Community Calendar

Get ready to crank up the heat with The Matchsellers and burn up the night with some serious tunes!

The Matchsellers are a Kansas City-based acoustic group founded in 2013 by guitarist Andrew Morris and fiddler Julie Bates, who met while teaching English in Germany. For over a decade, they've built a signature sound that blends traditional roots and bluegrass with art-house storytelling, humor, and the occasional outer-space opera.

Their current lineup includes banjoist and puppeteer Matthew Hawkins and bassist Dan Perez, whose Venezuelan musical heritage lends the band a distinctive groove. With six full-length albums — including the celebrated Bluegrastronauts (2018) and Psychobiography due in 2025, plus appearances on NPR's Mountain Stage, Folk Alliance International showcases, and tours across the US and Europe, the Matchsellers have earned a reputation as one of the most original and sought-after acoustic acts in the Midwest and beyond.

Composer and trombonist Max Brown leads his sextet in a program of original compositions that showcase his evolving voice as a contemporary jazz composer. Formed in 2022 while studying at Indiana University, the sextet has become Brown's primary creative outlet for original music, performing throughout Wisconsin, Illinois, and Indiana with a rotating ensemble of Midwest musicians. Rooted in the straight-ahead jazz tradition, his music balances carefully crafted ensemble writing with spontaneous interaction, occasionally venturing into free improvisation while remaining grounded in melodic lyricism and expressive simplicity. His compositions also explore elements of Latin, soul, and other musical influences while capturing the energy and richness of a big band within the intimacy of a six-piece ensemble. The Merrimans' Playhouse performance will feature Brown's newest original compositions, highlighting his imaginative writing, collaborative improvisation, and dynamic ensemble interplay.

Max Brown - trombone/compositions
Jules Dickey - alto saxophone and clarinet
Peter Mathistad - tenor saxophone
Ryan Flannery - guitar
Ben Dillinger - bass
Kabir Dalwari - drums

The South Bend Fusion Festival is a transformative cultural celebration designed to unite our diverse community through immersive experiences and artistic expression. A platform for social cohesion, this free, weekend-long event brings local food vendors, artisans, performers, and the community together into one vibrant space where the heritages and traditions of cultures rooted all around the world are spotlighted, uplifted, and celebrated.

The Notre Dame Linked Environmental Ecosystem Facility (ND-LEEF), a unique environmental research collaboration between the University of Notre Dame and St. Patrick's County Park, invites you to its 13th annual Science Sunday! Come learn about various innovative environmental research projects led by scientists from the Colleges of Science and Engineering as they conduct on-site demonstrations. Participate in hands-on exhibits for children of all ages and explore the grounds during a public tour of the facility, which is home to a pair of bald eagles! Complimentary refreshments will be provided.

Financial Aid Seminar at 5:30, College Fair 6-7:30. The Financial Aid Seminar will be presented by Mary Nucciarone, Director of Financial Aid at Notre Dame, on behalf of the Indiana Student Financial Aid Association. The College Fair will have over 60 universities/colleges/military organizations in attendance for students and their parents to obtain information and ask questions.

It’s open to the public. Based on Jazz Standards - Straight-Ahead Jazz. Listen. Play. Discuss. It's a Learning Environment. Bring your Instrument, your Ears, your Friends. Popcorn, coffees, soft drinks, and food available at Culture Café.

The Oblates of Blues is a group formed by Notre Dame seminary students, faculty, and alumni, playing a blend of classic Blues and original music. One night only at Acting Ensemble.

CARING CONNECTION WELCOMES
EPSTEIN SURVIVOR | EDUCATOR JESS MICHAELS -
AND HER PROGRAM VOICES EMPOWERED

Thursday, October 1, 2026 – 7:00 PM (Doors Open 6:30)

Caring Connection will present a special evening with
Epstein Survivor and Educator Jess Michaels Thursday, October 1, 2026 at 7:00 PM.
In her presentation, Ms. Michaels will share her experiences, how she survived, then thrived and offers help to individuals and communities on,
“… what to do when someone says, Me Too.”

The event will benefit The Empowerment Center of Caring Connection in providing support to victims of domestic and sexual assault in Berrien Springs.

Tickets are $85 and can be purchased here:https://www.caringconnectionmi.org/events

Join Goshen Theater for First Fridays!

Oct. 2, 2026

5-8PM

Anne Heaton Trio will be in concert at the Unitarian Universalist Fellowship of Elkhart Friday, October 2 at 7 p.m.

Award-winning singer-songwriter and educator Anne Heaton has captured audience imaginations with her songs that are, by turns, “tender, barbed and spiritual” (Washington Post). She’s been featured by the New York Times Music Podcast, NPR, the Sundance Film Festival and Lilith Fair (2010). Anne has shared the stage with artists like Jewel, Sarah McLachlan, and jazz drummer Max Roach. Anne teaches songwriting at Berklee College of Music and GRAMMY Camp. She recently earned her Master’s in Education at the University of Wisconsin-Madison where she researched the outcomes of songwriting as a social emotional learning tool for teenagers. In March 2025, Anne presented a TEDx talk on how songwriting helps teens (and people of all ages) cultivate empathy, connection, and authenticity. This October, Anne joins forces with dynamic percussionist and music therapist Carolyn Koebel (Bobby McFerrin, Dacia Bridges) and violinist Cori Somers (Aretha Franklin, Yo-Yo Ma, Red Sea Pedestrians) to form a lively and powerful trio. Anne, Carolyn, and Cori love performing together! They also believe that creative expression (whether through performing or teaching) supports people in navigating their challenges and nurturing joy and resilience.

Tickets cost $20 and can be purchased online using the link on the UUFE website or at the door.