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"Bloomington's primary draw is its open college-town atmosphere and 'Big City Culture with Small town Charm.' There are funky shops, unusual restaurants and brewpubs, two wineries and loads of outdoor activity." ~New York Blade, Jan. 9, 2004
Bloomington offers an array of activities and events for any traveler to enjoy. A few examples that might appeal to the gay/lesbian visitor are listed below, but please feel free to browse through the rest of the web site for more information on these suggestions and to find even more great things to see, do and experience in Bloomington!
Attractions
Bloomington's downtown area is full of funky and interesting shops, great limestone architechture and more! Check out the local heritage at the Monroe County History Center or the Wylie House Museum or just wander around and absorb the fun, ecclectic atmosphere. You won't want to miss exploring Kirkwood Avenue, the main artery connecting downtown Bloomington with the campus of Indiana University. Kirkwood leads you from the historic Beaux Arts style limestone courthouse right up to th e Sample Gates.
Once you're on campus, the collections of the Kinsey Institute for Research in Sex, Gender and Reproduction are like nothing else on earth. Encompassing the mundane, the arcane, the exquisite and the scientific, the collection incldues print materials, film and video, fine art, artifacts, photography, archives and more. Free and open to the public year-round. You've seen the film; now see the real thing!
Take a walking tour of campus, from the IU Art Museum, with collections ranging from ancient gold jewelry and African masks to paintings by Monet, Matisse and Picasso to the designs and sketches of Bill Blass (a Hoosier native) – to the Lilly Library, a rare book, manuscript and special collections repository – to the Mathers Museum of World Cultures, Bloomington and Indiana University offer quite a variety of world-class attractions, many with free admission and ever-changing exhibits.
Performances
Recognized as one of the finest in the country, the IU Jacobs School of Music provides an endless offering of concerts, operas, ballets, recitals and special events. Furthermore, their performance venues match their performers in quality. For instance, opera is performed at the Musical Arts Center, a building said to be acoustically perfect with seating for 2,000. The opera season is said to be the longest, continuously running season in the Western Hemisphere. Of course, live musical performances are never hard to find here in Bloomington. On campus or in the community, from classical orchestra offerings to bluegras s, jazz or rock n roll, there's something playing almost every night.
Both Indiana University and the city of Bloomington offer an extensive selection of theatre offerings. Indiana University offers eight plays a year in their gleaming new facilities at the Lee Norvelle Theatre and Drama Center. Bloomington is home to the John Waldron Arts Center and the Bloomington Playwrights Project – both of which perform an impressive schedule of plays and musicals throughout the year.
The Indiana University Auditorium and Buskirk-Chumley Theatre provide visitors to Bloomington with two wonderful venues for the performing arts. Acts ranging from The Vagina Monologues, Ira Glass, David Sedaris, Maya Angelou, Rent, Chicago, David Spade, The Indigo Girls, John Mellencamp, Ithzak Perlman, and a wide variety of other touring productions routinely make their way to Bloomington.
Festivals & Special Events
Bloomington is home to several festivals and special events that occur throughout the year and many may be of special interest to gay/lesbian travelers. The PRIDE Film Festival takes place each January and celebrates GLBT films. The IU GLBT Alumni Association sponsors a special weekend event each year and you don't even have to be an alum to attend! Two annual pageants are held in Bloomington each year, Miss Gay IU which attracts an audience of over 3,000 people, and the smaller Miss Gay Bloomington. An annual Pride Picnic is held each 4th of July to celebrates the dream of equality and first-class citizenship rights for GLBT citizens and their families.
 The Lotus World Music and Arts Festival is a magical celebration of world music that has become both internationally known and a local favorite. As locals put it, “it’s Bloomington at its best.” Downtown Bloomington becomes a melting pot of world cultures for four days every year in the fall with over a dozen venues hosting a truly international selection of music from six continents. A truly unforgettable experience - and just one of Bloomington's many festivals and special events!
Numerous other festivals occur throughout the year, including the Taste of Bloomington, the Arts Fair on the Square, the 4th Street Festival of the Arts, the Bloomington Beer Festival, a Winter Wine Festival and much, much more - even a Chocolate Festival!
Wineries & Brewpubs 
Bloomington is the proud home of two of Indiana’s oldest and best wineries and two local breweries. Oliver Winery is the state’s oldest and largest and offers free tastings in a timber framed tasting room with exquisite grounds. Butler Winery and Vineyard provides the free tastings at two Bloomington locations – downtown and at their vineyard on the outskirts of town. The Bloomington Brewing Company and Upland Brewing Company both create local beers with lots of character and serve them up with great food at their respective brew pub locations.
Antiques & Art Galleries
Bloomington is something of a treasure trove for antiquing with many locally owned shops in the downtown area. The main draw is the Bloomington Antique Mall, the largest in southern Indiana and home to over 120 vendors. In addition to the many antique offerings, Bloomington also has a thriving art gallery scene, many of which are located in the downtown square area and feature a downtown gallery walk four times per year.
Outdoor Recreation 
Bloomington is home to three lakes, including the largest in the state, Monroe Reservoir. Popular activities include pontoon & speed boat rentals, canoe & kayak rentals, hiking, camping, wildlife viewing and an assortment of other fun-in-the sun escapes. Lake Monroe is truly an oasis with an atmosphere of unblemished beauty spread over almost 11,000 acres and just minutes from downtown. Other lakes in the area include Lake Lemon, just north of town and Griffy Lake on the outskirts of the city.
The Hoosier National Forest, the only national forest in Indiana, surrounds much of Lake Monroe, adding several thousand acres of pristine forest lands to the area's natural beauty and recreational assets. Indiana's only Congressionally-designated wilderness area, Charles C. Deam Wilderness, lies within the Hoosier National Forest.
Numerous trails are available throughout the Hoosier National Forest, at Lake Monroe and Lake Griffy, and at city and county operated properties. Don't miss the paved Clear Creek Trail for a great trail experience, or check out Leonard Springs Nature Park for a little more rugged terrain.
 If bicycling is your forte and you remember the film Breaking Away , which was filmed entirely in Bloomington in 1979, you'll be glad to hear the its legacy continues. The Little 500 bicycle race is still contested every spring by Indiana University students, road biking is still a popular passtime among visitors and residents alike and Bloomington has long been recognized by the League of American Bicyclists as one of only forty-four bicycle friendly communities in the country.
Dining & Nightlife 
Bloomington offers an impressive selection of dining choices, reflecting the many cultures thriving in the area. Examples include Tibetan, Thai, Turkish, Indian, Cajun, Moroccan, Irish, French, Italian, Afghani, as well as plenty of classic American and California cuisine. And nightlife? Bloomington is home to two gay bars – ranging from live music and karaoke at Willy Jo's to the more relaxed setting at Uncle Elizabeth's with an outdoor deck, happy hour specials and movie nights. Don't be shy about exploring the "non-gay" nightlife in Bloomington as well - around here, everyone's welcome everywhere!
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