In South Bend, the people here take St. Patrick’s Day very seriously. So seriously that I need to remind myself to check later to see if I get holiday pay for working on Saturday. On Thursday some of the preparations started for what should be a fun weekend in South Bend although I’ll be down in Huntington, Ind. shooting a couple semi-state basketball games. Alas, I will miss out on festivities such as the little leprechaun contest.
![St. Patrick's Day Tent AJ Summe, of Aay's Rent-All, holds up a corner pole as he and other workers erect a 80 by 130-foot tent for downtown St. Patrick's festivities on Thursday, March 15, 2012, morning in South Bend. The tent, at 305 S. Michigan St., will feature live music, drinks and music on Friday from 5 p.m. to 11 p.m. (James Brosher/South Bend Tribune)](https://www.brosher.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/03/stpatrickstent031512b.jpg)