Today
in Bloomington
Saturday, October 18th, 2025
Good morning, Bloomington. Here's your local news at a glance for Saturday, the 18th of October.
CULTURE NEWS
- ➤ The returning Bloomington Blues and Boogie Woogie Piano Festival kicks off this Sunday with a free 1:30 p.m. workshop and performance by Eden Brent at the Monroe County History Center—registration is required for the 80 available spots. Later at 5:30 p.m. at the FAR Center for Contemporary Arts, a three-hour concert featuring Craig Brenner and other artists will offer young people a chance to explore blues and boogie woogie music. Indiana Daily Student
EDUCATION NEWS
- ➤ In August, Chancellor David Reingold replaced Mark Roseman with Günther Jikeli as interim director of the Borns Jewish Studies program without consulting faculty—prompting concerns over academic freedom among professors and students. Jikeli’s actions, including removing a student during a Zoom discussion and denying her conference funding, have intensified calls for transparent governance and a formal search for a permanent director. Indiana Daily Student
- ➤ On Friday, Purdue Exponent student journalists drove to Bloomington to deliver 3,000 free copies of a special solidarity edition featuring columns and QR codes that direct readers to support the Indiana Daily Student after IU canceled its Oct 16 print edition. The effort shows they stand together to protect free student press—uniting two student newspapers amid recent changes. The Herald-Times
- ➤ IU is celebrating homecoming this week with a 12-member court picked from about 100 applicants — many of whom will join a two-day blood drive and downtown window painting event. Two court winners will be announced on the field at Saturday’s football game against Michigan State and each will receive a $500 scholarship — a modern update to a tradition that began as a beauty contest and was reformed after fairness concerns. Indiana Daily Student
GOVERNMENT NEWS
- ➤ Monroe County’s board of health passed a resolution supporting Bloomington’s $35K grant application from the Indiana DNR to update its decade-old ash tree management plan. Urban forester Haskell Smith plans to complete the application by the end of this week so that if approved the grant will fund tree treatment and replacement work starting in 2026—2027. The B Square Bulletin
LIFESTYLE NEWS
- ➤ Bloomington welcomes new dining and entertainment venues for Homecoming Weekend as La Dulce Chocolate opened at Kirkwood Ave and spots like Hoosier Alley Entertainment, Spudshacks and Gables Bagels began serving local tastes. Residents can enjoy fresh treats and activities, including a Labubu Dubai chocolate bar—one special twist that adds unique flavor to the city. Indiana Daily Student
SPORTS NEWS
- ➤ Indiana women’s soccer lost its unbeaten streak when Michigan State scored two late first-half goals on Thursday, resulting in a 2-0 loss and dropping the team to a 1-3-5 record in the Big Ten (the loss puts pressure on the Hoosiers as they will host Penn State on Sunday at 1 p.m. at Bill Armstrong Stadium). Indiana Daily Student
- ➤ Tuesday night, riders competed at Bill Armstrong Stadium in the annual Bloomington Classic to test strength and teamwork ahead of the Little 500 weekend in April. Both rookie and veteran races showed promising results as teams such as KKG, Alpha Chi Omega, and SAE built momentum for the upcoming spring series — their summer training paying off. Indiana Daily Student
- ➤ Indiana men’s basketball won a 107-46 exhibition game against Marian at Simon Skjodt Assembly Hall on Friday—Tucker DeVries and Trent Sisley each scored 23 points as coach Darian DeVries said the game gave the new team valuable experience. The win set a strong tone for the season in front of local fans. Indiana Daily Student
- ➤ Indiana men’s soccer beat Hanover College 8-0 on Friday night at Bill Armstrong Stadium—Palmer Ault scored three goals after being brought in later to help secure a senior night win; the team now prepares for a match against Wisconsin on Oct. 21. Indiana Daily Student
- ➤ Bloomington South, with an 8-0 record, will host Center Grove, who is 7-1, at 7 p.m. tonight in a Class 5A game marking their first regular season meeting since 1997 — the Panthers lead the all-time series 10 to 8. Other local contests include Bloomington North at Southport, Heritage Christian at Owen Valley and North Central at Eastern Greene while Edgewood sits out. The Herald-Times
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Jonathan Biss Concert
2-4 p.m. — Auer Hall — Ticket info not provided — Enjoy a captivating performance featuring works by Timo Andres and Beethoven with the Indiana University Chamber Orchestra.
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Recital at Indiana University featuring Itamar Zorman and pianist Sung-Mi Im
8-9 p.m. — Indiana University Jacobs School of Music — Admission details TBA — Experience a blend of Mozart, Bach, and Brahms in this promising violin and piano recital.
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Indiana Connected Educators Conference 2025
8:30 a.m. – 3:30 p.m. — Ivy Tech Community College Bloomington — Check event page for cost — Empowering educators with exciting sessions and surprises for an epic day of learning.
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Mitski: The Land
6:30 p.m. — Buskirk-Chumley Theater — Ticket info available online — Experience the cinematic adaptation of Mitski's extraordinary live performance bringing her acclaimed album to the big screen.
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The Vulgar Boatmen Concert
6:30-9:30 p.m. — The Orbit Room — Ticket prices vary — Enjoy an evening of live music with The Vulgar Boatmen in Bloomington.
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Jeff Darren Muse at Bloomington Book Festival
4-5 p.m. — The Mill — Free entry — Celebrate literacy and engage with local authors as Jeff Darren Muse shares his journey and writings.
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Junior Brown Concert
4-10 p.m. — The Bluebird — Ticket prices vary — Experience the unique sounds of Junior Brown, blending country, blues, and Hawaiian steel guitar.
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The Castellows Live Performance
6:00 – 8:30 p.m. — The Bluebird — Ticket prices vary — Enjoy an evening filled with gospel and bluegrass melodies from The Castellows, a rising local music group.
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Twitty and Lynn: A Tribute to Conway and Loretta
3-4:30 p.m. — Buskirk-Chumley Theater — Tickets required — Experience a heartfelt tribute as the grandchildren of Conway Twitty and Loretta Lynn bring their grandparents' legendary country music to life.
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IFS Informed EMDR Training
Nov 5-6 — IU Maurer School of Law — Registration required — A two-day training featuring EMDR through IFS lens with supervised practice exercises.
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TODAY'S FOOD FOR THOUGHT
The longer you wait to do something, the more likely you are to find a reason not to do it.
~ James Clear
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