Bubbles over Bloomington

Bloomington residents of all ages flooded the Frank Southern Ice Arena Friday for the ninth annual Bubblefest, sponsored by Bloomington Parks and Recreation and Wonderlab. For $2, visitors received their own bubble wand and entry into a massive room with approximately 20 bubble stations. Each station explored a different method of bubble creation.\nBubblefest began nine years ago when a Bloomington preschool teacher had the idea for a bubble day for children. Jeanne Gunning, director of volunteers for this year's event, said it has grown every year since then.\n"All walks of life come in here," Gunning said. "There's something incredibly exciting about bubbles."\nAt the festival Friday, children eagerly explored the science of bubble-making, dragging parents from one station to the next.\nOne of the most popular stops, the "crystal ball" station, had a faucet slowly generating a giant bubble into the waiting visitor's hands. Guests could blow square and triangular bubbles at the bubble shapes station and make bubble waves at the wave station.\nAt the frozen bubbles station, the visitors used their own bubble blowers on a melting block of bubble solution. However, the most popular station seemed to be the bubble wall, where guests stood inside a ring and a giant bubble rose around them.\n"I liked the one where you stand inside the bubble," said 5-year-old Quinton Floyd.\nOther stations included bubble measuring, colored bubbles and blowing bubbles on tables.\nSeveral IU students volunteered at the event. \n"I heard about volunteering over e-mail and thought it sounded like fun," said sophomore Lindsay Leviton.\nBubblefest drew a large crowd to the ice arena. Children of all ages, as well as their parents, participated in activities at the bubble stations.\n"I was surprised at the size of the crowd," said junior Ignatia Hapsari.\nBut Gunning said the real goal of the event is to get the community involved. \n"You see the wonder and discovery and excitement on these kids' faces, then you know why we do this," she said.\n-- Contact staff writer Brittany Terwilliger at bterwill@indiana.edu.