Coming in 2024: Can't miss events in and near Bloomington, Indiana

No one knows what 2024 will bring, but we do know some of the events people are already anticipating. Here's a list of some big events coming to Bloomington, including one that will close public schools, Indiana University and many businesses:

Big names in music performing in or near Bloomington in 2024

March 1 at 8 p.m. Flogging Molly at Brown County Music Center, 200 Maple Leaf Blvd., Nashville. American seven-piece Celtic punk band, led by Irish vocalist Dave King, formerly of the hard rock band Fastway. Tickets: $33 and up; at www.browncountymusiccenter.com/events.

March 6 at 8:30 p.m. Peach Pit at IU Auditorium, 1211 E. Seventh St. Tickets start at $44 for IUB students, and $54 for the general public. Individual tickets may be purchased online at IUauditorium.com, in person at the IU Auditorium Box Office, as well as through Ticketmaster.com.

Coming in March: Tickets on sale Friday for viral act Peach Pit at Indiana University Auditorium

March 10 at 8 p.m. Pat Metheny at the Buskirk-Chumley Theater, 114 E. Kirkwood Ave. As part of Metheny's Dream Box Tour, the 20-time Grammy Award winning guitarist and composer is launching a solo tour. The tour, a first of its kind for Metheny, will feature personal and fan favorites from his nearly 50-year career. Tickets are $39-$104 and available at the BCT box office, 114 E. Kirkwood Ave., by calling 812-323-3020 or going online to buskirkchumley.org/

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April 13 at 5:30 p.m. Country artist Kane Brown will headline the launch of "The Full Ride Tour" college concert series at Indiana University's Memorial Stadium. Brown will take time out of his "In the Air" tour to perform with Jon Pardi, Jessie Murph and Clayton Anderson. Ticket prices start at $64.50 and go to $150 and higher. Tickets available online through Ticketmaster.com.

April 2024: Kane Brown to headline concert at Indiana University's Memorial Stadium

Oct. 3-6. The Lotus World and Music Festival will be a little later this year than in previous years. The four-day festival is for people of all ages, ethnicities, abilities, and backgrounds. The festival will showcase different artists and groups from around the world who come to perform and share their talent at different venues in downtown Bloomington. Details are still being worked out, so check the Lotus website at www.lotusfest.org for updates.

Total solar eclipse events in the Bloomington area

Bloomington will be one of the cities at the heart of the total solar eclipse on April 8. Planning for the event began more than a year ago and continues. Here are some activities before and afterward and places you can watch. Public schools and Indiana University will be closed that day, as will other businesses, as thousands of people are expected to come to the area.

April 6-8: ShadowFest 2024 Solar Eclipse camping and music festival will be at the Monroe County Fairgrounds, 5700 W Airport Road. The three-day pop-up camping and music event will have indoor, sheltered and outdoor tent camping with more than 150 RV sites with electric hook-ups. There will be activities for kids, a pop-up bar for adults and music every day. The site will have more than 4 minutes of totality. For details, including tickets, go to https://solareclipsebloomington.com/.

From April 7-9, Lake Lemon's Riddle Point Park will offer a unique way to experience the upcoming total solar eclipse with unobstructed views of the sky. Tent and RV camping for two nights (no single day or single evening tickets at this time) is available. Arrive as early as 10 a.m. April 7 with checkout by 3 p.m. April 9. For details, go to http://tinyurl.com/yc855aa6.

Any spots left?: Total eclipse 2024: Indiana state parks to open camp reservations Saturday

April 7-9, Paynetown State Recreation Area, 4850 Ind. 446, Bloomington, at Lake Monroe, will have special programming before and after the 4 minutes of totality. The events are open to campers and the general public. For more details and updated information, check out the special Facebook page at http://tinyurl.com/eynjwee3

April 8, 10 a.m.-4:30 p.m. Switchyard Park, 1601 S. Rogers St. A full day of activities, celebrations, crafts, games, live music, a beer garden and more will be part of the family-friendly celebration before and after the 4 minutes of darkness. For details, go to http://tinyurl.com/akvs3jhs.

Indiana University's campuses will have a variety of events. April 6, 9 a.m.-3 p.m. the Bloomington campus will have a Science Fest, Eclipse Edition, in the spring instead of the fall. For details, go online to sciencefest.indiana.edu. From 8-10 p.m. April 7, there will be a Solar Eclipse Celebration Concert faculty recital in Auer Hall. More events are being planned for April 8 at the IU Bloomington campus.

April 8, 10 a.m.-10 p.m. Fowlers Pumpkin Patch, at 5060 N. Greene County Line Road, will have music, food and a beer garden for $10 admission.

After the eclipse on April 8, Constellation Stage and Screen will show "2001: A Space Odyssey" at 7:30 p.m. the Waldron Arts Center, 122 S. Walnut St. Tickets are $8 in advance and $12 at the door. For more and to purchase tickets, go to http://tinyurl.com/28ms3e7n.

Other activities are planned at WonderLab, Bloomington's children's museum. For details, go to wonderlab.org/2024-solar-eclipse/.

Other can't miss events coming to Bloomington in 2024

Jan. 26 and 27, 7 and 9:30 p.m. Sheng Wang released his first Netflix special in September 2023 and he's coming to The Comedy Attic for a special event. Tickets are $18 for students and $22 for everyone else. Snag one soon at comedyattic.com as one of Wang's shows is already sold out.

Feb. 14, 7 p.m. Internet sensation Matt Rife will bring his stand-up style to the IU Auditorium. Tickets to this performance are sold out, but may be available from individual sellers on the secondary market.

Coming in February: Tickets on sale Friday for Matt Rife 'ProblemMATTic World Tour' at IU Auditorium

March 1, 8 p.m. See 90-minutes of curated shorts from the 2023 Sundance Film Festival. Seven films, including two festival award-winning titles will be included. Tickets are $9 for students and $11 for everyone else at buskirkchumley.org/

April 25, 7:30 p.m. Featuring a live, full band and state of the art video projection and lighting, The Simon and Garfunkel Story is a concert-style theater show about folk-rock duo Paul Simon and Art Garfunkel. Expect to hear all their hits including “Mrs. Robinson,” “Cecilia,” “Bridge Over Troubled Water,” and “Homeward Bound” as the story of their journey from humble beginnings through their 1981 reunion. Tickets start at $26 plus fees on Ticketmaster.

Reach Carol Kugler at ckugler@heraldt.com.

This article originally appeared on The Herald-Times: Peach Pit, Kane Brown, Matt Rife, total solar eclipse in Bloomington