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Happy Super Bowl Week! Unless you've been living under a rock, most of you know that Super Bowl 46 is taking place in Indianapolis next Sunday, Feb. 5th. Today is the official kick-off of activities in downtown Indy, including the Super Bowl Village (which opens today at 3 pm).

For our out of town (and state) visitors...welcome to Indiana and Bloomington! Indy is having a week-long celebration of special events, activities, concerts and exhibits starting today until the big event in 9 days! Many of these activities are free and family friendly. This weekend and the beginning of next week is a great time for many Indiana residents to get in on some of the action and skip some of the crowds that will be descending upon Indy next week. Make sure to visit www.indianapolissuperbowl.com for up-to-the-minute updates, parking/driving info, an events calendar and all things Super Bowl!

Bloomington is proud to be one of 20 communities designated as a Super Celebration Site for the state. What does this mean for Super Bowl fans? It means we're only 50 miles southwest of downtown Indy and still have plenty of hotel rooms for guests, plus special events and lots of great, local restaurants and shopping. Visit www.superbloomington.com for everything B-town Super Bowl and www.visitbloomington.com for everything else about town!

So what are some of our special events and when are they going on? Super Bloomington will start its celebration of Super Bowl 46 next Thursday, Feb. 2. We'll have a special info center and activities downtown at the Fountain Square Mall. The info center is there to answer any of your questions about Bloomington, Indy and the Super Bowl. Make sure to bring the kids to play some games that will be set up and sample some snickerdoodles and hot chocolate, the "official" hospitality snack of the big game!

Bloomington is also excited to be participating in the Super Cars program. Thirty-three iconic Indy cars have been made over to represent the 32 teams of the NFL and this year's game. Each Super Celebration Site, as well as many sites in Indy, are hosting Super Cars for fans to come and visit. We are proud to welcome the Arizona Cardinals Indy car to the Fountain Square Mall! It will be on display Feb. 2-4 from 10 am - 8 pm. Make sure to come visit our Super Car, take pictures, and check-in on Foursquare. Show us your Foursquare check-in at the info table for awesome prizes!

Have a Super day!

I was fortunate to acquire a set of tickets to last night's IU Men's Basketball game at Assembly Hall. If you've never been lucky enough to catch a home game at the Hall, here's a snapshot of what that experience is like:  

It was a cold, snowy night in Bloomington...

Perfect for warming up at a local pub like Crazy Horse with some great food and a pitcher of your favorite beverage (for us on this night it was Woodchuck cider).

The venue was legendary, with five NCAA banners hanging proudly in place.

The atmosphere was incredible with a nearly packed house of cheering fans clad in IU red, the pep band, the big heads, and even a celebrity spotting or two!

Yes, the Hoosiers sadly ended up losing  a close game to Minnesota, but the Hoosier Basketball experience was still an incredible way to spend the evening, and the nail-biting, heart pounding, down-to-the-wire finish reminded me that win or lose...

This is Indiana. We love the game. We love the experience. 
Go Hoosiers!

You've probably already heard that three of Bloomington's most awesome sandwiches are in the running to become Indiana's Super Sandwich! The folks at Visit Indiana and Indianapolis Monthly Magazine have compiled a list of Indiana's Super 46 Sandwiches. Take a few minutes to go vote for your favorite on the Indiana Insider Blog.

The B-town participants are the Seitan Tenderloin from Upland Brewing Company, the Tom Crean and Crimson Burger from Opie Taylor's and the Lugar Burger from FARMbloomington. Please vote before this Friday, to help us make sure our Bloomington eateries make it through the first round of the contest! You can vote for up to five great Indiana sandwiches. The top 16 will then be placed into the sandwich playoffs, which will coincide with the NFL playoffs and culminate in the naming of Indiana's Super Sandwich on February 2.

While we're talking about sandwiches, we'd like to mention a few Bloomington specialties that the folks in Indianapolis might have missed...

If you're visiting B-town during the Super Bowl, or anytime, here's a list of some of our favorite sandwiches here at Visit Bloomington. Enjoy!

Chicken Fillet So simple, yet so good. Cafe Pizzaria serves up what might be the best chicken sandwich in B-town, shown here with lettuce, mayo and mozzerella.  Recommended by staffer Tosha Daugherty.
The Sweet Lou Available at BuffaLouie's on Indiana Avenue, this half-pound burger is incredible. That famous Sweet BBQ sauce, cheese and bacon... need we say more? Recommended by staffer Marcia Roach.
Shaved Pork Loin Topped with smoked bacon, sharp cheddar, herb ranch, Carolina slaw, and served on a hoagie at Sweet Grass Restaurant, this is an explosion of flavors. Recommended by staffer Julie Warren.
Gyro While not the most traditional sandwich, you'll be glad you gave it a try. The Trojan Horse offers this Greek speciality with lamb and beef or chicken (pictured). Recommended by staffer Teal Betz.
Tuna Melt The Scholar's Inn Bakehouse has a number of incredible sandiches, but the tuna melt provides the perfect combination of healthy and cheesey! Recommended by staffer Mike McAfee.

Share this link with your social network to help us make sure Bloomington is represented in the Super 46 Playoffs! Do you agree with the sandwiches on their list (or ours)? What was missed - what's YOUR favorite Bloomington sandwich?