Encore July 2024

From the Editor

If there's one thing we Southwest Michiganders know how to do, it's to make the most of our seemingly short summers. And Encore is glad to help with that endeavor with this month's issue.

Not only do The Arts, First Things and Events of Note sections in this issue highlight tons of fun from concerts, theater performances and festivals to art fairs, reading challenges and more, but several of our stories shine a spotlight on some of these opportunities and the folks who make them happen.

If nothing else, this issue is bound to make you want to go outside. Our cover story is about the North Country Trail, the nation's longest hiking trail, a portion of which runs through Southwest Michigan. Robert Weir writes about the trail's history and the folks of the Chief Noonday Chapter of the North Country Trail Association, who maintain and steward that part of the trail. And for our Five Faves feature, our friends at the Southwest Michigan Land Conservancy tell us about summer wildflowers and the conservancy preserves where you can see them.

We also meet Alex Vader and Izzy Weir, co-directors of this month's Kindleberger Summer Festival of the Performing Arts, in Parchment. They oversee the five-day outdoor event, which features a plethora of activities, including theater shows, a parade, arts-and-crafts and classic car shows and much more. It's quite an undertaking for these next-door neighbors, but one they are relishing.

We also head up to Plainwell to have some ice cream with the Gaylord family, the three-generation owners of Plainwell Ice Cream Co., and learn how this small-town ice cream shop has built a loyal following not only in its own community, but in the surrounding area and beyond.

So, as these languorous days of July come upon us, I hope you savor every precious, sun-soaked moment, whether you are at a festival, on a hiking trail, eating ice cream or just lying in your backyard hammock reading Encore. I know I will.

Left to right: Morgan Rogalke-Scime, Charles S. Ofstein, Tyler J. Stewart, Olivia A. Kurajian, William B. Millard

Publisher encore publications, inc

Editor marie lee

Art Director alexis stubelt

Photographer brian k powers

Contributing Writers

amelia hansen, katie houston, marie lee, robert m weir, jarret whitenack

Copy Editor/Poetry Editor margaret deritter

Advertising Sales janis clark, sha'nna stafford, krieg lee

Distribution ron kilian robert zedeck

Office Coordinator kelly burcroff

Proofreader hope smith

Encore Magazine is published 12 times yearly. Copyright 2024, Encore Publications, Inc. All rights reserved. Editorial, circulation and advertising correspondence should be sent to:

www.encorekalamazoo.com

117 W. Cedar St. Suite A, Kalamazoo, MI 49007 Telephone: (269) 383–4433

Email: Publisher@encorekalamazoo.com

The staff at Encore welcomes written comments from readers, and articles and poems for submission with no obligation to print or return them. To learn more about us or to comment, visit encorekalamazoo.com. Encore subscription rates: one year $36, two years $70. Current single issue and newsstand $4, $10 by mail. Back issues $6, $12 by mail. Advertising rates on request. Closing date for space is 28 days prior to publication date. Final date for print–ready copy is 21 days prior to publication date. The opinions, beliefs and viewpoints expressed by those interviewed and published here do not reflect the opinions, beliefs and viewpoints of Encore Magazine or the official policies, owners or employees of Encore Publications

Katie Houston

Katie writes about poet and quilter Elaine Seaman in this issue. She had crossed paths professionally with Seaman when they both worked at the Kalamazoo Institute of Arts, but she had no idea of Elaine's artistic endeavors until later. As a wordsmith and seamster herself, Katie has great appreciation for Seaman's accomplishments in her two mediums. "So many creative people I've met have talents in multiple areas, and Elaine is no exception," Katie says. "I'm looking forward to seeing how artists respond to her poetry in the exhibition Beyond Cornfields and to reading her new book of poetry that inspired it."

Robert M. Weir Jarret Whitenack

“Some articles come naturally,” says Bob in regard to his article about the North Country Trail. A backpacker himself, Weir has hiked Michigan’s 220-mile Shoreto-Shore Trail and numerous shorter treadways and shorelines in various states and nations. In 2003, he authored an article about the North Country Trail’s local Chief Noonday Chapter that featured hiking buddy and then-chapter president Tom Garnett (now deceased). Even the setting for his interviewing of six current members of the Chief Noonday Chapter for this issue's article was natural — a wooded segment of the trail in Barry County more than a half mile from the nearest road.

Jarret had a tasty assignment this month: doing an Update story on Plainwell Ice Cream Co. “It is wonderful how this family-run business is such a core part of the town's summer life," says Jarret. "Many small companies are bought up by larger corporations that lose the kind of connection to the community that I saw at Plainwell Ice Cream, but Plainwell stands strong as a community that savors its local businesses.” Jarret, who hails from Salem, Oregon, is an intern at Encore

DINING DESTINATIONS

First Things

Something Bluesy

Kalamazoo Blues Fest is back

Celebrating its 30th year of honoring blues music and blues culture, the Kalamazoo Blues Fest returns July 27 to downtown Kalamazoo's Arcadia Creek Festival Place.

Performers will include Blues Hall of Fame group Lil' Ed & the Blues Imperials, the Out of Favor Boys, the JR Clark Band, The Jimmy’s, Nikki Hill with Laura Chavez, and Mandalyn & the Hunters, which recently appeared at the Memphis Blues Foundation's International Blues Challenge.

The festival runs from noon–11 p.m., and tickets cost $25. For more information, visit kvba.org.

Something Playful

Dokidokon to descend on downtown

Dokidokon, a convention devoted to anime and gaming, will be held at downtown Kalamazoo's Radisson Plaza Hotel July 19–21, with cosplay, celebrities and concerts.

The event features panels, performances, dance parties, workshops, vendors, a cosplay contest and meet-and-greet sessions with luminaries of the anime and gaming world.

Weekend passes are $30–$55, or $180 for VIP weekend passes. For more information or to register, visit dokidokon.org.

Something Festive Event spotlights female musicians

The Grammy-nominated wife-and-husband country duo The War and Treaty will headline the Fair Ground Festival July 27 at the Barry County Expo Center, in Hastings.

The festival, which was launched last year by the Thornapple Arts Council, has a mission of supporting women in the music industry. In addition to The War and Treaty, the July 27 lineup includes the Michigan mainstays The Accidentals as well as the folk-pop sibling trio Bailen, rock singer and guitarist Hannah Wicklund, Nashvile singer/songwriter Alanna Royale, and The Rebel Eves, a Michigan trio that includes Kalamazoo's Grace Thiesen.

This year the festival has added a pre-festival party July 26 with performances by the folk-pop duo The Burney Sisters and the indie rock, pop and blues couple In the Valley Below.

The pre-party will begin at 7 p.m. July 26 and the festival at 2 p.m. July 27. Tickets are $25–$50 for general admission, or $200 for VIP tickets. Parking is $5. For more information or to purchase tickets, visit thornapplearts.org.

Lil' Ed & the Blues Imperials

Something Centennial

KIA to host free Community Day

In observance of its 100th anniversary, the Kalamazoo Institute of Arts invites the community to its Centennial Community Day, which will offer free admission and events July 13.

In addition to offering the opportunity to browse current exhibits from 11 a.m.–5 p.m., the day will feature local children's book author Emmy Kasten reading from her book While You’re Asleep from 10:30–11:30 a.m. and activities such as making commemorative 100th anniversary glasses and birthday hats and signing a community birthday card for the KIA from 11:30 a.m.–4 p.m.

For more information, visit kiarts.org.

Something

Folky Sarah Jarosz to perform at Bell’s

Sarah Jarosz, a four-time Grammy-winning singer/songwriter, will bring her award-winning music to Bell’s Beer Garden July 11.

Jarosz has won Grammys in the roots, Americana and folk music categories and is touring to support her seventh album, Polaroid Lovers, which was released in January.

The ages 18-and-up show starts at 8 p.m., and tickets are $25–$75. For more information or to purchase tickets, visit events.bellsbeer.com.

A:Property tax uncapping occurs as a result of a change in ownership of real property. In the State of Michigan, the taxable value can only increase by the lesser of either in ation of 5% of the taxable value of real property. When there is a transfer of ownership, the taxable value of real property uncaps, which may result in an increase in property taxes.

MCL 211.27a(6) de nes “transfer of ownership” as the conveyance of title to or a present interest in property, including the bene cial use of the property, the value of which is substantially equal to the value of the fee interest.

MCL 211.27a(7) also provides a list of certain transfers that are exempt from the de nition of “transfer of ownership” and which would not result in the property’s taxable value uncapping. If you are considering transferring property, there are ways to avoid an uncapping. It would be wise to talk with an estate planning or real estate attorney in more detail to eliminate any potential nancial consequences incurred by a property tax uncapping.

What are the uncapping rules for real property in Michigan? Willis Law

Please send your questions to Michael J. Willis, J.D., C.P.A.

Five Faves

Best places to see summer wildflowers

BY AMELIA HANSEN

It’s late summer and the Southwest Michigan Land Conservancy‘s public nature preserves are bursting with colorful wildflowers and buzzing with pollinating insects. Our staff and volunteers have put in tons of work bringing historic prairie and savanna habitats back to many of our preserves, and these five spots are sure to have sights that will delight the eyes and senses.

Chipman Preserve

8400 block of East Main Street, Comstock Township

This preserve is beautiful in any season, but summer is when its restored prairie really shines. Take an evening stroll through the open part of the preserve to marvel at the hot orange butterfly milkweed, pretty pink common milkweed, bright yellow “gray-headed” coneflowers, deep pink blazing stars, and golden native sunflowers. Not to mention butterflies, which love all these flowers.

Wau-Ke-Na, W.E. Smith Preserve — South Tract

1500 block of Lakeshore Drive,

Glenn

Wau-Ke-Na South Tract is rich in late summer with asters and goldenrods, offering delicious eye candy to humans and nutritious nectar to bees, beetles and migrating monarch butterflies. The wideopen spaces here give us humans plenty of room to stretch our legs and put in some steps, but don’t move so fast that you miss shy floral gems like the purply blue bottle gentians tucked into shady spots near the edges of the prairie. You may see piles of brush where nonnative trees and invasive shrubs have been cut and stacked, since SWMLC is working hard to make this preserve into a paradise for grassland birds like meadowlarks and rare sparrows, which will make pollinator insects buzz with happiness too.

Wolf Tree Nature

8700 block of West KL Avenue, Oshtemo Township Trails

The summer wildflowers at Wolf Tree seem to get better every year, thanks to the tireless efforts of SWMLC staff and the Weekly Warrior Volunteers, who have been thinning the trees pushing into open areas, lopping off invasive shrubs, and boosting the habitat by sowing native flower seeds collected from our other preserves. Hike the Blue Trail to get an eyeful of gorgeous golden sunflowers and black-eyed Susans, bright yellow goldenrod, delicate violet bergamot and rare beauties like wild white indigo.

Portman Nature Preserve

28700 block of 49th Avenue, Paw Paw

This preserve is lovely in all four seasons, but late summer is when its wetland fens begin to show their colors. Volunteers pitched in to build the sturdy boardwalk that ventures into this unique habitat along the shore of Lime Lake. Visitors may find shrubby cinquefoil with its plentiful goldenyellow flowers, bristly pink swamp thistles, constellations of asters that look like tiny white daisies, and bright pink and white swamp milkweed, where you might glimpse a monarch butterfly or two.

Hidden Pond Preserve

4000 block of Otis Lake Road, Hastings

The sweeping skies, breezy hilltops and restored prairie of Hidden Pond Preserve will soon be liberally sprinkled with several kinds of bright yellow goldenrod, each with its own specially shaped flowers. Don’t worry that goldenrod pollen will make you sneeze; blame that on ragweed, whose modest green flowers shed lots of wind-borne pollen at the same time. Goldenrod pollen is too heavy to blow around and into your nose, so it relies on beetles, bees and butterflies to do the pollination work, which they’re happy to provide.

About the Author

Kalamazoo native Amelia Hansen is the media specialist at the Southwest Michigan Land Conservancy, where she is very grateful to use her creative skills to help protect nature in her own community.

The Flavor of Plainwell

‘Good people’ making good ice cream for 47 years

BY JARRET WHITENACK

About 30 minutes north of Kalamazoo, in the quiet town of Plainwell, is an ice cream shop that is anything but quiet. From March to November, it’s not uncommon to see eager eaters waiting in a long line snaking out the door and around the corner of the small shop on Bridge Street.

But the scoop behind the Plainwell Ice Cream shop is that it has survived and thrived thanks to three generations of the Gaylord family.

“This is the 47th season now. We're in the third generation, not just of our family, but three generations that have grown up eating

Plainwell Ice Cream,” says David Gaylord, 53, the son of Art and Judy Gaylord, who bought the former Newman's Ice Cream shop 46 years ago and renamed it Plainwell Ice Cream Co.

“It's interesting when some original employees come in and bring their grandkids. It's literally three generations across the board now. Not just our family, but the community.”

Three generations of the Gaylord family run Plainwell Ice Cream Co., from left: Jake Girolami (grandson); Art and Judy Gaylord (parents), Connor Gaylord (grandson) and David Gaylord (son). Not picture is Laura Girolami (daughter).

Brian K. Powers

When the Gaylords took on making ice cream, they didn’t realize that not only would their frozen treats become popular beyond the borders of this town of 3,700, but that having Plainwell Ice Cream would become an iconic and memorable experience for many people.

“It's kind of turned into a destination business," says Gaylord. "We have a lot of customers from a wide area and a lot of out-of-state people that come every summer when it's part of their vacation plans. You know, ‘Hey, we're coming to Michigan. We're coming in.’

"You don't realize how many people it impacts until you get an email sometime that says somebody's mom died and they had Plainwell Ice Cream at the funeral because ‘We went there every Sunday’ for however many years. It's really an important piece of a lot of people's lives and growing up.”

When Encore first wrote about Plainwell Ice Cream in January 2003, Art and Judy Gaylord were running the business and their kids Laura and David worked there. Now David Gaylord and Laura Girolami run the shop, and their kids work there as well. Things were a lot easier in the ice cream business back then, notes David.

“Everything was a lot easier across the board, from employees to supplies to everything,” he says. “It's a lot more difficult now with suppliers to buy quantities that we need to purchase. We're small potatoes here, and that makes purchasing difficult, because everyone wants to sell you a semi-load of everything, and that doesn't work for small businesses.”

Some changes came about organically as markets and economics evolved over the decades, but others were brought about by the upheaval of the Covid-19 pandemic. While the pandemic affected every single aspect of the business, Gaylord says, its most dramatic effect was on the shop’s service.

Top: An employee looks on as Art Gaylord, center, and Connor Girolami, talk with customers. Bottom: A case holds several of Plainwell Ice Cream Co.'s 53 flavors, which can be seen listed on a wall behind the counter of the shop (top right).

Brian K. Powers

When Plainwell Ice Cream first appeared in Encore

“It changed processes up front quite a bit," he says. "It was a number system before, and there would be 100 people jammed in. Nobody could move, and you don't know who you're waiting on. But the system that we went with (during Covid) is what we've continued with, which has worked out way better as far as the service side goes. It’s much more organized, more clear-cut — who's waiting on you, who's helping you. You are ordering in one spot as opposed to previously it was kind of a freefor-all in here."

Other changes to the business have come about as the younger generations have become more involved. Grandson Jake Girolami, 27, not only brings his technical savvy to running the business's social media but also prompted the shop to offer non-dairy options.

In honor of Encore’s 50th anniversary, we are revisiting stories from past issues and providing updates. We first wrote about Plainwell Ice Cream in January 2003. To read the original story, visit encorekalamazoo.com/ theyre-scoopin-out-a-livin-with-ice-cream/.

“I brought them the idea of doing non-dairy ice cream because I've been vegan for a while,” says Girolami. “If I'm going out with my girlfriend's family, they're going to go to a restaurant where I can also eat. So if one person in a family can get something really good here, that's going to bring their whole family here over and over.”

As the shop’s popularity has grown, it has expanded its flavor offerings and the availability of the ice cream. The company makes 40,000 gallons each year, has 53 flavors, and sells its ice cream in 30 locations in the region, from

Holland to Battle Creek to Paw Paw. But rather than following national flavor trends, like the current rage for Southwest-inspired tastes, Plainwell’s ice cream innovations tend to develop more spontaneously, Gaylord says.

“Following the flavor trends is not so much in our area," he says. "We just look around the cooler, see what we have, see what different combinations of stuff might sound really good or might be unique or different. It's not scientific. We say, ‘OK, it might be about this much flavor, and then you taste it and go, ‘Hmm, I don't know.’

“I think we definitely stick to what we think we can do and what our customers would want.”

That said, the Gaylords are content to keep the business mostly as it is — a part of the community that fostered it and a business that continues to provide the same service and quality. Most of the employees are local high school students who work there during the summer and are often the face of Plainwell Ice Cream.

“I want to stress that the biggest thing that has made the business what it is is our employees, even more so than our ice cream,” Gaylord says. "We've consistently had really good kids (as employees). When we get comments, it's, ‘Yeah, ice cream's great, but,

oh, so-and-so's such a good server.’ That's as important as having good ice cream. If we just had good ice cream and crappy employees, it wouldn't matter.”

And lest you think that making ice cream is a seasonal gig because the shop is only open eight months of the year, the Gaylords are busy all year long making ice cream that is sold elsewhere year-round. Which brings up one change that grandson Girolami says he has suggested the company make:

“A 50-year-old retirement age,” he says to laughter from Gaylord, who is sitting nearby. Even today, Art and Judy Gaylord, now in their 80s, still work at the business.

“People know my grandparents. People know our family,” Girolami says. “It's not like being a celebrity, but people just know that you do good work and that you're good people.”

Brian K. Powers

Plainwell Ice Cream Co.'s shop on Bridge Street in Plainwell.

'Blue Blaze Fever'

'Blue Blaze Fever' North Country Trail inspires hikers of all types

BY ROBERT M. WEIR

Enthusiasm for the North Country Trail has a name.

“People decide to walk on the North Country Trail near their home. Then they want to walk their entire county, their state, and another state. That’s Blue Blaze Fever,” says Jane Norton, president of the Chief Noonday Chapter of the North Country Trail Association.

The blue blazes painted on trees and landmarks guide hikers and walkers through forests and farmland, hills and valleys, remote rural and urban residential areas and ADA-friendly communities all the way from Lake Sakakawea State Park in North Dakota to Maine Junction in Green Mountain National Forest in Vermont, crossing six

other states along the way — Minnesota, Wisconsin, Michigan, Ohio, Pennsylvania and New York.

Norton has walked 1,500 unique miles of the NCT, some in each of its eight states, including the entire Lower Peninsula and Wisconsin. In each of the last 10 years she has also walked the entire 120 miles of the Chief Noonday Chapter's section, which runs from the Kent/Barry county line northeast of Middleville to the Calhoun/Hillsdale county line, passing through Barry, Kalamazoo and Calhoun counties. “As president, I want to know the state of the trail,” she says.

Brian K. Powers

Members of the Chief Noonday Chapter take a break from their work maintaining the trail for a photo. Back row, from left: Steve Merring, Stephen Kesler, Cal Lamoreaux, Eric Longman, Denny Moore. Front row, from left: Sandy Johnson, Jane Norton, Cynthia Clemens.

The North Country Trail is the nation’s longest National Scenic Trail, and nearly 1,200 miles of the 4,851-mile trail — 25 percent — winds its way through Michigan.

In Southwest Michigan it meanders through the Yankee Springs Recreation Area, between Bradley and Hastings; the Kellogg Experimental Forest, the Cheff Therapeutic Riding Center and the bird sanctuary at the Kellogg Biological Station, in Augusta; and through the communities of Battle Creek and Marshall before heading southeasterly, crossing the Michigan-Ohio state line south of Waldron, in Hillsdale County.

Cynthia Clemens, meeting program manager for the Chief Noonday Chapter, caught Blue Blaze Fever in spring 2021.

“When hiking, you’re constantly looking for that paint swatch with its bright blue color,” Clemens says. “The blazes become emblazoned on your mind, and you just want to follow them and see what’s around the next bend to the next vista, the next wildflower, the next prairie, the next anything. You start planning your next hike in your dreams. That’s how you catch the fever.”

Thelong and short of it

Clemens started logging her distances in 2023, when she walked more than 1,000 miles of the NCT, completing all of Michigan (1,178 miles) and Pennsylvania (276 miles), for which she received the NCTA’s Long Distance Hiker patch.

Then there's Joan Young, a resident of Scottville who was the first woman to hike the entire North Country Trail. She started in 1990, two years after seeing a brown NCT sign on the side of a Michigan highway.

Young writes in her book, North Country Cache, “It wasn’t until 1995, after sampling 281 miles of the trail in four states, that I realized I wanted to hike the whole thing. But I wasn’t in any particular hurry.”

Young completed the entire trail in 2010. In 2021, she set out alone to walk the entire 4,851 miles again. She completed the second journey in 18 months and 18 days, at the age of 75.

She is one of at least 28 people who have walked the entire North Country Trail, at least seven of whom are women. “Not

everyone has applied for recognition,” she says, “so although I try to keep track, it’s possible the number is off by one or two.”

Blue Blaze Fever also wends its way into the lives of people who walk much shorter distances.

“I’ve been a member for over 15 years, and I probably hike only 50 miles a year," says local chapter Vice President and Trail Manager Eric Longman, "but I’ve dedicated a lot of my time to building and maintaining the trail, writing the chapter newsletter, and increasing our membership. And I’ve made a lot of very good friends.”

Birder Cal Lamoreaux finds joy in the calls of sandhill cranes, turkeys, and other winged creatures that he hears on the trail.

BY MARK WEDEL

Sandra Johnson says the trail reminds her of her youth. “My dad took us all over Yankee Springs," she says. "I knew it like the back of my hand. It’s nice to be walking back in this area again. It’s like home in here.”

Managing the trail

The North Country Trail was established in 1980 and is managed by the North Country Trail Association, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit headquartered in Lowell, Michigan, that partners with the National Park Service to unite individuals, affiliated trail groups, local chapters, corporate sponsors and others to build and maintain the trail as well as tell its story.

The NCTA is composed of 30 chapters — 12 of which are in Michigan — and eight affiliate organizations that monitor and maintain the trail.

In our neck of the woods, the Chief Noonday Chapter has nearly 900 members: 565 individuals and 373 families (an increase from 200 in 2019). About 20 percent of these members volunteer for work parties or participate in chapter-sponsored group hikes, such as the annual New Year's Day hike, which draws 50 to 80 participants.

“Most members just hike, and they pay dues because they like the maintained trails,” says chapter officer Longman. (In addition to Longman, Norton and Clemens, chapter officers are treasurer Janey Hayter and secretary Joyce Irvine.)

Chapter members who do more than hike sometimes work on the trail. Workdays

involve many things: trimming back branches and brush that have grown to obscure the trail, removing downed tree trunks and limbs that have fallen across the trail, determining where water washes out the trail and building natural diversion structures, and filling in deep dips or holes in the trail for safer footing.

It's not uncommon to hear the sounds of saws and hammers on a workday as volunteers build boardwalks through marshy areas or makeshift "stairs" along a downhill stretch of trail. There are also the less glamorous tasks of picking up litter and trash, especially along more populated parts of the route.

Blazing the trail

One of the chapter's biggest challenges is working to reduce the number of miles of the trail running along roads and move those parts of the trail into the woods and meadows. The easy part, says chapter President Norton, is to run the trail through public land: national forests, state forests and parks and game areas, and county parks. The hard part is working with private property owners whose land lies between those public lands.

North Country Trail: A Little History

The concept of National Scenic Trails officially came into being with congressional passage of the National Trail Systems Act of 1968, signed by President Lyndon B. Johnson. The first two trails to be officially designated National Scenic Trails and funded under this act were the Appalachian Trail and the Pacific Crest Trail.

The idea of the North Country Trail began with a feasibility study in 1971, conducted by a combined federal and multistate task force. In March 1980, Congress passed legislation that authorized establishment of the trail. Citizen input helped to define the current route.

In late 2023, the North Country Trail attained “unit status,” a designation that the National Park Service has now applied to 428 government-owned public properties, such as national parks, battlefields, seashores, historical sites, scenic trails, and other properties.

The North Country Trail Association’s executive director, Andrea Ketchmark, says the unit status designation “ensures access to additional resources and funding opportunities” and thus “is a crucial step in promoting and improving this treasure.”

A key factor in the federal and public acceptance of the North Country Trail has been the “Hike 100 Challenge.” The NCTA’s December 2023 newsletter, the Blue Blaze Bulletin, says people who “walk, hike, backpack, dance, snowshoe, cross-country ski, wander, saunter, amble, or shuffle” 100 or more miles on the NCT during calendar year 2024 will receive a beautiful patch. The miles on the trail may be solo on the honor system or part of chapter-led hikes. The distance can be 100 unique miles or the same one-mile stretch 100 times over. The bulletin encourages trail users by saying, “You do you.”

'My Therapy, My Workshop' Hiker finds healing and health on the trail

In September 2022, on his 62nd birthday, Denny Moore changed his life.

At 5-foot-11 and 277 pounds, Moore was clinically obese, with high blood pressure, high cholesterol, acid reflux, sleep apnea and addictions. “After two decades of dismal health, I was a hot mess, a full-blown diabetic with numbers out of control,” says Moore.

“My doctor was constantly adjusting the doses, changing them up, changing them down, and the meds made me feel (bad). I felt defeated. Finally, I told her, ‘This ain’t working. I need a different approach.’”

Committed to getting off the meds, Moore adopted the mantra “Move more, eat less.” He stepped out his back door near Gun Lake and onto the Chief Noonday section of the North Country Trail and started walking.

“I established a few ground rules,” says Moore. “Eat plenty of protein, drink lots of water, walk at least 10,000 steps per day, get enough sleep, read about weight loss, and understand this journey I’m on.”

Through books and podcasts, Moore soon came to realize that he hadn’t embarked on simply a weight-loss journey but a lifestyle journey. “I fed my mind with good stuff,” he says.

He chose discipline. “Motivation comes and goes, but discipline sticks and works.”

He views the trails as “my therapy, my workshop where I solve a lot of my physical and emotional problems.”

He adopted new paradigms: to walk and hike in a way that is “effective, efficient and adaptable"; to create and journal about “little wins and strategies”; and to believe “I can do hard things and I can always better my best.”

“Hiking is more than exercise,” says Moore. “Hiking is a great tool for problem-solving. It brings out my inner child and my desire to go outside, play, clear my mind, and eliminate stress. And it’s a great way to connect with family.”

Moore now walks, on average, 25,000 steps, or 13.2 miles (a half marathon), each day. He often walks around Gun Lake, a distance of 17 miles. And he estimates that in 2023 he walked more than nine million steps, or 4,800 miles, “the equivalent of from Gun Lake to California and back.”

“The North County Trail is my home base,” he says. “Other trails intersect. Some aren’t marked; they might be a deer path, so I wing it, depending on what I’m in the mood for: hills or flatland, wetlands or lakes, woods or meadows.”

Sometimes he listens to the sounds of nature, sometimes to inspirational messages, sometimes to rock ’n’ roll. “Every day is different,” he says.

Ater 21 months of walking and now approaching his 64th birthday, Moore weighs 188 pounds, on target to reach his target of 177 — a loss of 100 pounds in two years.

With frequent monitoring by his primarycare physician, his blood pressure and cholesterol levels are normal, the acid reflux is gone, the sleep apnea is gone, the addictions are gone, and so are his meds.

And his relationship with his supportive wife, Kimberley, is stronger. “She’s allowed me the time and encouraged me to continue my quest and my progress,” he says.

Moore’s accomplishment is confirmed by Dr. Jon Christ, a primary-care and sports medicine physician within the Bronson Healthcare System. “Being physically active helps in a variety of ways," he says. "Whether the activity is mild, moderate or intense, it can positively impact the top five conditions we see in primary care and in sports medicine: high blood pressure, high blood sugar, high cholesterol, depression and anxiety. Whatever you’re able to do can make a big difference. It can be a snowball effect in the positive direction.”

Opposite page, from top to bottom: The North Country Trail is the longest hiking trail in the U.S., a section of which crosses Southwest Michigan (inset); Devil's Soup Bowl is a popular geographic feature along the trail; a patch given by the NCTA to those who hike 100 miles on the trail. This page, top: Chief Noonday Chapter members build steps in an area of the trail prone to washouts from rain. Bottom: Volunteers built and maintain a large section of boardwalk through a marshy part of the trail.

Brian K. Powers

Brian K. Powers

Denny Moore

MORE INFORMATION

On the North Country Trail: northcountrytrail.org.

On the Chief Noonday Chapter: northcountrytrail.org/trail/michigan/cnd or facebook.com/chiefnoondayncta.

On becoming a member:

To become a member of the NCTA or donate to it, go to northcountrytrail.org.

Annual NCTA membership costs $40 for individuals and $55 for families, $15 of which goes to the Chief Noonday Chapter to pay for monthly meeting space at the Delton District Library, internet service, printed newsletters for members who don’t use email, booths at community events, and materials and equipment for trail maintenance.

“It’s a very big struggle,” says Longman, who praises Chief Noonday volunteer Jim Bronson for undertaking the task of contacting landowners and negotiating agreements, especially easements that allow the North Country Trail Association to have permanent access even if the property is sold.

“At first, people have concerns about their property being adjacent to the trail,” says Longman. “But that actually increases the value of the property. They can go out their back door and be on the trail.”

When building the trail, the local chapter must attain federal and state permits regarding environmental preservation, protected species habitat, and significant cultural and heritage areas, such as indigenous burial grounds.

Local trail highlights

The local chapter is named after Noahquageshik, better known in non-Native circles as Chief Noonday of the Grand River Band of the Ottawa Nation, who lived most of his life (1770–1840) in the Yankee Springs area. His grave, on the south side of Cressey Road, west of Lockshore Road, near Hickory Corners, is marked by a modest gravestone and a small sign on a stick. In March 2023, the Chief Noonday Chapter led a tribute hike to the gravesite, which is one-tenth of a mile off the North Country Trail.

The Chief Noonday section of the trail includes three particularly beautiful parts: a winding path through a mature hardwood forest from Middleville to Kent County; the Augusta Prairie, a Midwest prairie rich with native wildflowers, songbirds and butterflies and a terrific view of the Kalamazoo River Valley; and Bridge Park, between Battle Creek and Marshall, which features five meticulously restored bridges that have been brought here from various Michigan locations.

The Chief Noonday section also includes a one-of-a-kind feature: the Fort Custer National Cemetery, the only national cemetery on the entire North Country Trail.

Noonday chapter member Steve Merring's favorite feature of the trail is Devil’s Soup Bowl, in Yankee Springs Recreation Area. "(It) is a deep kettle formation, about a half mile of the trail. And there’s another kettle, a little bit smaller, right beside it. You can walk right on the rim of two kettles.”

Merring says that in the winter, after leaves had fallen from the trees, he would bring students from his North Kent High School Outdoor Survival class to these kettles and have them lie down and look up. “It’s a unique experience, like being in a crater.”

Longman estimates that 80 percent of the miles in the Chief Noonday section are offroad and in natural areas, while 15 percent run along rural roads and 5 percent are in villages with restaurants and stores. He says hikers, especially long-distance hikers, appreciate those rural roads for their vistas of pastures, fields, barns and livestock as well as friendly homeowners who wave or chat.

Finding connections on the trail

Approximately 600 to 800 people enjoy some part of the Chief Noonday section annually.

For those who catch Blue Blaze Fever, the greatest attraction is the sense of connection.

Merring, who volunteers for trail maintenance activities, says local chapter events “bring familiar faces, new faces and friends together to contribute to something greater than ourselves.”

Clemens, whose enthusiastic commentary exudes passion for hiking, adds, “You find connection on the trail. Personal connections, connection to nature, to your health, your mental health, your spirituality. In a day when we’re getting more and more disconnected from people, the North Country Trail is a way to get back in touch with your roots. Besides, the trail is in my backyard, and it connects me to eight states. I’m a 'short' walk to anywhere on the trail.”

A Patchwork of Artists Elaine Seaman's new poems provide inspiration for exhibition

BY KATIE HOUSTON

Elaine Seaman’s pursuits include writing poetry and sewing award-winning quilts, and the two mediums have converged this summer as her new book of poetry, Beyond Cornfields, has inspired an exhibition of the same name at the Carnegie Center for the Arts, in Three Rivers.

The show is the brainchild of Kalamazoo artist Maryellen Hains, a longtime friend of Seaman's. It opened in June and includes works by Hains and 13 other artists she invited to respond to Seaman’s poems.

“I think artists like a specific assignment,” says Seaman, a Texas Township resident. “It’s one thing to say, ‘I’m going to go work in my studio.’ But if someone says, ‘By next summer I’d like to have something in response to this other thing,’ that provides a starting point, and the artist creates an ending point.”

The idea for the show was sparked when Hains and Seaman were attending an exhibition last year. Seaman mentioned her new book that day.

“(Maryellen) said, ‘Wouldn’t it be a good idea to have artists respond to your poems?’ and I thought, ‘You haven’t even read them, why would you say that?'” Seaman says, laughing. Soon after, Hains provided three of Seaman's poems to each interested artist to choose one to work with.

“I'm amazed at some of the work I am seeing,” says Hains. “Some artists took the opportunity to work in a medium they are not known for, and all have responded to Elaine's perspective in interesting ways.”

In addition to Hains, the artists in the show are Martha Aills, Melody Allen, Gloria Badiner, June Belitz, Nancy Crampton, Michael Dunn, Jeanne Fields, Linda Judy, Pam Meyer, Bobbie Rehus, Maria Scott, Gay Walker and Jamie Whitledge. Three poems in the show were previously published in Encore: "Our Tour Guide, Fausto" (March 2019), "Kalamazoo

This page: Elaine Seaman in the studio of her home where she creates award-winning quilts and fabric art as well as writes poetry. Opposite page: Two of Seaman's quilts that will be part of the Pathfinder exhibit are Mt. Carmel (Nuts) (top) and Pathfinder (bottom).

Brian K. Powers

Croquet" (September 2020) and "Prairie Crossing, Early December" (December 2021).

The Carnegie Center will also devote a small gallery to a selection of quilts Seaman created over the past 50 years. That exhibition is titled Pathfinder, which Seaman says "reflects my own path in quilting from the 1970s up until now.”

Seaman learned to sew from her mother as a child growing up in rural Iowa. After earning a bachelor's degree in English at Iowa State University and teaching high school for a year, she married Bill Seaman, whose veterinary career had the couple on the move for several years.

“One of our first homes was in Wisconsin, where I knew no one, and with Bill working so much, I had a lot of time on my hands,” she says. “I asked my mother for leftover fabric and just started quilting. If you can sew, you can quilt.”

The couple landed in Kalamazoo in 1978 when Bill was hired by the former Upjohn Co. as a veterinary pathologist. Seaman taught quilting at the Calico Cupboard fabric store in downtown Kalamazoo and later for Kalamazoo Public Schools' community education.

In the mid-1990s she was hired as an assistant registrar at the Kalamazoo Institute of Arts, where she helped registrar Helen Sheridan document and pack art for storage while the museum underwent an expansion. While at the KIA, Seaman also managed an art and antique auction and curated two exhibitions, Second Sight/Insight (2005) and Second Sight/Insight II (2015), both of which combined images from the KIA collection with responses from local poets.

Low Tide

Low tide

Exposes more stones, shells, tiles, glass,

offers them up to those who have stopped looking for whales.

History at their feet, tumbled, smoothed, polished.

Low tide pulls the gold and black sand into patterns: herringbones, bargellos, brocades, paisleys where pebbles land; moirés, waled corduroys.

It echoes nature’s branching twigs, peacock feathers, miniature avalanches, rivers to the sea.

Low tide

firms the unreliable sand. I walk. I disturb the patterns.

Elaine M. Seaman Beyond Cornfields

Low Tide, Maria Scott, 2024, pottery

In addition, she coordinated the artist selection process for the museum’s longstanding art fair. “That was back when artists had to mail slides of their work to be juried, unlike today’s online platforms that make all that so much simpler,” she says.

Between working, teaching and raising two sons, Seaman took a poetry class in the 1990s with local poet Diane Seuss (who went on to win a Pulitzer Prize), followed by one

with John Rybicki, and a poetry appreciation class with Conrad Hilberry, who was then a professor at Kalamazoo College. Seaman says a weekly writers’ group that lasted for “four or five years” sustained and fueled her writing at the time.

Finishing Line Press published Seaman’s first book of poetry, Rocks in the Wheatfield, in 2004. Her next poetry book was Bird at the Window (March Street Press, 2010), and her

James R. Shinar

T: (269) 329-4625 F: (269) 323-3418 8051 Moorsbridge Rd. Portage jim@shinarlaw.com www.shinarlaw.com

BeyondCornfields and Pathfinder Exhibitions

When: Through Sept. 11; open 10 a.m.–5 p.m. Tuesday–Thursday

Where: Carnegie Center for The Arts, 07 N. Main St., Three Rivers

How much: Free admission

More information: Visit trcarnegie.com or call (269) 273-8882

poetry and fiber art converged in her book My Mother Sewed Dresses for Five (self-published, 2019), which was illustrated with images of her quilts. She has been featured on WGVU’s "Kalamazoo Lively Arts" and WMUK’s "Art Beat," and her quilt With and Without won the Log Cabin Quilters’ Art Quilt Award in the 2022 West Michigan Area Show at the KIA.

The poems in Beyond Cornfields, also published by Finishing Line Press, represent her writing over the past 30 years. The book was more than a year in production, with cover art created by her son Curtis.

Seaman says she was excited to see the artwork in the exhibition that was inspired by her poetry. “The process can spark a connection that you don’t know is going to be a connection until it shows up," she says. "People are responding in their heads to what they see — and it expands what a viewer might understand or feel about the original work.”

Seaman is currently working on a new quilt that features 560 different fabrics. She estimates it is the 235th quilt she had made over her lifetime. Although she no longer teaches and she outsources the machined finishing of her pieces due to reduced hand strength, she still finds herself sewing several days a week, even when traveling to visit her sons in Colorado and New Zealand.

As for poetry, she has said that one of the benefits of the art form is its relative speed compared to quilting. Her current writing group (the Poetry Dawgs) meets twice monthly. “I desperately want to have something ready for their wisdom, so I do a ‘panic write’ a few nights before we meet,” she admits.

WE SHOW UP

FOR OUR NEIGHBORS. FOR OUR COMMUNITY. FOR EACH OTHER.

Building strong, caring communities across the region where every person is valued, thriving and connected. Will you show up with us?

TheArts

MysticPizza BoeingBoeing

Throughout the month

Barn Theatre

A little nostalgia and airborne comedy are offered this month at the Barn Theatre, in Augusta. Three women who work in a small-town pizza joint navigate life and love to the backdrop of music from the 1980s and '90s in MysticPizza , based on the 1988 movie of the same name. The show will be presented at 8 p.m. July 9–13 and 16–20 and 5 p.m. July 14 and 21.

The Barn's second July production, BoeingBoeing , will focus on what occurs after journalist Bernard's three fiancées — all flight attendants who know nothing about each other — converge on his apartment at the same time. Show times are 8 p.m. July 23–27, July 30–Aug. 3 and 5 p.m. July 28 and Aug. 4.

Tickets for each show are $43–$51 and available at barntheatreschool.org or by calling 731-4121.

17Again

July 10-14

Kindleberger Festival

The opportunity for an adolescent do-over is the premise of this free musical that will be presented at Parchment's Kindleberger Park as part of the annual Kindleberger Summer Festival of the Performing Arts.

Dan Lafferty plays the role of Mike, a 35-year-old who is magically transformed into his 17-year-old self, played by Colin Wesseldyk. Show times are 7 p.m. July 10–12 and 5 p.m. July 13 and 14. Bring chairs or blankets to sit on.

For more information, visit kindlebergerarts.org/festival.

Oliver!

July 12–20

Center Stage Theatre

The timeless tale of orphan Oliver Twist will come to life on the stage of the Comstock Community Auditorium, 2107 N. 26th St. Trevor Schuster has the title role of the young boy who falls in with a group of street-urchin pickpockets led by the Artful Dodger (A.J. Brow) and overseen by the evil Fagin (Lou Price).

Show times are 7 p.m. July 12, 13, 19 and 20 and 2 p.m. July 14, 20 and 21. Ticket prices are $12–$15. For information or to purchase tickets, visit kzoocst.com.

Hedwig&the AngryInch

July 12

Dormouse Theatre

This musical comedy-drama about Hedwig Robinson, a genderqueer East German singer who trails a former lover and bandmate who stole her music, will be performed at 7 p.m. at Dormouse Theatre, 1030 Portage Road.

For ticket prices, visit dormousetheatre.com.

SchoolofRock: TheMusical

July 17–28

Farmers Alley Theatre

This musical about washedup rocker Dewey Finn turning a class of private school students into a guitar-shredding rock band will be performed at Kalamazoo College by Farmers Alley.

The show is based on the hit movie and has music and lyrics by Andrew Lloyd Webber. The local production will feature David B. Friedman as Dewey and Broadway actress Hannah Elless as Headmistress Rosalie Mullins.

Show times are 7:30 p.m. July 17–20 and 25–27 and 2 p.m. July 21 and 28 at the Balch Playhouse, in the Light Fine Arts Building. Tickets are $25–$52 and available at farmersalleytheatre.com or by calling 343-2727.

MUSIC

Kalamazoo Symphony Orchestra

July 3 & 17

Different venues

There will be two chances to hear very different kinds of music performed by the KSO this month.

On July 3, the symphony, under the direction of conductor Julian Kuerti, will give a concert called Patriotic Pops at 7:30 p.m. in Bronson Park. The free concert will include works by John Philip Sousa and Aaron Copland as well as Tchaikovsky’s 1812 Overture.

On July 17, KSO musicians will perform jazz, pop and show tunes in a concert titled Craft Music: Songs in the Summer . The event is at Bell's Beer Garden, 355 E. Kalamazoo Ave., and tickets are $5–$25 and available at kalamazoosymphony.com.

Summertime Live

Throughout the month

Various venues

Free outdoor concerts offering a variety of musical genres can be heard this month. The scheduled performances are:

• Allie Garland & Sean Gibson, 5 p.m. July 3, Gilmore Car Museum, 6865 Hickory Road, Hickory Corners.

• Tony Fields & Doug Decker, 5:30 p.m. July 3, Bates Alley, between Edwards Street and Portage Road, downtown Kalamazoo.

• Kalamazoo Symphony Orchestra, Patriotic Pops, 7:30 p.m. July 3, Bronson Park.

• The Dirty Rain Revelers, 11:30 p.m. July 5, Bronson Park.

• The Iconix, 5 p.m. July 10, Gilmore Car Museum.

• Out of Favor Boys and Three of a Kind, 5:15 p.m. July 10, by Vicksburg Municipal Building, 126 N. Kalamazoo Ave., Vicksburg.

• The Grace Theisen Band, 5:30 p.m. July 10, Bates Alley.

• Kait Rose & Co. Presents a Fleetwood Mac Tribute, 7 p.m. July 11, Overlander Bandshell, 7810 Shaver Road, Portage.

• Pinter Whitnick,11:30 p.m. July 12, Bronson Park.

• The Bootstrap Boys, 6 p.m. July 12, outside the State Theatre, 404 S. Burdick St.

• The Iconix, 6 p.m. July 14, Flesher Field, 3664 S. Ninth St., Oshtemo Township.

• Kalamazoo Concert Band, 6:30 p.m. July 15, Kindleberger Park,122 N. Riverview Drive, Parchment.

• The Funny Dumplings, 4 p.m. July 17, Richland Area Community Center, 9400 East CD Ave., Richland.

• Mama's Hot Sauce, 5 p.m. July 17, Gilmore Car Museum.

• Special Guest and Hurricaine, 5:15 p.m. July 17, Vicksburg.

• Matthew Fries, 5:30 p.m. July 17, Bates Alley.

• Kanola Band, 11:30 p.m. July 19, Bronson Park.

• Skeletones, 8 p.m. July 19, Arcadia Creek Festival Place, 145 E. Water St.

• Kalamazoo Concert Band, 6 p.m. July 21, Texas Drive Park, 6603 Texas Drive, Texas Township.

• Kanola Band, 6:30 p.m. July 21, Kindleberger Park.

• Grayson Barton, 3 p.m. July 24, Richland Area Community Center.

• Glad All Over, 5 p.m. July 24, Gilmore Car Museum.

• Tom Askey and Serita’s Black Rose Duo, 5:15 p.m. July 24, Vicksburg.

• Yogi Lavender & DJ Chuck, 5:30 p.m. July 24, Bates Alley.

• Shelagh Brown Band, 11:30 a.m. July 26, Bronson Park.

• McKinney Brown Band and The Iconix, 4:30 p.m. July 26, Celery Flats Pavilion, 7335 Garden Lane, Portage.

• Kalamazoo Academy of Rock, 4 p.m. July 28, Bronson Park.

• Crossroads Resurrection, 6:30 p.m. July 28, Kindleberger Park.

• Zion Lion, 5 p.m. July 31, Gilmore Car Museum.

• Michael & Sophie McIntosh and Chick & The Boomers, 5:30 July 31, Vicksburg.

• Out of Favor Boys, 5:30 p.m. July 31, Bates Alley.

• The Concert Truck, 5:30 p.m. July 31, Richland Area Community Center.

For more information, visit kalamazooarts.org/summertime-live.

TheArts

Author Talks

Throughout the month

Various venues

Several Michigan authors will present in-person talks at local libraries this month:

• Sarah Steele, a poet and writer of children's books, will give a spokenword performance from her new book, a poetry memoir titled An Ocean Without: Learning to Embrace Boundaries, from 6:30–8 p.m. July 9 at the Kalamazoo Public Library's Oshtemo Branch, 7265 W. Main St.

• Michael Delaware, a nonfiction author and host of the podcast Tales of Southwest Michigan's Past, will speak about his new book, Victorian Southwest Michigan True Crime, at 6 p.m. July 10 at the Kalamazoo Public Library, 315 S. Rose St.

• Tobin Buhk, crime historian and author of 17 true-crime books, will give a presentation on Serial Killers of Michigan at 6 p.m. July 23 at the Portage District Library, 300 Library Lane.

Kindleberger Festival

July 10–15

Parchment

Theater, live music, and arts and crafts are part of the lineup for this annual festival, with the most active day of the festival being July 13.

That Saturday features a parade, a book and plant sale, an arts and crafts show, vendors, a car cruise-in and a community breakfast. The theater production this year is 17 Again (see the brief under Theater). The Kalamazoo Concert Band performs July 15 as part of the festival and the park's concert series.

For a complete festival schedule, visit kindlebergerarts.org.

Black Arts Festival

July 12 & 13

Different venues

Two days of celebrating Black culture, artistry and businesses are planned for this annual festival.

The free event kicks off with a Youth Day from noon to 4 p.m. at a location to be determined. It aims to highlight the talents of youth through live performances and vendors. Representatives of youth-focused organizations will be on hand, and there will be games, face painting and food.

The next day in Bronson Park, artisans, entrepreneurs, musicians and representatives of local Black businesses will spotlight the talents of the Black community from 11 a.m.–8 p.m.

For more information, visit blackartskalamazoo.org/baf.

Michael Delaware

VISUAL ARTS

Art Hop

July 12

Various venues

July's Art Hop will serve as a launch for the Black Arts Festival (see the brief under Festivals), with a theme of celebrating Black arts and culture.

This free event, organized by the Arts Council of Greater Kalamazoo, runs from 5–8 p.m. More information can be found at kalamazooarthop.org.

Richland Art Fair

July 20

Gull Meadow Farms

More than 100 artists are expected to participate in the Richland Art Fair, set for 9 a.m.–4 p.m. at Gull Meadow Farms, 8544 Gull Road.

The outdoor fair, presented by the Gull Lake Area Community Volunteers, will feature artwork and handicrafts as well as live music and food vendors. There will also be children's events available for a fee.

For more information, visit glacv.org/events.

Ongoing Exhibitions

Kalamazoo Institute of Arts:

• WestMichiganAreaShow , through Aug. 18.

• ClearlyIndigenous:NativeVisions

Reimagined , through Aug. 25.

• TheAnniversaryGift:PromisedGifts fromtheCollectionofJoy&Timothy Light , through Sept. 1.

Washington Avenue Arts & Culture Crawl

July 13

Edison neighborhood

This family-friendly event, running from 2–6 p.m., will highlight the art and culture of Kalamazoo's Edison neighborhood. The event will include live performances, art exhibits and activities at more than 20 venues. For more information, visit edisonneighborhood.com/waacc.

PenDragonsCalligraphyGuild: Synchronicity , through Aug. 16, Kalamazoo Book Arts Center, with artists’ reception 5–8 p.m. July 12

PERFORMING ARTS

THEATER

Plays

Boeing Boeing — Join bachelor Bernard & his three flight-attendant fiancées for a wild comedy adventure, 8 p.m. July 23–27 & July 30–Aug. 3, 5 p.m. July 28 & Aug. 4, Barn Theatre, 13351 West M-96, Augusta, 731-4121, barntheatreschool.org.

Musicals

MysticPizza — Three working women navigate life & love in a small-town pizza joint to the backdrop of '80s & '90s music, 8 p.m. July 9–13 & 16–20, 5 p.m. July 14 & 21, Barn Theatre, 731-4121, barntheatreschool.org.

17 Again — A 35-year-old is magically transformed into his 17-year-old self, 7 p.m. July 10–12, 5 p.m. July 13 & 14, Kindleberger Park Stage, Parchment, kindlebergerarts.org.

Oliver! — The tale of orphan Oliver Twist, based on Charles Dickens’ novel, 7 p.m. July 12–13 & 19–20, 2 p.m. July 14 & 20–21, Center Stage Theatre, Comstock Community Auditorium, 2107 N. 26th St., kzoocst.com.

Hedwig & the Angry Inch — The story of Hedwig Robinson, a gender-queer East German singer of a fictional rock 'n' roll band, 7–10 p.m. July 12, Dormouse Theatre, 1030 Portage Road, dormousetheatre.com.

School of Rock: The Musical — Based on the hit movie & presented by Farmers Alley Theatre at its summer location, 7:30 p.m. July 17–20 & 25–27, 2 p.m. July 21 & 28, Balch Playhouse, Light Fine Arts Building, Kalamazoo College, farmersalleytheatre. com.

MUSIC

Bands & Solo Artists

Beats on Bates — Weekly live outdoor music at downtown Kalamazoo’s Bates Alley, 5:30–8:30 p.m. Wednesdays: Tony Fields & Doug Decker, July 3; Grace Theisen Band, July 10; Matthew Fries, July 17; Yogi Lavender & DJ Chuck, July 24; Out of Favor Boys, July 31. Rain location: The Xperience, Kalamazoo City Centre, 145 Farmers Alley, kalamazooarts.org/ summertime-live.

Lunchtime Live! — Free concerts from 11:30 a.m.–1:30 p.m. in Bronson Park, downtown Kalamazoo: The Dirty Rain Revelers, July 5; Pinter Whitnick, July 12; Kanola Band, July 19; Shelagh Brown Band, July 26; kzooparks.org.

Bell’s Brewery Concerts — Font, 8 p.m. July 9; Over the Rhine, 8 p.m. July 10; Sarah Jarosz, 8 p.m. July 11; KSO Craft Music, July 17; Keller Williams and The Hillbenders, 8 p.m. July 18; Here Come the Mummies with Hot Like Mars, 8 p.m. July 19; Moe. with Daniel Donato, July 21; Seun Kuti & Egypt80, July 24; Emo Nite, July 27; The Felice Brothers, July 30; Katy Kirby with Mei Semones, July 31; all shows 8 p.m., 355 E. Kalamazoo Ave., 382–2332, bellsbeer.com.

Burg Days of Summer — Live music, 5:30–8:30 p.m. Wednesdays, downtown Vicksburg: Out of Favor Boys, Three of a Kind, July 10; Special Guest, Hurricaine, July 17; Tom Askey, Serita’s Black Rose Duo, July 24;

Michael & Sophie McIntosh, Chick & The Boomers, July 31; kalamazooarts.org/summertime-live.

Portage Summer Concert Series — Kait Rose & Co. Fleetwood Mac Tribute, 7 p.m. July 11, Overlander Bandshell, 7810 Shaver Road, portagemi.gov/ calendar; bring a blanket or chair.

State on the Street — Live concerts on select Fridays outside the State Theatre, 404 S. Burdick St.: The Bootstrap Boys, from Grand Rapids; seating starts at 5:30 p.m., music at 6 p.m. July 12, kazoostate.com. Music in the Park — The Iconix, 6–7:30 p.m. July 14, Flesher Field, 3664 S. Ninth St., oshtemo.org/events.

Richland Summertime Live — Free concert series, 4–6 p.m., Richland Area Community Center, 9400 East CD Ave.: The Funny Dumplings, July 17; Grayson Barton, July 24; The Concert Truck, July 31; kalamazooarts.org/summertime-live.

Kindleberger Summer Concert Series — The Iconix, 6:30 p.m., July 21; Crossroads Resurrection, 6:30 p.m. July 28; Kindleberger Park, Parchment, kalamazooarts. org/summertime-live.

Friday at the Flats — Food trucks, live music & vendors, 4:30–8:30 p.m. July 26, Celery Flats Pavilion, 7335 Garden Lane, with McKinney Brown Band at 4:30 p.m. & The Iconix at 6:45 p.m., portagemi.gov/ calendar.

Kalamazoo Blues Fest — Live music, food & vendor booths, noon–11 p.m. July 27, Arcadia Creek Festival Place, downtown Kalamazoo, kvba.org.

The Fair Ground Festival — Spotlighting women musicians, 2 p.m. July 27, Barry County Expo Center, 1350 M-37, Hastings, with pre-festival party at 7 p.m. July 26, thornapplearts.org.

Kalamazoo Academy of Rock — 4 p.m. July 28, Bronson Park, kalamazooarts.org/event. Orchestra, Chamber, Jazz, Vocal & More KSO: Patriotic Pops — Outdoor concert by the Kalamazoo Symphony Orchestra, 7:30 p.m. July 3, Bronson Park, kalamazoosymphony.com.

Kalamazoo Concert Band — 6:30 p.m., July 15, Kindleberger Park, Parchment; 6 p.m. July 21, Texas Drive Park, 6603 Texas Drive; kalamazooarts.org/ summertime-live.

COMEDY

Canned Champagne — Kalamazoo-based improv group, 7:30–10 p.m. July 26, Dormouse Theatre, 1030 Portage Road, dormousetheatre.com.

FILM

Vicksburg Movie Night in the Park Familyfriendly events at 8 p.m., movie at 9 p.m. July 12, Vicksburg Pavilion, 300 N. Richardson St.; bring a blanket or chair & snacks; vicksburglibrary.org.

Kzoo Parks Summer Cinema — Free outdoor movies, with face painting & snacks: U-Pick the Flick, July 26, Frays Park, 4400 Canterbury Ave.; U-Pick the Flick, Aug. 30, Crane Park, 2001 S. Westnedge Ave.; activities at 6 p.m., movie at 7 p.m.; kzooparks.org.

The Incredibles — Begins after sunset July 26, Celery Flats Historical Area, 7335 Garden Lane; bring a blanket or chair & snacks or visit the food trucks; portagemi.gov/calendar.

VISUAL ARTS

Kalamazoo Institute of Arts

314 S. Park St., 349-7775, kiarts.org

Exhibitions

West Michigan Area Show — Juried exhibition of 61 works by area visual artists, plus Purchase Prize-

winning works from previous Area Shows, through Aug. 18.

Clearly Indigenous: Native Visions Reimagined in Glass — 120 glass works created by contemporary Native American & Indigenous Pacific-Rim artists, through Aug. 25.

The Anniversary Gift: Promised Gifts from the Collection of Joy & Timothy Light — Chinese & Japanese artworks on paper, through Sept. 1.

Events

ARTbreak — Program about art, artists & exhibitions: West Michigan Area Show Artist Highlight, July 9; Glass Art, learn about glass art from a husband-andwife team, July 23; sessions begin at noon in the KIA Auditorium & online; register online.

KIA Centennial Community Day — Free general admission to galleries in celebration of the KIA’s 100th anniversary, 11 a.m.–5 p.m. July 13; activities begin at 10:30 a.m. (see First Things brief).

Silent Book Club — A quiet reading time in the galleries, 1–3 p.m. July 13, 20 & 27; bring a book or borrow from the KIA's Meader Fine Arts Library.

Book Discussion — Aimee Pokwatka’s Self-Portrait with Nothing, 2–3 p.m. July 17.

ARTful Evening: Indigenous Art & Activism — Presentation by Emmy-nominated Métis artist, scholar, author & activist Seth Thomas, 6–7 p.m. July 18, KIA Auditorium & online.

ArtBridges Access for All — Free general admission every fourth Thursday of the month, 11 a.m.–8 p.m. Other Venues

Pen Dragons Calligraphy Guild: Synchronicity — Various media, surface content & letterforms by guild artists, through Aug. 16, Kalamazoo Book Arts Center, 326 W. Kalamazoo Ave., Suite 103A; artists’ reception 5–8 p.m. July 12; 373-4938, kalbookarts.org.

South Haven Fine Art Fair 2024 — 10 a.m.–5 p.m. July 6; 10 a.m.–4 p.m. July 7, Stanley Johnston Park, 202 Dyckman Ave., South Haven, southhavenarts.org/ southhavenartfair2024.

Art Hop — Displays of art & launch of Black Arts Festival, 5–8 p.m. July 12, downtown Kalamazoo, 342–5059, kalamazooarts.org.

Washington Avenue Arts & Culture Crawl — Community-focused, family-friendly art & culture event, 2–6 p.m. July 13, at various venues, Edison neighborhood, edisonneighborhood.com/waacc.

Richland Art Fair — 9 a.m.–4 p.m. July 20, Gull Meadow Farms, 8544 Gull Road, glacv.org.

LIBRARY & LITERARY EVENTS

Comstock Township Library 6130 King Highway, 345-0136, comstocklibrary.org

Adult Book Club — 1:30 p.m. July 11.

CTL Writers — Group discussion of writing, 10 a.m. Fridays; no meeting July 5.

State Rep. Matt Hall Listening Hour — Converse with the representative’s staff, noon–1 p.m. July 17.

Adult Book Club — Discussion of Martha Well’s Murderbot Diaries series, 6 p.m. July 31; registration required.

Kalamazoo Public Library 553-7800, kpl.gov

Family Adventure Escape Room — Adventurethemed room with clues to open the locks & solve puzzles, during open hours, July 1–3, 5–6, 11 & 17, Central Library; registration required.

KPL Tech Days — Personal session to learn technology & the internet, 10 a.m.–2 p.m. July 1, 6, 8, 13, 15, 20, 22, 27 & 29, Central Library; sessions are first-come, first-served.

Movie Mondays — G- & PG-rated films with snacks, crafts & games, 1:30–3:30 p.m. Mondays, through Aug. 19, Eastwood Branch.

Kalamazoo Writers — In-person adult program for local writers, 4–6 p.m. July 2, Central Library.

No Shelf Control: A Graphic Novel Book Club

— An adult group discussion of Tillie Walden's On a Sunbeam, 6 p.m. July 2, Central Library.

KPL Mobile Library — 1–2 p.m. July 3, Interfaith Homes, 1037 Interfaith Blvd.; 5:30–6:30 p.m. July 3, Eastside Neighborhood Association, 1301 E. Main St.; 11 a.m.–noon July 8, Ecumenical Senior Center, 702 N. Burdick St.; 1–2 p.m. July 9, Interfaith Homes; 3–4 p.m. July 15, Douglass Apartments, 1211 Douglas Ave.; 10 a.m.–1 p.m. July 16, Farmers Market Kids Market, 1204 Bank St.; 1–2 p.m. July 17, Interfaith Homes; 3–4 p.m. July 23, Maple Grove Village, 735 Summit Ave.

Music & Memories with Fiddlehead Music Therapy

— How music moves us & brings up memories & stories, 11 a.m.–noon July 8, Oshtemo Branch.

Page Turners Book Club — Discussion of Bonnie Garmus’ Lessons in Chemistry, 6:30–7:30 p.m. July 8, Oshtemo Branch & online; registration required for online access.

Reading Race Group — Discussion of Dolen PerkinsValdez’s Take My Hand, 6:30 p.m. July 9, SHARE Garden Atrium, 471 W. South St.

An Ocean Without: Learning to Embrace Boundaries — A spoken-word performance by Sarah Steele, with refreshments provided, 6:30–8 p.m. July 9, Oshtemo Branch.

Author Talk — Author Michael Delaware speaks on his book Victorian Southwest Michigan True Crime, 6–7:15 p.m. July 10, Central Library.

Tiny Reference Desk Concert — Violist Jaykwon Noble, 6–8 p.m. July 12, Central Library.

Adult Reading Challenge — Make an accordion book to celebrate the launch of the reading program, 6–7:30 p.m. July 15, Oshtemo Branch; registration required.

KPL Mobile Library: Family Literacy Day — Multigenerational activities to strengthen literacy skills & learning, 5–7 p.m. July 17, Kalamazoo Literacy Council, 420 E. Alcott St.

Legal Writing Workshop — Legal Aid & KPL's Law Library explain how to write legal documents like motions, complaints & more, 6–7 p.m. July 17, Central Library.

Yoga in the Park — For all skill levels, 6–7 p.m. July 17, outside Washington Square Branch; bring a mat; water provided.

Dungeons & Dragons Game Night — Play a live game with other adults, beginner to experienced levels, 5:30–7:30 p.m. July 18, Central Library; registration required.

PokémonGoParty — For all ages to meet up, battle & trade, 1–5 p.m. July 20, Central Library; all participants will receive a KPL gym badge.

Charcuterie 101 — Learn how to prepare a charcuterie board, with samples available, 6–7 p.m. July 23, Central Library; registration required.

The Smartphone Photographer — Hands-on workshop on how to take better photos with your phone, 6:30–8 p.m. July 23, Oshtemo Branch; 6:30–8 p.m. July 29, Eastwood Branch; registration required.

Senior Citizens’ Breakfast — A hot breakfast & opportunity to ask health care questions, 10:30–noon July 26, Eastwood Branch.

Bujo & Chill for Teens & Adults — A morning of lofi hip-hop music & bullet journaling, 10:30 a.m.–noon July 27, Oshtemo Branch.

John Ball Traveling Zoo — An up-close encounter with live zoo animals, noon, 1 & 2 p.m. July 30, Oshtemo Branch; registration required.

Parchment Community Library 401 S. Riverview Drive, 343-7747, parchmentlibrary.org

Parchment Book Group – Discussion of Mardi Link’s Isadore’s Secret, 6:00 p.m. July 8.

Friends of the Library Book Sale – Inside during the Kindleberger Festival, 9 a.m.–1 p.m. July 13.

Mystery Book Club – Discussion of stories 1–4 from Arthur Conan Doyle’s The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes, 6:30 p.m. July 16.

Silent Book Club – Bring your own book & read in companionable silence, 5:15–6:30 p.m. July 22 & 1:15–2:30 p.m. July 24.

Peace Corps Adventures – Returned Peace Corps volunteers share stories of their service, 6:30 p.m. July 29.

Portage District Library

300 Library Lane, 329-4544, portagelibrary.info

Through Labor Day the library will be closed on Sundays.

LEGO City — See a city made entirely of LEGOs, on display during open hours July 1–6; closed July 4.

Kalamazoo County Historical Society — Speakers & discussion about local history, 7 p.m. July 1.

Introduction to Dungeons & Dragons for Adults — Both beginner & advanced tables, 6 p.m. July 9; registration required.

Monarch Waystation Tour — A presentation on the library’s registered Monarch Waystation, 6:30 p.m. July 15; registration required.

Light Lunch & Literature —Discuss a selection from Yiyun Lin’s A Thousand Years of Good Prayers: Stories, noon July 18, with light lunch served; registration required.

Kalamazoo Macintosh Users Group — Get help with Macintosh programs & accessories, 9 a.m.–noon July 20.

Serial Killers of Michigan — Presentation by crime historian Tobin Buhk, 6 p.m. July 23.

Winter in July — Take a break from the summer heat & enjoy some wintery activities for families, 5:30 p.m. July 24.

Historical Romance — A librarian discusses what’s hot now & what’s coming for the rest of 2024, 6:30 p.m. July 25.

Antique Lit: A Historical Fiction Book Group — 1 p.m. July 27.

Citizen Science 101 — Learn how to become a citizen scientist & help conduct research in your community, 6:30 p.m. July 29.

Richland Community Library 8951 Park St., 629-9085, richlandlibrary.org

Bridge Club — Noon Tuesdays.

Food Waste Collection Program — 4–6 p.m. Wednesdays, through July; visit the library website for instructions on packaging & handling.

Cookbook Club: Sustainable Summer Selections — Tips & tricks for preparing meals with seasonal plants & vegetables, 6–7:30 p.m. July 9 & 23.

Adult Dungeons & Dragons Bravo Team — Play a new crusade each month with other adults, 3–6 p.m. July 11; registration required.

Richland Area Writer’s Group — 10 a.m.–noon July 13.

Recycle, Reuse, Revenge! A Su-slain-able Murder Mystery — Collect clues to find out who murdered Old Man Gibbons, 2–4 p.m. July 13; registration required.

Richland Genealogy Group — Roundtable discussion group open to new members, 10 a.m.–noon July 18, in person & via Zoom.

Eco-Friendly Gift Wrap & Exchange — Learn how to substitute reusable/recyclable items for single-use paper, 7–8 p.m. July 18; registration required.

All About Green Burial — What a natural burial looks like against modern funerary customs, 6–7 p.m. July 24.

Virtual Forage Walk — A virtual presentation of foraging & local plant life, 2–3 p.m. July 27.

Van Buren District Library — Antwerp Sunshine Branch

24283 Front St., Mattawan, 668-2534, vbdl.org

The Australian Didgeridoo — Exploration of Aboriginal art, music & culture, 10:30–11:30 a.m. July 3.

Big Furry Friends – Read to therapy dogs, 10:30 a.m.–noon July 6; reserve a time by calling.

Kalamazoo Ghostbusters — Hang out with Kalamazoo’s Ghostbusters, 11 a.m.–noon July 6.

Water Day — Wear a bathing suit, bring a towel & use an inflatable water slide, noon–4 p.m. July 10.

The Five Directions Wind Ensemble — Music for all ages, 6:30–7:30 p.m. July 10; bring a lawn chair; popcorn provided.

Mr. Jim the Magician — 10:30–11.30 a.m. July 17.

Lord of the Gourd — Watch watermelon carving anytime between 3–6 p.m. July 23.

Potawatomi Zoo Visit — Interact with visiting animals, 10:30–11:30 a.m. July 31.

Vicksburg District Library 215 S. Michigan Ave., 649-1648, vicksburglibrary.org

Bridge Club — 9:30 a.m.–noon Tuesdays. Tai Chi Class — 7–8 p.m. Tuesdays & 10:30–11:30 a.m. Thursdays.

Audubon Society Bird Program — Learn about owls with Russ Schippers, 6 p.m. July 10.

Book Club for Adults — 9:30–10:30 a.m. July 11; check out this month’s book at the circulation desk.

Movie Club: Featuring the Classics Double Indemnity, 1–3:30 p.m. July 22, with refreshments served.

Writers’ Motivational Group Report progress, set goals, brainstorm projects & share resources & advice, 4:30–5:30 p.m. July 25.

MUSEUMS

Air Zoo

6151 Portage Road, Portage, 382-6555, airzoo.org

Air Zoo After Dark: Adult Space Camp — A ticketed event for adults 21 and over, with activities, simulators, crafts, snacks & adult beverages, 6–11 p.m. July 20; tickets available on the Air Zoo’s website. Fly-In of Visiting Helicopter — UH-1 Huey Greyhound will be available for ticketed rides July 27 & 28; tickets available on the Air Zoo’s website.

Summer STEAM Days — Free outdoor handson science stations staffed by local businesses & educators, 10 a.m. July 27.

Gilmore Car Museum 6865 Hickory Road, Hickory Corners, 671-5089, gilmorecarmuseum.org

Wednesday Night Cruise-Ins — Collector cars, food & live music: Allie Garland & Sean Gibson, July 3; The Iconix, July 10; Mama’s Hot Sauce, July 17; Glad All Over, July 24; Zion Lion, July 31; 5–8 p.m. Wednesdays on good-weather nights, through September.

Deutsche Marques — All-German auto show, 9 a.m.–3 p.m. July 13.

Mad Dogs & Englishmen — British-made vehicles, 9 a.m.–4 p.m. July 14.

Celebration of Brass — Car show, swap meet & activities, 9 a.m.–4 p.m. July 19–20.

MOPARs at the Red Barns — Chrysler muscle cars, antique cars & special-interest vehicles, 9 a.m.–4 p.m. July 27.

Kalamazoo Valley Museum

230 N. Rose St., 373-7990, kalamazoomuseum.org

Rain Garden Tours — Showcasing how the garden serves the whole community, how storm sewers work & affect drinking water, & the importance of native plants, 11 a.m. & 2:30 p.m. Wednesdays & Saturdays; no tours on July 3.

The Questioneers: Read. Question. Think. Play! — An exhibit celebrating STEM & inspiring problemsolving skills, based on the children’s book series, through Sept 1.

Kalamazoo State Hospital: 165 Years of Psychiatric Care — The history of the patients, employees & buildings of Michigan’s longestoperating mental hospital, through January.

NATURE

Kalamazoo Nature Center

7000 N. Westnedge Ave., 381-1574, naturecenter.org

Yoga on the Deck — For all levels, 9–10:15 a.m. Saturdays, through July; bring a mat & water.

Beginning Birding Walk — 9–11 a.m. July 6; meet at Wolf Lake State Fish Hatchery's second parking lot, 34270 County Road 652, Mattawan, kalamazooaudubon.org.

Music Mornings — Outdoor family drum circle & jam led by Carolyn Koebel, 11 a.m. July 20.

Returning & Reskilling Series — Honey extraction, foraging & infusing, 10 a.m.–1 p.m. July 21; registration required.

Know Your Nature: The Kalamazoo River — Kalamazoo Watershed Council’s Douglas McLaughlin shares updates on protection & restoration of the Kalamazoo River, 4:30–6 p.m. July 25; registration required.

Kalamazoo Paddle & Ride Adventure — Ride the Kalamazoo River Valley Trail to the starting point of the river trip with river experts & lifeguards, 8:30 a.m.–2 p.m. July 27; for ages 8 & up (children must be accompanied by a parent or guardian); registration required.

Wild Wanderings — Join chef Laurie Laing for a foraging hike & food prep lesson, 10 a.m.–noon July 27; registration required.

Rolling Through Nature Golf Cart Tours — Explore the trails with others who have mobility needs, 10 a.m. July 31; registration required since space is limited.

Mark Nepo — The author of You Don’t Have to Do It Alone: The Power of Friendship speaks & signs books, 6–8 p.m. July 31; registration required.

Other

Intro to Forest Bathing — Introduction to Shinrinyoku, the Japanese practice of forest bathing, 10 a.m.–noon July 13, West Lake Nature Preserve, 9001 S. Westnedge Ave., portagemi.gov/calendar; registration required.

Ramona Beach Bonfire — With live music & s’mores materials, 8 p.m. July 20, Ramona Park, 8600 S. Sprinkle Road, portagemi.gov/calendar.

Owl Spotlight Workshop — Learn about the history of owls & dissect their pellets, 10 a.m.–noon July 23, Portage Parks & Recreation Building, 320 Library Lane, portagemi.gov/calendar; registration required.

Kalamazoo Astronomical Society Public Observing Session First Quarter Moon, July 13; Saturn & The Summer Triangle, July 27; both sessions 9:30 p.m.–12:30 a.m., Kalamazoo Nature Center, 7000 N. Westnedge Ave., kasonline.org.

MISCELLANEOUS

Kalamazoo Farmers Market — 7 a.m.–1 p.m. Saturdays; Mini Markets, 8 a.m.–1 p.m. Tuesdays & Thursdays; Night Market, 5–10 p.m. July 18; 1204 Bank St., pfcmarkets.com.

Kalamazoo Food Truck Rallies — 5–7:30 p.m. July 2, Save A Lot, 806 Shoppers Lane, Parchment; 5–7:30 p.m. July 9, Linden Grove Middle School, 4241 Arboretum Pkwy.; 5–7:30 p.m. July 16, Fannie Pell Park, 211 N. Main St., Plainwell; 5–7:30 p.m. July 23, Midtown Fresh Market, 1693 S. Westnedge Ave.; foodtruckrallykz.com.

Richland Farmers’ Market — Local produce, artisans, artists & food trucks, 3–6 p.m. Wednesdays, Richland Community Center, 9400 East CD Ave., richlandareacc.org/richland-farmers-market.

Dog Days of Summer at Bell’s — Dog-friendly day supporting the Animal Rescue Project & featuring a

puppy-kissing booth, noon July 3, Bell’s Beer Garden, 355 E. Kalamazoo Ave., 382–2332; for all ages; dogs must use special entrance; bellsbeer.com.

Workout Wednesdays — Free workouts offered by local fitness organizations, 5:30–6:30 p.m. Wednesdays, Bronson Park, nowkalamazoo.org.

Vicksburg Farmers Market — 2–6 p.m. Fridays, 300 N. Richardson St., vicksburgfarmersmarket.com.

Portage Farmers Market — 9 a.m.–1 p.m. Sundays, outside Portage City Hall, 7900 S. Westnedge Ave., portagemi.gov/643/markets.

Kindleberger Summer Festival of the Performing Arts — Live concert, theater performances, parade, arts & crafts, book sale, vendors & more, July 10–15, Kindleberger Park, Parchment, kindlebergerarts.org.

Black Arts Festival Youth Day — Live performances, face painting, outdoor games, free food for youth, vendors & organization booths, noon–4 p.m. July 12, Location TBD, blackartskalamazoo.org/baf.

Black Arts Festival — A celebration of Black culture & arts in our community, with music, food vendors & more, 11 a.m.–8 p.m. July 13, Bronson Park, blackartskalamazoo.org/baf.

Pet Portraits — A 15-minute caricature drawn from a picture of your furry friend, 1–4 p.m. July 17, South Westnedge Dog Park, 9010 S. Westnedge Ave.; registration required, portagemi.gov/calendar.

Downtown Kalamazoo Restaurant Week — Explore restaurants downtown with special menus, July 18–28, kalamazoorestaurantweek.com.

Olde Tyme Tractor & Steamer Show — Threshing machines, baling, parade & more, July 19–21, Scotts Mill County Park, 8451 S. 35th St., Scotts, 579-4627, kalcounty.com/newsandevents.

Jurassic Quest — Life-size dinosaur replicas, a live raptor training, interactive exhibits & rides, July 19–21, Wings Event Center, 3600 Vanrick Drive, wingseventcenter.com/Events.

Dokidokon — A convention devoted to anime and gaming, July 19–21, Radisson Plaza Hotel, 100 W. Michigan Ave., dokidokon.org.

Southwest Michigan Postcard Club Show — 20 dealers of vintage & antique postcards, photographs, ephemera & postal history items, 10 a.m.–5 p.m. July 19, 9 a.m.–4 p.m. July 20, North Room, Kalamazoo County Expo Center, 2900 Lake St., 517-230-0734.

Festival Friday — Live music by the Skeletones, vendors & food trucks, 5–10 p.m. July 19, Arcadia Creek Festival Place, 145 E. Water St., downtown Kalamazoo, foodtruckrallykz.com.

Kalamazoo Reptile & Exotic Pet Expo — Reptiles, amphibians, small mammals & other exotic pets, plus supplies & food, 10 a.m.–3 p.m. July 20, Kalamazoo County Expo Center South, kalamazooreptileexpo.com.

WhiskerinosatthePlate:HouseofDavidBaseball — Presented by historian Brian Carroll, 2 p.m. July 21, Vicksburg Historic Village Township Hall, downtown Vicksburg, vicksburgmi.org.

Alex Vader & Izzy Weir (continued from page 38)

They are paid a small stipend, but both say it's the fun that makes it worthwhile.

"It's exciting and overwhelming at times," says Vader, as Weir nods. "The creativity that goes into this and the community involvement is incredible. It's really fun to see the community come through."

What is your biggest challenge in putting the festival together?

Vader: Recruiting volunteers. We're hoping to recruit something like 30 or 50 volunteers for the week of festival and especially that Saturday, which is the biggest day of the festival. They'll do everything from work in the kids' area to passing out bananas and water to the 5K runners to driving the golf carts that help shuttle people up the hill to the stage.

Weir: Finding people that are willing to help out, take out some time on their weekend, has been one of the difficult ones. It keeps me up at night. And I will say, you know, it's hard to please everybody. So finding a theater production that's going to bring in everybody in the community is, like, near impossible. (This year's show is 17 Again). It's hard to just make sure we're managing enough expectations to keep enough people happy and put on a good event.

Have you made any changes to the festival?

Weir: Because we were down a couple of chairpersons, we decided to not do the youth theater production this year, and we've had a little bit of pushback from that. So we're actually going to fill the time slot on Saturday that would have been the youth show with a recital by dancers of Kalamazoo Ballet Arts (a school for young dancers). They'll do a 90-minute performance before 17 Again

Vader: Just because we decided to not do a youth show this year doesn't mean we're not going to have one next year. We did try to find a show for the adult production that could include high school students so we could involve some kids in the theater show.

Kindleberger Summer Festival of the Performing Arts

What: A free family-friendly festival with live music, a theater performance, a parade, an arts and crafts fair and more.

When: July 10–15.

Where: Kindleberger Park, between Park Drive, Maple Street, Park Avenue and South Orient Avenue, in Parchment.

More information: kindlebergerarts.org.

What's the reward for all your hard work?

Weir: That's a good question. Putting on a great festival, I would say, and just pulling the community together. It's really nice to literally walk up the hill from our house and see thousands of people being a part of something that we put on.

Vader: Knowing that it's something people in the community look forward to and it is always really fun.

Was there anything that surprised you about being co-directors?

Vader: Realizing that a lot of people think of the festival as just the Saturday and how much more it is. It's Bingo for Bags (a fundraiser held in March), it's all the theater rehearsals that are going on for months before, it is the concerts and lining those up in November — it's everything that goes on throughout the year to make this happen, all the logistics and all the work behind the scenes.

Weir: For me, it is the institution that is the festival. We sit in the Arts Commission meetings and someone will reminisce on a festival from 15 years ago. It's really exciting to how it's evolved and what else we can do with it to bring new things into it and to make it new and fresh and exciting. It's really cool to look back and hear some of that institutional knowledge about what the festival was even before we got here.

— Interview by Marie Lee, edited for length and clarity

Alex Vader & Izzy Weir Co-Directors,

Kindleberger Summer Festival of the Performing Arts

Little did Alex Vader and Izzy Weir know when they connected a couple of years ago on Bumble BFF, an app that helps connect people to new friends, that they would become not only best buddies, but also next-door neighbors in Parchment and ultimately co-organizers and implementers of that town's multi-day, multi-event Kindleberger Summer Festival of the Performing Arts, which happens July 10–15 this year.

Vader, 29, who works remotely as an account manager for a company that negotiates beverage deals, and Weir, 30, who works as a political campaign strategy consultant, were fairly new to the area and looking for ways to get involved in their community. They told a neighbor, Caroline Garber, who runs the festival's 5K, that they'd be up for volunteering, and she told them that the director job was open because Kris Jordan had left the role after seven years.

"She said, 'It's a lot of work, but you guys could share the role.' We felt like (Vader's) event planning skills and my communications and organization skills would be a nice marriage for this festival," says Weir. "And the next month we were signing contracts and ready to go."

On the job since October, Weir and Vader coordinate with the Kindleberger Arts Commission, which has chairpersons that plan various aspects of the festival, from the stage, car and arts and crafts shows to the parade, food vendors, breakfast, book and plant sale, cornhole tournament and children's area.

But the co-directors have found their job involves more than just the festival. There's also a concert series, fundraisers and grant writing that go on during the year that are part of their responsibilities.

(continued on page 37)

Alex Vader, left, and Izzy Weir.

Brian K. Powers