FESTIVALS & SPECIAL EVENTS
Brews & Crafts
Date: Wednesday, September 3 and Friday, September 5
Time: 6:00-9:00 PM
Location: Gather :handmade shoppe & co.:
Admission: $28.00-$45.00 per ticket
Combine your love of beverages with your love of making. Brews & Crafts is our chillest craft night yet – no theme, just grab a drink (beer, cider, cocktails, or non-alcoholic options) and dive into a craft project with us. The only rule: sip and create at your leisure. Perfect for date night, friend hangs, or decompressing from adulting.
Aviation Weekend at Monroe County Airport
Date: Friday, September 5 to Sunday, September 7
Time: 12:00-4:00 PM
Location: Monroe County Airport; 972 S Kirby Road
Admission: Free
This three-day celebration truly soars beyond aviation—it’s a full-throttle community experience. Click here for the full schedule.
Movies in the Parks: Wicked (Sing-Along Version)
Date: Friday, September 5
Time: 8:15 PM
Location: Bryan Park
Admission: Price of meal
Wicked (Sing-Along Version) (2024, PG, 1 hr 42 min). Bring a blanket and a picnic and join us for free movies in the park every month!
Monroe County Fall Festival
Date: Thursday, September 11 to Saturday, September 13
Time: 5:00-10:00 PM
Location: Free
Our festival has live music on two stages, food trucks, craft vendors, kids games, Queen Contest, Parade, Circus Show and your favorites from Butler Winery and Upland Brewing. Bring your family and friends for another great festival September 11,12,13 at Marci Jane Lewis Park in Ellettsville!
Bug Fest
Date: Saturday, September 13
Time: 10:00 AM-2:00 PM
Location: Karst Farm Park
Scurry, hop, fly, or drop on over to Karst Farm Park to celebrate insects and their relatives! The mission of Bug Fest is to educate the public about insect and spider biology. There will be live insect displays, information tables on a variety of subjects, crafts, games, live entertainment, food trucks, and more!
Tour de Ramps at Lake Monroe
Date: Saturday, September 13
Time: 8:30 AM-5:00 PM
Location: Fairfax State Recreation Area
Admission: $55.00-$65,00 per ticket
2025 will be the 3rd annual running of the Tour de Ramps at Lake Monroe. This can be a beautiful, pleasant bike ride around Lake Monroe, or, by a series of poor decisions, you can visit each of the 9 boat ramps to create a very challenging ride.
Witch Fest
Date: Saturday, September 20
Time: 12:00 AM-7:00 PM
Location: Monroe County Courthouse
Admission: Free
In typical Witch Fest Event fashion....Think The Craft meets Gilmore Girls;) Gather and oak. will be taking over the downtown Courthouse lawn with artists of all kinds - handmade makers and crafters - along with astrological readers providing a variety of services from tarot to reiki to gris gris to reading bones.
Lotus World Music & Arts Festival
Date: Thursday, September 25 through Sunday, September 28
Time: Times vary
Location: Various downtown venues
Admission: Prices vary
Indiana’s annual celebration of world music, arts, and culture. A four-day festival for people of all ages, ethnicities, abilities, and backgrounds that is supported by countless community partners, sponsors, and volunteers. Lotus showcases artists and groups from around the globe where you can expect unique opportunities and experiences that may broaden your worldview through the arts.
Makevention
Date: Saturday, September 27
Time: 10:00 AM-4:00 PM
Location: Switchyard Park
Admission: Free
Makevention is an exhibit and celebration of the maker spirit in Bloomington. Come see the inventive and creative passions of your community! Maker culture includes a wide range of activities, including 3D printing, textiles, woodworking, and games. It unites people from various backgrounds, from home-based inventors to production companies, who like to build things and embrace problem solving, transforming ideas into tangible forms.
LIVE MUSIC & PERFORMANCES
Tuesday Tunes - Gravy Bird
Date: Tuesday, September 16
Time: 4:30-6:00 PM
Location: Hopewell Commons
Admission: Free
Gravy Bird - original 3-piece rock. Grab your blankets, lawn chairs, and your favorite people for an evening filled with great tunes and community spirit. Plus, this event is happening alongside the Bloomington Community Farmers' Market's Tuesday Market, so it's the perfect opportunity to enjoy some local goodies too!
Peoples Park Concert Series: Bill Vincent
Date: Thursday, September 4
Time: 4:30-6:00 PM
Location: Peoples Park
Admission: Free
Enjoy free, live performances from local and regional musicians in Peoples Park. Pack a picnic or opt for takeout from the excellent downtown restaurants nearby. Unwind from your work day with an evening of music in Peoples Park.
Evening with the Bloomington Jazz Orchestra
Date: Sunday, September 7
Time: 6:00 PM
Location: Switchyard Park
Admission: Free
An Evening with the Bloomington Jazz Orchestra!
"Alice's Adventures in Wonderland"
Date: Various days from Thursday, September 11 through Sunday, September 21
Time: Various times
Location: Constellation Playhouse
Admission: $25.00 for adults, $15.00 for children
All Alice wants to do is go through to the Looking Glass House - a mirror world to her own. But, when the mirror becomes flexible and she's able to go through, who and what she encounters is both extraordinary and ridiculous. With characters from "Through the Looking Glass" and "Alice's Adventures in Wonderland", this adaptation will delight the entire family!
The Bluebird
Location: The Bluebird
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Hairbangers Ball
- Date: Saturday, September 13
- Time: 9:00 PM
- Admission: $14.25 per ticket
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The Brook and the Bluff
- Date: Saturday, September 27
- Time: 8:00 PM
- Admission: $32.64 per ticket
Buskirk-Chumley Theater
Location: Buskirk-Chumley Theater
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Buffalo Nichols & Sunny War
- Date: Thursday, September 4
- Time: 7:00 PM
- Admission: $34.00 for pit, $30.00 for orchestra, $28.00 for lower balcony and bench, $26.00 for upper balcony
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John Moreland
- Date: Tuesday, September 9
- Time: 7:00 PM
- Admission: $30.00-$38.00 per ticket
The Comedy Attic
Location: The Comedy Attic
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Usama Siddiquee's Bloomington Debut!
- Date: Friday, September 5 and Saturday, September 6
- Time: 7:00 and 9:15 PM
- Admission: $16.00-$20.00 per ticket
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Jackie Kashian Returns to The Comedy Attic!
- Date: Friday, September 19 and Saturday, September 20
- Time: 7:00 PM & 9:15 PM
- Admission: $23.00-$28.00 per ticket
Waldron Arts Center
Location: Waldron Arts Center
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Next to Normal
- Date: Various days from Thursday, September 4 through Sunday, September 21
- Time: Various times
- Admission: $35.00 per ticket or prices may vary (pay what you will)
Sporting Events
Bloomington Speedway
- Champions Night
- Date: Friday, September 5
- Time: 6:00 PM
- Location: Bloomington Speedway
IU Football
- vs. Kennesaw State
- Date: Saturday, September 6
- Time: 12:00 PM
- Location: Memorial Stadium
- vs. Indiana State
- Date: Friday, September 12
- Time: 6:30
- Location: Memorial Stadium
- vs. Illinois
- Date: Saturday, September 20
- Time: TBA
- Location: Memorial Stadium
RECURRING EVENTS
1st Saturday Sale
Date: First Saturday
Time: 10:00 AM-5:00 PM
Location: My Sister's Closet
Admission: Free
Come out and Enjoy 50% OFF all General Merchandise at My Sister's Closet every 1st Saturday of the Month. Hope to see you all there!
Food Truck Tuesday
Date: Every Tuesday
Time: 11:00 AM-2:00 PM
Location: The Trades District
Admission: Free
Every Tuesday from 11a - 2p, enjoy Food Trucks at The Trade's District.
Tuesday Farmers' Market
Date: Every Tuesday
Time: 4:00 PM-7:00 PM
Location: Switchyard Park
Admission: Free
Visit, shop and support local farmers and growers, and small businesses, at Switchyard Park on Tuesdays, June through September.
Bloomington 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. Upland Brewing Company will have a beer garden weekly from 5:00-8:30 PM.
Gallery Walk
Date: Friday, August 1
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.
Smithville Farmers' Market
Date: Every Saturday
Time: 8:00 AM-12:00 PM
Location: 7555 S Strain Ridge Road
Admission: Free
The market features between 12 and 20 vendors each week, featuring fresh produce, handmade crafts and baked goods. The market runs from the beginning of May throughout the growing season, until September.
Bloomington Community Farmers' Market
Date: Every Saturday
Time: 8:00 AM-12:30 PM
Location: Showers Common
Admission: Free
Locally-grown produce, annual and perennial plants, and a variety of prepared foods are available.
Ellettsville Farmers' Market
Date: Every Saturday
Time: 9:00 AM-1:00 PM
Location: 203 E Temperance St
Admission: Free
Located at our Ellettsville location, this weekly market provides fresh produce, baked goods, handmade crafts and other vendors selling their products. Visit our website to see the weekly vendors.
People's Market
Date: Every Saturday
Time: 10:00 AM-2:00 PM
Location: First United Church
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.
