The monks will be the guest presenters for the Sunday service. The service will include the opening chant (Tashi Kyil), teachings on the Four Noble Truths, and meditation and the chanting of the Mantra of Compassion – Om Mani Padme Hum. Following the service, the public is invited to the Unity potluck where the monks will be the special guests.

Unity of Bloomington, in partnership with the Tibetan Mongolian Buddhist Cultural Center, invites the public to five days of sacred learning, spiritual enlightenment and interaction with the Tibetan Buddhist monks visiting on the 2018-2019 Tashi Kyil Tour. The monks are from Tashil, a Tibetan refugee monastery located in Dehra Dun, India.

Live musical revue & variety show by Indiana’s own Nettle Creek Players. Listen to Hoagy, Cole and even the Hoosier Hotshots, and maybe even a little tongue-in-cheek Michael Jackson! This comical, talented team will sing and dance their way through Indiana’s songbook history. $19.50/$18.50/$7.50

Settle in for fun and dysfunction with Carlson-Palmer Productions in our eighth annual free summer concert! Join us on Sunday, August 26 for “Ties That Bind: Family and Friendship in Broadway and Opera.” Concert regulars – soprano Anna Singer, tenor Robert Chafin, baritone Richard Lewis, and pianist Michael Borowitz – are joined by mezzo-soprano Courtney Jameson for an afternoon of laughter and tears.

Our performers dive into the world of relationships – friendships, family dynamics, and how we make our way through life with those around us – a question faced by princesses and peasants alike. Our artists will perform songs by the brilliant Stephen Sondheim, plus operatic scenes from Werther, Verdi’s Aïda and Don Carlo, Rossini’s version of Cinderella, and more.

Following our tradition from recent seasons, at this free concert we will accept donations to benefit Fairview Elementary School’s literacy and Artful Learning programs. Last year, your generosity helped us raise over $2,100 for the school. This year we will feature a Fairview student art exhibit so that you, our audience, can experience firsthand some of the great things going on at Fairview. So join us for music, relationships galore, and community engagement!

This program is supported in part by Solution Tree and the City of Bloomington Arts Commission’s Arts Project Grant Program. On Facebook: “Ties That Bind”.

Taught by the Tashi Kyil Buddhist Monks.

Unity of Bloomington, in partnership with the Tibetan Mongolian Buddhist Cultural Center, invites the public to five days of sacred learning, spiritual enlightenment and interaction with the Tibetan Buddhist monks visiting on the 2018-2019 Tashi Kyil Tour. The monks are from Tashil, a Tibetan refugee monastery located in Dehra Dun, India.

Catch the Bloomington premiere of the locally-produced computer-animated short film, “The Encounter.” Written, directed, and animated by Thomas DeCarlo, the film follows a rookie government agent (voiced by Zachary Spicer of “The Good Catholic”) who attempts to hunt down his first UFO and earn the respect of the other agents. The film is 13 minutes long and is appropriate for all ages. The screening will be followed by Q&A with DeCarlo, Spicer, and composer Matthew Hinson. Watch the trailer at https://vimeo.com/261209125