Little 500 at IU: 2027 Dates, Tickets and Parking

The Little 500 is Indiana University's student bike race, run each April at Bill Armstrong Stadium in Bloomington. In 2027 the women's race is Friday, April 23 and the men's race is Saturday, April 24. Below: tickets, parking, and how the weekend fits a college visit, from the team behind private, student-led tours of Bloomington.

What is the Little 500 at Indiana University?

The Little 500 at Indiana University is a bike race for student teams, held every April on the quarter-mile track at Bill Armstrong Stadium. IU News called it "the nation's largest collegiate bike race, drawing a record number of 30,000 spectators" in March 2026.

How the race works, according to Visit Bloomington:

Teams: four riders each, on a quarter-mile track.
Distance: the men's race is 200 laps and the women's race is 100 laps.
Scholarships: the IU Student Foundation has raised more than two million dollars to help working students finish college.

The race started as a scholarship fundraiser. Visit Bloomington says Howdy Wilcox Jr. founded it in 1951, and IU News says the first men's race, on May 12, 1951, raised $6,000 for working-student scholarships. A women's team entered the then all-male race in 1987, and the first women's Little 500 ran in 1988.

The race also has its own film. Breaking Away, the 1979 movie about the Little 500, won an Academy Award. Visit Bloomington's nickname for the weekend is "The World's Greatest College Weekend."

When is the Little 500 at IU in 2027?

The Little 500 at IU in 2027 is Friday, April 23 and Saturday, April 24, 2027, at Bill Armstrong Stadium, 1606 N. Fee Lane. Visit Bloomington lists the times:

Women's race, the 39th running: Friday, April 23, 2027, at 4 p.m.
Men's race, the 76th running: Saturday, April 24, 2027, at 2 p.m.

The races run rain or shine, so pack for any April weather. On race day, Visit Bloomington says the Indiana Daily Student at the entrance lists the teams and their jersey colors.

The Little 500 weekend sits near the end of IU's spring semester. On the official IU calendar, spring 2027 classes run through Saturday, May 1, and finals are May 3 to 7. So the Little 500 in 2027 falls on the second-to-last weekend of IU classes, with students still in town.

If your family wants every other date for the year in one place, home football, Red Carpet Days and breaks included, our IU visit dates guide lists them.

How do you get Little 500 tickets at IU?

You get Little 500 tickets at IU by buying them once the 2027 Little 500 tickets go on sale in December 2026, according to Visit Bloomington; for 2026, IU News said tickets were sold through Ticketmaster. Two steps:

Watch for the December 2026 sale. The university suggests buying tickets ahead of race weekend.
Buy early. IU News said the 2026 tickets were expected to sell out. Check the IU Student Foundation's race page in December for the 2027 seller.

As of November 2026, no page we read lists 2027 Little 500 ticket prices. Look for them when the December sale opens rather than relying on an older year's numbers.

Where do you park for the Little 500 in Bloomington?

You park for the Little 500 in Bloomington at Gate 12, the Green Lot, where race parking is free and Bill Armstrong Stadium is less than a five-minute walk away, according to Visit Bloomington.

Two more places to park for the race come from public parking rules:

The Poplars Garage, 415 E. Sixth Street near Kirkwood Avenue, offers free overnight and weekend parking. Visit Bloomington puts it about a 30-minute walk from the stadium.
Campus garages and lots: Visit Bloomington's parking page says campus garage parking is free from 6 p.m. Friday to 7 a.m. Monday unless posted, and the IU Visitor Information Center says parking is free in all IU Bloomington lots on Saturdays.

For the Friday women's race, which starts at 4 p.m., those two rules don't help yet: campus garages turn free only at 6 p.m., and the free-lot rule is Saturday only. Plan on Gate 12 or paid parking that afternoon.

Visit Bloomington warns that travel times rise on Little 500 weekend and suggests walking when you can. Check the posted signs wherever you park, since the garage rule applies unless otherwise noted.

Should we plan an IU college visit on Little 500 weekend?

Yes, you can plan an IU college visit on Little 500 weekend, as long as you book the hotel first. Visit Bloomington says "hotels sell out quickly for big events like football games, graduation, and the Little 500."

Three things to know before you plan the visit for that weekend:

Classes are in session. The women's race is on a Friday of the regular spring term, and April 23 is a regular class day on IU's calendar.
Red Carpet Days run in the same season. IU holds its admitted-student days on dates in February, March and April, and the 2027 dates were not posted as of November 2026. If your student is admitted and picks an April date, check it against April 23 and 24 before you book a room.
A quieter look needs another weekend. Traffic and crowds change what a first visit feels like. A family that wants an ordinary Saturday on Kirkwood should pick a different April weekend.

A current IU student can show you campus and Kirkwood around the race schedule on a private tour, $150 for your family.

Frequently asked questions

What movie is about the Little 500?

The movie about the Little 500 is Breaking Away, released in 1979. Visit Bloomington calls it an Academy Award-winning film about the race. Watching it before the trip is an easy way to show the whole family what the race is.

Does the Little 500 happen in the rain?

Yes, the Little 500 happens in the rain. Visit Bloomington says the races run rain or shine. Bring rain layers for both race days, Friday afternoon and Saturday afternoon.

Is the Little 500 only for IU students?

No, the Little 500 is open to visitors as well as IU students, and Visit Bloomington says more than 25,000 people travel to Bloomington each year. The riders are IU students on student teams. Anyone with a ticket can watch from the stands at Bill Armstrong Stadium.

Sources

IU News: Little 500 to celebrate 75 years of racing for a purpose, March 9, 2026, read November 2026.
Visit Bloomington: Little 500, 2027 dates, parking and history, read November 2026.
Visit Bloomington: campus parking, read November 2026.
IU Visitor Information Center: maps, directions and parking, read November 2026.
IU Office of the Registrar: official calendar, spring 2027, read October 2026.
IU Office of Admissions: Red Carpet Days, read November 2026.
IU Athletics: Bill Armstrong Stadium, address, read November 2026.