The East Bank is where South Bend’s Art Beat festival started. Organized by local artists and galleries to promote local and regional artists. Today paintings, sculptures, metalsmiths, and galleries are popping up throughout the neighborhood. Check out: Fire Arts, Alloy, Circa Arts, and keep an eye out for pop ups like the Birdsell Project and The Magic Factory.
Directly across the river is the South Bend Museum of Art, The Palais, The Morris Performing Arts Center. The Civic Theatre is a few blocks away, and performs in the East Bank’s neighborhood parks during the summer season. The half-mile walk from Corby’s bar at LaSalle Avenue & Niles Avenue, to Jefferson Blvd, and then East to Barnaby’s pizza has several bars (including an Arcade Bar). Many of the bars and restaurants have artwork on rotation (and for sale) by local artists. The River Lights Music festival lights up the nights one weekend every summer. Outdoor live music is available almost every day of the week during the summer, and indoors most days during the cooler months. Be sure to check out Merriman’s Jazz Club inside the Commerce Center Office Building.