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Spring break in B-town is drawing to a close and soon we'll have thousands of students back on campus and around town sporting tans and souvenir t-shirts from their various spring break travels. Over the course of the week, however, we spotted several students still in the area.

So, what's a student (or visitor) to do in Bloomington over spring break? 

You've been seeing references to Pinterest for awhile now. It pops up in your Facebook news feed when your friends pin something, you've seen links on Twitter, maybe you've had friends rave about it. If you're Pinterest-curious but just don't know where to start, don't worry - we've got your crash course, right here.

Pinterest is the hottest social site of 2012. They've got over 10 million registered users, their number of daily users has increased by more than 145% since the beginning of this year and they're still in an invitation-only beta stage. So, what exactly are these millions of people doing on Pinterest?

Being inspired. Getting organized. Shopping online. Collecting ideas. Uploading photos. You see, Pinterest is like a giant digital cork board. You can create as many boards as you want for any categories you want. Planning a wedding? Having a baby? Remodeling your house? Need ideas for a science project? Planning a vacation? No idea what to make for dinner tonight? Pinterest to the rescue! Simply create a board for each of these topics, download the pin-it add on for your browser and start surfing the web or uploading your existing photos.

Take a look at how Visit Bloomington is using Pinterest. We've got a board for IU Basketball, of course, but we've also got a board just for local beer and wine, one for foodies, family travel ideas, local music and more. We've even got a board dedicated to famous (or semi-famous) people who have ties to Bloomington and/or Indiana University. You can even create boards that multiple people can pin to, such as our Staff Pins board. That could come in handy if you're planning a girlfriends' getaway or a vacation for the extended family!

If you think you're ready to take the Pinterest plunge, here's our little gift to you. Instead of requesting an invite through the site itself and waiting days or weeks to get it, simply email us and I'll be happy to send you an invitation to join us on Pinterest. Happy pinning!

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!

We've got two tickets to the ultimate Indiana football rivalry game - IU vs Purdue, or the Old Oaken Bucket Game and, that's right, we're giving them away! What better place is there for a Hoosier fan to celebrate the Thanksgiving weekend?

Regardless of the rest of the season, both the IU Hoosiers and the Purdue Boilermakers always up the intensity for this contest. At stake? Possession of the legendary Oaken Bucket... and statewide bragging rights! Be there for this year's historic game on November 26th. 

But wait, there's more!
You know us, we just love giving away great Bloomington experiences, so here's what we're going to do: In addition to the two tickets to the game, we're also going to give our lucky winner a gift certificate to B-town Pizza for tailgate munchies... and a gift certificate to the Scholars Inn for dinner after the game! (Scholars Inn certificate can be used at either the Gourmet Cafe & Wine Bar or the Bakehouse.)

So, what do you have to do to win this fabulous prize? Nothing too complicated... just leave a comment on this blog post and share your favorite Oaken Bucket Game memory!

We'll randomly choose a winner on Friday afternoon.
Good luck!

'Tis the season..for shrieks and spooks, ghosts and goblins... and candy, lots and lots of candy! We've compiled a handy list of all the fun Halloween related events happening in the Bloomington area throughout the month of October.

Pick your favorite Spooky B-town event and make your plans now!
Come on, you're not scared, are you? 

Haunted Houses: open throughout October

Baker's Junction Haunted Train
Fri. & Sat., 7-10 pm

Barn of Terror
Fri. & Sat., 8 pm - 12 am

Harrodsburg Haunted House
Fri. & Sat., 8 pm - 12 am

Family-Friendly Events

Great Glass Pumpkin Patch
Courthouse Square, Oct. 15, 10 am - 3pm

Little Monsters Gallery Art Show
Blueline Gallery, Oct. 16-31

Trick or Treat Trail
RCA Park, Oct. 22, 1-4 pm

Dennis James hosts Halloween
IU Auditorium, Oct. 27, 7:30 pm

Festival of Ghost Stories
Bryan Park, Oct. 28

Halloween at Lake Monroe
Paynetown Campground, Oct. 29

Safe Halloween
College Mall, Oct. 29, 6-8 pm

Skate & Scare
Frank Southern Ice Arena, Oct. 29, 7 - 9 pm

Spooky Paper-Making
Twisted Limb Paperworks, Oct. 30 & 31

Halloween Family Fun Fest
Mathers Museum, Oct. 31

Pumpkins!

Freeman Family Farms
Fri. 4 - 7 pm; Sat. 10 am - 8 pm; Sun. 12-5 pm

Oliver Winery
Mon. - Sat. 10 am - 6 pm; Sun. 12-6 pm

Musgrave Orchard
Wed. - Sun., 10:30 am - 6:30 pm

Great Bloomington Pumpkin Launch
Hilltop Garden & Nature Center, Nov. 5, 12-4 pm

Adults Only

Dark Carnival Film Festival
Buskirk-Chumley Theater, Oct. 21-23

Haunted Hoosier History Overnight
(Kids 12 and up welcome on the tour portion of the event only with a parent.)
Please RSVP by Oct. 7th.
Monroe Co. History Center, Oct. 22, 6 pm

Halloween Horror Burlesque
Jake's Nightclub, Oct. 29, 10 pm & 12 am

Rocky Horror Picture Show
Buskirk-Chumley Theater, Oct. 29, 7:30 & 11:30 pm

There's a hint of color in the trees, fresh cider on the shelves at Musgrave Orchard and a huge variety of special events and performances on the Visit Bloomington calendar... you know what that adds up to: Fall is here and it's the perfect time to plan your fall getaway to Bloomington! 

Be sure to check our calendar for fun events, including everything from live music to film festivals and theatre performances to football games, to plan your trip around. A few even have special hotel rates to make planning your getaway even easier (and more affordable)!

Check out these great deals for the weekend of October 21-23: 

	Enjoy the SFJAZZ Collective's tribute to Stevie Wonder at the IU Auditorium on October 22 with a special discounted ticket price along with a special overnight rates from several area hotels. To find out how to redeem these discounts, visit our Special Offers page and look for the IU Auditorium offer.
	If you love the darker side of Halloween, check out the Dark Carnival Film Festival at the Buskirk-Chumley Theater. A weekend pass is only $20! Mention the Dark Carnival when you make your hotel reservations at the Hampton Inn (discount code DCF)  or Homewood Suites for a special rate!
	For something a little more out of the ordinary, take a look at Abraham Lincoln's Big Gay Dance Party, a musical production from University Players. Details about special rates at five area hotels are available on the event's calendar listing.

So, what are you waiting for? Start planning your fall getaway to Bloomington!

The chaos of student move-in has faded, new and returning students alike are hopefully settling in to their new digs and classes are ready to begin. Welcome to B-town!

On the first official day of classes, we thought we'd kick off the new school year with a bit of advice for all those brand-new (and returning) Hoosiers in town! I polled the entire staff and here's what the experts at Visit Bloomington had to say:

• Wait to purchase books for classes, until you know if you really need them. Don't buy new ones that are expensive if there are used ones available.

• Use your meal points. You will miss them once they're gone.

• Take full advantage of the SRSC/HPER gym! You're paying for a gym membership and your metabolism is still high! It's easy to slip into a lazy funk freshman year so stay active!

• Leave time in between your classes to stop by Sugar & Spice at the IMU for a bagel in the morning or a Special K chewie in the afternoon!

• Get involved - as much as you can - and you will meet all kinds of people. Any opportunity you are given, take it.

• Venture outside your comfort zone. You may have come to school with other kids from your high school, but the point of freshman year is to meet new people. You're sharing your first year with 6,000 other freshmen who are in your shoes. Meet as many new people as possible!

• Join a club or a student organization. This is an awesome way to meet new people (not just freshmen), it will keep you busy, and it'll look great on a resume!

• Get familiar with the one-way streets, because there are many and sometimes they sneak up on you (Third Street!).

• Don't worry about getting lost because nothing is more than a 15 minute drive.

• Visit the IU and Bloomington museums, they are amazing and most students only hit the big ones.

• Eat at a new local restaurant at least once a month. Try something different- you'll probably love it!

• Don't be afraid to explore the entire community. The downtown area has a ton of great, local shops and restaurants, and believe it or not there's actually life west of Rogers Street! The outdoor recreation opportunities are tremendous, so take advantage of that.

• Take it a step further and spend a few Saturdays exploring beyond the confines of Bloomington. Within a very short drive, you and your new friends can experience a multitude of day trip destinations including a quaint artist colony, unique small towns and big city attractions. Go to Holiday World at least once.

• At least one summer during your student career, you must stay in Bloomington. The town has a totally different vibe in the summer. If you can't stay all summer, at least stay a couple of weeks or come back a little early. (This is true during the holiday break, as well!)

Oh, and don't forget that we're here to help. Whether you need advice on where to take your visiting parents for dinner or information on regional attractions, Visit Bloomington is here to help. Drop us a note on Facebook or follow us on Twitter, where you can just #AskBtown for help!

What a beautiful morning it is in Bloomington today! Looks like this week's weather is just perfect for playing a little hooky from work to meet a good friend for a round of golf out by Lake Monroe. If you're like the rest of us, we know you work hard and probably don't have as much time to spend having fun with your friends, so we're going to help you make it happen!

Between now and two o'clock this afternoon, you've got the chance to win a free round of golf at Eagle Pointe Golf Resort for you and a friend, plus $50 in gift cards to Talons Restaurant. Just leave us a comment and tell us why you or your friend deserve this B-town Break!