50 Things to Do in February in Terre Haute!

We only have a few more months (or weeks!) of winter!

Whether you’re simply hanging on for the warmer days of spring or actually enjoying the chill (but how?!), we’ve found ideas to help you love where you live!

Thursday, February 22. Lego Speed-Building Competition at the Vigo County Public Library. Ages 6-11: Can your child beat the clock? Find out at the Lego® Speed-Building Competition! Working in teams of two to five, your child and their friends will be given a variety of themes—and less than five minutes to build. Every entry will be judged on its level of completion and its adherence to the theme. The winning team will receive the grand prize, a trophy, and bragging rights.

Featured Event!

Saturday, February 24.Last day to register for Kiddie Kicks or 2024 rec soccer with Vigo County Youth Soccer Association and Indy Eleven! Adult leagues are also forming at this time!

Saturday, February 24. Indiana State Spirit Squad Youth Clinic. All participants will have the opportunity to perform with the Spirit Squad during halftime of the ISU Men’s Basketball game on Saturday, February 24 at Hulman Center.

Saturday, February 24. 2024 Parke County Maple Fair. At winter’s end, Parke County’s Maple Syrup Producers begin tapping the maple trees that provide sugar water for making maple syrup. Join in on the fun the last weekend of February and the first weekend of March at the Parke County Maple Fair™.

Saturday, February 24. Messy Munchkins at the Vigo County Public Library. Ages 0–7: Develop your child’s observational and fine motor skills and encourage their creativity at the Messy Munchkins sensory playtime! Let your child dig through the sensory bins to discover new sensations, allow your infant or toddler to play in the exploratory area, and help them create their own DIY sensory bag.

Saturday, February 24. Riding Academy Kick Off at Cannonball Harley-Davidson. From the beginner to the skilled rider, Riding Academy has something for everyone. Join for lunch, chat with others who have taken the academy, learn about picking up a downed bike and what you need to be a safe and educated rider.

Saturday, February 24. Kids’ Maple Syrup Hike at Prairie Creek. Join for a hike at Prairie Creek to enjoy the winter scenery and learn about maple syrup making! View the process from tree tapping all the way to syrup boiling and bottling. Kids 8+, children must be accompanied by an adult.

Saturday, February 24. Sew a Plushie (ages 8 and up) with ISU Community School of the Arts. During this class we will design and create our own custom plushie using hand-sewing techniques with felt. Participants will leave with their very own unique-to-them plushie to gift or keep forever!

Saturday, February 24. Murder Mystery Dinner: Scooby Doom. Is Scooby doomed? Or is he just rolling over and playing dead? It’s up to those meddling kids to find out!

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The fun has ended for these great events: 

Thursday, February 1. “Be Mine” Valentine Highlander Cow canvas class at Maker Studio 12 Points.

Thursday, February 1. Lego Lab at the Vigo County Public Library. Ages 6–11: Challenge your child’s construction skills, teamwork abilities, and creativity at Lego® Lab! Your child can attempt the monthly challenge or build their own designs. At the end of the evening, spend a few minutes touring everyone’s designs and learn how others solved problems in their own builds.

Thursday, February 1. After school story break at the WEST branch of the Vigo County Public Library.

Friday, February 2, Saturday, February 3, and Sunday, February 4. Rose Drama Club Presents: Romeo and Juliet.

Saturday, February 3. Disco Ball paint party at Maker Studio 12 Points for kids! Each child will receive one 11 x 14 canvas.

Saturday, February 3. Friends of the library book sale. Shop for books, DVDs, CDs, and more at the Friends of the Library Book Sale. Thousands of items will be available at low prices, from current bestsellers to your favorite classics. Proceeds from your purchases will be used to fund Library programs and services you enjoy!

Saturday, February 3. Lego stop motion animation at the Vigo County Public Library. Ages 8–12: Encourage your child to turn their ideas into reality, experiment with creative problem-solving, and work cooperatively with others. Teams of two will build models, create background scenery, move the Lego® mini-figs between scenes, and add voiceovers to produce their own short film using a Lego® Stop Motion Animation kit.

Saturday, February 3. Soup Bowl Benefit for Terre Haute Catholic Charities Foodbank. Guests will select their own bowl, hand-crafted by local artists, and sample soups from local restaurants and chefs. This fun and social event runs from 3:00pm through 5:00pm on Saturday, February 3rd at Maryland Community Church.

Saturday, February 3. Author reading and book signing. Emma Lynn Ellis is an author local to Terre Haute, IN. She specializes in romantic fantasy within the genre of New Adult Fiction.

Saturday, February 3. Buffalo Soldiers Winter Ride at Griffin Bike Park. Vigo County Parks and Recreation Department and Sundance Skills Clinics will be hosting a winter ride at Griffin Bike Park! Come out and shake off the winter rust.

Monday, February 5 and Tuesday, February 6. Audition for Madagascar Jr with ISU Community School of the Arts. All students receive a part! Postponed!

Tuesday, February 6. Teen Card Club at the Vigo County Public Library. Ages 12–18: Put your cards on the table at Teen Card Club! Learn the rules of classic card games—including Rummy, Crazy Eights, or Nertz—or try out popular contemporary card games like Exploding Kittens, Taco Cat Goat Cheese Pizza, or Happy Salmon in a fun, relaxed environment.

Wednesday, February 7. Bingo by the Books at the WEST branch of the Vigo County Public Library.

Wednesday, February 7. Maker Hour: Valentine’s Day Edition at the WEST branch of the Vigo County Public Library. Ages 9 & Up: Your child can show someone how much they care with an upcycled crayon heart and a light-up Valentine created with the West Branch Library’s Maker Cart!

Wednesday, February 7, 14, 21, and 28. Wiggle Worm Storytime at the Vigo County Public Library. Ages 2–5: Start your toddler or preschooler on the path to a successful year in Kindergarten with Wiggle Worm Storytime. At Wiggle Worm Storytime, your child will build early learning skills through listening to, reading, and discussing stories; practicing the alphabet; and expanding their vocabulary. They will also develop fine motor skills by performing fingerplays and body movement-based activities while learning how to cooperate with others in a group setting. Each storytime ends with a half-hour session of free play for you and your child to socialize with others.

Wednesday, February 7. West Terre Haute Youth League Baseball/Softball Signups at the WEST branch of the Vigo County Public Library.

Wednesday, February 7. Unleashing the Future: The Power of AI at the Vigo County Public Library. In March 2016, AlphaGo defeated Lee Sedol, a high-ranked professional Go player, in three out of four games—becoming the first artificial intelligence in history to master the complex strategy game. Since then, the use of artificial intelligence has advanced from virtual assistants such as Siri or Alexa to recommendation systems, facial recognition, and medical diagnostics. But what defines a computer program as an artificial intelligence—and what are the implications of AI becoming more commonplace as it continues to advance? Dr. Michael Wollowski, Professor of Computer Science and Software Engineering at Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology and an expert in artificial intelligence, will explore the nature and ramifications of AI.

Thursday, February 8. Push the Button: Teen Jackbox Party Game Night. Ages 12-19: Use your smartphone or tablet to prevent an alien invasion with Jackbox Games®’ Push the Button or pick another game from a Jackbox Party Game® pack! Jackbox Games® are multi-player games where you will work with others to solve puzzles, answer trivia questions, or create and define new words. If you don’t have a smart device, you can borrow one from the Teen Space to play.

Friday, February 9. Valentine’s Minis at Images Photography.

Friday, February 9 and Saturday, February 10. History Center Speaker Series: The Lost Creek Settlement. The Lost Creek Settlement was established in the early 1800’s, when a group of free Black Americans courageously traveled from Maryland, North Carolina, and Virginia to settle in eastern Vigo county to escape the racial violence and systemic oppression of the pre-Civil War South. In spite of inequities and challenges they faced in Indiana, the people of Lost Creek demonstrated fortitude, grit, and resilience by creating a thriving farming community for generations to come. Presenter, Dee Reed, is a 25-year career veteran in higher education, recently retiring from Saint Mary-of-the-Woods College.

Friday, February 9 and Saturday, February 10. “We’ll be right back after this murder” whodunit theater at Maple Ave. The audience will vote on who they think committed the murder and motive. Prizes will be awarded.

Saturday, February 10. Heart Throb 5k with the Vigo County YMCA. Bring yourself or your sweetheart for the 7th annual fun Valentine’s Day Run benefiting the Vigo County YMCA’s annual campaign and scholarships for youth programs.

Saturday, February 10. Wabash Valley String Posse Valentine’s Performance at Haute City Center.

Saturday, February 10. Valentine’s Nerf Wars and Parent’s Night Out at Atreyu Martial Arts.

Saturday, February 10. Art Hacks: Balloon Painting at the Vigo County Public Library. Making your own abstract art is as simple as blowing up a balloon! At this month’s Art Hacks, you’ll discover the vast array of art styles that use acrylic paint while you experiment with dipping balloons into paint and creating colorful bubbles on your canvas.

Featured Event! 

Saturday, February 10. American Girl Party at the Vigo County Public Library. Ages 5-11: It’s party time for your child and their favorite doll! At the American Girl Party, your child can make a fleece sleeping bag to keep their doll cozy at their next sleepover, share friendship bracelets, create a miniature book, and craft a doll-friendly cup of hot chocolate from paper and pompoms while enjoying real hot chocolate and snacks. Take the memories home with you when you take photos of your child and their doll at the photo booths. As usual, events hosted at the library are FREE!

Saturday, February 10. The Peking Acrobats at Hatfield Hall. For the last thirty-two years, THE PEKING ACROBATS® has redefined audience perceptions of Chinese acrobatics. They perform daring maneuvers atop a precarious pagoda of chairs and display their technical prowess in such arts as trick cycling, precision tumbling, juggling, somersaulting, and gymnastics. They push the limits of human ability, defying gravity with amazing displays of contortion, flexibility, and control. THE PEKING ACROBATS are often accompanied by live musicians who skillfully play traditional Chinese instruments; the time-honored Chinese music coalesces with high-tech special effects and awe-inspiring acrobatic feats, creating an exuberant entertainment event with the festive pageantry of a Chinese Carnival.

Saturday, February 10. Valentine special at The Dance Studio.

Saturday, February 10. Ferm Fresh Moving Sale. Ferm Fresh yard sale! LOTS of plants, furniture, coolers, decor & more! We will be open for 5 hours just for selling these items! I’ll post pics in the event of what we are selling! Lots of boho, vintage & more!

Saturday, February 10. Copper Rose Class at Fowler Park Pionner Village. Are you looking for that special gift for your Valentine? Join us as we bring back our Copper Rose classes! Learn how to make your own copper rose to take home at the end of the class, all tools and materials are provided.

Saturday, February 10. Spring in-person registrations for THN little league baseball.

Saturday, February 10. Dueling Pianos at the Sullivan Civic Center. Come early and take advantage of our local food vendors for dinner along with the opening act or have dinner at one of the community’s amazing restaurants and join us for the main event. Doors open at 6:30pm with Joe Wright opening from 6:45pm-7:45pm. Food will be available on site for purchase. Pianos start at 8:00pm.

Saturday, February 10. Make your own spooky Valentine at The Madam’s Curiosities. Stop by the shop and create your own spooky Valentine card for your Valentine for $3! We’ll provide all the paper, stickers, glitter, glue, scissors, and templates, and you bring your creativity. The creation station will be open from 2-7pm, and has room for up to 8 people at a time (so bring your family and friends to craft with!)

Sunday, February 11. History Center Speaker Series: President Abraham Lincoln. Local reenactor Danny Russel with famoushoosiers.com, will feature Lincoln’s legendary character strengths — his honest nature, love of learning, mastery of language, respect for hard work, empathy for his fellow man, opposition to slavery and ability to lead. A native of the Hoosier State, Lincoln lived his entire boyhood (age 7-21) in Spencer County where he lost his mother and sister, taught himself to read and learned the value of perseverance. From Indiana, he lived in Illinois for prairie lawyer years, life with Mary and sons, political aspirations and debates with Stephen Douglas prior to time in Washington. Hilarity, heartbreak, humanity and brilliant speeches abound from one of America’s greatest presidents!

Sunday, February 11. Galentine’s Day in Brazil. This will be a 2 hour workshop regarding practices of embracing the love we create for ourselves with intention. How would you like to create your year with intention from your heart space? Join us for a Galentine’s Day Event! Grab your gal pal, mom or sister for a day date. We will be creating intention bottles, drinking herbal tea and moving through a short meditation. Gift yourself a day of Intention!

Sunday, February 11. Valentine’s Clay Class for Couples with Deming Park Pottery Studio. Throw a project on the wheel and create a keepsake. Refreshments provided!

Sunday, February 11. Valentine’s Kid Craft Event at the Red Barn at Sycamore Farm. Valentine Themed Wreath Class. Geared toward youngest crafters.

Monday, February 12. Valentine’s Day Cupcake Walk at Baesler’s. We are hosting a holiday cupcake walk full of love! We will have a variety of festive, decorated cupcakes ready to mix and match for all of your Valentine gifts and parties. Your cupcakes can even be frozen to preserve freshness until you are ready to use them. We will also have our cookie printer ready to print on our famous iced sugar cookies. You can bring in a digital photo or image to have printed, or choose from our holiday designs

Monday, February 12. Anti Valentine’s Day party at the WEST branch of the Vigo County Public Library. Ages 12 & Up: Are you sick of roses, chocolate hearts, and saccharine sentiments? Toss the Hallmark cards and forgo the Happily Ever After crowd at Anti-Valentine’s Day. Let your not-so-special someone know “PLZ NO” with your own custom rude conversation heart cookie and create a bling ring for the most important person in your life—your BFF (or yourself; no one will tell.)

February 13. Start of 6-week class of Hip Hop Dance Class at Indiana Invasion.

Tuesday, February 13, 20, and 27. Baby Lap Sit Storytime at the WEST branch of the Vigo County Public Library.

Tuesday, February 13. Learn and Play Sushi Go at the Vigo County Public Library. Ages 10 & Up: Itadakimasu! Create the perfect platter of sushi and rack up the points in Sushi Go! Party, a quick-paced pick-and-pass game! Each round, you’ll select a cute, colorful card from your hand to add to your custom selection of menu items. When the round ends, everyone passes the cards to the next person, and you select again until all the cards are on the table. Add up the points from your cards to find out who is the top sushi chef.

Tuesday, February 13. Brass Transit: Music of Chicago with ISU Performing Arts Series. The band’s show includes all the hits from Chicago’s golden age: 1969-1976. With a world-class horn section, a rocking rhythm section, and vocals stacked sky high, Brass Transit transports its audience back to the freewheeling days of the seventies.

Wednesday, February 14. Lunar New Year Celebration. Ages 6-18: In some parts of the world, the New Year is always celebrated on the first of January, but in many parts of Asia, the New Year coincides with the second new moon of the year. Celebrate this holiday with your family by enjoying traditional activities like folding a lucky red envelope, determining which of the twelve animals of the Chinese Zodiac coincides with your birthday, and trying traditional Lunar New Year’s treats!

Friday, February 16. Engineers in Concert at Hatfield Hall. The entire Rose-Hulman community comes together to celebrate art, music, and dance in this elite showcase of campus talent. A variety of acts and groups from across campus will perform on the Hatfield Hall stage and show the public that Rose-Hulman has more to offer than a top-quality STEM education. This event is FREE and open to the public.

Saturday, February 17. 2nd Annual Acorn Ridge Daddy Daughter Dance. Dinner, Drinks, Dessert, and Photography is included with the ticket price.

Saturday, February 17. Pancake breakfast and maple syrup tour with Vigo County Parks and Recreation.

Saturday, February 17. Parachute Play at the Vigo County Public Library. Ages 5-11: Your child can make waves, increase their hand‑eye coordination, and learn how to work as part of a team at Parachute Play.

Saturday, February 17. Patriettes Dance Clinic for grades K through 8th.

Saturday, February 17. “All that Glitters” Middle School Dance at the Vigo County YMCA. Each ticket includes refreshments during the dance!

Featured Event!

Saturday, February 17. 16th Annual Mardi Gras Party. Celebrate in style at the Zorah Shrine for our 16th annual Mardi Gras Party! Join us for an unforgettable night of festivities, music, and vibrant colors from 8 p.m. to 11 p.m. Get ready to immerse yourself in the spirit of Mardi Gras as we bring the excitement of this iconic celebration to life. All proceeds support the Swope Art Museum.

Saturday, February 17. Intentionally Black: Immersion of the Arts.

Saturday, February 17. Read to Rover at the Vigo County Public Library. Share a book with a furry friend from Love on a Leash. These good-natured therapy dogs are eager to listen to your child practice reading aloud in a stress-free setting, complete with cuddles, belly rubs, and ear scratches!

Saturday, February 17. Experience Virtual Reality at the Vigo County Public Library. Ages 12 & Up: Create intricate clockwork mechanisms, save a fantasy world, become a spy, or travel to distant planets with either the HTC Vive™ or the Meta Quest 2 VR headset.

Sunday, February 18. Man in the Arena at Paris Fine Arts Center. The Man In The Arena is a celebration of Theodore Roosevelt – the essential American. Owen Wister, who knew him well, called him “the most American American who ever lived!”

Monday, February 19. Spring registration closes for spring basketball and volleyball at Wabash Valley Family Sports Center.

Monday, February 19. Bubble Wrap Art at the Vigo County Public Library. Did you know that bubble wrap was originally invented as a three-dimensional wallpaper? That idea may not have worked out, but this textured plastic film can be used to pack fragile objects, relieve stress—and make art! Explore the possibilities of this easy print-making technique with your child at Bubble Wrap Art.

Tuesday, February 20. Building Buddies at the Vigo County Public Library. Ages 2-5: Help your little one build more than towers at Building Buddies! Listen to a story together then build with blocks to improve your child’s motor skills, teach them to solve problems, and develop their social skills by playing with others. Lego® Duplos, Giant Lincoln Logs®, and Giant Legos® will be available.

Wednesday, February 21. Dancing with the Queens: A Galentine’s Event. All are welcome, but JAM is typically recommended for participants 13+. Pre-show, hop in the Snapped 360 Video Booth for FREE and pose for a slo-mo shoot with friends!

Wednesday, February 21. Teen Fiber Art Club. Ages 12–18: Relax with your current project, show off completed items, and discuss techniques with other fiber art enthusiasts at the Teen Fiber Art Club. Whether you prefer to cast on with knitting needles or tie intricate knots with macrame rope, the fiber arts offer you the ability to create unique decorations, personalized accessories, and more. All skill levels and types of fiber art are welcome.