There's always something going on in Bloomington! Check out the top events happening in April 2026, and consider spending two or three days with us this season.
FESTIVALS & SPECIAL EVENTS
Photo Courtesy of IU Student Foundation
IU First Thursday's Festival
Date: Thursday, April 2
Time: 4:00 PM - 7:00 PM
Location: Fine Arts Plaza
Admission: Free
First Thursdays festivals showcase the diversity of arts and humanities at IU Bloomington and offer a welcoming environment for students, faculty, staff, and community members to explore new creative outlets. Previous festivals have included everything from opera to breakdancing, stage-fighting to clay-throwing, and much, much more.
12th Annual Bloomington Craft Beer Spring Fest
Date: Saturday, April 11
Time: 2:00 PM - 6:00 PM
Location: Woolery Mill
Admission: $48.00-$78.00 per ticket, $15.00-$20.00 for Designated Drivers
Support local vendors & enjoy games while sampling over 100 beers plus cider, craft cocktails & alt beverages all brewed by your favorite Hoosiers!
Voices in Motion
Date: Saturday, April 11
Time: 2:00-4:00 PM
Location: WonderLab Museum
Admission: Free
Changing the world together through song and STEM: Join us for an innovative collaboration between Indiana University’s faculty and Bloomington’s WonderLab Science Museum for an interactive experience that brings together the arts and sciences to inspire young learners.
2026 Earth Day at Switchyard Park
Date: Saturday, April 18
Time: 12:00-3:30 PM
Location: Switchyard Park
Admission: Free
The City of Bloomington welcomes you to the fourth annual Earth Day celebration at Switchyard Park on Saturday, April 18, 2026 from 12-3:30 p.m. The event is free and open to the public, and will feature live music, food and drinks, local vendors, prize drawings, tree giveaways, and more.
38th Annual Women's Little 500 Race
Date: Friday, April 24
Time: 4:00 PM
Location: Bill Armstrong Stadium
Admission: Adults $50, Students $40, Kids (12 & under) $20 (ticket price gets you into both races)
More than 25,000 fans flock to the IU campus in Bloomington, Indiana, each April to take part in IU's storied tradition. And who can blame them? The excitement, the competition, the pageantry—Little 500 is an experience like no other.
75th Annual Men's Little 500 Race
Date: Saturday, April 25
Time: 2:00 PM
Location: Bill Armstrong Stadium
Admission: Adults $50, Students $40, Kids (12 & under) $20 (ticket price gets you into both races)
More than 25,000 fans flock to the IU campus in Bloomington, Indiana, each April to take part in IU's storied tradition. And who can blame them? The excitement, the competition, the pageantry—Little 500 is an experience like no other.
Children's Expo
Date: Sunday, April 26
Time: 1:00-4:00 PM
Location: Switchyard Park
Admission: Free
Visit the annual Children's Expo to find Bloomington's best resources, services and programs just for children and families! The Expo features dozens of exhibitor booths, active fun for elementary school-age children, and more! Admission is free.
LIVE MUSIC & PERFORMANCES
Enjoy live performances by the following artists:
The Bluebird Shows
Location: The Bluebird
- Congress The Band
- Date: Friday, April 3
- Time: 8:00 PM
- Admission: $18.65 per ticket, 21+
- Molly Tuttle
- Date: Saturday, April 18
- Time: 8:00 PM
- Admission: $37.05 per ticket, 21+
Buskirk-Chumley Theater Shows
Location: Buskirk-Chumley Theater
- Ladies First Spring Show
- Date: Friday, April 3
- Time: 8:00-10:00 PM
- Admission: $14.00-$19.00 per ticket, 21+
The Comedy Attic Shows
Location: The Comedy Attic
- Guy Branum is Back in Bloomington!
- Date: Friday, April 3 and Saturday, April 4
- Time: 7:00 PM & 9:15 PM
- Admission: $19.00-$23.00 per ticket, 21+
- The Bloomington Debut of Gauri B!
- Date: Friday, April 17 and Saturday, April 18
- Time: 7:00 PM & 9:15 PM
- Admission: $28.00-$33.00 per ticket, 21+
IU Auditorium
Location: IU Auditorium
- The STARS Tour Featuring Anne Wilson
- Date: Thursday, April 9
- Time: 7:00 PM
- Admission: $37.00-$99.00 per ticket
- A Conversation with Caleb Hearon
- Date: Tuesday, April 14
- Time: 7:00 PM
- Admission: $25.00 for general admission, $15.00 for IU faculty/staff, free for IUB students
The Orbit Room
Location: The Orbit Room
- Cosmic Songwriter Showcase
- Date: Wednesday, April 1
- Time: 7:00-9:00 PM
- Admission: $5.00 per ticket
Simon Skjodt Assembly Hall
Location: Simon Skjodt Assembly Hall
- A Boogie Wit da Hoodie at Simon Skjodt Assembly Hall
- Date: Saturday, April 11
- Time: 8:00 PM
- Admission: See website for details
Waldron Arts Center
Location: Waldron Arts Center
- The DaVinci Code- Live on Stage
- Date: Various dates throughout April
- Time: Various times
- Admission: $23.00-$43.00 per ticket
ART & EXHIBITS
Join or Die: Revolutionary War Veterans Buried in Monroe County
Date: Recurring weekly on Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, Saturday
Time: 10:00 AM-4:00 PM
Location: Monroe County History Center
Admission: See website for details
Discover the stories of the American Revolutionary War veterans who later settled in Monroe County. Study the comprehensive battle maps that detail the movements of these soldiers as they fought in some of the Revolution’s most famous battles. Open March-December.
Revolution & Reflection: Campus Experiences in Art, History, and Ideas
Date: Recurring every week day
Time: 10:00 AM-5:00 PM
Location: 1296 E. 7th Street
Admission: Free
Revolution & Reflection: Campus Experiences in Art, History, and Ideas is an arts plaza invitation to everyone to imagine the people and ideas of the United States of America at its founding and as it expanded west. Look for your guide, President George Washington, as you drop in to visit these three revolutionary destinations: The Lilly Library presents The Declaration of Independence: The Motives, The Moment; The Sidney and Lois Eskenazi Museum of Art showcases George Washington’s portrait by Gilbert Stuart; and IU Auditorium is the caretaker of Thomas Hart Benton’s iconic murals, titled The Social History of Indiana.
SPORTING EVENTS
Photo Courtesy of IU Athletics
IU Baseball
- vs. Rutgers
- Date: Friday, April 3 through Sunday, April 5
- Time: Friday 6:00 PM, Saturday 2:00 PM, Sunday 1:00 PM
- Location: Bart Kaufman Field
- Admission: Admission charged
- vs. Ball State
- Date: Tuesday, April 7
- Time: 6:00 PM
- Location: Bart Kaufman Field
- Admission: Admission charged
- vs. Evansville
- Date: Wednesday, April 15
- Time: 6:00 PM
- Location: Bart Kaufman Field
- Admission: Admission charged
- vs. Abilene Christian
- Date: Friday, April 17 through Sunday, April 19
- Time: Friday 6:00 PM, Saturday 2:00 PM, Sunday 1:00 PM
- Location: Bart Kaufman Field
- Admission: Admission charged
- vs. Iowa
- Date: Friday, April 24 through Sunday, April 26
- Time: Friday 6:00 PM, Saturday 2:00 PM, Sunday 1:00 PM
- Location: Bart Kaufman Field
- Admission: Admission charged
IU Softball
- vs. Butler
- Date: Wednesday, April 8
- Time: 6:00 PM
- Location: Andy Mohr Field
- Admission charged
- vs. Purdue
- Date: Friday, April 10 through Sunday, April 12
- Time: Friday 6:00 PM, Saturday 2:00 PM, Sunday 5:00 PM
- Location: Andy Mohr Field
- Admission charged
- vs. Notre Dame
- Date: Tuesday, April 14
- Time: 6:00 PM
- Location: Andy Mohr Field
- Admission charge
- vs. Valparaiso
- Date: Wednesday, April 22
- Time: 5:00 PM
- Location: Andy Mohr Field
- Admission charge
- vs. Evansville
- Date: Wednesday, April 29
- Time: 6:00 PM
- Location: Andy Mohr Field
- Admission charge
IU Football
- vs. Indiana (Spring Game)
- Date: Thursday, April 23
- Time: 8:00 PM
- Location: Indiana Memorial Stadium
- Free
RECURRING EVENTS
Food Truck Friday
Date: Every Friday
Time: 11:00 AM-9:00 PM
Location: Switchyard Park
Admission: Cost of your food
Every Friday from 11 am - 9 pm, enjoy Bloomington's best food trucks in one place: Switchyard Park! This family-friendly event is one of the most beloved B-Town traditions and a must-attend event for visitors. Enjoy live music and all of the amenities the park offers while indulging in some locally-made food.
Gallery Walk
Date: Friday, April 3
Time: 5:00 PM - 8:00 PM
Location: Downtown Bloomington Galleries
Admission: Free
Experience downtown Bloomington’s vibrant Arts Mile as select galleries showcase evolving live and virtual exhibits. EVERY. FIRST. FRIDAY. Experience an exciting night of the arts as fourteen distinct galleries stay open late to host special exhibits and serve refreshments from 5-8pm.
Bloomington Community Farmers' Market
Date: Every Saturday
Time: 8:00 AM-1:00 PM
Location: Showers Common
Admission: Free
Locally-grown produce, annual and perennial plants, and a variety of prepared foods are available.
People's Market
Date: Recurring weekly on Saturday
Time: Saturday's 10:00 AM to 2:00 PM
Location: First United Church in the Fellowship Hall
Admission: Free
We strive to work towards intersectional anti-racism, create space for food justice in our food system while cultivating liberation and equity, and ensure access to local food, art, and education.
