South Bend revives Ethnic Festival as Fusion Fest at Howard Park in September

Andrew S. Hughes, South Bend Tribune
·2 min read

SOUTH BEND — Almost two decades after its demise, South Bend’s Ethnic Festival returns this year with a new name and renewed focus on its original purpose.

The City of South Bend and Venues Parks & Arts announced Tuesday that Fusion Fest will take place Sept. 9 and 10 at Howard Park as a “re-imagination” of the Ethnic Festival, a once-beloved celebration of cultural diversity that began more than 50 years ago in downtown and ended 19 years ago amid controversy.

Fusion Fest will feature traditional music and dance performances, food vendors, demonstrations and artisans from every region of the world, and hands-on activities and workshops for attendees to learn more about cultures outside of their own, according to the city.

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The two-day festival will take over the entire campus of Howard Park and surrounding streets and will be separated into global regions with stages and vendors located at each corresponding region: North America, South America, Africa, Europe, and Asia/Australia.

The South Bend Central High School Alumni Band plays familiar Central tunes outside the former high school during the 1983 Ethnic Festival.
The South Bend Central High School Alumni Band plays familiar Central tunes outside the former high school during the 1983 Ethnic Festival.

“After more than 20 years, I am excited that we are bringing back a reimagined Ethnic Festival that celebrates our diverse, rich cultures in the South Bend region,” Mayor James Mueller said in a press release. “Fusion Fest not only celebrates our multi-cultural backgrounds but also brings our community together to enjoy a variety of food and fun activities.”

Tribune archives show that the Ethnic Festival took place in downtown from 1972 to 1997, when it moved to the Howard Park area.

In 2002, the city renamed it Summer in the City, but fights and vandalism had made it increasingly difficult for police to disperse crowds near the end of the June festival.

A hot air balloon race begins at the 1982 South Bend Ethnic Festival.
A hot air balloon race begins at the 1982 South Bend Ethnic Festival.

By then, it had become more carnival than cultural event, and the city canceled it after the 2004 event.

The city's 2015 SB150 celebration of South Bend's 150th anniversary drew favorable comparisons to the Ethnic Festival.

Vendors and performers who want to share their culture through food, art, storytelling, music, dance and more can learn more and apply to participate in Fusion Fest by visiting sbfusionfest.com.

This article originally appeared on South Bend Tribune: Ethnic Festival reborn as Fusion Fest in South Bend's Howard Park