Today, the former City of South Bend flag was retired in a ceremony led by the South Bend Police Honor Guard. The new City of South Bend Flag was dedicated by Mayor Pete Buttigieg and raised in front of the South Bend Police Department.
“The flag will help residents rally around our city in its moment of renewal,” says Mayor Pete Buttigieg. “I hope residents will embrace this design and use it in their own, creative ways to show their love of the city.”
Leaders from the South Bend 150 Committee and elected officials unveiled the proposed new flag at an event in March. The new design, touted as the final contribution of South Bend 150 celebrations marking the city’s sesquicentennial, is intended to serve as a unifying and recognizable symbol of the city that captures the spirit of South Bend’s past, present, and future.
In October 2015, SB150 leadership held a public meeting to gather community input on themes and guidelines for a new City of South Bend flag design. Rules required that entries include representations of the river, themes of connectivity, diversity, and innovation, and adhere to the North American Vexillological Association’s five basic principles of flag design. Over 200 submissions were received from residents of all ages.
A flag design committee—consisting of professional designers, marketing professionals, city officials, and SB150 representatives—put forward three finalists for public input. The designs were submitted by South Bend residents Garrett Gingerich and Jeffrey Koenig, and Indiana University South Bend student Jesse Villagrana.
Community input, collected in person and online, led to over 1,000 comments on these three designs. The feedback was compiled and the committee produced a final design which incorporated the public input and integrated elements of all three finalist designs.
The flag is an open-source design, with no copyright, allowing residents to incorporate the design in unique ways throughout South Bend.
City of South Bend Flag files for download:
City of South Bend interior and exterior flags may be ordered at Flags International
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City of South Bend flag merchandise may be purchased at Make South Bend.