Frequently Asked Questions
What is Connect 574?
Connect 574 is your platform for finding community in South Bend. We host regular hangouts and events, have interest groups of all sorts, and an online portal where you can connect with others 24/7!
Who is Connect 574 for?
In short – everyone! While many of our events and hangouts tend to lean toward a younger 20-30 something audience (because, well, it’s run by our small but mighty team of 20-30 somethings), we welcome everyone!
How do I access the online portal?
First, you need to become a Free Community Member. That will invite you to join our portal, which is hosted on the platform Mighty Networks. You can also download the Mighty Networks app and find Connect 574 there for on-the-go access!
From there, you can explore the portal – look for Upcoming Events, different interest groups you’d like to join, or just start a conversation in the main feed!
What’s an event? What’s a hangout? What about sports leagues?
At Connect 574, we have three different in-person offerings:
- Events: We host these monthly, and they are usually high-energy experiences where you get the chance to meet a lot of people, engage in friendly competition, and explore part of the 574. If you see an event that has a link to a product page where you need to buy tickets from us, that’s an event.
- Hangouts: Our interest groups host monthly hangouts, run by volunteer group hosts. We’ve had outings to restaurants, trivia nights, volunteering, and more as examples of past hangouts. These are free to join (aside from paying for entry, food, drinks depending on the activity) and open to everyone! We just ask that you RSVP to hangouts (and events) in the portal so we can have an idea of how many and who to expect.
- Sports Leagues: We regularly partner with Best Damn Sports and Social Club of Michiana to do sports leagues throughout the year. This is a great opportunity for regular interaction with your team, and chance for bonding time. We typically do pickleball and volleyball, but if there is enough interest in other sports we may expand!
What are interest groups?
Interest groups are groups in our portal where you can connect with others based on your passions. They’re run by volunteers, who host monthly hangouts centered around the interest! Our current interest groups are as follows:
Food Interest Group
The Food Interest Group meets monthly to go out to eat and explore the food landscape of the 574! We’ve hit up local food trucks at Mishawaka Parks’ Food Truck Friday, gone on the Wednesday Wine Walk in Downtown South Bend, and every year we host a March Madness food competition to find the best burger/pizza/chicken wings in the area! What will we do next year?
Trivia Interest Group (Know-It-Alls)
The Trivia Interest Group goes to trivia nights at a variety of different bars and restaurants. If you’re looking for a regular trivia group, we’re your people!
LGBTQ+ Interest Group
Looking for LGBTQ+ community in South Bend? Our LGBTQ+ Interest Group meets up monthly to connect with each other in a safe, affirming environment. Make some new friends and find your queer community!
Volunteer Interest Group
Our Volunteer Interest Group leads groups to volunteer at various nonprofits in the region! In the past, we’ve sorted donations at the YWCA, packed meals at Cultivate Food Rescue, and tied blankets for cancer patients at Beacon Cancer Care!
Pickleball Interest Group
It’s pretty hard to play pickleball solo – find a group to play with! Our Pickleball Interest Group hosts monthly pickleball outings and pickup games.
50-Plus Adults Interest Group
One thing we get at Connect 574 a lot is, “I’d love to join, but I feel like I’m too old for this group!” While that 100% is not the case, we welcome all ages, we also get that sometimes you just want to make friends in your own age group. So, we’ve started a group for people 50+ to meet in!
Moms Group
Looking for a social circle that already knows their ABC’s and 123’s? Meet other parents in the 574 community who “get it.” We’ll be doing kid-friendly activities, but the whole point is on the parents to meet and make new connections.
Book Club
You know what a book club is! We’ll pick a book every month and a meeting time and place to discuss it!
What if I don’t see an interest group I’m interested in?
Since our interest groups are volunteer-run, we’re limited by, well, those who volunteer to run them! If you’re interested in starting an interest group for your passions, let us know and we can talk about setting up a group for you!
Is Connect 574 free?
Joining the portal and participating in our hangouts are 100% free! Some hangouts may have an associated cost, such as paying for your own meal at a Food Interest Group hang or paying admission to a pickleball court, but we won’t charge at all for those. We host monthly social events which do have a small cost, usually to cover expenses. We also have a feature called the Perks Pass that is an optional add-on. To learn more about membership, head to our membership plans page!
What is the Perks Pass?
The Perks Pass is an optional add-on to your Connect 574 experience! We’ve partnered with 35+ local businesses to offer discounts and exclusive perks to Connect 574 Perks Pass holders. For $100 a year, you can get discounts as well as 20% off Connect 574 events!
If you have any further questions, reach out to info@connect574.com and we’ll be in touch shortly!