SOUTH BEND, Ind. -- The largest one-day art festival in the region returns to South Bend on Saturday. According to the senior director of events for Downtown South Bend, last year Art Beat brought 20,000 people to the area and this year is expected to bring even more.
Kylie Carter, Senior Director of Events for DTSB says, “It has grown in popularity both in attendance and the amount of artists who apply, but we really are at capacity for how big the event is.”
The event is based around Howard Park and will stretch over Jefferson Bridge, ending at the corner of the Century Center parking lot off Jefferson Street and Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard.
With how large this event is, the South Bend Police Department is taking measures to ensure overall safety. Keitha Maria Santana from SBPD says, “There is going to be a lot of different safety measures, security will be here, and South Bend police will be here running around on golf carts.”
There will also be medical officials on site in case of emergencies.
Santana said, “I know they hired eight to 10 just to be walking around and on golf carts but there's also downtown patrol and patrol officers as well.”
Make sure to take note that not all parking spaces are free and some do require payment. Roads close at 6 p.m. on Friday and will remain closed until Sunday morning.