Labor Day weekend in Bloomington: Arts and crafts, jazz, Buffalo Nichols
It's Labor Day weekend in Bloomington and that means the 4th Street Festival of the Arts and Crafts. Friday evening, spread a blanket out on Dunn Meadow to revisit the golden age of jazz while snapping selfies during the golden hour on Friday. Of course, Saturday is also the kickoff of Indiana University's football season so expect to see a lot of red, both when you try to weave through the Ohio State traffic on the bypass and in local restaurants and bars after the game.
Celebrate Hispanic Heritage Month exhibit as well as local spinners and weavers on Friday
Stop by the FAR Center for Contemporary Arts during Friday's Gallery Walk 5-8 p.m. for the closing reception and celebration with live music, food, beer and wine for Record(ando), a Hispanic Heritage Month exhibition that tracks the contemporary pathways of a group of Hispanic artists. Immerse yourself in photos depicting indigenous connections to the coco plant, paintings centered on social inclusion and what it means to be a female Latinx, and explore the ongoing physical, mental and spiritual exercise of remembering Hispanic histories.
There will be Colombian and Venezuelan food for sale as well as live music by Sergio Ospina-Romero. Exhibiting artists are Alexandra McNichols-Torroledo, Gloria Manzanares, Gloria M. Colom Brana, Liliana Guzman, Liliana Rocha Parra, Samuel Penaloza, Silvina Ferradal. The FAR center is at 505 W. Fourth St.
Also on the Gallery Walk is the opening reception of "Over, Under and Around: A Journey with the Bloomington Spinners and Weavers Guild," at the By Hand Gallery, 101 W. Kirkwood Ave., Suite 109. The exhibit celebrates the 50 years of the local guild. Artists in this show include Lynne Gilliat, Kerry Conway, Jessica Ericson, Julie Hewitt, Karin Lauderback, Suzanne Halvorson and David Sloma.
Other Bloomington galleries will be participating in Gallery Walk. For more, go to www.gallerywalkbloomington.com.
Swing with the B-Town Bearcats on Friday in Dunn Meadow
The B-Town Bearcats will perform at free outdoor concert at 6:30 p.m. Friday, Sept. 1, in Dunn Meadow on the Indiana University Bloomington campus as part of the Swing in September series of concerts. In case of rain, the music from the Golden Age of Jazz (1900-1940) will be moved to IU's Recital Hall, 1201 E. Third St. Everyone is encouraged to bring a lawn chair and blankets and possibly a picnic.
More jazz, this time on the big screen, on Saturday
An outdoor screening of the 1959 movie "Jazz on a Summer's Day" will begin at dusk (about 9 p.m.) Saturday at the Waldron, Hill and Buskirk Park, 331 S. Washington St. You'll have great views of the 1958 Newport Jazz Festival in Rhode Island. Amazing artists were there: Louis Armstrong, Thelonious Monk, Gerry Mulligan, Anita O'Day, Chuck Berry, Dinah Washington and Mahalia Jackson, all captured by world-renowned photographer Bert Stern. Bring a chair or blanket.
Find art, stories and music at the 4th Street Festival of the Arts and Crafts
Walk along Fourth Street between Grant Street and Indiana Avenue from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Saturday and 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sunday to browse booths of more than 100 local and national artists participating in the juried Fourth Street festival. Music provided by Bloomington Community Band, Bloomington Peace Choir, Curtis Cantwell Jackson, Radical Moderates, O2R Band, Carla Carey, Bloomington Swing Time Band, Bloomington Community Jazz Orchestra, Moon Buggy and Helber Sisters with Tom Harlan. Learn about local groups you can join. Poets, writers and musicians will share on the Spoken Word stage.
Get your wiggle on at Spencer's Tivoli Street Dance on Saturday
Spencer's Tivoli Street Dance will be Saturday, beginning at 5 p.m. with a downtown cruise-in and food provided by Thelma & Louise Food Truck. There will be a beer garden for adults as well as kids' activities, a dance-off and music by the Rotations with guest artist Bubba Wiggles beginning at 6 p.m.
Be among the first to hear Buffalo Nichols' new blues album at The Bishop
On Wednesday Carl "Buffalo" Nichols will perform blues at The Bishop in support of his new album, "The Fatalist," coming out Sept. 15. For his Bloomington show, he will be joined by Ben Fowler and Paul Aarstad. Tickets for the show at 123 S. Walnut St. are $15 in advance and $18 at the door. The age 18-plus show is 8-10 p.m.
Songwriters share the stage Wednesday at the Orbit Room
Singer/songwriters will share the stage at 7 p.m. Wednesday at the Orbit Room as part of the Cosmic Songwriters Club. The Orbit Room is at 107 N. College Ave., Suite 001 (underground). All ages are welcome until 8 p.m.
This article originally appeared on The Herald-Times: Things to do this weekend in Bloomington, Indiana
