Somewhere down a trail in South Bend, a festival exists for only two days a year. The rest of the time it is just woods. Then, one weekend every late summer, artists show up and turn 24 acres of forest into something you have to see to believe.
That festival is Yart, and this Saturday and Sunday it enters its eighth year.
So what is it, exactly?
Yart calls itself a DIY arts and music festival, and that undersells it. Picture a hike where every bend in the path opens onto a new installation, a glowing sign, a hammock grove, a stage tucked between trees. Local artists and neighbors build the whole thing by hand, and each one claims a patch of forest to make their own. The result is less like a fairground and more like wandering into a shared imagination.
Don’t just take our word for it. Our local NPR station stopped by to talk about what makes Yart tick, and you can watch the interview HERE. Yart is also featured on Experience Michiana. View HERE.
The motto is “come as you are with love and light,” and people take it seriously. Yart is all ages, inter-generational, and open to artists at any skill level. There is no velvet rope. If you show up, you are a yartian.
What to know before you go
- When: Saturday, September 5, 3 to 11:30 pm, and Sunday, September 6, 3 to 11 pm
- Where: 59449 Keria Trail, South Bend (look for the woods, not the barn)
- Parking: Serbian Hall, $5 per day. No overnight parking.
- Ages: All ages welcome. After about 7 pm the music gets louder and a little more explicit, so families with little ones may want to make it an afternoon trip.
- Tickets, lineup, and food trucks: Check yartsouthbend.com and the Yart Facebook page for the latest.
- Wear real shoes. It is a forest. Paths are uneven, and you will be walking
- Bring bug spray. You will thank us later
The Hive is in the woods again
This is Conscious Michiana’s fifth year bringing The Hive to Yart, and it keeps growing.
Welcome to The Hive: a living labyrinth of art, healing, and connection. Wander sacred spaces, meet intuitive guides, and awaken your inner light.
Wander through at your own pace, and you’ll find our walking labyrinth, shrine, prayer tree, flower mandala, and a rest and receive area for when the forest asks you to slow down. Around those, here’s what our practitioners and teachers are bringing this year.
Saturday HIVE classes
- 3:30 pm: Ayurveda and the Spirit with Aniaka Ahyoka of Community Inú. A return to the Great Mother through breath, grounding, sound, and movement.
- 4:00 pm: Breath and Your Nervous System with Aspasia. Learn how your nervous system filters your experiences, then practice breath tools you can use in real time when life gets hairy.
- 4:30 pm: Somatic Art Flow with Anita Barahona of MindHeart Arts. Inhale peace, exhale stress, and move and make what comes naturally.
- 5:30 pm: Partner Massage Basics with Rooted Balance Massage.
Sunday HIVE classes
- 4:00 pm: Somatic Rope Practice with rainbow_ropes. Explore sensation through self-applied rope. Rope provided, no experience required, just curiosity.
- 4:30 pm: Free Flow Space with grow_with_the_floww. Hula hoops, silks, ribbons, and flow props for play and intuitive movement. All ages, with gentle guidance if you want it. Children must be accompanied by an adult.
- 5:30 to 6:30 pm: Drum Circle with Jon Kay.
Open all weekend in The Hive
- Community Inú: cacao and life force tea, Ayurveda, mediumship, and ancestral cleanses. A space for your spirit to rest and return.
- Rooted Balance Massage: chair and table massage.
- Sacred Embers: tarot and oracle readings.
- Freddie & Friends: divination readings from a team of sticks, stones, and stories. They don’t read your future; they uncover the choices you must be willing to make.
- The Twisted Life: wire-wrapped jewelry and crystals.
- Roscoe’s Creations: pickles, beets, salsa, and other canned goods.
