p.m. and learn all about this fun sport! Notre Dame Ultimate Frisbee players will also be out to assist, teach, and play.
South Bend Ultimate (SBU) is a registered non-profit corporation looking to promote community building activities throughout the South Bend area through the vehicle of Ultimate Frisbee! They have been around for 29 years and have leagues and pickup games. Click here for more information.
Please wear comfortable clothing and shoes to the event.
Board Games, Live Music, and Crab & Shrimp Boil at Chicory
105 E. Jefferson Blvd.
5:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m.
Chicory Cafe will have Giant Jenga, Checkers, Giant Uno, Connect 4 and other board games out as well as live music by Shiny Shiny Black from 7:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. Free Beignets w/ purchase from 4:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m.
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Chicory will also be having another one of their famous Crab & Shrimp Feasts for Two Carry-Out. Preorder is required. Each dinner will include a pound of snow crab, twelve gulf shrimp, four pieces of Andouille sausage, two pieces of corn on the cob, eight seasoned potatoes, garlic butter, and a crab shell cracker tool for $59.99 per order. The food will be hot on pick up, or you choose to get this meal cold and steam it yourself (they will provide instructions). Pre-order by 10:00 a.m. April 4.
Food & Drink Specials at Chocolate Cafe
122 S. Michigan St.
5:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m.
South Bend Chocolate Cafe will have their board games out for April First Fridays, and will have $3 hot or cold medium lattes, $3 kids’ ice cream, $5 kids’ meals, plus their regular First Fridays special of 2 for $20 any crunch/pretzel combo.
Bunbury Gallery Open House
300 N. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd.
11:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m.
We welcome our newest First Fridays participant – Bunbury Gallery – located in the historic St. Joseph Station and featuring a mixture of regional, national and international artists. You’re encouraged to checkout this new addition to the downtown arts scene this First Fridays!
Broadway Musical Chicago at The Morris
211 N. Michigan St.
7:30 p.m.
Chicago is still the one musical with everything that makes Broadway shimmy-shake: a universal tale of fame, fortune, and all that jazz, with one show-stopping song after another and the most astonishing dancing you’ve ever seen.
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Broadway’s longest-running musical has been razzle dazzling audiences for 27 years, and after more than 10,000 performances, 6 Tony Awards®, 2 Olivier Awards, and a Grammy®, they’re just getting started.
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Catch Chicago at the Morris Performing Arts Center April 4-6.
Entertainment & Dining Specials for April
Ongoing First Fridays Promotions
714 E. Jefferson Blvd.
A Healing Oasis invites you to attend their First Fridays Open House, which is all about you coming to find out what their practitioners have to offer. Healers share their "magic" by offering mini sessions. You will also have a chance to check out their retail space, group events, and what services are at A Healing Oasis.
127 N. Main St.
Enjoy live music by Kennedy's Kitchen from 8:00 p.m. to 10:00 p.m. every First Fridays!
333 S. Michigan St.
Enjoy amazing bargains on books, CDs, DVDs, magazines, and more for both kids and adults from 12:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m.
1025 Northside Blvd.
Live music by Lucas Miner and 20% off bottles of MI Cabernet Franc​
121 S. Niles Ave.
Perry Vine - located inside the Emporium Building - will be doing tastings this First Fridays. Enjoy three free 1 oz. tastings, and additional for tastings $1.50. In partnership with Island Fusion guests may buy a meal and a glass and dine in the atrium area adjacent to our store — please note seats are limited. They will also have bottles for sale! Bring back your clean bottles and receive 10% off your next purchase!
218 Sycamore St.
They are located near Fire Arts and are a minority-owned studio that is seeking to build individual and community power through pole dance. They provide quality pole instruction and a welcoming atmosphere for all of their students.
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They will be featuring an Intro to Pole Class every First Fridays from 6:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. for $22. Registration is required and can be done on their website.
WXYZ Bar at Aloft
111 N. Main St.
Buy 1 flatbread pizza and get a 2nd flatbread pizza at 1/2 off; plus monthly Cocktail for a Cause, with $1 from every cocktail sold donated to their featured charity of the month.
Plus Live @ Aloft with DJ Outlaw playing your favorite tunes. Live @ Aloft features local artists, groups or DJs playing music every Friday from 8:00 to 10:00 p.m. in the WXYZ lounge.
SPONSORS
