FAR

On October 19, 2025, enjoy acclaimed artists at Bloomington Boogies: The Bloomington Blues & Boogie Woogie Piano Festival. Bloomington Boogies features musicians who perform boogie-woogie, blues, and related styles. With free and ticketed performances, the festival was voted a top 10 festival in Indiana and strives to introduce young people to artists and various musical styles through public concerts and free educational activities, including school performances, workshops, and master classes.

The festival begins at 1:30 p.m. with a free performance and piano workshop presented by Greenville, Mississippi pianist, vocalist, and composer Eden Brent at Monroe County History Center, 202 E 6th St, Bloomington, IN 47408. Youth and aspiring pianists are invited; pre-registration is available at the festival website Education page.

Music moves to the FAR Center for Contemporary Arts, 202 S Rogers St, Bloomington, IN 47404, for a ticketed concert at 5:30 p.m. Ticket information is available at the festival website. Tickets are available for purchase at the Buskirk-Chumley Theater Box Office, 114 E. Kirkwood Avenue, Bloomington, tel. 812-323-3020 ext 1. General admission for the FAR Center concert is $30 in advance. Food trucks and beverages will be available.

Artists to perform in the ticketed concert include
• C.J. Chenier – King of Zydeco accordionist/vocalist and son of Clifton Chenier
• Silvan Zingg - Boogie-woogie, blues, and jazz pianist and founder of the International Boogie Woogie Festival in Lugano, Switzerland
• Eden Brent - winner of the 2025 Blues Music Award for Piano (Pinetop Perkins Award)
• Henri Herbert - Boogie-woogie/blues pianist originally from the UK, performs worldwide
• Ben Toury – French pianist known for showmanship, strength, and speed
• Craig Brenner - festival organizer and leader of Craig & The Crawdads
• Rhythm Section: Gordon Bonham/guitar, Ron Kadish/bass, Dan Hostetler/drums, and Bill Bailey/rubboard and additional percussion

On Monday, Oct. 20, public schools (to be announced) will enjoy free concerts by guest artists. School performances are for students, faculty, staff, and invited guests.

Major Festival Sponsors include Tim and Cheri DeBruicker, Ann Schertz Photography, The Stardance Band - Mark Wiedenmayer, Jonathan Dyson, and Tom Noonan.

Festival Underwriters include Mother Bear's Pizza, The Uptown Cafe, Jackson Audio Production, Ivy Tech Community College, FAR Center for Contemporary Arts, and Bob Kissel's Foundation. Media Sponsors include WFHB and Bloom Magazine. Additional supporters include A Better Way Moving and Storage, Monroe County History Center, Templeton PTO, Bridges Musical Arts Youth Organization, and others listed at the festival website.

For information, visit https://bloomingtonboogies.com/ or contact Craig Brenner, tel. 812-929-1784, email craigbrennerboogies@gmail.com.