The 22nd Annual Lotus World Music & Arts Festival
September 24-27, 2015
Downtown Bloomington, Indiana
Presenting Sponsors:
Bloomingfoods Market & Deli, Blueline Media Productions,
and Indiana University
Click here for a full list of our awesome 2015 Festival Sponsors!
A complete list of 2015 festival artists can be found here.
Festival FAQ’s can be found here.
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Festival Events:
August 28 – September 26: Festival Exhibition
“Seeing Red: World Textiles,” Ivy Tech John Waldron Arts Center (122 S. Walnut)
Gallery Hours: Monday-Friday 9:00 a.m.-7:00 p.m.; Saturday 9:00 a.m.-5:00 p.m.
Extended hours till midnight on Festival showcase nights Sept. 25-26
September 26: Seeing Red Collectors Gallery Talk, 4-5pm
> Free
September 10: Lotus Lineup Lowdown
Take a deeper dive into Lotus on this guided tour, led by Dr. Daniel Reed, of the IU Department of Folklore and Ethnomusicology. Learn more about the artists’ homelands and cultures, explore their musical influences, and hear some of the rich stories and histories.
7pm / Monroe County Public Library Auditorium (303 E.Kirkwood)
> Free
Thursday, September 24: Lotus Thursday Kick-Off Concert
Baltic Crossing and Buckwheat Zydeco
A double-header Opening Concert gets you into the Lotus groove, featuring fiery Nordic fiddling from Baltic Crossing (Finland/Denmark/UK) and the hot Louisiana Creole sounds of the legendary Buckwheat Zydeco (U.S.).
7pm / Buskirk-Chumley Theater (114 E. Kirkwood)
> Tickets online at bctboxoffice.com; Buskirk-Chumley Theater Box Office (114 E. Kirkwood), 812-323-3020
Friday and Saturday, September 25 – 26: Friday and Saturday Evening Showcases
A wristband is your passport to multiple performances each showcase night, at venues ranging from the Buskirk-Chumley Theater, to standing-room-only street tents, to churches where traditional music shines.
6:30-Midnight / Various venues in downtown Bloomington
> Tickets online at bctboxoffice.com; Buskirk-Chumley Theater Box Office (114 E. Kirkwood), 812-323-3020; weekend passes available at most Bloomingfoods locations
FRIDAY SCHEDULE
SATURDAY SCHEDULE
Friday and Saturday, September 25-26: Festival Arts Village
Including Filipino harvest dance and workshop, star weaving and chalk art making activities, and Celebrating the Harvest installation, featuring works created in Lotus summer arts outreach workshops.
6 – 10pm / Downtown Bloomington
> Free
Saturday, September 26: Lotus in the Park
Featuring live performances, interactive workshops, hands-on arts and crafts, artisan exhibits, bicycle parking corral, and more.
Noon – 5:00pm / Waldron, Hill, and Buskirk Park (331 S. Washington)
> Free
PARK SCHEDULE
Saturday, September 26: Festival Parade
Led by festival artist Fanfaraï. Community is invited to take part in this procession. Decorate your bicycle with a Lotus-inspired theme and ride along or just come and wave a Lotus flag.
8:30 / Downtown Bloomington
> Free
Sunday, September 27: World Spirit Concert
The 2015 Commemorative Pin gets you into the Sunday World Spirit Concert, the Festival’s beautiful wrap-up event featuring Maarja Nuut (Estonia) and Şimdi Ensemble (Turkey).
3pm / Buskirk-Chumley Theater (114 E. Kirkwood)
> The 2015 Lotus Pin ($5) gets you in!**
**Purchases of this year’s collectible Lotus Pin help underwrite the programming that we offer free to the public. Pins are available for advance purchase at the Buskirk-Chumley Theater box office, Bloomingfoods, and Landlocked music, and at the Festival Store on Lotus weekend.
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Festival T-shirt and pin design:
Vincent Desjardins, http://www.vincentdesjardins.com/
Volunteer T-shirt design:
Jenn Robison, http://jennrobison.com/
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Volunteer
The Festival needs approximately 500 volunteers, for a wide range of duties and shift times – apply online via lotusfest.org.
Apply online / More info
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Sponsor
Admission covers just 50% of the costs for Lotus programming – the rest comes from generous donors and sponsors in our community. Check out our Sponsorship info page for details on how you or your business can get involved.