IU welcomed alumni back to campus for homecoming weekend with a banquet, circus and parade for the first time in 1908. On Friday, Oct. 18, a parade will again celebrate alumni’s return, but IU and Bloomington offer much else for Hoosiers to come home for. Here are a few other weekends for alumni to mark:
The weekend after homecoming offers a double feature in footwork. Hoosiers can attend the Jacobs School of Music Fall Ballet at 7:30 p.m. Friday, Oct. 24, then tailgate or watch the highest-ranked IU football team in school history take on a surprising UCLA team at home Saturday.
For readers, Bloomington celebrates its Book Festival the same weekend, including an evening with Bloomington-born author Michael Koryta and Indianapolis-born author John Green at the Buskirk-Chumley Theater 7-8:30 p.m. on Friday.
Before Thanksgiving, the Waldron Arts Center will show “You’re a Good Man, Charlie Brown,” several weekends in November, with five showings Friday, Nov. 14, to Sunday, Nov. 16. While in town, Hoosiers can catch the men’s basketball team’s third home game against Incarnate Word.
In January, the women's basketball team will welcome Iowa at home Sunday, Jan. 11 before Bloomington holds its annual Freezefest, gathering internationally recognized ice sculptors and the local community together for a weekend of art shows and interactive events, from live ice carving to fire shows. Hoosiers should keep an eye on the Freezefest because 2026 dates have not yet been released. Last year, it lasted from Thursday, Jan. 23, to Saturday, Jan. 25.
The Blue Man Group will visit the IU Auditorium during the first week of February. They will perform at 7:30 p.m. Wednesday and Thursday, Feb. 4-5. Hoosiers who stay for the weekend can watch IU men’s basketball meet Wisconsin at home Saturday, Feb. 7, and women’s basketball face Purdue on Sunday, Feb. 8.
The Indiana Heritage Quilt Show will exhibit more than 200 quilts at the Monroe Convention Center Thursday, March 5, to Saturday, March 7, where quilt artists will discuss their work with and offer workshops for attendees.
On Sunday, April 12, the Bloomington Craft Beer Festival will gather over 30 Indiana- and Midwest-based breweries into the city for Hoosiers to sample. During this time of the year it is also perfect to watch an IU baseball home game.
By the end of the month, Hoosiers can attend the Little 500 during the world’s greatest college weekend. The women's race will take place at 4 p.m. on Friday, April 24, and the men's race at 2 p.m.
Between homecoming and Little 500, there are many other weekends for alumni to keep in mind. Other events at the university and in Bloomington can be found on the city’s website.
Eric Cannon (he/him) is a sophomore studying philosophy and political science and currently serves as a member of IU Student Government.
