Bloomington, Ind. – Bloomington is a vibrant community filled with activity. Each month there are numerous opportunities to enjoy and engage socially and civically. The City will provide monthly updates on what is happening in and with the City, and you will discover that no matter your interests or inclinations, there is something for everyone.
MARCH EVENTS
Bloomington Trivia Championship Series Hosted by Skip Daley
Date: Friday, March 3
Time: Doors open at 6 p.m.; trivia begins at 7 p.m.
Cost: $30 per team of up to six people
Location: Switchyard Park Pavilion, 1600 S. Rogers St.
Prizes are awarded to the top three teams. The Cabin Restaurant and Lounge is on-site with food, soda, beer, and wine available for purchase. Pre-registration is required at: https://bton.in/YvFwH
Women’s History Month Luncheon
Date: Thursday, March 23
Time: Doors open at 11:15 a.m., Program at 12:15 p.m.
Cost: $25 per ticket; $275 for a reserved table of 8; scholarships available
Location: Monroe Convention Center, 302 S. College Avenue
The theme of this year’s event is “Celebrating Women Who Tell Our Stories,” which encourages the recognition of women, past and present, who have been active in all forms of media. This year’s keynote presenter is Indianapolis native Manón Voice, who has become a trusted voice in the arts and activism community. The luncheon will also recognize the 2023 Women’s Achievement Award winners, which include the 2023 Woman of the Year, the Toby Strout Lifetime Contribution Award, and the Emerging Leader Award. Tickets must be reserved in advance through the BCT Box Office located at 114 E. Kirkwood Ave. or online at bctboxoffice.org. The deadline to purchase tickets is March 13 at 5 p.m. Scholarships are available for individuals that need assistance purchasing a seat to attend the lunch.
Bloomington 2023 Mayoral Candidates Forum: Disabilities, Accessibility, and Inclusion
Date: March 30
Time: 6 p.m.
Cost: Free
Location: Council Chambers inside City Hall, 401 N. Morton St.
Stone Belt and the Council for Community Accessibility will co-sponsor a forum for candidates for the City of Bloomington Mayor on March 30, 6-7:30 p.m., at City Hall, Council Chambers. It will include all declared candidates - currently Kerry Thomson, Susan Sandberg, Don Griffin, and Joe Davis. Paul Helmke, Director of Civic Leaders Center and Professor of Practice at the Paul H. O’Neill School of Public and Environmental Affairs will moderate. People with disabilities will be able to submit questions to the event organizers, a group of Stone Belt Advocacy Committee members, and CCA Executive Committee members for consideration. We are looking for a broad representation of people with various disabilities and their advocates on issues of accessibility and inclusion. Submit your questions at https://bton.in/4JZlN by Wednesday, March 22. There will be an opportunity for questions from the audience. The forum will be broadcast over Zoom with captioning, including an ASL interpreter, and be recorded for later viewing upon request.
Mad Paws Doggie Egg Hunt
Date: Saturday, April 1
Time: 1-3 p.m.
Cost: $5 per dog
Location: Switchyard Park dog park, 1600 S. Rogers St.
Plastic eggs filled with dog treats and prizes are scattered throughout the dog park for your canine friends to find. After the hunt, visit exhibitor booths and register to win a door prize. Canine costumes are welcome! Well-behaved dogs, attached to their humans with leashes no longer than six feet, are welcome. All dog park rules apply.
MARCH PROGRAMS
Recycle That!
Date: Sunday, March 5
Time: 2-3:30 p.m.
Cost: $5/Bloomington resident, $6/out-of-city resident
Location: Winslow Woods Park, picnic shelter
From scavengers to decomposers to smart recycling, explore how nature recycles its resources!
Register by March 1 online at bloomington.in.gov/recreation/recreation/nature.
Spring Break Luck o' the Irish
Date: Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday, March 14, 15 and 16
Time: 2-4 p.m. each day
Cost: $1 per child per day
Location: Switchyard Park Picnic Shelter, 1600 S. Rogers St.
Gather some shamrocks and wear green for a series of Irish- and St. Patrick's Day-themed activities for all ages. Attend all three days and win a prize!
Spring Awakening
Date: Sunday, March 19
Time: 12-1 p.m.
Cost: $5/Bloomington resident, $6/out-of-city resident
Location: Winslow Woods Park, picnic shelter
Awaken your senses at a guided meditative walk in beautiful Winslow Woods Park. Register by March 15 online at bloomington.in.gov/recreation/recreation/nature.
MARCH SHOUTOUTS
Garden Plots at City’s Three Community Gardens Available for Rent
Registration for new gardeners begins March 1.
Garden plots are available for rent in Willie Streeter Community Gardens, 2120 S. Highland Ave.; Rev. Butler Park Community Gardens, 812 W. 9th St.; and Switchyard Park Community Gardens, 1601 S. Rogers St. Garden plots are available on a first-come, first-served basis. All three community gardens have plenty of parking available, and all are accessible via Bloomington Transit bus routes. Registration will remain open until all garden plots are rented. Garden plot rental fees, and all registration materials needed to rent a garden plot, can be found on the Community Gardening Program website at https://bton.in/UKUUn or obtained from the Parks and Recreation office.
Bryan Park Playground Public Information Session
Thursday, March 2, from 6:30-8 p.m.
Cost: Free
Location: Council Chambers inside City Hall, 401 N. Morton St.
Parks & Recreation is replacing the juvenile playground at Bryan Park and wants to hear from Bloomington about the types of play equipment the community wants in the park! An online survey about the playground is available through March 10 on the Bryan Park website at bloomington.in.gov/parks/parks/bryan-park. All interested community members are invited to a public information session on March 2 in the Council Chambers inside City Hall, either in person or virtually, to see the playground survey results to date and to view different types of playground equipment available from manufacturers. The Zoom meeting link is also available on the Bryan Park website.
Be More Awards Honoring Volunteers Accepting Nominations
Date & Time: Nominations close March 5, 2023
Cost: Free
Location: bloomingtonvolunteernetwork.org/bemore
The City of Bloomington and Mayor John Hamilton encourage all community members to nominate outstanding volunteers for the Be More Awards, the community volunteer awards presented by the City of Bloomington Volunteer Network, a program of the City of Bloomington Community and Family Resources Department. Nominations are being accepted through March 5, 2023, at bloomingtonvolunteernetwork.org/bemore.
Nominations may be submitted by members of the general public, community organizations, or businesses. Each of the seven Be More Award recipients will receive a $1,000 cash award provided by the Community Foundation of Bloomington and Monroe County for the recipient's nonprofit organization in honor of their outstanding service.
Neighborhood Cleanup Grants Available
Neighborhood groups are invited to apply for a HAND Neighborhood Cleanup Grant
Application Deadline: Monday, March 6
HAND provides a trash truck, dumpsters and a wood chipper. Your neighborhood provides volunteers and coordination! To be eligible to apply in 2023, your neighborhood must be located within the corporate boundaries of the City of Bloomington, and may not have received a cleanup grant in either 2021 or 2022. Two Neighborhood Cleanup Grants will be awarded in 2023. Learn more at: https://bton.in/3umKG
Car Seat Safety Checks with Indiana University Health Bloomington (IUHB) and the Bloomington Fire Department (BFD)
Dates & Times:
Monday, March 6, 10-11 a.m.
Monday, March 20, 10-11 a.m, 12-1 p.m., 2-3 p.m.
Friday, March 24, 2-3 p.m.
Monday, March 27, 10-11 a.m., 11 a.m. - 12 p.m., 12-1 p.m., 1-2 p.m., 2-3 p.m.
Friday, March 31, 1-2 p.m.
Cost: Free, registration required
Location: Bloomington Fire Dept., Training Center, 2917 McIntire Drive,
In Indiana, children must use a safety restraint such as a car seat until age 8. Four out of five children's car seats are used improperly. Properly installed child safety seats can significantly reduce your child's risk of injury or death. To make sure your child is as safe as possible, schedule an appointment for a Car Seat Safety Check. You must bring your child with you unless this is a prenatal safety check. Enroll one person per family per car. Community members can sign up online at iuhealth.org/classes-events
Residential Storm Grants Public Information Meeting
Date: Wednesday, March 22
Time: 5:30-7 p.m.
Cost: Free
Location: Utilities Service Center, 600 E Miller Dr
Through its Residential Stormwater Grant program, Utilities works with homeowners to improve drainage and erosion issues on their property in green and sustainable ways.
Community Groups, Artists, and Food Vendors Invited to Take Part in the International Festival on April 16
Applications are open now and accepted until March 24.
The International Festival is a street fair-style festival to take place on Fourth Street between Dunn Street and Grant Street in the Dunkirk Square parking lot. Community groups, entertainers, and artists are invited to join the International Festival by hosting interactive spaces where visitors can learn about and explore other cultures, display and demonstrate works of art, and offer a variety of food from across the globe. The International Festival is scheduled for Sunday, April 16, from 1-4 p.m. on Fourth Street in downtown Bloomington. Fourth Street will be closed that day between Dunn Street and Grant Street. This event is a celebration of Bloomington's people and an opportunity to use Bloomington's city streets to meet neighbors, learn more about local businesses and organizations, and experience diverse food and music. Parks and Recreation is seeking community groups, artisans, entertainers, and restaurants or food vendors to participate in the Festival, interact with the community, and bring unique flavors.
Interested participants may apply online. Applications are due by March 24. There is no cost to participate. Space for entertainment and activities is limited, and applications are accepted until all available spaces are filled. The online application for vendor space is available at https://bton.in/FUAFK.
2023 Spring/Summer Adult Softball Leagues
The Parks & Recreation Department offers USA Softball Association-sanctioned leagues for all levels of play. Games are played at Twin Lakes Sports Park, 2350 W. Bloomfield Rd. Register a men's, women's, or co-rec team online at bloomington.in.gov/softball between March 1 and April 5. League play begins the week of April 16. For more information, contact Scott Pedersen at pederses@bloomington.in.gov or 812-349-3774.
Join the Pick It Up! Litter Patrol
You can help keep Bloomington beautiful by volunteering to pick up trash in our community. The Pick It Up! Program provides special blue trash bags to individuals, organizations, and businesses to pick up litter in their neighborhoods. Bags are collected for free by the Sanitation department. Learn more at: https://bton.in/!HN1V
Residents Academy Registration is Open
Interested in becoming more engaged in the community? The Residents Academy might be just what you're looking for. Participants learn about the challenges of city government, budget limitations, day-to-day operations, and mandates in this fun and educational 10-week program. The Residents Academy will run on Thursday evenings from 6-8 p.m., August 24 through October 26, 2023. Learn more at: https://bton.in/qrUZU
April Home Buyer Club
The Housing and Neighborhood Development (HAND) Department's Home Buyers program offers participants a chance to explore the possibility of affordable home ownership. The Home Buyers Club takes place over the course of two consecutive Saturdays. The next round of classes will meet on Saturday, April 15, from 9 am to 4 pm and on Saturday, April 22, from 9 am to 1 pm. Registration will open one month before the first class meeting. The goal of the class is to help first-time home buyers understand and overcome the obstacles involved in purchasing their first home and what to expect after buying a home. You will have the opportunity to meet one-on-one with a housing counselor to discuss any potential obstacles in achieving your goal. Income-eligible graduates may qualify for up to $10,000 in Down Payment Closing Cost Assistance from HAND. Learn more at: https://bton.in/lTDXk
Kid City Break Days
Registration and scholarship applications for March Kid City Break Days are open now. Break Days are for students in grades K through 6 and take place from 8 a.m. until 5:30 p.m. on scheduled days. Campers engage in outdoor play and other camp activities on-site at the Allison-Jukebox Community Center, 351 S. Washington St. in Bloomington. March dates are Monday, March 13-Friday March 17. Visit https://bton.in/~!OSb for registration and full information.
Neonatal Kitten Foster Opportunities
Fostering orphaned kittens is a rewarding process that saves hundreds of lives in our community each year. The Bloomington Animal Shelter is recruiting fosters to help save lives. Orphaned kittens usually require consistent love and attention that is difficult to provide in a shelter environment. As the warm weather approaches, the animal shelter is preparing for “kitten season.” To learn more about joining the foster team, visit: bloomington.in.gov/animal-shelter/foster
MARCH OPERATING HOURS
Animal Shelter Adoption Center
3410 S Walnut Street
Monday, Tuesday, and Thursday from noon-4 p.m.
Saturday and Sunday from noon-3 p.m.
Banneker Community Center
930 W 7th Street
Open Monday through Friday from 9 a.m. until 7 p.m.
City of Bloomington
401 North Morton Street
City Hall is open from 8 a.m.-5 p.m., Monday-Friday except during holidays. Non-holiday City Hall closings are announced on the City’s home page and social media. City services can still be accessed online at bloomington.in.gov/services.
Frank Southern Ice Arena Hours of Operation
2100 S. Henderson Street
Closed for the season. The ice arena re-opens in October 2023.
Twin Lakes Recreation Center Hours of Operation
Monday-Friday, 6 a.m.-10 p.m., and Saturday-Sunday, 7 a.m.-10 p.m.
1700 W. Bloomfield Road
Daily non-member admission $8
Twin Lakes Recreation Center is a sports, fitness, and recreation facility with a ⅛ mile indoor track, cardio equipment, free weights, and weight machines, a functional fitness area, and five hardwood courts. Courts are open for pickleball Monday-Friday from 9 a.m.-1 p.m. Learn more about TLRC memberships and group exercise classes at twinlakesrecreation.com
Bloomington is a diverse, active, and vibrant community with many monthly events and programs. This list is only representative of City and city-related happenings. For a more comprehensive list, please visit the events calendar of Visit Bloomington at visitbloomington.com/events.
Original source can be found here.
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