Ribbon cutting ceremony held for new Merriman’s Playhouse location

SOUTH BEND, Ind. (WNDU) - A South Bend cultural icon is poised to make a comeback.

A ribbon cutting ceremony on Thursday marked the reopening of Merriman’s Playhouse at its new home in The Commerce Center at 401 E. Colfax Avenue.

Merriman’s closed in March 2020 during the pandemic. It’s a self-proclaimed “sonic art gallery” that’s dedicated to live jazz music.

“We know that the arts and culture scene was hit particularly hard from the pandemic because it requires people to gather and be able to enjoy collections and performances,” says South Bend Mayor James Mueller. “It’s exciting now that we’re moving out of the pandemic to see places like this come back to life.”

“Thursday, Friday, and Saturday we’ve got concerts free,” says Stephen Merriman. “The whole thing is free, every day. There’s open houses during the day from 1 p.m. through 7 p.m., Thursday and Friday, and then concerts from 7 p.m. until 9 p.m.”

Merriman’s is a not-for-profit entity that was last located in a storefront off Mishawaka Avenue.

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