Pridefest, Fall Festival and more: 5 things to do in Bloomington this weekend

This weekend in Bloomington is all about color. Whether it’s the rainbow of the gay pride flag for Bloomington's 10th annual Pridefest, the green fields of Switchyard Park for the season’s last Happy Hours on the Lawn concert, or the orange and yellow hues of leaves starting to turn in time for Monroe County Fall Festival, Bloomington is full of color this weekend as temperatures continue to cool and we enter the fall season.

Fall in love with the new season at Monroe County Fall Festival

Trek over to Ellettsville for the weekend for Monroe County Fall Festival, a celebration of the fall season this Thursday through Saturday. With food from 15 local vendors (including Rasta Pops, Jiffy Treet and 812 BBQ), games like mini golf and ax throwing, a flea market and live music on two stages, the annual event is the perfect way to hail in the fall season.

Thursday and Friday’s celebration will be an evening affair, 5-9 p.m. and 5-10 p.m., respectively. Saturday’s festival will kick off with the parade at 10 a.m., followed by other festival activities from 11:30 a.m. to 10 p.m. The festival is at 106 S. Park St., next to the Marci Jane Lewis Park in Ellettsville. Free.

See a cheer-y LGBTQ+ cult-classic at the Buskirk-Chumley

Kick off Bloomington Pridefest with this kitschy, campy cult-classic film starring Natasha Lyonne, Clea DuVall and RuPaul Charles on Friday night. When star cheerleader Megan (Natasha Lyonne) gets sent away to True Directions, a boot camp meant to turn gay kids straight, she strikes up an unlikely bond with the tomboyish Graham (Clea DuVall), a proud lesbian who starts to convince her that being gay isn’t a problem that needs to be fixed after all. Ripe with satirical takes on gender roles, a star-studded cast of queer icons and a campy 1950s Barbie doll aesthetic, “But I’m a Cheerleader” has become one of the most memorable films of the queer canon — and is the perfect way to launch into pride weekend.

“But I’m a Cheerleader” is playing at 7 p.m. Friday at the Buskirk-Chumley Theater, 114 E. Kirkwood Ave. Tickets are $11 for the general public, $9 for students with valid ID and can be purchased at the door or in advance at buskirkchumley.org/events.

Rock out to season's last “Happy Hours on the Lawn” concert

With the Monroe County Fall Festival hailing in the autumn season, it’s time to say goodbye to a beloved summer tradition with the last “Happy Hours on the Lawn” concert at Switchyard Park Friday evening. The season will close out with Major Danger, a high-voltage Bloomington glam rock band that’s sure to rock you with classic songs like Scorpions’ “Rock You Like a Hurricane,” Guns N’ Roses’ “Nighttrain,” and Led Zeppelin’s “Black Dog.”

Food trucks will hang around from Food Truck Friday (open 11 a.m.-9 p.m.) and a beer garden will offer draft and canned drinks in the Switchyard Park Pavilion. Show starts at 6 p.m. Switchyard Park is at 1601 S. Rogers St. Free.

Show your pride on Kirkwood at 10th annual Pridefest

Pride takes to the streets Saturday as Kirkwood Avenue shuts down vehicle traffic for the 10th annual Pridefest, hosted by Bloomington Pride. The event brings together food vendors, live music, DJ sets, all manner of drag performances, and most importantly, the local LGBTQ+ community for a Saturday of celebration and pride. With performances from Quarryland Men’s Chorus, local mainstay DJ Axipitor and a meet-and-greet with RuPaul’s Drag Race season 14 contestant Kornbread Jeté, the festival celebrates Bloomington’s diverse LGBTQ+ community while also supporting Bloomington Pride’s programs like the Trans Allies and Support Community (TASC).

Pridefest kicks off at 2 p.m. on East Kirkwood Avenue. Free.

Catch the lunar eclipse at Lake Monroe (next week)

Head into next week with a sense of solar amazement by catching the partial lunar eclipse at Lake Monroe’s Fairfax State Recreation Area on Tuesday night (not a weekend event, but we had to let you know!). Around 10 p.m., the already impressive “supermoon” will be partially eclipsed as Earth’s shadow falls across it. The Indiana Department of Natural Resources and Lake Monroe will celebrate the eclipse with a “moon watch” featuring a telescope for moon viewing and moon pies and “moon cookies” for snacking. Bring a blanket and enjoy this celestial wonder in the company of others from 9:30 to 11 p.m. Tuesday.

Fairfax State Recreation Area is at 9801 S. Fairfax Road. The event will be canceled in the event of inclement weather or poor visibility — check the DNR website event page for updates. Parking is $7 for vehicles with Indiana plates; $9 for out-of-state plates.

This article originally appeared on The Herald-Times: This weekend in Bloomington: Pridefest, Monroe County Fall Festival