Inspired by Hoosier author Kurt Vonnegut Jr., Granfalloon brings together musicians, artists, musicians, writers, and other creative people to celebrated of art, ideas, and community. Presented by the Indiana University Arts and Humanities Council, the festival is the official entry into the summer arts season in Bloomington.
Events at Granfaloon take place in venues all over Bloomington and represent a broad spectrum of creative forms, including live music, literary readings, art exhibitions, film screenings, theatrical performances, craft workshops, and panel discussions. Each event channels the energy of Vonnegut’s life and work: to promoting civic engagement, encouraging independent thought, and championing art as essential to our collective wellbeing.
Here is a schedule of everything happening during the festival. Most events are free, but a few are ticketed. Follow the link below for exact locations and ticket prices.
Music and Theatre Performances
Thursday, May 23–Sunday, 26: Spectacularly Inaccurate Tour of Bloomington
Saturday, June 1: KurtChella: Granfalloon Jam (Indy)
Tuesday, June 4: The Bunny Hoover Review: Part Deux!
Wednesday, June 5: Cosmic Songwriter Showcase
Wednesday, June 5 and Friday, June 7: “Assassins” (IU Musical Theatre)
Friday, June 7: Anna Butterss and Ben Lumsdaine
Friday, June 7: Young@Heart Chorus in concert
Saturday, June 8: Second Stage Performances with Amy O, The Sera-Tones, and Kaia Kater
Saturday, June 8: Main Stage Concert with Sleater-Kinney, The Linda Lindas, and My Son the Hurricane
Saturday, June 8: After party with Misfit Toy Karaoke
Saturday, June 8: Granfalloon Dance Party
Thematic Talks and Panels
Wednesday, May 22: Artist Talks with Granfalloon Art Project Grant Recipients
Saturday, June 1: WonderLab After Hours: Jailbird
Wednesday, June 5: Pat LaMarche
Thursday, June 6: Artist Talk with Nanette Vonnegut
Thursday, June 6: Carl Bernstein
Friday, June 7: Remembering Dan Wakefield and Kurt Vonnegut
Literary Readings and Discussions
Monday, May 20: Books on Tap
Wednesday, May 29: Book Discussion with Indiana Humanities (Indy)
Friday, June 7: IU Writers’ Conference Reading
Saturday, June 8: IU Writers’ Conference Reading
Saturday, June 8: Christina Jarvis + Jailbird Discussion
Sunday, June 9: IU Writers’ Conference Reading
Film Screenings
Tuesday, April 30: “Young@Heart:” (2007)
Thursday, May 9: “All the President’s Men” (1976)
Thursday, May 23: “Female Prisoner Scorpion” (1972)
Saturday, May 25: “Holes” (2003)
Wednesday, May 29: “Secret Honor” (1984)
Thursday, May 30: “V for Vendetta” (2005)
Saturday, June 1: “O Brother, Where Art Thou?” (2000)
Wednesday, June 5: “Brazil” (1985)
Thursday, June 6: “Perfect Days” (2024)
Saturday, June 8: Family Friendly Triple Feature with “Chicken Run,” “Muppets Most Wanted,” and “Paddington 2”
Art Exhibitions and Events
Monday, January 22–Sunday, June 30: Kurt Vonnegut Altar
Monday, May 20–Sunday, June 30: “Bad Math” exhibition
Monday, May 20–Sunday, June 30: “Tales from the RAMJAC Corporation” exhibition
Friday, June 7: Gallery Walk Bloomington
Saturday, June 8: Bloomington Handmade Market
Granfalloon: A Kurt Vonnegut Convergence
Monday, May 20–Sunday, June 9
Bloomington, IN
This article appears in May 22 – Jun 4, 2024.
