Community Calendar

Science Story Time is geared toward listeners toddler through early elementary ages. This program uses children’s picture books to engage as well as support scientific concepts and experiments. Young scientists develop literacy and STEM skills as well as build vocabulary by actively participating in the hands-on program. Activities designed for ages 2-6. All are welcome. Activities vary monthly.

Recommended Ages: Children ages 2-6 and their caregivers

Curiosity Lab is an after-school, free play program for kids ages 6-10 years. Children are invited to explore, experiment, and engage in hands-on sensory activities at their own pace. No instructions, no pressure—just curiosity-driven play. Held in WonderLab (or sometimes outdoors weather permitting), the space is set up for exploration with a variety of rotating materials and stations.

There will be one main activity/installment/manipulative for the month that will be brought out every Thursday. This will rotate with the month and the month's theme.

Recommended Ages: Designed for children ages 6 - 10, but siblings are welcome.

Get closer to the wild side with Animal Hour and Dive Deeper! These weekly programs let you chat with WonderLab’s animal experts, discover what it takes to care for creatures from around the globe, and meet snakes, lizards, insects, arachnids, and more—up close and out of their habitats.

Animal Hour takes place on most Fridays, while Dive Deeper happens on the last Friday of each month at WonderLab’s stunning coral reef aquarium.

Shop for handmade art and fine crafts! Bloomington Parks and Recreation hosts a celebration of art and community with the sales, demonstrations, and displays of art and fine crafts by local and regional artists.

A Fair of the Arts takes place on the second Saturdays of the summer season, May through October, in conjunction with the Bloomington Community Farmers' Market at the following location:

Fernandez Plaza (in front of City Hall)
401 N. Morton St., Bloomington, IN

Join us in the children's department every Saturday morning for Story Hour! All are welcome!

People's Co-op Market
Weekly Saturday Market 10am to 2pm with Fresh Local Produce, Artisan Vendors, Hot Food Vendors & More.
Special events once a month.

Share table with veggies filled from our BIPOC farmers small farmers & LGBTQ & Lady Farmers! Tons of seasonal veggies also coming from our very own Greenhouse!! $15 CSA bags & $5 eggs from our friends at Little by Little Farm.

Buying from People's Market is a win win. You get amazing food & support Black & Brown farmers in Indiana who are under attack from discrimination and disinformation campaigns that they do not exist!
Each week we share community and fun, great conversations about growing food, feeding our community, food sovereignty & eliminating hunger in Monroe County via growing food!

Come see us every week!
Order your $15 full basket CSA veggies & $5 eggs from
every week from Sat to Wed on our website:
www.peoplesmarketbtown.org
Ordering a CSA every week is the best way to ensure you get weekly abundance. Select delivery or pickup

10am to 2pm at First United Church in the Fellowship Hall 2420 E 3rd st. On the Eastside of Bloomington IN

People's Market is more than a market! Abundance in Mind & Solidarity with BIPOC Farmers in Action!
We strive for intersectional anti-racism in our market!

Each week, STEM Saturday invites kids and caregivers to explore science, technology, engineering, and math through hands-on fun that sparks curiosity and creativity—turning learning into a true adventure.
First Saturday of the month, S for Science.
Second Saturday of the month, T for Technology
Third Saturday of the month, E for Engineering
Fourth Saturday of the month, M for Math
Any fifth Saturday of a month is, M for Maker

Recommended Ages: STEM Saturday is designed for ages 5 and up and their caregivers.

The Lake Monroe Water Fund’s annual Beach Bash is an evening of lakeside fun, community connection, and conservation impact. Held at Fourwinds Lakeside Inn on beautiful Lake Monroe, this family-friendly event brings people together to celebrate and support clean water. Enjoy live music, lawn games, a silent auction, giveaways, and two local food trucks, plus a relaxed, beachy atmosphere for all ages.
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The Beach Bash is more than just a great night out—it’s our signature fundraiser supporting conservation projects across the Lake Monroe watershed. Past events have featured crowd-favorite trop-rock music, games, and door prizes, creating an engaging, laid-back experience for attendees while raising critical funds.
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Every ticket and donation helps turn community support into action—funding projects that reduce runoff, improve forest and soil health, and protect drinking water for over 100,000 residents. Come enjoy the music, food, and fun, and be part of protecting Lake Monroe for generations to come.

Baby Brilliance is a weekly program for infants / pre-walkers and their caregivers. Each week participants will explore themes related to infant development. Inspired by the book, “Experimenting with Babies,” by Shaun Gallagher.

Recommended Ages: Infants / pre-walkers and their caregivers - walkers should attend Discovery Time for more appropriate content. Older siblings are always welcome.

Museums have a history spanning over 250 years and come in a variety of subjects, found all around the world. But how did they originate, and what purpose do they serve? Introduction to Local Museology explores museums as cultural institutions and discusses their significance for both culture and individuals.

In this course, students will have the opportunity to visit four local museums: IU Museum of Archaeology and Anthropology, Monroe County History Center, WonderLab Museum of Science, Health, and Technology, and IU's Sidney and Lois Eskenazi Museum of Art. At each museum, participants will (1) explore what each has to offer and (2) engage in conversations with leading local museum professionals to gain a deeper understanding of how museums operate.

Along with these museum visits, the course will be facilitated by local artist and retired IU Bloomington faculty member, Frank Lewis, who taught courses in museum management with the O'Neill School of Public and Environmental Affairs. Frank will lead the first and last class meetings at the Ivy Tech Bloomington Main Campus, with visits in between for behind-the-scenes tours of local museums and discussions about the dynamic pasts, presents, and futures of these institutions.

NOTE: Participants will be responsible for their own transportation and parking for our museum trips on July 22, July 29, August 5, and August 12, but will not be required to pay any admission fees for our visits.