What's happening in Bloomington? Matisyahu, BloominGrass fest, comedians and a day of birds

Whatever your favorite music, it's probably being performed in Bloomington this coming week.

Beginning with indie reggae/hip-hop blend by Matisyahu on Thursday, followed by the first BloominGrass Festival on Friday to sacred harp singing on Saturday and both the Bloomington Chamber Singers and Bloomington Symphony Orchestra on Sunday, it's coming soon. If you'd rather try laughing at local comedians or learning about birds, that's happening, too.

Matisyahu performs Thursday at the Buskirk-Chumley Theater

Grammy-nominated singer/songwriter/rapper Matisyahu performs his unique blend of reggae and hip-hop and boldly inventive pop 7:30-9:30 p.m. Thursday at the Buskirk-Chumley Theater, 114 E. Kirkwood Ave. Adam Weinberg, solo instrumental guitarist, will open the show. Tickets are $35 per person and available at the BCT box office and online at buskirkchumley.org.

BloominGrass mini music festival Friday at the Buskirk-Chumley

Bloomington Roots presents its first mini-festival — BloominGrass — at 7 p.m. Friday at the Buskirk-Chumley Theater, 114 E. Kirkwood Ave. The lineup includes exciting string players and some local favorites: Vasen, Hawktail, Michael Cleveland and The Foreign Landers.

Tickets are $35-$50 and are available at the BCT box office or https://buskirkchumley.org/event/bloomingrass_festival_feat-_vasen_hawktail__the_foreign_landers/.

Laugh at The Best of Bloomington at Comedy Attic

The Comedy Attic has had many comedians who have used Bloomington performances to launch themselves to bigger arenas and to celebrate the incredible crop of local comics today. This weekend, the Attic will showcase regional headliners and Bloomington Comedy Festival finalists and winners. Shows are 7 and 9:15 p.m. Friday and Saturday at 123 S. Walnut St. Cost is $18 and $15 for students. Doors open at 6 p.m.

Learn about birds Saturday at Karst Farm Park

Sassafras Audubon Society is hosting a mini-bird festival 10 a.m.-2 p.m. Saturday at Karst Farm Park. Participants can take a walk to look and listen for birds, learn how to make your yard bird-friendly and stop bird strikes at windows, feed winter birds, how to use birding apps and learn about barn owls. Food trucks will be on site.

A day of sacred harp singing Saturday

Singers and the curious are invited to the Rust Memorial All-Day Sacred Harp Singing, 10 a.m.-3 p.m. Saturday at Fairview United Methodist Church, 600 W. Sixth St. After the group sings, there will be a traditional potluck dinner at noon. Local singers are encouraged to bring a dish to share.

Bach, Vivaldi performed Sunday by Bloomington Chamber Singers

Bach’s Magnificat in D Major, BWV 243, and Vivaldi’s Gloria in D Major, RV 589 will be performed at 7:30 p.m. Sunday at St. Mark's United Methodist Church by the Bloomington Chamber Singers. There will be a full chorus, orchestra and soloists. Tickets are available online at www.chambersingers.info and at the door prior to the concert.

A buffet of musical offerings presented by Bloomington Symphony Orchestra

Bloomington Symphony Orchestra will provide a pre-concert talk at 4 and a concert at 5 p.m. Sunday titled "De Espana Vengo (I Come from Spain)" at the Buskirk-Chumley Theater, 114 E. Kirkwood Ave. Tickets are $25 per person, $12 for students and free for youth age 18 and younger. The music will tempt the senses and showcase the variety of orchestral riches that come from Spain.

More to do: Bloomington-area Halloween themed events throughout October 2023

CSI: A Haunted Mystery for youth unveiled Monday at the library

Kids ages 7-12 are invited to the CSI: A Haunted Mystery in the Library at 5:30-6:30 p.m. Monday, Oct. 23, at the Monroe County Public Library, 303 E. Kirkwood Ave. Kids can find out if they have what it takes to be a crime scene investigator: dusting for fingerprints, deciphering codes, and gathering evidence. A spooky themed mystery has haunted the library, and help is needed to discover who is the culprit! Register at mcpl.info/calendar.

USA International Harp Competition's fall concert, Stringscapes, is Monday

USA International Harp Competition’s fall concert featuring Crimson Duo of Matt Milewski on violin and Jaymee Haefner on harp, will be 8 p.m. Monday, Oct. 23, at Auer Hall, IU Simon Music Center, 200 S. Eagleson Ave. Tickets are $30 adults, $15 students. Purchase tickets in advance online at usaihc.org or at the door.

Stringscapes is Crimson Duo’s most recent project, in which they collaborate with composers and visual artists from South Dakota to join images of nature with newly commissioned pieces.

This article originally appeared on The Herald-Times: What is there to do this weekend in Bloomington, Indiana?