What's Happening in Bloomington This Week? October 26-November 1, 2026

It's a big Halloween weekend in Bloomington. IU Homecoming brings a parade down Kirkwood on Friday and the game against Minnesota on Saturday afternoon, and citywide trick-or-treat is Saturday evening. Saturday is also the last outdoor farmers' market of the year at Showers Common. Midweek, the city holds its first public meeting on the Clear Creek Corridor Renewal Project.

Lesa Miller is a REALTOR® and broker in Bloomington, Indiana, who helps buyers and sellers in Bloomington, Bedford, Martinsville and the surrounding towns. Here's what caught my eye this week.

What's happening early in the week?

• Monday, Oct. 26: BEAT 15th Anniversary Fall Show, Buskirk-Chumley Theater, 114 E. Kirkwood Ave. Doors 6:30 p.m., show 7 p.m.

• Wednesday, Oct. 28: AMP Bloomington 2026 Kick-Off, Buskirk-Chumley Theater. Doors 2 p.m., show 2:30 p.m.

The Buskirk-Chumley's events page has tickets and details.

What's the Clear Creek meeting on Thursday?

Thursday, Oct. 29, 5:30-7:30 p.m., Switchyard Park Pavilion, 1601 S. Rogers St. City of Bloomington Utilities is hosting the first public meeting on the Clear Creek Corridor Renewal Project, which is meant to address aging stormwater infrastructure along the Clear Creek channel. My post What Is the Clear Creek Corridor Renewal Project in Bloomington? explains it.

What's happening for IU Homecoming?

• Friday, Oct. 30: Homecoming parade, 5:30 p.m. WBIW reports it travels east on Kirkwood from Washington Street to the Sample Gates at Indiana Avenue. Washington Street closes at 2:30 p.m. and Kirkwood at 5 p.m., with no parking on parts of Kirkwood, Washington, Lincoln, Grant, Dunn and Indiana.

• Saturday, Oct. 31: IU vs. Minnesota, 3:30 p.m., in Bloomington, on CBS, per IU's football schedule.

What's happening for Halloween?

• Saturday, Oct. 31: Trick-or-treat, 5:30-8:30 p.m., rain or shine. Those are the citywide hours reported by WFIU's Halloween roundup and WBIW. With the 3:30 p.m. game the same afternoon, plan for extra traffic.

• Friday, Oct. 30, and Saturday, Oct. 31: Halloween movies at the Buskirk-Chumley. Jennifer's Body (2009) on Friday and The Exorcist (1973) on Saturday, both at 7 p.m. (doors 6:30).

What Halloween fun is there for kids?

• Tuesday, Oct. 27, 3 p.m.: Spooky Scooby Shindig, Monroe County Public Library, downtown.

• Wednesday, Oct. 28, 10:30 a.m.: Halloween Storytime & Trick-or-Treating, Monroe County Public Library, Southwest Branch.

• Friday, Oct. 30, 11 a.m. and 4 p.m.: Halloween Treat Hunt, Monroe County Public Library, downtown.

• Friday, Oct. 30, 6:30 p.m.: "Hoot Goes There?", Griffy Lake Nature Preserve, 3400 N. Headley Rd., from Bloomington Parks and Recreation.

• Friday, Oct. 30, 7 p.m.: Halloween Legends Luminary Trail, Paynetown SRA at Monroe Lake, from Indiana DNR.

• Saturday, Oct. 31, 11 a.m.: Trick or Treat at the Wylie House Museum, 307 E. Second St., from IU Bloomington Libraries.

These are from the B Square Bulletin's community calendar, which lists many more. Some may need registration, so check the organizer's page.

What about the farmers' market?

Saturday, Oct. 31: Bloomington Community Farmers' Market, 9 a.m.-12:30 p.m., Showers Common, 401 N. Morton St. It's the last outdoor Saturday of the year. The city's market page shows it moving indoors to the Switchyard Park Pavilion in November, starting Saturday, Nov. 7.

What's on Sunday?

Sunday, Nov. 1: Clocks fall back an hour. Daylight saving time ends, so set your clocks back Saturday night.

Sunday, Nov. 1: We The People, Buskirk-Chumley Theater. Doors 4 p.m., show 5 p.m.

Where's a good fall day trip?

McCormick's Creek State Park, near Spencer. Indiana DNR describes "the spectacular limestone canyon, flowing creek, and scenic waterfalls that highlight Indiana's first state park." See the DNR's park page for hours and fees.

For more fall ideas, see A Local's Guide to Fall in Bloomington and Bedford.

Before you go

Event details change. Check each organizer's page for times, tickets, closures and weather updates before you head out.

Frequently asked questions

When is trick-or-treat in Bloomington in 2026?

Saturday, Oct. 31, 5:30-8:30 p.m., rain or shine, according to WFIU and WBIW.

When is the IU Homecoming parade in 2026?

Friday, Oct. 30, at 5:30 p.m., heading east on Kirkwood Avenue from Washington Street to the Sample Gates.

When does the Bloomington farmers' market move indoors?

In November. The market moves to the Switchyard Park Pavilion, 1601 S. Rogers St., starting Saturday, Nov. 7.

Thinking about living in Bloomington? Call or text (812) 360-3863, or visit LesaMillerRealEstate.com/Links.