SOUTH BENDÂ â Dozens of multicolored umbrellas filled the airspace at Studebaker Plaza, protecting benches, balloons and a life-size chess board from the potential precipitation of the cloudy April sky.
The colorful umbrellas instantly drew the eye of Notre Dame junior Alex DeMeritt who was driving through downtown South Bend on Friday afternoon.
âOh my God, this looks so cool,â DeMeritt exclaimed as she made her friend pull over so she could jump out and take pictures.
The array is part of the Hit Refresh campaign, an initiative put on by the cityâs Venues, Parks and Arts Department and Downtown South Bend Inc. to provide downtown visitors a chance to enjoy the spring weather and refresh from a year of COVID.