Things to Enjoy at Riverbend Retreat  

Things to Enjoy in St. Joe

	St. Joe's famous Silver Beach
	Year-round festivals
	Sailboat races
	Free outdoor concerts
	Great art museums and galleries
	Great shopping in quaint downtown St. Joseph
	Tennis and golf nearby
	Sunsets over Lake Michigan
	Fine dining

Seasonal Happenings 2008

Magical Ice Carving Festival with Performing Magicians - February 15-17, 2007. Enjoy food, shopping, music and activities for adults and children throughout downtown St. Joseph!  Free horse drawn trolley rides Friday through Sunday and free wine tasting.

Easter Egg Hunt and Easter Bonnet Parade at Lake Bluff Park in St. Joseph for children 10 and under on March 22nd.

Blossomtime Grand Floral Parade - May 3rd.  Presented by the Blossomtime Festival.                                         

Memorial Day Parade - May 23rd, Noon - 1:00pm.

Antiques on the Bluff - May 4th through October 5th on the 1st Sunday of each month 10:00am - 3:00pm.  In Lake Bluff Park, dealers and private parties sell antiques and collectibles, rain or shine.  Free to the public.

Farmers' Market - Every Saturday 9:00am - 2:00pm June 7th through October 11th (except July 19th). Offerings include locally grown produce, pastries, jams & jellies and more!

Noon Brown Bag Concerts - Bring a lunch Wednesday afternoons, noon - 1:00pm July 2nd through September 3rd at the bandshell in Lake Bluff Park.

Fireworks at Dusk - July 4th (or later).

Krasl Art Fair on the Bluff - July 12th and 13th.  St. Joseph hosts one of the premier art shows in the country with Lake Michigan as a backdrop (Outstanding, a must see show!).

The Venetian Festival - July 17th -20th.  A festival of music, food and a carnival.

Concerts in the Park Series- Friday evenings June 6th-August 22nd from 7:30pm - 8:30pm at the John E. Howard Bandshell.  Enjoy entertainment under the stars with spectacular views of the St. Joseph Harbor and lighthouse.

Chalk the Block on the Bluff - August 8th-10th.  The streets of downtown St. Joseph are transformed into beautiful works of art.

Berrien County Youth Fair - August 13-18.

Sailing Festival/Craft Fair - August 30th.  Boats racing in the Tri-State Regatta start arriving late Friday night from Chicago and St. Joseph is the first stop.  The festival offers music, food booths, and free horse-drawn trolley rides.

Harvest Fest & Chili Cook-off - October 4th all day.  Downtown St. Joseph is transformed into a festive market place, offering a variety of family activities throughout the day.

Downtown Trick or Treating - October 25th, 3-4 pm. The streets of St. Joe become haunted hallows during the halloween festival with trick-or-treating at businesses, live music, and free horse drawn trolley rides.

Luminary Festival - November 21st dusk until 9:00pm.  A holiday open house with over 800 luminaries lighting downtown.  Take a horse drawn trolley ride, listen to holiday music and enjoy refreshments from area businesses

Reindog Holiday Parade - November 29th.  Costumed pets and their owners escort Santa into the downtown to kick off the season.  Bands, carolers and crazy floats are all part of this wonderful parade.

Things to Enjoy in Southwest Michigan

	Shop at a variety of antique stores, boutiques and outlet malls
	Pick strawberries, peaches, blueberries, cherries, apples, and grapes
	Have lunch in a charming village
	Watch the weekend sailboat races
	Fish for spawning salmon or take a canoe or kayak down the St. Joe River
	Take a tour of one of the wineries
	Golf at one of several public golf courses
	Visit Deer Forest, a 30 acre animal park
	Enjoying skiing and snowboarding, ice skating, snowmobiling and many other winter time activities

Sports at Notre Dame University 

Click on this link for sporting events schedules at Notre Dame University (Just 30 minutes away) and stay with us when you go watch the Fighting Irish games. 

Want a private tour of the Notre Dame Campus?  Contact Dick Tucker (class of '66) at 574-239-0963.   Dick is an experienced Notre Dame guide and is kn owledgeable about he history and architecture of Notre Dame. The basic 1+ hour tour includes Eck Visitors Center, Sacred Heart Basilica, the Grotto, Golden Dome building, the Library, the Stadium and the Notre Dame Bookstore.  Cost of the tour is $25.00 for up to 20 people.

Area Links

Tosi's Italian Restaurant - Old world elegance and great italian food.  Closed Sundays. 800-218-7745.

Fruitful Vine Winery Tours   Who wants to drive when you go wine tasting? You will be picked up by a 14-passenger, deluze Limo-Coach with a guide who's knowledgeable about the area's wine industry.  That's when the fun begins!  You will tour and taste at Southwest Michigan Wine Trail's best wineries.  You choose the itinerary or let them set up the day for you.  Groups any day or couples on Saturdays. 269-978-9777.

Tabor Hill Winery   (Tours & Wine Tasting) Tour the winery and learn how fine wines are made. Their casual walking tours take you along the vineyard, through rows of huge vats and small oaken casks that hold the aging wines. You'll hear the clinking of glass as each bottle is filled with their finest selections. The fine wines of Tabor Hill's cellars are waiting for you!    

Michigan Wine trail events - All the area wine news that's fit to print!

Area Info and Attractions     Visit this information center in downtown St. Joseph to obtain free brochures, maps and tourist information. 

Fernwood Botanical Gardens    The Fernwood Cafe is open from noon-3:00 pm Tuesday through Sunday for lunch and offers a selection of homemade soups and sandwiches and desserts for guests. Fernwood's gift shop is open during regular hours of operation and features unique gifts, decorations, educational toys, books, floral arrangements, and fine artwork. Fernwood's Plant Shoppe is open from mid-April to the end of October and features a variety of rare and unusual plants as well as native species for the home garden and enthusiast. 

Holland Tulip Festival      May 5th-12th, Holland, Michigan invites you to be their guest as they celebrate 75 years of culture, costume, color and the queen of the festival, the tulip!

Krasl Art Center    Located in downtown St. Joseph, this beautiful art center features photography, sculpture and paintings by professional artists and other sources.  The Art Fair on the Bluff this year is on Saturday and Sunday, July 14th and 15th, 2007.

Southwest Michigan Tourist Council  Another source of free brochures, maps and tourist information.

Lake Michigan Hills Golf Club   Lake Michigan Hills was voted Southwest Michigan's Best Public golf course once again. Their incredible layout continues to thrill golfers from Michigan, Indiana and Illinois.  You'll love their facility, located just minutes from Lake Michigan.   The course features mature trees, elevation changes and some of the best greens in the area.  

Michiana Golf  There are over 120 courses - many world class - in Southwest Michigan and Northern Indiana!  Golf Digest selected our area as one of the best golf destinations in the world.  Visit this site for loads of area golf information and course locations.

Amtrak   Daily transportation between Chicago and Detroit, stopping right here in St. Joseph.  Take the train and we'll pick you up at the station!

Berrien County Historial Association   Interpeting the diverse heritage of Berrien County.

Curious Kids Museum   Especially for kids or kids at heart!  Voted the "BEST MUSEUM" & "BEST PLACE TO TAKE KIDS" in Southwest Michigan!

Mendel Center for the Arts   During your stay at Riverbend, visit the Mendel Center to see Blood, Sweat & Tears, David Brenner, Fiddler on the Roof, Phil Vasser, and other top acts.

 Benton Harbor Arts District     What began as community renewal through the arts has grown into a more ambitious goal:  the creation of the Benton Harbor Arts District.  Visit the area for some really exciting stuff!

Venetian Festival  Stay at Riverbend and join the crowd in downtown St. Joseph  July 19th through the 22nd for lots of great food, carnival and live entertainment.  Check here for scheduled acts.

South Cliff Inn and the Chestnut House B&B  What?  Riverbend is full?  Click here to check out the area's other great bed and breakfasts!

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