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The cinder track at Bill Armstrong Stadium on the Indiana University campus will draw competitors and a crowd for the 2026 Little 500 weekend<\/a> on Friday, April 24, for the women’s race and Saturday for the men’s race. Billed as the World’s Greatest College Weekend, it means there will be crowds at IU and throughout Bloomington.<\/p>\n Before and after the races, there will be plenty of other entertainment options in the Bloomington area, several with other IU connections \u2014 offering talks, hikes, dancing and music.<\/p>\n This year’s Little 500: <\/strong>What to know about the 2026 Little 500 bike races at Indiana University<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n The Environmental Futures in Arts and Humanities Initiative at IU will host Arbor Day events featuring environmental writer and biologist David George Haskell, who will read and talk about his new book, “How Flowers Made the World,” at 3 p.m. Friday, April 24, at the IU Museum of Archaeology and Anthropology. At 6 p.m. Friday Haskell will join Jen Lau for a public conversation at Morgenstern Books & Cafe<\/a>, 849 S. Auto Mall Road. Then at 10 a.m. Saturday, Haskell will lead a walk and talk; for more information and RSVP, go to https:\/\/tinyurl.com\/53cznbku<\/a>.<\/p>\n Earth Day may have been April 22, but with spring wildflowers still in bloom, the 41st annual Spring Wildflower Foray<\/a> offers chances to walk in the woods, learn about wildflowers while visiting areas in Monroe and Brown counties. Most guided hikes and presentations are free and don’t require advanced registration.<\/p>\n For events in Brown County State Park, an entrance fee ($7 for Indiana vehicles, $9 for out-of-state) will be collected. The events go from 7 a.m. Friday, April 24 (spring migration bird walk) through 1 p.m. Sunday, April 26 (The poetry of plants walk, with a limit of 10 people).<\/p>\n For more, go to https:\/\/tinyurl.com\/56sjx29p<\/a>, where you’ll find a plant checklist, a list of the events and registration information.<\/p>\n The Bloomington Music Expo will be 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Saturday, April 25, at Switchyard Park Pavilion, 1601 S. Rogers St. More than 25 vendors will fill dozens of tables with thousands of music-related items \u2014 from pre-loved LPs, new vinyl releases, 45s, CDs, cassettes, posters, T-shirts and more. General admission is $2 per person. Door prizes will be at 11 a.m. and 1 p.m. Free tote bags will be given to the first 50 attendees. Food trucks will be on site. Cash is preferred; there are no ATMs on site.<\/p>\n For more information, visit ftrvinyl.com\/bloomington-music-expo<\/a> or follow us on Facebook at facebook.com\/bloomingtonmusic<\/a>.<\/p>\n Join in for a night of West Coast Swing, focused on movement, musicality and connection, 7-10 p.m. Saturday, April 25, at Windfall Dancers, 1101 N. Dunn St. Admission is $15 per person ($10 for current students) and includes a lesson that starts at 7, with open dance 8-10 p.m. Lesson instructor is Mary Hoedman. There will be a couple line dances to popular music included.<\/p>\n Get ready to groove Saturday evening at the IU Soul Revue’s spring concert<\/a>, 7 p.m. at the Buskirk-Chumley Theater. Doors open at 7 with the all-ages concert at 7:30 p.m. The music will take the audience on a journey of the best funk, soul and R&B, under the direction of professor James Strong.<\/p>\nArbor Day events at IU<\/h2>\n
Spring Wildflower Foray with 23 programs<\/h2>\n
Bloomington Music Expo at Switchyard<\/h2>\n
West Coast Swing at Windfall Dancers<\/h2>\n
IU Soul Revue performs funk, soul and R&B<\/h2>\n