Block Party

Trades District Block Party

Saturday, September 26, 2026 • 4-7 p.m.
N Madison St & Maker Way • Bloomington, IN

Music, art, food, tech, local talent, and a whole lot of Bloomington—all in one night. Join us in the Trades District and be part of the celebration.

FIRST 250 RSVPS WILL RECEIVE ONE FREE DRINK TICKET!

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Art

Tech

Food

Fun

Join us for the official unveiling of a new signature mural by local artist Journey Matthews, created to celebrate the past, present, and future of Bloomington’s Trades District.

Gather with us for a ribbon-cutting and remarks from IU’s Vice President for Student Success, followed by a reception outside Soma Coffeehouse's new location at the Kiln with food and drinks.

Come see a new piece of public art take its place in the district, and help us celebrate the next chapter of this historic neighborhood.

RIBBON-CUTTING | 4:15PM  

The retaining wall at the Kiln in Bloomington's Trades District before the mural installation. Before After

From blank wall to bold new mural. Drag the slider to reveal the transformation.

The ribbon is cut, but the celebration is just getting started. Settle in, grab a bite or a drink, and enjoy live music from two of our favorite homegrown indie pop acts, with sound support provided by Bloomington's own Jefferson St. Music Studio.

THE SERA-TONES | 4:30PM

AMY O | 5:30PM

TRY IT. DRIVE IT. PLAY IT. MAKE IT.

Get hands-on with the technology being built, tested, and imagined right here in Bloomington and at IU. Drive a robot, step inside a virtual canvas, playtest a brand-new game, and see 3D printing in action.

 

RoboBoosters FIRST Robotics Teams: Get up close with competition robots designed, built, and programmed by local middle and high school students from The Quadrangles and I.C.E. Robotics. Take the controls, catch balls launched by the robots, and talk with the students who made it all happen.
Center of Excellence for Women & Technology: Put on a VR headset and leave your mark on a communal virtual painting. Meet CEW&T student interns, explore the Center’s programs and events, and see what creativity looks like when technology becomes the canvas.
IU Game Design Capstones: Be among the first to play five new games currently in development by IU student teams. Test them out, tell the designers what you think, and help shape the games before the final versions are complete.
Luddy 3D Fabrication + Design Inquiry Labs: See digital fabrication in action with live 3D printing, explore objects created in IU’s fabrication labs, and pick up, inspect, and ask questions about how they were made. You might even leave with a small 3D-printed giveaway.

EAT. DRINK. STAY A WHILE.

Come hungry. A lineup of local Bloomington food truck favorites will be serving up food throughout the Block Party, with Upland Brewing Co. pouring beer for guests 21+.

And if you arrive early, the celebration starts with complimentary food and drinks at the mural ribbon-cutting reception outside the Kiln.

PLAY. EXPLORE. CONNECT.

Come for the Block Party. Stay to play, create, connect, and discover something new about Bloomington. 

Get crafty: Get creative with arts and crafts, add a little color with face painting, or take home a one-of-a-kind balloon sculpture.
Explore the Trades District: Take a closer look at the people, places, and ideas shaping Bloomington’s innovation district. Test your knowledge with Trades District trivia, discover what’s happening across the neighborhood, and see what’s next for the district.
Connect with Bloomington's innovation community: Meet the people helping ideas grow in Bloomington. Connect with Amplify Bloomington, the City of Bloomington, the Greater Bloomington Chamber of Commerce, local business owners, entrepreneurs, and startup leaders who are shaping the city’s business and innovation ecosystem.

We'll see you at the Block Party!

RSVP