Encore September 2025 by Encore Magazine

FUEL THE FUTURE

A lifetime resident of West Michigan, Katie has always been captivated by the area’s rich history and the people who live and work here. Delving into both the past and the present of an eatery and bar in Delton called Tujax Tavern, Katie found that it blends many stories into one — those of its restaurateurs, its classically trained chefs, '60s music, the community and, lastly, the building itself — which altogether create an anomaly within the American bar scene.

Pamela Hall O'Connor

Katie

Houston Katie Halloran

Katie wrote this month’s Back Story on YWCA Executive Director Susan Rosas and the cover story on Farmers Alley Theatre. "I’ve been privileged to perform on the Farmers Alley stage as a storyteller — right before the pandemic — and have been a volunteer with the YWCA Sexual Assault Program for many years. They do vastly different work, but each is so vital to the fabric of our community.” Katie is a writer and communications consultant specializing in nonprofit marketing.

Publisher encore publications, inc

Editor marie lee

Art Director alexis stubelt

Kalamazooan and historian Pam O'Connor wrote her story after a dive into City Hall’s history as part of a study she completed on the buildings in the Bronson Park National Register Historic District. She spent untold hours at City Hall, in its underground parking garage’s City Records department, and in 1983 the Bronson Park Historic District was added to the National Register of Historic Places. Pam is a mostly retired historic preservation consultant who prepared local and federal historic designations and consulted with property owners on using federal and state preservation tax credits for rehabilitating historic properties. She and her husband, Terry, founded The O'Connor Fund for Historic Preservation at the Kalamazoo Community Foundation.

Photographer brian k powers

Contributing Writers brian decorah, katie halloran, katie houston, marie lee, pamela hall o ' connor, carl rizzuto

Copy Editor/Poetry Editor margaret deritter

Advertising Sales janis clark kimberly juwong

Distribution ron kilian robert zedeck

Office Coordinator kelly burcroff

Proofreader hope smith

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. Back issues $6, $12 by mail. Advertising rates on request.

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

From the Editor

We like legacies here at Encore. Maybe because, at 51 years old, the magazine itself is a legacy in the Kalamazoo community. But as we have written about before, there are many legacy institutions in our area, and in this issue we're proud to spotlight some of them.

Our cover story is on Farmers Alley Theatre, which was a scrappy start-up in 2008 and is now the only year-round Equity theater in the area, which means its actors and crew are paid for their work. As a result of that status and the connections of its founders, Farmers Alley has produced stellar shows in its 17 years and has brought in some amazing talent to star in those shows. That this theater has survived — and thrived — makes it worth calling it a community legacy.

Another long-standing institution we highlight this month is Kalamazoo's City Hall. Local historian Pamela Hall O'Connor did a deep dive into its history, and the result is a fascinating piece on how it came to be. The city was a trailblazer in building the new city hall during the Great Depression without levying new taxes or issuing bonds.

We also visit Tujax Tavern, a legacy in Delton that was established in 1984. Walk in and it feels like a dive bar, but, with two professional chefs on staff, its food is nothing you'd expect. Writer Katie Halloran gives us a glimpse of how this little culinary jewel in the countryside came to be.

Finally, we meet Susan Rosas, the new executive director of YWCA of Kalamazoo. As the daughter of refugees, she is acutely aware of how this country's current climate can cause hurt and harm. With domestic and community violence on an uptick, we learn how she is working hard to keep others safe.

We hope you enjoy reading about some of the great organizations and people that make the Kalamazoo area unique.

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

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First Things

Something Educational

Honorable Harvest Lecture Series returns

A lecture series exploring ways in which people can nurture and restore the Honorable Harvest, an Indigenous principle and practice of giving back in reciprocity for what we have been given, will resume this month and run on Tuesdays from Sept. 23 through Nov. 18.

The lectures, sponsored by Kalamazoo Valley Community College, will begin at 6:30 p.m. in Classroom 223 of the Marilyn J. Schlack Culinary and Allied Health Building, at 418 E. Walnut St. Patrons can arrive at 5 p.m. to enjoy Taps on Tuesday, a happy-hour-style event hosted by KVCC’s culinary and brewing students in the 418 Restaurant, on the ground floor of the Culinary and Allied Health Building.

For a list of lecture topics and speakers, visit valleyhub. kvcc.edu.

Something Historical

Walking tours of cemetery offered

On Sept. 6, you can spend an afternoon stepping back in time at Mountain Home Cemetery and learning about Kalamazoo's history and some of its past residents.

Eight tours hosted by The Friends of Kalamazoo Historic Cemeteries will be offered from 1–5 p.m., each beginning on the hour or half hour. Each tour will last approximately an hour and 20 minutes, and the tours will occur rain or shine.

Tickets are $10 and may be purchased at tinyurl.com/Kzoohistorytour.

Something Festive

Event celebrates Scottish culture

You don't need to be an official clan member or own a kilt to soak in Scottish culture at the Kalamazoo Scottish Festival Sept. 6 at Kindleberger Park, in Parchment.

The festival celebrates Scottish history and culture with traditional Highland games like caber toss and stone throwing, plus music and dancing. Admission is free. For more information, including the festival's schedule, visit kalamazooscottishfest.org.

Something Musical

The Baseball Project to play at Bell's

We may never get to see all of the original members of R.E.M. together again, but you can catch band members Peter Buck and Mike Mills performing as part of The Baseball Project at 7 p.m. Sept. 19 at Bell's Beer Garden.

In addition to Mills and Buck, The Baseball Project features other veterans of the early days of the alternative/indie rock scene, including members of The Dream Syndicate, The Minus 5, Young Fresh Fellows, and Filthy Friends.

Tickets are $37.88 and available at events.bellsbeer.com.

Something Bold Watch murals in the making

Eight artists will paint seven large-scale murals on buildings in or near downtown Kalamazoo during Brush the Block, a mural festival hosted by the Arts Council of Greater Kalamazoo from Sept. 2–7.

In addition to the mural painting, the festival will feature community events, walking tours, artist talks and familyfriendly activities.

The artists chosen to participate and the locations of the murals are:

• Dania Grevengoed at Main Street East in the Haymarket Plaza

• Chafe Hensley and Heidi Weiss at the Stamped Robin

• Patrick Hershberger at Farmers Alley

• Maya James at the Kalamazoo Transit Building

• Amy O’Donnell Lueth at the Haymarket Building

• Ellen VanderMyde at the Northside Association for Community Development.

To see the mural concepts and descriptions and for building addresses and a schedule of events, visit brushtheblock.com.

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Five Faves

Reasons to indulge at the new Gun Lake Casino Resort

BY BRIAN DECORAH

The newest addition to the western Michigan skyline is the stunning 15-story hotel at the recently expanded Gun Lake Casino Resort, in Wayland. The hotel was developed at a cost of $300 million and built over three years. Inside its sleek glass exterior are 252 rooms and 30 deluxe suites, designed to be equal parts relaxing and indulgent. The expansion is guided by the Gun Lake Tribe’s desire to create not only a top-tier entertainment destination but also one that honors their cultural heritage. The newly expanded resort is filled with you-have-to-see-it-tobelieve-it features. Here are five great ones:

Wawye Oasis

Every guest of the hotel has access to the Wawyé Oasis, a spectacular 32,000-square-foot tropical paradise housing two swimming pools, real palm trees and always-80-degree weather. Wawyé is a one-of-a-kind attraction in western Michigan. By day, you can enjoy luxurious private cabanas and a swim-up bar. By night, the oasis transforms into a concert venue with fantastic artists, DJ parties and nightlife that goes on as long as you can.

Mnoye Spa Retreat

Wawyé isn't the only oasis in the new resort space. With serene surroundings and a tranquil atmosphere, Mnoyé is a calming sanctuary to relax and revitalize. The spa's state-of-the-art facilities include gooseneck massagers, bubble massage benches, luxurious lounges and VIP suites, and an array of treatments, including massages, facials, body scrubs and nail services. Or you can just unwind in the soothing waters of the Tranquility Pool.

The Ogema Suite

Indulgence and luxury. That’s what you will find in the aweinspiring two-story Ogema Suite. Inside are two bedrooms, a grand staircase, a residential elevator, spacious bathrooms with specialty showers and a sense of wonder for all who enter. The Ogema Suite is unmatched for living large and embracing the finer things.

Sandhill Cafe Great Spaces for Special Events

Whether it's an intimate gathering for 20 or a large celebration for up to 1,450 guests, there's a space for it at Gun Lake Casino Resort. You can host your own party at the Wawyé Oasis or choose from the dining and social venues such as the Harvest Buffet, 131 Sportsbar & Lounge, CBK, Social Bar & Lounge and more. For professional events, multiple spaces are available for meetings and conferences of various sizes.

Experience the comfort of home-cooked classics at Sandhill Café, where breakfast, lunch and dinner are filled with hearty favorites. Enjoy timeless recipes with a modern twist, offering the familiar flavors that bring the warmth of home to your table. Come and experience it for yourself, but first, take a look at our menu online and see what tempts your taste buds.

About the Author Gaming industry veteran Brian Decorah was named General Manager of Gun Lake Casino Resort in June. After starting his career on the graveyard shift of a small casino 30 years ago, he has served as chief executive of several award-winning casino resorts across the country, including some of the largest and most successful operations in Tribal gaming.

City Hall at 94

How

the building came to be amid the Great Depression

BY PAMELA HALL O'CONNOR

City halls are places where decisions are made, where things happen (or sometimes don’t when you wish they would) and where other things are celebrated or mourned. Kalamazoo’s City Hall is all of that and has been for almost a century, as the building observes its 94th anniversary this month. From reservation to public square

The Match-E-Be-Nash-She-Wish Band of Pottawatomi and their ancestors lived in and around Kalamazoo for thousands of years, but through a series of treaties, the U.S. government took their land away in 1827. Tribal members were forced from the reservation created for them so the land could be sold to mostly white settlers. It didn’t take long. On Nov. 1, 1830, Stephen Richardson and his brother-in-law, Titus Bronson, each bought 80 acres. Bronson’s land was east of what is now South Rose Street, and Richardson’s was west of there.

A year later, Bronson and Richardson's combined 160 acres became the plat of "Brunson" — later corrected to "Bronson" and still later changed to Kalamazoo. The plat's southern boundary ran along West South Street, where City Hall stands today.

On Richardson’s side, land later known as the “Four Squares” was reserved to provide free land for structures designed for public and religious uses. Successful development of the Four Squares, including the eventual creation of Bronson Park, quickly made the area the center of a residential building boom. Additional plats were created and large homes built for some of the city's best-known public servants, merchants and professionals.

A generation later, that land began a shift away from residential use. “Corporation Hall" or “Quick to The Rescue Hall," a two-story building constructed in

1867 in the first block south of Main (now Michigan Avenue) on South Burdick Street, housed the community's first City Hall in offices above the fire department. In 1908, the fire department moved, and Corporation Hall's ground floor was renovated for use as City Hall. All was well for a while, but after years of complaints that the offices were too small, crowded, crumbling, leaky and under-engineered, it seemed everyone in city government agreed in 1923 that a new city hall was needed and the city put the question of a new building to voters.

Surprisingly, the voters did not agree. But the administration was convinced it was time to do something. They purchased the F.H. Milham and F.C. Orcutt family homes south of Bronson Park, on West South and West Lovell Streets, quickly renovated them, and by April 1925 City Hall had moved into them.

Soon after, the idea for a new city hall

was revived, and by the end of 1927 City Manager Albert Ten Busschen had outlined a program to save enough money over eight years to construct a city hall costing upwards of $700,000. He revised the plan in 1928, reducing the cost to $600,000 paid over seven years without new bonds or taxes.

Redevelopment in the area was snowballing. Three churches already flanked Bronson Park, including the “old” Methodist church, built in 1842 at Academy and Church Streets (later home to First Reformed); First Congregational, completed in 1890; and the Christian Science church in 1914. First United Methodist would be completed in 1929, and a Presbyterian church planned for the lot immediately west of the City Hall site would become the fifth sacred place adjacent to Bronson Park. That church's future was cemented soon after, with help from Chicago planner Jacob Crane, whom the city hired to shape its first master plan.

The area's second development period was charted to create a "civic center" around Bronson Park. Adjacent homes were slowly demolished for new cultural and institutional buildings, both in anticipation of and following Crane’s plan. The transformation

would eventually involve a new city hall between St. John’s Place and Rose Street, with the not-quite-finished Presbyterian church directly to its west.

Crane's plan also proposed a building for the southeast corner of Park and South streets and a county building directly east of First Congregational Church.

Long discussions, quick construction

The discussion on City Hall’s construction had begun in 1923, and getting to the building's 1931 completion was a lengthy process. However, once the final decision on construction was made, the building went up with astounding momentum.

Here's how things transpired between 1929 and 1931:

Planner Jacob Crane and architect Edwin Weary, of Chicago’s Weary & Alford architecture firm, visited town in the first half of 1929. Weary’s company had contracted to build a model of the new city hall building and came to see the site in April. Crane followed in May and spoke about the plan to 400 people gathered at the Masonic Temple.

Following the October 1929 stock market crash, the City Hall project was back in the news, bringing with it numerous endorsements. City Commissioner Alfred Curtenius cited a rigid economic “no debt or taxes” plan for raising the money and the possible sale of other property to help cover the cost. Mayor S. Rudolf Light recognized the need to replace the “unsightly fire trap that now inadequately serves the purpose.”

Civic reformer Rev. Caroline Bartlett Crane voiced her opinion in a letter to the Kalamazoo Gazette, saying the city’s dignity was at stake and it should “go ahead with this outrageously-neglected civic enterprise.”

In July 1930, the City Commission reviewed construction bids from three companies, ultimately choosing Weary & Alford.

As the nation moved quickly toward the Great Depression, the Aug. 3, 1930 Gazette connected the City Hall project to President Herbert Hoover’s efforts to rebuild the nation's economy through public projects.

It published a drawing of the new City Hall on its front page and expressed support, saying, “The members of the commission are convinced that a building which houses the government of the community should be a structure whose architecture sets it apart from the office buildings and stores of commerce and gives pride and pleasure to the citizens.”

The city manager assured the public that all funds were in place and that there was no need to borrow, describing the building as an example of “restrained modern American architecture.” Several days later, workers drove a 30-foot shaft into the ground to determine the engineering plan for the building’s foundation.

On Aug. 27, 1931, a Gazette article said that although voters had repeatedly rejected the City Hall project for “their own convenience and protection,” the tide quickly turned to strong support when they understood that the project would provide employment relief — 100 unemployed people would get two full days of work every week.

But then on Sept. 9 the City Commission received a petition to delay construction and again take the project to the voters. Learning there were more petitions coming, the commission put its decision on hold and made a substantial effort to ensure that the public would support the question this time. A month later, their efforts were rewarded when the proposal to build a new city hall won by 860 votes.

Within two weeks, temporary office space for city workers was secured in the thenempty A.M. Todd Building on North Park Street. The Milham/Orcutt buildings were vacated by Dec. 7 and demolished a week later. The city awarded a contract to The Studio of Architectural Sculpture in Detroit for eight reliefs to surround the building’s upper exterior and appropriated $475,000 for the building in its 1931 budget.

By Jan. 9, 1931, the site was cleared, and by Jan. 15 day and night shifts were on the job. One hundred years after the Richardson-

At left: Kalamazoo's City Hall when it was completed in 1931. Above: Corporation Hall served as Kalamazoo's first city hall from 1867 to 1925.

Simple Design, Art Deco Details

City Hall’s simple design reflects classical origins, while its ornamentation and detail are very 20th century. Architectural historian William Lebovich said that the design of Depression-era city halls typically call to mind either the “country’s glorious early days or a science-fiction future.”

Kalamazoo City Hall embodies both. Its limestone and granite exterior is classically informed, with bold, fluted pilasters that uphold rings of lighthearted modern geometric forms and history-provoking bas reliefs. The geometry of its modern, castaluminum front doors gives an Art Deco look to the structure and confirms that you are indeed entering an important place.

Large lanterns that appear outside and inside do much more than provide light. They also add to the Art Deco feel of the building. Inside, the first through third floors are arranged around a large center-lobby light court. There's a striking level of Deco detail from top to bottom in the atrium, and matching stairways line the atrium’s east and west walls.

The second floor’s court/commission chamber is long, narrow and impressive. Tall, narrow windows that overlook Bronson Park elevate the chamber’s significance, giving it a monumental appearance that is supported by Stauffenberg’s vertical mural at the room’s east end. A deep, carved plaster frieze and painted ceiling also showcase the artist’s varied talents. These and other decorative elements throughout the building’s public areas — lighting, radiator screens, elevator

local fine dining

doors, mailbox, clock, drinking fountains — are tributes to Art Deco style.

Over time, alterations have been made to the building, such as security stations on the main floor, but its public areas are still largely intact. In the 1960s and later, office spaces around the atrium light court were remodeled, but the building’s public spaces retain the same sense of simple, quiet dignity today that they had when the building was originally constructed.

DINING DESTINATIONS

Bronson city plat was created, the new City Hall's cornerstone was laid on March 12, 1931. A time capsule placed inside the cornerstone included images of the original plat and the first county courthouse, a centennial celebration program, a medallion of Titus Bronson, village maps, copies of the original and current city charters, photos of the City Commission and Charter Commission, Kalamazoo Gazette editions with accounts of the centennial celebration, and histories of Kalamazoo College and Western State Teachers College (now Western Michigan University).

By mid-July 1931, planning for a Sept. 1 open house had begun. Finishing touches on the building were being completed, including a beautiful ceiling and mural by German immigrant artist Otto Stauffenberg in the court/commission chamber.

At 2 p.m. Sept. 1, thousands of people visited the new City Hall for the first time. A brief commission meeting was held in the chambers, where Mayor Light took official possession of the building, praised the building committee and read congratulatory messages.

Kalamazoo's feat was publicized across the country. The Oct. 11 edition of the Gazette reported that Caroline Bartlett Crane spoke of City Hall’s construction process at the American Civic Association’s conference in Detroit. At the crushing brink of the Great Depression, the city had saved money, built a well-designed Art Deco-influenced jewel in a newly created civic center and provided crucial financial assistance to individuals and families.

City Hall’s completion was followed by the Civic Auditorium’s opening the same year and the completion of the county building in 1937, realizing Jacob Crane’s Kalamazoo civic plan. In 1983, nearly a half-century later, Kalamazoo City Hall became a jewel in a national crown when it was honored as part of a newly established historic district listed in the National Register of Historic Places, a district with Bronson Park at its center.

Delicious Surprise in Delton

They're doing 'something different' at Tujax Tavern

BY KATIE HALLORAN

Tujax Tavern's bright red roof begs for your attention as you drive down the main street of downtown Delton, a rural community 20 miles northeast of Kalamazoo. But once you enter the eatery, it's the menu that'll get you.

Through the tavern’s red door, you'll encounter a distinct bar-like atmosphere but with a twist: no clinging smell of deep-fryer oil or sports on every TV. Instead, the tavern boasts chefs with the French titles of chef de patisserie and chef de cuisine and a menu with local, seasonal and ethnic cuisine.

Surprised? “That was the plan,” says Tujax Tavern owner and co-founder Jack Nadwornik.

In 1984, Nadwornik and his late father, also named Jack, purchased the area’s local watering hole, J&B Tavern. “I was hoping to get my dad out of a factory, doing mandatory overtime seven days a week,” says Nadwornik, who had six years’ experience in the restaurant business when they purchased the tavern. The tavern's 180-year-old building was originally the

Delton Hotel when Delton was a stagecoach stop and a gateway to the dozens of inland lakeside resorts that once peppered the area.

Putting a twist on their own first names, the Nadworniks dubbed their new venture Tujax Tavern.

“My original plan was to be here for five years,” says Nadwornik. “When we bought it, it was only burgers and we added pizza. My

Making the menu magic at Tujax Tavern are, from left, Chef de Cuisine Hunter French, owner Jack Nadwornik, and Chef de Patisserie Mark Mesaros.

dad would make pizzas with me and then he started making bread, cookies, baked goods, but he never even poured a beer up front.”

As the old adage goes, life happens when you’re busy making plans: “My five years turned into 41,” says Nadwornik, whose father died in 2010.

From 1991 to 2003, Nadwornik worked in Chicago during the week selling ostrich meat and spent his weekends back in Delton running Tujax Tavern. Selling exotic bird meat introduced him to the French kitchens of Chicago and ignited a fire and passion in him.

“I had been waiting for someone to open something different here in Delton, and it was apparent nobody was going to do it,” he says.

It was then that Nadwornik decided to morph the local pizza-and-burger joint into something different and unexpected.

“People in the area thought we were crazy,” he admits.

Nadwornik created a full kitchen and started hiring staff to fulfill his vision of creating a tavern that is the complete antithesis of the American bar scene.

“Ninety-five percent of our first-time customers say, ‘We were not expecting this. This is totally off the wall,’” says Chef de Patisserie Mark Mesaros, who has been at Tujax Tavern for more than a decade. “The walleye dinner and the crostini and the house-made crab cakes. Simple things, but not found at a tavern.”

The classically trained Mesaros came to Tujax Tavern having had a 45-year-career in high-end restaurants and resorts throughout the Great Lakes region. He had studied in pastry schools and restaurants in cities like Chicago, Montreal and Paris, to name a few, to level up his baking and was working as a chef in Saugatuck when he responded to Nadwornik’s ad on Craigslist for chef de cuisine.

Among the eclectic fare at Tujax Tavern are, clockwise from top, smoked salmon with lemon mustard sauce, mixed grains and a fresh succotash; seared ahi tuna with fried rice; and a cold Asian noodle salad.

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He proudly held that title for a decade until Chef Hunter French emerged on the scene in 2023. Mesaros says he was able to gladly “step aside” and take the role of chef de patisserie, creating the breads and other baked items and desserts at the tavern.

French's journey to Tujax was something of a homecoming, since he grew up in nearby Augusta. He studied at Johnson & Wales University, in Rhode Island, and his credentials include working under one of New Orleans’ top chefs and assisting with opening a brewery on the East Coast, in the hopes of “serving up brewery food, but more elevated.”

French has been able to bring this elevated style to Tujax Tavern. He can detail every ingredient’s source and demonstrates unabashed passion for developing intricate menu items such as “deconstructed Beef Wellington,” Connecticut-style lobster rolls, a best-selling ahi tuna, and an herb-encrusted lamb.

“We rotate and base our menu off the local farmers market, what produce is in season,” explains French. “We work with a local food source and let him know what we are looking for. He works with the local Amish community, and we even have a ‘mushroom guy’ in Grand Rapids.

"We have our standard bar menu, but we change a lot of our stuff daily.”

For example, asparagus pizza makes a cameo appearance every spring. “Once we

Decadent desserts created by Chef de Patisserie Mark Mesaros include, from left, double chocolate cake, s'mores crème brûlée and chocolate mousse parfait.

can’t get Michigan asparagus anymore, asparagus pizza is off the menu,” says Nadwornik.

Always inspired to try different things, Nadwornik about five years ago began to include mysterious and unattributed lyrics to ‘60s and ‘70s songs in social media posts about the tavern’s daily specials.

“You’d be surprised how many people show up and want to know what song it is,” he says. “They haven’t looked it up online, and it serves as a hook to get people’s attention and get them to come in.”

When they do come in, they can expect to see a bit of whimsy but no longer a playable shuffleboard table. That was upcycled into several two-seater tables, each secured to the wall. “The whole board is still here in the bar, just not in one piece,” notes Nadwornik.

While sitting at a former shuffleboard or another table, patrons can also imbibe the tavern’s own specialty hard seltzers and seasonal beers, made onsite by Chef French, who also holds a minor in craft brewing.

After 41 years, Nadwornik still finds joy in his daily work.

“Plenty of people in town thought that we would never be able to transform it from the biker-friendly local tavern to what it is now,” he says. "Exposing people to new foods that they may never otherwise have tried is exciting. We are introducing different ethnic cuisine to the local community, like a couple of Indian curries, some ramen. People can come out and get something that’s not necessarily just American fare but something that’s really good and homemade."

Founded by local businessman and philanthropist Donald S. Gilmore—who was inspired by his wife Genevieve’s passion for sharing their love of cars—the museum’s mission is to tell America’s story through the automobile by preserving and sharing its rich legacy.

Visitors can explore recreated 1920s dealerships, a 1930s Shell station, and the 1941 Blue Moon Diner. The campus also includes partner museums focused on brands like Lincoln, Cadillac, Franklin, and Model A Ford—all set in iconic buildings that transport visitors back into key eras of automotive history.

But Gilmore is more than just cars. Educational programs, Model T driving experiences, car shows, and weekly cruise-ins bring history to life for all ages.

The museum leaves a lasting impact. As one volunteer shared:

“What better place to give your time if you’re a car nut? Every week I look forward to spending the day among magnificent cars and great people.”

This connection runs deep. Just this past spring, World War II veteran and longtime volunteer Jim Brand—Gilmore’s Model T driving instructor—celebrated his 100th birthday, a moment of pride for the entire community.

Gilmore Car Museum

60 Years | Just Around the Corner

Nestled in the countryside of Hickory Corners, just north of Kalamazoo, the Gilmore Car Museum stands as a tribute to America’s automotive history. Since opening on July 31, 1966, with just 35 cars, it has grown into North America’s largest auto museum, now featuring nearly 400 vehicles on a 90-acre historic campus.

Donald S. Gilmore driving his Stanley Steamer with wife Genevieve

Fueling the Future — Two Bold New Projects

As Gilmore Car Museum approaches its 60th anniversary, the museum is revving up for the next chapter with two visionary projects.

Performance Car Gallery Expansion

The new gallery expansion will power you beyond 1975, tracing how performance cars evolved through 2000. Showcasing international icons like Ferrari and Skyline, it remains rooted in the legacy of American muscle—from the raw power of ’60s classics to the resurgence of models like the Camaro and Charger.

How can you support the museum’s mission?

•Make a one-time or monthly donation

•Buy an annual membership

•Introduce potential sponsors

•Invite friends and family to visit and join

Education & Engagement Center

At the heart of the museum’s future lies a transformative educational space. The Education and Engagement Center will be both a classroom for youth programs and workshops (think STEAM, car design, creative exploration) and a hands-on zone where visitors, especially kids, can touch, build, and learn, rather than just observe.

To bring this vision to life, the museum is raising $500,000 with the “Give Me Five” campaign—encouraging supporters to contribute what they can: $5 a month, $50, $500, or more. This inclusive initiative underscores the museum’s belief that every gift helps drive the future of car culture and learning.

Surviving and Thriving

At 17, Farmers Alley Theatre looks back and looks forward

It was in the midst of a national recession in 2008 that Jeremy and Denene Mulay Koch and brothers Rob and Adam Weiner launched Farmers Alley Theatre in downtown Kalamazoo. Producing seven shows in their first season on a budget of $200,000, they somehow ended up in the black. This year the nonprofit theater will again produce seven shows — though the budget is a lot bigger — beginning with the musical Come From Away, opening Sept. 25.

The theater’s leadership team has been riding high since the close of the theater's successful 2024–25 season.

“We're still on cloud nine,” says Executive Director Rob Weiner after wrapping up an extended run of Beautiful: The Carole King Story

“We’ve been riding the momentum since Jersey Boys at the beginning of the year.”

From the beginning, the foursome’s goal was to create a professional theater that paid its actors and crew. It’s one of only a dozen Equity theaters in Michigan, and it’s the only year-round one in the Kalamazoo area.

“It was important to us to honor and respect all the artists and crew and to differentiate ourselves from other theaters,” says Managing Artistic Director Jeremy Koch, adding that their choices of what to stage also set them apart. “We make a point to do some shows that are less well known or maybe a little edgy. We like to expose audiences

BY KATIE HOUSTON

to new things, and I think our audience trusts us enough to know (that) if we are producing it, it's worth seeing.”

The origin story

The fertile ground for the theater was seeded by two theater moms. Both Rob and Adam’s mother, Laurel Scheidt (formerly Weiner), and Denene’s mother, Kathy Mulay, taught and directed shows for local high schools and community theaters. A former Farmers Alley board member and now its production manager, Mulay recently retired from a 30-year career as an educator. She directed last season’s Jersey Boys and Beautiful: The Carole King Story and will direct Come From Away, Misery and Dear Evan Hansen this season.

“One of the reasons that I personally wanted this theater," Mulay says, "was to provide a stage where homegrown talent that we’ve raised and taught could come back and perform after they joined the union, which requires members only perform at Equity theaters. We've had many of them grace our stage, in addition to professionals from around the country, and the talented people we have right here.”

Denene Mulay Koch grew up performing locally before attending the Cincinnati College Conservatory of Music, where she met New Jersey native and fellow theater kid Jeremy Koch. They dated — even performed together in a national tour of West Side Story as Tony and Maria — and eventually married and started a family in New Jersey. Mulay recalls that as new grandparents, she and her husband hoped to nudge them to Michigan.

“We were on the phone with them, and my husband said, ‘Hey, the house across the street is for sale. Can I help buy it for my grandson?’ I added, ‘Come to Kalamazoo. We'll open a theater!'”

The timing was right for the young family, says Jeremy Koch.

“We were shook up a bit after 9/11, questioning whether we wanted to stay,” he says. “We had our first child in 2003 and were feeling like things just didn't feel right in the (New York metropolitan) area anymore. Denene had always wanted to move back, and I finally gave in. We moved back in 2006.”

Denene has performed throughout the years while raising son Jason and daughter Carly. Carly is a freshman in musical theater at the University of Michigan, the same program Jason graduated from this year. Denene followed her mother into education, teaching in a program her mother created for Education for the Arts, a program of the Kalamazoo Regional Educational Sevice Agency (KRESA), and also teaching private voice lessons.

The Weiner boys trailed their mom around before they got the performing bug themselves. Rob went to Interlochen Arts Camp during summers, and his first big role was in the Kalamazoo Civic’s production of Lost in Yonkers as a teen in 1994. He studied performance at the University of Michigan, while Adam has an arts management degree from Carnegie Mellon University. It was in 2007, during the Kalamazoo Civic’s production of Ragtime, that the idea to open a theater took root, sprouting quickly.

“It happened much quicker than we thought,” recalls Rob. “Somehow, we built a business plan and a board and found a space. I really don't know how we did it, truthfully. We were finding our own way, doing a lot of learning. You know, every time you fail to meet a challenge is an opportunity to learn.

Obviously, we did enough things right that we're still here.”

“It's hard enough to run a theater, much less start one from scratch,” says Jeremy Koch. “Luckily, we had an incredible team.”

Team changes in recent years happened when Adam Weiner, the original deputy director, left in 2022 to open the Kalamazoo LEGO shop Bricks & Minifigs. Mulay stepped down from the board, retired from her teaching career, and became production manager, while Rob became executive director.

Talking about the theater's early days, Mulay says. “I think the guys initially thought, ‘We’ll do some little plays in this little blackbox theater.’ Josh Weiner (CEO of Kalamazoo’s Meyer C. Weiner Co. and proud papa of Adam and Rob) became the president of the board, and I was vice president. We called it a momand-pop organization.”

Josh Weiner became the theater’s landlord when the team checked out the raw groundfloor space in his downtown Kalamazoo Commons. And he is very proud of what the theater has become.

“It has proved itself to be a gem in our community,” he says. “Attendance is unbelievable, as is the quality of the product, and the reliability in that whatever Farmers Alley Theater puts on is going to be worthwhile. All of those things show measurable success.”

One of his hopes today is a wish for a larger future venue. “A 200- to 250-seat venue someday — that would be ideal.”

Helping to design the theater in its infancy was Kalamazoo College theater professor Lanny Potts.

Opposite page: Farmer's Alley's operations are overseen by, from left, Denene Mulay Koch, Jeremy Koch, Rob Weiner and Kathy Mulay. Below: Scenes from the beginning including, from left, an opening night toast by the founders, building the interior of the theater, and the marquee promoting the first show, A Few Good Men (courtesy photos).

“You can’t do theater without passion, a plan and property. For Farmers Alley, all three aligned,” he says.

Potts, who is artistic director of Kalamazoo College’s Festival Playhouse and a longtime past board member of Farmers Alley, tells of another instance of local theater “foremothers.”

“Kalamazoo College’s theater program was founded in the early 1960s by Professor Nelda K. Balch, who was the first-ever Community Medal of Arts winner (an award from the Arts Council of Greater Kalamazoo).

Dorothy Upjohn Dalton, after seeing a show in our outdated Bowen Hall theater, told Nelda, ‘We’re going to build you a theater, honey,’” recalls Potts.

As some may know, Dalton was part of the founding of the Kalamazoo Civic Players in 1929, and they moved into what was then the new Civic Auditorium in 1931. The Festival Playhouse's theater opened in 1964 and was named for Balch in 1981. Theater students at the college were able to work with professional Equity performers until it grew too expensive to sustain, Potts says. He adds that he was tickled to invite Farmers Alley in 2024 to use the 300-seat Nelda K. Balch Playhouse, which is typically dark during the summer, to stage The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee and School of Rock

“It was in part to celebrate the 60th anniversary of the playhouse," Potts says,

"and it was great to once again have students work alongside professionals. The arts are robust in Kalamazoo because of philanthropic founding families who continue to invest in the arts here.”

This summer Kalamazoo College and Farmers Alley collaborated again, to present Beautiful: The Carole King Story

“Partnering with ‘K’ has given us an even wider audience, and growing our audience is a big deal for us. There are still people who don't know who we are, what we do, why we're different,” says Rob Weiner. “It was a win-win situation, where our patrons got to know their beautiful space and their students got to work with professionals. That's what the artistic community is all about.”

A previous collaboration with Western Michigan University helped the Farmers Alley team continue to produce shows when Farmers Alley, the street, was torn up for two years, from 2016–18. Thanks in part to thenboard member D. Terry WIlliams, former head of WMU’s theater department, Farmers Alley was able to perform at WMU’s Little Theatre, on East Campus.

Funding challenges

Casting about for a new stage when patrons can’t get to yours is just one way the Farmers Alley crew has pivoted in the face of challenges. Another challenge came with the onslaught of the Covid-19 pandemic. Director of Fund Development Heather Jach remembers March 13, 2020, very well.

“It was opening night for Lost in Yonkers,” but the theater had to shut down, she recalls, noting that the company was able to perform a preview the evening before. “Everyone had already been paid, and we had to reach out to refund all the purchased tickets. So many people said, ‘Just keep it.’ I don’t know where else you find that kind of generosity.”

Shuttered for a year and half, the theater would not have made it without the support of donors and other funders, Jach says. “There were a lot of theaters that did not,” she says, adding that Farmers Alley was supported by a “Shuttered Venues” grant of $100,000 from the U.S. Small Business Administration.

Today, although Farmers Alley doesn’t receive direct federal funding, the theater is feeling trickle-down effects from governmental shifts. It would normally receive funds from the Michigan Arts and Culture Council this fall, but the state hadn’t yet finished its budget as of early August. Other funding sources are feeling the pinch or focusing on higher priorities.

“We saw the same thing during Covid, in how our philanthropic foundation partners are working to respond to huge community needs in human services — as they should — but that means the arts get sidelined a bit,” says Jach. “Businesses don’t have the marketing dollars to do as many sponsorships. We have wonderful

partnerships with corporate sponsors, but it’s the individuals who are rising to the occasion. We really couldn’t do what we do without them.”

Jeremy Koch adds, “We’re grateful that a lot of the funding in Kalamazoo is more private, with foundations like the Kalamazoo Community Foundation, the Gilmore Foundation, or the Tyler-Little Family Foundation, which has been our season sponsor for the past two years. That private funding is crucial in the midst of an administration that is cutting funding nationally to the arts.”

Jach does note that there's been a positive trend in arts fundraising that focuses on belonging instead of urgent need. “Instead of saying we’re in dire straits, we’re saying, ‘Be a part of something really positive and important.’ I really like that shift. If you’re always approaching donors in crisis, then you’re going to have burnout real quick.”

Jach joined Farmers Alley in 2017 as its fulltime director of fund development, bringing deep experience raising money for area nonprofits, including at Kalamazoo College and Wellspring/Cori Terry & Dancers.

“I had never experienced an organization like this," she says of her first days with

Farmers Alley. "There was already such a deep connection with so many donors because of the relationships they had before they started the theater. We’ve been building on that ever since.”

When Jach began her work at Farmers Alley, the theater’s annual budget was about $700,000. It’s now more than $1 million.

“At that time, we probably brought in $70,000 in individual gifts, and now it’s $160,000,” says Jach, noting that last season saw the highest level ever of individual giving. “We’ve been blown away by the individuals who have been supporting us. This has been our best year yet in terms of individual giving.”

Rob Weiner adds, “We are beyond grateful for our audience members. They are the most important part of what we do.”

Mulay is particularly proud of the theater's professionalism. “What I love to hear is our patrons saying, ‘I don't care what show you're doing, I know I can expect it to be professional and of good quality.’ That doesn't mean they’re going to like every show, but we are proud to have raised the level of professionalism,” she says.

Besides filling the house and the coffers, the primary challenge for the leadership team is one that has been there all along. “The main challenge is that we always want to raise the bar,” says Jeremy Koch. “We want to maintain that level of high-quality professional theater. And the more you

Among the shows produced by Farmers Alley and those who starred in them include, clockwise from top left, Nat Zegree in Million Dollar Quartet, Barbara Marinou and Derk Lumbard in Cabaret, Dwandra Lampkin and Von Washington Jr. in Clybourne Park, Natalie Duncan and Jason Mulay Koch in Bright Star, and Jeremy Koch and Mike Scheidt in A Few Good Men

raise that bar, the more you have to work to reach it.”

Rob Weiner adds, “We don’t ever want to put a cap on what it could be for us. We are always considering the next step up.”

The here and now

It’s no surprise that the leadership team has a hard time choosing a favorite show on the Season 18 schedule, but there are several they're looking forward to.

“We’re particularly excited about our season opener, Come From Away,” says Rob Weiner. “Ever since I first saw it, I knew the show would be an amazing fit. It’s all about community rallying around people going through a traumatic event. We felt the same thing during the pandemic, closing our doors for 18 months, but being sustained by the community, which has shown such enthusiasm for the work we do.”

Jeremy Koch says the show "has a real family feel to it, in the way that strangers can choose to treat you like family. That’s something that we always try to do here.”

Koch also names some other shows the theater is looking forward to staging:

Farmers Alley 2025-26 Season

• Come From Away — Sept. 25–Oct. 12

• A Very Kalamazoo Christmas — Nov. 20–Dec. 7

• Primary Trust — Jan. 22–Feb. 1

• Misery — March 5–15

• Good Night, Oscar — April 16–26

• Into the Woods — May 28–June 7

• Dear Evan Hansen — July 9–26

For more information, visit farmersalleytheatre.com/

“Certainly we’re excited about our closer, Dear Evan Hansen, which is fairly new, but also Into the Woods because we haven't done a Stephen Sondheim book musical. We'll be collaborating again with the Gilmore Piano Festival with a wonderful, funny, touching, and somewhat heartbreaking play called Goodnight, Oscar, about piano virtuoso Oscar Levant.”

In interviews with the Farmers Alley team, it's evident that once theater people get the "theater bug," it often grows into a passion that doesn’t go away. "It's what gets me up in the morning," Mulay says. "I have a goal every day. I love theater. It feeds my soul.”

It’s also about more than putting yourself in front of a spotlight. “Some people may not understand the power that theater has to affect a society, to teach and demonstrate empathy, to talk about the human experience,” says Jach. “An audience walks away with emotions and thoughts about what they just saw — things you related to or didn’t. It’s impactful and it’s powerful.”

Kruggel Lawton’s Expanding Footprint in Southwest Michigan

When Kruggel Lawton CPAs (KL) partnered with Cole Gavlas, PC, it marked more than a strategic expansion—it was a reaffirmation of shared values, deep community ties, and a commitment to excellence. One year later, KL’s Portage office stands as a vibrant testament to that legacy, blending trusted relationships with fresh leadership and expanded services.

For more than three decades, Cole Gavlas was a respected name in the Portage and Kalamazoo business communities. Known for its personalized service and deep local roots, the firm built a reputation that KL was proud to inherit and build upon. Since the transition, KL has not only maintained that trusted presence but also broadened its

reach across southwest Michigan, offering a full suite of services including tax, Client Accounting and Advisory Services, employee benefit audits, trust and estate planning, and a growing assurance practice. Additionally, Kruggel Lawton welcomed two new directors to further expand the firm’s capabilities, adding dedicated leadership in valuation services and state and local tax.

At the heart of KL’s growth in the region is Sara Sweers, CPA, (pictured right) who joined the firm as a partner in July 2024. With over 15 years of experience in assurance services, Sara brought with her a wealth of expertise and a passion for community engagement. Based in the Portage office, she has been instrumental in expanding

KL’s assurance offerings, particularly for privately held companies, nonprofits, and governmental entities.

Sara’s leadership extends beyond the office. In 2024, she was named one of Moody on the Market’s Bold Women of Business, an honor that recognizes women making a significant impact through innovation, mentorship, and civic involvement. “Throughout my career, I have passionately dedicated myself to empowering others, embracing smart risks, and continually challenging my own boundaries to achieve both professional and personal growth,” she shared.

As KL looks to the future, it remains focused on deepening relationships, expanding its capabilities, and delivering

meaningful impact across the communities and industries it serves. With a team that blends legacy, leadership, and innovation, KL is committed to helping clients navigate complexity with clarity and confidence.

To learn more about how Kruggel Lawton and our Portage team can serve you, call 269.329.6600.

TheArts

Mexicoen elCorazon

Sept 3.

Miller Auditorium

Mexican artistic traditions will be showcased through music and dance in this free performance presented by El Concilio, formerly the Hispanic American Council. MéxicoenelCorazón(Mexico in the Heart) begins at 7 p.m. For more information, visit elconciliokzoo.org.

Outdoor Concerts

Throughout the month

Various venues

There's still time left to catch more outdoor concerts. The scheduled area shows, show times and locations for September are:

• Stranded Hobos, 5 p.m. Sept. 3, Gilmore Car Museum, 6865 Hickory Road, Hickory Corners

• Da’Veonce and DaFunk Gang and DJ No Limit, 5:30 p.m. Aug. 6, Bates Alley, located between Edwards and Portage Streets in downtown Kalamazoo

• Rockslide, 5 p.m. Sept. 10, Gilmore Car Museum

• Tony Fields and Doug Decker and DJ Mel V, 5:30 p.m. Sept. 10, Bates Alley

• Matthew Borr, 6 p.m., and Northern Ground, 8 p.m., Sept. 12, Arcadia Creek Festival Place, 145 E. Water St., downtown Kalamazoo

• Zion Lion, 5 p.m. Sept. 17, Gilmore Car Museum

• MexiCuba and DJ Ivan, 5:30 p.m. Sept. 17, Bates Alley

• The Bourbon Brothers and Feel Frieda, 10 a.m. Sept. 21, Celery Flats Pavilion, 7335 Garden Lane, Portage

• Chris Karl, 5 p.m. Sept. 24, Gilmore Car Museum

• Aintee-Kim and Uneek Soul and The Most Incredible DJ Chuck, 5:30 p.m. Sept. 24, Bates Alley

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

Connecting Chords Festival

Throughout the month

Various locations

From music created by drones to soundscapes created by Goh Kurosawa, the Connecting Chords Music Festival has an eclectic lineup planned for this month. The scheduled performances are:

• Kleinstuck Trail Walk, featuring atmospheric sounds from the Kalamazoo Drone Society, at 6 p.m. Sept. 6 in the Kleinstuck Preserve. Patrons are asked to meet at the Maple Street YMCA tennis courts, 1001 W. Maple St., and bring a portable chair. A $10 suggested cash donation per person will be accepted on-site.

• Migratory Music, featuring Selkie & the Bahar Ensemble performing on the trails at the Kalamazoo Nature Center, 7000 N. Westnedge Ave., from 2–4 p.m. Sept. 13. Admission is free.

• The Alaya Project, performing Indian Carnatic music with modern jazz, at 7 p.m. Sept. 18 in Kalamazoo College's Dalton Theatre, in the Light Fine Arts Building. Tickets are $5–$17 in advance or $20 at the door, with discounts for seniors, veterans, military members, families, and individuals 25 and under.

• Goh Kurosawa, playing soundscapes and arrangements of global melodies, at 2:30 p.m. Sept. 28 in Bronson Park. Admission is free, and patrons should bring a chair.

For more information and the full season schedule, visit connectingchordsfestival.com.

Sounds of the Zoo

Sept. 22–28

Various locations

The Sounds of the Zoo music festival returns for its fourth year with dozens of live performances at downtown venues and other public spaces.

The performers represent a wide range of genres, including jazz, hip-hop, folk, world music, and soul.

The free festival will also feature panel discussions and music industry meetups. For a full schedule, visit soundsofthezoo.com.

Akropolis Reed Quintet

Sept. 21

Fontana Chamber Arts

Celebrating 16 seasons as an awardwinning chamber ensemble — including a recent Grammy Award — the Akropolis Reed Quintet will make its Kalamazoo debut at 7:30 p.m. Sept. 21 at Western Michigan University's Dalton Center Recital Hall. Tickets are $15–$30 and available at fontanamusic.org or by calling 250-9684.

EmanuelAxPlaysBeethoven

Sept. 27

Kalamazoo Symphony Orchestra

Grammy-winning pianist Emanuel Ax will perform Beethoven’s Third Piano Concerto with the KSO at 7:30 p.m. in Miller Auditorium.

Ax, who has been performing since the mid-1970s, has won numerous Grammys for his own recordings as well as for those with Yo-Yo Ma. Ax's recording Variations received the Echo Klassik Award for Solo Recording of the Year in 2013.

Tickets are $25–$68, with lower prices available for military members, veterans, teachers, students, children and low-income residents. Details and tickets are available at kalamazoosymphony.org.

OurAmerican Assassin

Sept. 2–7

Barn Theatre

The Barn wraps up its season with this gripping psychological drama exploring the twisted motives behind John Wilkes Booth's assassination of President Abraham Lincoln.

The show is rated PG-13 for intense themes and historical violence.

Show times are 8 p.m. Tuesday–Friday and 5 p.m. Sunday at the Augusta theater. Tickets are $43–$51 and available at barntheatreschool.org or by calling 250-6984.

MotherCourage& HerChildren

Sept. 5–13

Dormouse Theatre

Step into the heart of the 17th century in this production about a woman’s fierce struggle for her and her children's survival amid the chaos and brutality of war.

Show times are 7:30 p.m. Sept. 5, 6, 12 & 13. Tickets are $25 and available at dormousetheatre.com.

Utopia

Sept. 26–Oct. 12

WMU Theatre

What if you could step into a world where people simply lived together — enjoying coffee, ice cream, love and laughter — without the barriers that often divide us? That’s the question posed in this new version of the Charles L. Mee play.

Show times are 7:30 p.m. Sept. 26–27, Oct. 2–4 and Oct. 9–11 and 2 p.m. Sept. 28 and Oct. 5 and 12 at Western Michigan University's York Arena Theatre.

For tickets, visit wmich.edu/theatre or call 387-6222.

Lerner&Loewe’s Camelot

Sept. 19–28

Kalamazoo Civic Theatre

King Arthur’s legendary court is the backdrop for this musical full of chivalry, romance and intrigue. August Gallagher has the role of Arthur, with Sydney Harrison as Guenevere and Brandt Trotter as Lancelot.

Show times are 7:30 p.m. Sept. 19, 20, 26, and 27 and 2 p.m. Sept. 21 and 28. Tickets are $17–$32 and available at kazoocivic. com or by calling 343-1313.

ComeFromAway

Sept. 25–Oct. 12

Farmers Alley Theatre

The true story of how Gander, Newfoundland, opened its arms to thousands of stranded airline passengers on 9/11 is presented in this musical.

Show times are 7:30 p.m. Sept. 25–27, Oct. 2–4 and 9–11 and 2 p.m. Sept. 28 and Oct. 5 and 12. Tickets are $22–$59 and available at farmersalleytheatre.com or by calling 343-2727.

FolkSongs& Memories

Sept. 5–20

New Vic Theatre

Stories and performances of classic folk songs will be featured in this production by the New Vic Theatre Company.

Show times are 8 p.m. Sept. 5, 6, 12, 13, 19 and 20. Tickets are $33.50 and available online at thenewvictheatre.org or by calling 381-3328.

TheArts

Celebration

Sept. 5

Art Hop

Honoring the creativity of the local arts community will be the focus of the September Art Hop in downtown Kalamazoo.

This free event, organized by the Arts Council of Greater Kalamazoo, runs from 5–8 p.m. and features a variety of artists’ works as well as live music and the chance to visit downtown businesses.

For a brochure showing Art Hop sites and providing information about participating artists, visit kalamazooarts.org.

TheArts

BookArtsinItaly

Sept. 5–26

Kalamazoo Book Arts Center

The influence of Italian locales such as Venice and Cornuda will be seen in this exhibition of prints and books created by students who participated in group trips to Italy over the summer. The gallery is located at 326 W. Kalamazoo Ave., Suite 103A, and its hours are 10 a.m.–5 p.m. Monday–Friday. For more information visit kalbookarts.org.

is published in partnership and funding provided by

VISUAL ARTS

Continuing Exhibitions

The Carnegie Center for the Arts, Three Rivers:

• Above – Below

• Birds, Bugs & Blooms!

• Boundless: Innovation & Tradition in Paper

• What If?

All exhibitions run through Sept. 9

Kalamazoo Institute of Arts

• West Michigan Area Show , through Sept. 14

• Leo Villareal: Interstellar , through Sept. 21

• Ink Rhapsody: The Art of Lingnan Masters in Hong Kong , through Oct. 26

Richmond Center for Visual Arts, WMU

• '24-'25 Foundations Exhibition , through Sept. 6

• ShowMe YourPapers / A Ver, YTus Papeles? through Sept. 20

COMEDY FILM

Improv Performances Throughout the month Crawlspace Comedy Theatre

Crawlspace Comedy Theatre has a full slate of funny this month. The scheduled local and regional comedic acts are:

• Man vs. Machine, Sept. 5

• Improv Trio + Joyce II Men, Sept. 6

• Crawlspace Eviction, Sept. 12 and 13

• The Comedy Project Takeover, featuring Choose Your Own Improv and Comedy in the Key of Rock, Sept. 19

• Blunder Bus, Sept. 20

• Dustbunnies Sketch Comedy, Sept. 26 and 27

All shows begin at 7:30 p.m. at the theater, located in the Kalamazoo Nonprofit Advocacy Coalition building, 315 W. Michigan Ave. Tickets are $2–$20 and available at crawlspacecomedy.com.

Kalamazoo Refugee Film Festival

Sept. 19–21

Kalamazoo Valley Museum

This film festival aims to foster understanding and empathy by showcasing powerful films that tell the stories of refugees from around the world.

The festival is presented by the Kalamazoo Refugee Resource Collaborative Partnership. Three films will be shown, one each day starting at noon. They will be followed by panel discussions featuring local community members and organizations.

For more information, visit kalamazoomuseum.org/events.

PERFORMING ARTS

THEATER Plays

Our American Assassin — About the mind & motives of Lincoln assassin John Wilkes Booth, 8 p.m. Sept. 2–6, 5 p.m. Sept. 7, Barn Theatre, 731-4121, barntheatreschool.org; rated PG-13 for intense themes.

Mother Courage & Her Children — A woman’s story amid the hardship & brutality of the 17th century, 7:30 p.m. Sept. 5, 6, 12 & 13, Dormouse Theatre,1030 Portage St., dormousetheatre.com.

Utopia — About people living together without the barriers that divide us, 7:30 p.m. Sept. 26, 27, Oct. 2, 3, 4, 9, 10 & 11, 2 p.m. Sept. 28, Oct. 5 & 12, York Arena Theatre, WMU, 387-6222, wmich.edu/theatre.

FromFjordtoFrontier:TheAudaciousJourney of Norway’s First Immigrants to America — Dinner theater presentation on the courage, hope & heritage of those exploring America, 5–7 p.m. Oct. 8, Portage Zhang Senior Center, 203 E. Centre Ave., norwayinkalamazoo.com/events; reservations required by Sept. 30.

Musicals

Lerner & Loewe’s Camelot — Love, honor & betrayal in King Arthur’s court, Sept. 19–28, Civic Auditorium, 329 S. Park St., 343-1313, kazoocivic.com.

ComeFromAway— How Gander, Newfoundland, dealt with thousands of airline travelers diverted there on 9/11, 7:30 p.m. Sept. 25–27, Oct. 2–4 & 9–11, 2 p.m. Sept. 28, Oct. 5 & 12, Farmers Alley Theatre, 221 Farmers Alley, 343–2727, farmersalleytheatre.com.

MUSIC

Bands & Solo Artists

Soaring Eagle Casino & Resort Shows — Five Finger Death Punch, 7 p.m. Sept. 1; Bourbon & Bacon, 6:45 p.m. Sept. 20; Tim McGraw w/Travis Tritt, 8 p.m. Sept. 26; 6800 Soaring Eagle Blvd., Mt. Pleasant, soaringeaglecasino.com/shows.

Beats on Bates — Live outdoor music, 5:30–8:30 p.m., Bates Alley, downtown Kalamazoo: Da’Veonce & DaFunk Gang and DJ No Limit, Sept. 3; Tony Fields & Doug Decker and DJ Mel V, Sept. 10; MexiCuba and DJ Ivan, Sept. 17; Aintee-Kim & Uneek Soul and The Most Incredible DJ Chuck, Sept. 24; kalamazooarts.org/summertime-live.

México en el Corazón — With music & dances from various Mexican states, presented by El Concilio (formerly the Hispanic American Council), 7 p.m. Sept. 3, Miller Auditorium, elconciliokzoo.org.

Smokey Robinson — 7 p.m. Sept. 4, Meijer Gardens, 1000 E. Beltline NE, Grand Rapids, meijergardens.org/calendar/concerts.

Bell’s Eccentric Cafe Concerts — Kalamashoegazer 16 festival, 6 p.m. Sept. 5 & 5 p.m. Sept. 6; Soccer Mommy, 8 p.m. Sept. 9; Peach Jam: A Tribute to the Allman Brothers Band, 8 p.m. Sept. 12; Celeste Allison Ghostlore Release to benefit OutFront Kalamazoo, 8 p.m. Sept. 13; Baths, 8 p.m. Sept. 16; Superchunk w/Tee Vee Repairman, 8 p.m. Sept. 18; The Baseball Project w/Members of R.E.M. & Dream Syndicate w/Minus 5, 7 p.m. Sept. 19; Bell’s 40th Anniversary Garden Party w/The 1985, 8 p.m. Sept. 21; Joe Hertler & The Rainbow Seekers, 8 p.m. Sept. 26; The Bridge City Sinners w/Dead on a Sunday, Joshua Quimby, 7 p.m. Sept. 30; 355 E. Kalamazoo Ave., 382-2332, bellsbeer.com.

Folk Songs & Memories — Reminisce with the New Vic Company & listen to folk songs, 8 p.m. Sept. 5, 6, 12, 13, 19 & 20, New Vic Theatre, 134 E. Vine St., 381-3328, thenewvictheatre.org.

Gun Lake Casino Shows — Frank, Dean & Friends, 9 p.m. Sept. 5; Sushi Roll, 10 p.m. Sept. 12; Risque, 10 p.m. Sept. 19; The Spazmatics, 10 p.m. Sept. 26; 1123 129th Ave., Wayland, gunlakecasino.com.

Festival Friday — Live music by Matthew Borr & Northern Ground, with vendors & food trucks, 5–10 p.m. Sept. 12, Arcadia Creek Festival Place, 145 E. Water St., downtown Kalamazoo, foodtruckrallykz.com.

Northside Art Experience — Monthly showcase of local musicians & artists hosted by Ed Genesis, 7:30 p.m. Sept. 13, Northside Association for Community Development, 612 N. Park St., nowkalamazoo.org.

Lucius Fox, Small Parks, Blood At Ease — Indie rock & metal bands, 7:30 p.m. Sept. 19, Dormouse Theatre, 1030 Portage St., dormousetheatre.com.

Sounds of the Zoo — Free festival celebrating local music, with concerts & workshops, Sept. 22–28, various locations; full schedule at soundsofthezoo.com.

Liquid Note Concert Series — Live performances at 119 E. Allegan St., Otsego: Party Foul, 8 p.m. Sept. 26; The Bronk Brothers, 8 p.m. Sept. 27; liquidnote.com.

Orchestra, Chamber, Jazz, Vocal & More Kleinstuck Trail Walk — Atmospheric sounds from Kalamazoo Drone Society presented by Connecting Chords Music Festival, 6 p.m. Sept. 6, Kleinstuck Preserve; meet at Maple Street YMCA tennis courts, 1001 W. Maple St., & bring a portable chair; connectingchordsfestival.com.

Migratory Music — Selkie & Bahar Ensemble perform on the trails at the Kalamazoo Nature Center, 2–4 p.m. Sept. 13, Kalamazoo Nature Center, 7000 N. Westnedge Ave., connectingchordsfestival.com.

Parkwyn Jazz Trio — 2 p.m. Sept. 13, Vicksburg District Library, 215 S. Michigan Ave., Vicksburg, vicksburglibrary.org/calendar.

The Alaya Project — Indian Carnatic music with modern jazz, 7 p.m. Sept. 18, Dalton Theatre, Light Fine Arts Building, Kalamazoo College, connectingchordsfestival.com.

Akropolis Reed Quintet — Grammy-winning chamber ensemble, 7:30 p.m. Sept. 21, Dalton Center Recital Hall, WMU, 382-7774, fontanamusic.org.

Emanuel Ax Plays Beethoven — Grammywinning pianist performs Beethoven’s Third Piano Concerto, 7:30 p.m. Sept. 27, Miller Auditorium, kalamazoosymphony.org.

Goh Kurosawa — Soundscapes with familiar global melodies, 2:30 p.m. Sept. 28, Bronson Park, downtown Kalamazoo, connectingchordsfestival.com.

COMEDY

Crawlspace Comedy Theatre Improv Shows — Man vs. Machine, Sept. 5; Improv Trio & Joyce II Men, Sept. 6; Crawlspace Eviction, Sept. 12 & 13; The Comedy Project Takeover, Sept. 19; Blunder Bus, Sept. 20; all shows begin at 7:30 p.m., Crawlspace Theatre, 315 W. Michigan Ave., crawlspacecomedy.com.

Chi-Town Comedy Takeover — Lineup of Chicago comedians, 8 p.m. Sept. 6, Miller Auditorium, WMU, millerauditorium.com.

FILM

Vicksburg Village Outdoor Movie — Bring a picnic dinner, chairs or blankets & enjoy a familyfriendly movie, 8–10 p.m. Sept. 6, Oswalt Park, 109 N. Main St., Vickburg, vicksburglibrary.org.

Mulholland Drive — Screening of the 2001 movie with discussion following, 7:30 p.m. Sept. 11, Dormouse Theatre, 1030 Portage St., dormousetheatre.com.

Kalamazoo Refugee Film Festival — Showcasing stories of people forced to flee their homelands; three films will be shown, one each day, followed by a panel discussion, presented by the Kalamazoo Refugee Resource Collaborative Partnership, Sept. 19–21, Kalamazoo Valley Museum, 230 N. Rose St., kalamazoomuseum.org.

VISUAL ARTS

The Carnegie Center for the Arts 107 N. Main St., Three Rivers, 273-8882, trcarnegie.com

Above – Below — Southwest Michigan artists explore perspectives in physical, emotional, spiritual, cultural, environmental & universal realms, through Sept. 9.

Birds,Bugs&Blooms!— Nine-square steamroller print collaboration from Kalamazoo Institute of Arts' 2024 South Street Print Fest, through Sept. 9.

Boundless: Innovation & Tradition in Paper — Paper weaving, sculpting, bookbinding & surface printing, through Sept. 9.

What If? — Works by Roxie Vetter exploring techniques in design, color & medium, through Sept. 9.

Kalamazoo Institute of Arts

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

Exhibitions

West Michigan Area Show — Juried exhibition of works by area visual artists, through Sept. 14.

Leo Villareal: Interstellar — Immersive digital worlds in which code & celestial bodies fuse, through Sept. 21.

Ink Rhapsody: The Art of Lingnan Masters in Hong Kong — Artwork from the Asian Art Museum in San Francisco, through Oct. 26.

Events

Art Bridges Access for All — Free general admission on Thursdays, 11 a.m.–8 p.m.

Liu Kuo Sung’s Which is Earth No. 42 — A closer look at the work inspired by the 1968 Apollo 8 mission, 5:30–6 p.m. Sept. 4; registration encouraged.

Drop-In Conversation — Docents discuss artwork, 1:30–2:30 p.m. Sundays.

ARTbreak — Program about art, artists & exhibitions: Enhancing Traditional Art with Digital Tools, with photographer, illustrator & designer Kris Walker, Sept. 10; Impressionism, Expressionism & the Art of Music, with Zaide Pixley, Sept. 24; sessions begin at noon; registration encouraged.

iNoche De Familia! — A family night to celebrate Hispanic Heritage Month exploring the exhibition

Leo Villareal: Interstellar, games & creative artmaking, 6–7:30 p.m. Sept. 11.

Fired Together: A Community Celebration of Clay — Free event with a drop-in art project & creation of a community pot, 11 a.m.–2 p.m. Sept. 13.

Book Discussion — Imani Perry’s Black in Blues: A Color Tells the Story of My People, 2–3 p.m. Sept. 17.

Artful Evening: Chinese Ink Painting Workshop — Led by Julia Wang, 6 p.m. Sept. 18.

The Power of Your Story — Explores the power of personal stories, 6 p.m. Sept. 25.

Richmond Center for Visual Arts Western Michigan University, 387-2436, wmich.edu/art

'24-'25 Foundations Exhibition — Students display their work, through Sept. 6, DeVries Student Gallery.

Show Me Your Papers / A Ver, Y Tus Papeles? — Exploring issues related to borders, migration & dual identity, through Sept. 20, Albertine MonroeBrown Gallery.

Other Venues

Brush the Block — A celebration of murals transforming several downtown buildings, Sept. 2–7, various locations & times, downtown Kalamazoo, brushtheblock.com.

Art Hop — Art with the theme “Celebration," 5–8 p.m. Sept. 5, downtown Kalamazoo, 342–5059, kalamazooarts.org.

Book Arts in Italy — Prints & books created during student group trips to Italy, Sept. 5–26, Kalamazoo Book Arts Center, 326 W. Kalamazoo Ave., Suite 103A, 373-4938, kalbookarts.org.

Portage Community Art Award Exhibition — Showcasing the work of Portage artist Kathy Mills, Monday–Friday, Sept. 12–Nov. 7, Portage City Hall Atrium, 7900 S. Westnedge Ave., portagemi.gov/ calendar.

LIBRARY & LITERARY EVENTS

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

CTL Writers — Group writing discussion, 10 a.m. Fridays.

Walking Group — Casual walking on sidewalks or paved trail, 10 a.m. Mondays Sept. 8–Nov. 3.

State Rep. Matt Hall Listening Hour — A discussion with the representative’s staff, 1–2 p.m. Sept. 17.

Shady Grove: Tall Timbers and Blue Waters — Storytelling & songs of Michigan’s lumbering & Great Lakes lore, 11 a.m. Sept. 20.

Pride Book Club — Discuss A.R. Capetta's The Heartbreak Bakery, 6 p.m. Sept. 24, in-person & online; registration required.

EVENTS ENCORE

Adulting 101: Cooking Basics — For young adults or those wanting a refresher, 6 p.m. Sept. 29; registration required.

Buck-a-Bag Book Sale — Fill a bag with books for $1, Sept. 29–Oct. 11.

Kalamazoo Public Library 553-7800, kpl.gov

Kalamazoo Writers — A monthly gathering for literary writers in any genre, 4 p.m. Sept. 2, Van Deusen Room, Central Library, 315 S. Rose St.

No Shelf Control: A Graphic Novel Book Club — Discuss Alison Bechdel's Fun Home, 6 p.m. Sept. 2, Boardroom, Central Library.

KPL Mobile Library — 10 a.m. Sept. 3, Kalamazoo Literacy Council, 420 E. Alcott St.; 4 p.m. Sept. 3, Oakwood Neighborhood Association, 3320 Laird Ave.; 3:30 p.m. Sept. 8, New Village Park/Heather Gardens, 2400 Albans Way; 3:30 p.m. Sept. 9 (with free children’s book), Interfaith Homes, 1037 Interfaith Blvd.; 4 p.m. Sept. 10, Douglass Community Association, 1000 W. Paterson St.; 2 p.m. Sept. 18, Leisure Pointe Condominiums, 4814 Weston Ave.; 3 p.m. Sept. 23, Maple Grove Village, 735 Summit Ave.; stops are about one hour unless noted otherwise.

Page Turners Book Club — Discuss Kaveh Akbar's Martyr! 6:30 p.m. Sept. 8, Oshtemo Branch, 7265 W. Main St.

Music and Memories — Designed to engage older adults through music, particularly those with dementia or other memory loss, 11 a.m. Sept. 15, Oshtemo Branch.

Cider & Cinema — All ages can come & enjoy the Disney movie Hocus Pocus outdoors, 5:30 p.m. Sept. 15, Oshtemo Branch; cider will be served & costumes are encouraged.

KPL Tech Days — Learn tech basics or get help with your personal device, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Tuesdays & Saturdays, second-floor rotunda, Central Library; maximum one-hour sessions are first come, first served.

Fall Festival — Crafts, games, Fresh Food is Fun Fairy, balloon artist, petting zoo, music & snacks, 11 a.m.–1 p.m. Sept. 20, outside the Eastwood Branch, 1112 Gayle Ave.

Film Screening: Join or Die — Illustrating the importance of community for health, happiness & the survival of democracy, 2 p.m. Sept. 20, followed by discussion, Van Deusen Room, Central Library.

Senior Citizen Breakfast — 10 a.m. Sept. 26, Eastwood Branch.

Yoga with Apral — An hour of movement, 5:30 Sept. 29, Eastwood Branch.

Mid-Autumn Festival — Join experts from WMU's Haenicke Institute for Global Education for a Chinese festival, 4–5 p.m. Sept. 30, Community Room, Oshtemo Branch.

Parchment Community Library

401 S. Riverview Drive, 343-7747, parchmentlibrary.org

Parchment Book Group — Discuss Matt Haig's The Midnight Library, 6 p.m. Sept. 8.

Saving for College with MET & MESP — Learn about Michigan’s savings programs, 6:30 p.m. Sept. 15.

Mystery Book Club — Discuss Ann Cleeves' The Long Call, 6:30 p.m. Sept. 16.

Parchment City Commission Candidate Forum — Meet the candidates, 6:30 p.m. Sept. 29.

Portage District Library 300 Library Lane, 329-4544, portagelibrary.info

Mindful Meditation — Learn the benefits & practice, 6 p.m. Sept. 3 & 17; registration required.

Muffins and the Market — Discussion of stock market trends, 9 a.m. Sept. 4 & 18.

Gemini Moon Outdoor Concert — Indie folk music, 6 p.m. Sept. 4, library parking lot; bring a chair.

Sea Shanty Sing-Along: Set Your Sails! — All ages welcome, 2 p.m. Sept. 6.

Monarch Waystation Tour — A presentation on the library’s Monarch Waystation, 6:30 p.m. Sept. 9; registration required.

Yoga with Apral — An hour of movement, 4 p.m. Sept. 10 & 25; registration required.

Documentary & Donuts — View Brother Orange, about an editor who discovers his stolen phone halfway across the world, 10 a.m.–1 p.m. Sept. 12.

Saturday Sound Immersion — Wind Willow Consortium members play for relaxation & wellbeing, 10:30 a.m. Sept. 13; registration required.

Kalamazoo Valley Genealogical Society — Open to those interested in genealogy, 7 p.m. Sept. 15.

Decluttering Tips & Tricks — Take control of household clutter, 6 p.m. Sept. 16; registration required.

Plots & Pages: A Local Writers Group — Discussion on the craft of writing, 6 p.m. Sept. 16.

Photographic Composition: Taking Better Photos —6 p.m. Sept. 17; registration required.

International Mystery Book Club — Discuss Camilla Trinchieri’s Murder in Chianti, 7 p.m. Sept. 18.

Kalamazoo Macintosh Users Group — Get help with Mac computers, programs & accessories, 9 a.m. Sept. 20.

Kalamazoo Area Wild Ones — Managing invasive species in the fall, 6:30 p.m. Sept. 24.

Stump the Librarian — Try to stump Librarian Ruth & get a free comic book, 10 a.m. Sept. 27.

Light Lunch & Literature — Discuss Claire Keegan’s Foster, noon Sept. 29; registration required.

Travel Vaccines — Preventing common travelrelated illnesses, 6:30 p.m. Sept. 29; registration required.

Cooking Demo with Chef Gandia — 6 p.m. Sept. 30; registration required.

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

Bridge Club — Noon Tuesdays.

Cookbook Club — Sample & discuss recipes from Melissa Ben-Ishay’s Come Hungry, 6 p.m. Sept. 9.

Adult Dungeons & Dragons Bravo Team — A new crusade each month, 5–8 p.m. Sept. 10 & 3–6 p.m. Sept. 17; registration required.

Seed Saving 101 — Saving seeds from flowers, vegetables & herbs to use next season, 6 p.m. Sept. 10.

Michigan County Poor Farms — Learn the history of the state’s poorhouses & poor farms, 7 p.m. Sept. 11.

Richland Area Writer’s Group — Noon Sept. 12 & 26.

Free Professional Headshots — Five-minute appointments, 11 a.m.–1 p.m. Sept. 13; registration encouraged; walk-ins are not guaranteed; photos will be emailed within two weeks of the event.

Richland Genealogy Group — Roundtable discussion group, 10 a.m. Sept. 18, in person & online.

RCL Book Club — Discuss Ariel Lawhon’s The Frozen River, 6 p.m. Sept. 18.

Team Jeopardy Trivia Night — 7 p.m. Sept. 23; team registration required.

Between the Pages: Romance Book Club — Discuss Lyla Sage’s Done and Dusted, 6 p.m.

Sept. 24 at Ned’s, 15450 M-43, Hickory Corners; registration required.

Vicksburg District Library

215 S. Michigan Ave., 649-1648, vicksburglibrary.org

Bridge Club — 9:30 a.m.–noon Tuesdays. Book Club for Adults — 9:30 a.m. Sept. 4.

Writer’s Motivational Group — Set goals & report progress, 4 p.m. Sept. 11.

Other Venues

Kalamazoo in the 1870s — Lecture by historian Lynn Houghton, 6 p.m. Sept. 15, Ladies Library Auditorium, 333 S. Park St., followed by a dessert reception, 352-7501.

Adult Book Club — Discuss Elyse Durham’s Maya & Natasha, 5:30 p.m. Sept. 17, Van Buren District Library's Antwerp Sunshine Branch, 24283 Front St., Mattawan, 668-2534, vbdl.org.

MUSEUMS

Air Zoo

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

Extreme Sports: Beyond Human Limits Explore the world of extreme sports, through Oct 31.

Gilmore Car Museum

6865 Hickory Road, Hickory Corners, 671-5089, gilmorecarmuseum.org

Wednesday Night Cruise-Ins — 5–8 p.m. on good-weather nights, with collector cars, food & live music: Stranded Hobos, Sept. 3; Rockslide, Sept. 10; Zion Lion, Sept. 17; Chris Karl, Sept. 24.

Vintage Motorcycle Weekend — Motorcycles, parts & memorabilia with live music, 9 a.m.–4 p.m. Sept. 13–14.

Ford Model A Days — Celebrating the historic Model A, 9 a.m.–4 p.m. Sept. 19–20.

Cadillac Fall Festival —Cadillacs from 1903–present, 9 a.m.–4 p.m. Sept. 26–27.

Kalamazoo Valley Museum 230 N. Rose St., 373-7990, kalamazoomuseum.org

Exhibition

Dancing with Life: Mexican Masks — Mexico’s rich culture depicted in historic & contemporary masks, Sept. 27–Jan. 4.

Event

Kalamazoo Refugee Film Festival — Sept. 19–21; see entry in FILM.

NATURE

Kalamazoo Nature Center 7000 N. Westnedge Ave., 381-1574, naturecenter.org

Guided Butterfly Walk — Observe various species, 1–3 p.m. Sept. 13; registration required. Free Admission Day — Sept. 27, Visitor Center open 9 a.m.–5 p.m. & trails 9 a.m.–7:30 p.m.

Kellogg Bird Sanctuary 12685 East C Ave., Augusta, 671-2510, birdsanctuary@kbs.msu.edu

Birds & Coffee Chat Online — Discuss backyard habitats, 10 a.m. Sept. 10; registration required.

Fall Migration Bird Hike — Guided hike looking for migrating songbirds, 9 a.m. Sept. 13; registration required.

Other Venues

Geo Mystery Tour: Oak Oddities — Geocaching in the Portage Parks system, Sept. 1–30, a mystery revealed every other month; register at portagemi. gov/calendar.

Kalamazoo Astronomical Society Meeting — Moonshot: A Brief History of Lunar Exploration, presentation by Richard Bell, 7 p.m. Sept. 5, Kalamazoo Math & Science Center, 600 W. Vine St., & online, kasonline.org.

Kalamazoo Astronomical Society Public

Sept. 23–Nov. 18, KVCC’s Schlack Culinary & Allied Health Building, 418 E. Walnut St., valleyhub.kvcc.edu.

Leaf-A-Legacy: Tree Planting Project — Help plant 400 trees, snacks & supplies provided, 10 a.m.–noon Sept. 26, Celery Flats, 7335 Garden Lane, Portage, portagemi.gov/calendar; registration required.

MISCELLANEOUS

Kalamazoo Farmers Market — 7 a.m.–1 p.m. Saturdays through October; Mini Markets, 8 a.m.–1 p.m. Tuesdays & Thursdays through Oct. 9; Night Market, 5–10 p.m. Sept. 18; 1204 Bank St., pfcmarkets.com.

Richland Farmers’ Market — 3–6 p.m. Wednesdays through Sept. 17, Richland Community Center, 9400 East CD Ave., richlandareacc.org/ richland-farmers-market.

Paw Paw Wine & Harvest Festival — Tastings, tours, 5K walk/run, grape stomping, kayak race, 4 entertainment stages, fireworks & parade, Sept. 5–7; schedule at wineandharvestfestival.com.

Vicksburg Farmers Market — 2–6 p.m. Fridays through Sept. 26, with local food, artisan products & music, 300 N. Richardson St., vicksburgfarmersmarket.com.

Scottish Festival & Highland Games — Celebrating Scottish history & culture with Highland games, clans, music & dancing, 9 a.m.–5 p.m. Sept. 6, Kindleberger Park, 122 N. Riverview Drive, Parchment; schedule at kalamazooscottishfest.org.

Texas Township Farmers Market — 8 a.m.–noon Saturdays through Oct. 18, 7110 West Q Ave., texastownship.org/168/farmers-market.

Living History Tour — Hosted by the Friends of Kalamazoo Historic Cemeteries, 1–5 p.m. Sept. 6, Mountain Home Cemetery, 1402 W. Main St.; purchase tickets online, tinyurl.com/ Kzoohistorytour.

Corks & Kegs at the Zoo — Beer, wine, live music, food trucks & meals from zoo restaurants, 2 p.m. Sept. 6, VIP access at 1 p.m., Binder Park Zoo, 7400 Division Drive, Battle Creek, 9791351, binderparkzoo.org.

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

2025 Sunrise to Sunset Walk — To benefit Bronson Health Foundation’s NICU Fund, 6 a.m.–8 p.m. Sept. 8; begins at Kal-Haven trailhead, 10th St., stellarsteppers.com/events.

Oktoberfest — Celebrate German culture with beer, food, live music & more, 2–7 p.m. Sept. 13, South Westnedge Park, 9010 S. Westnedge Ave., portagemi.gov/calendar.

Vintage in the Zoo — Outdoor vintage market & handmade goods with live music, 10 a.m.–5 p.m. Sept. 14, Kalamazoo Farmers Market site, 1204 Bank St., vintageinthezoo.com and Facebook event page.

Silent City

For the late Dean M. Hauck

It is midnight at the News Agency— Bukowski stirs a drink, Ginsberg howls,

Kerouac stares out the window, absorbing the stillness of street life. Local heroes share the seat with Hemingway and Poe. The scent of wordsmiths fills the air— everyone missing Dean Margaret.

Darkness is a friend to the Tribune, The Free Press, all bearing old news not to be replaced.

The Playboy bunnies wither within their plastic home. The First Amendment rules in this house— the Golden Rule was her passion. The marquee lies silent no longer bringing us the world.

— Carl Rizzuto

Rizzuto received a degree in creative writing in the mid-1970s from Western Michigan, where he studied under poets John Woods, Herb Scott and Stuart Dybek. He is a lifelong resident of Kalamazoo and the owner of Papa's Italian Sausage, which he opened in 1984. He started visiting the Michigan News Agency with his father in the 1960s, when the Chicago Tribune was a dime and Dean Hauck's stepfather ran the business. He continued visiting there after Dean took over the business in 1988. "I have always admired Dean for her unending work ethic and her knowledge of and presence in Kalamazoo's literary world," Rizzuto says. Dean died on Feb. 8, and a memorial observance was held at Michigan News Agency on May 2.

Kalamazoo Reptile & Exotic Pet Expo — Reptiles, amphibians, small mammals & exotic pets, 10 a.m.–3 p.m. Sept. 14, South Room, Kalamazoo County Expo Center, 2900 Lake St., kalamazooreptileexpo.com.

NSRA Street Rod Nationals North — 1,800+ street rods, muscle cars, custom cars, trucks & specialty vehicles, 8 a.m.–5 p.m. Sept. 19, 8 a.m.–4 p.m. Sept. 20, Kalamazoo County Fairgrounds, nsra-usa.com.

Kalamazoo Fall Bike Celebration — Rides through Southwest Michigan, starting & finishing at Vicksburg Historic Village & Depot Museum, 300 N. Richardson St., Vicksburg, Sept. 19–21, fallbikecelebration.org.

Canadiana Fest – Canadian food, music & culture, 3:30–10 p.m. Sept. 20, Arcadia Creek Festival Place, 145 E. Water St., facebook.com/canadianafest.

Fall Festival — Tractor rides, farmers market, crafts, demonstrations & live music, 10 a.m.–2 p.m. Sept. 21, Celery Flats, 7335 Garden Lane, Portage, portagemi.gov/calendar.

Farm Tours: Pressing Cider at VerHage Fruit Farm — Bus trip to learn about pressing

cider, 3:45–6:30 p.m. Sept. 24, Portage Parks & Recreation Building, 320 Library Lane, portagemi. gov/calendar; registration required.

Hot Glass on Tap! 2025 — Glass art demonstrations, food, drinks & music, 7–10 p.m. Sept. 26, Glass Art Kalamazoo, Suite 100, Park Trades Center, 326 W. Kalamazoo Ave.; purchase tickets online, glassartskalamazoo.org.

Mom-to-Mom Sale — Gently used baby, maternity & children’s items, 8 a.m.–1 p.m. Sept. 27, Kalamazoo County Expo Center, kalcounty.com/calendar.

Fall Craft Show — 220 booths with decor, clothing, jewelry & handmade crafts, 9 a.m.–3 p.m. Sept. 27, 10 a.m.–3 p.m. Sept. 28, Kalamazoo County Expo Center, 903–5820, kalcounty.com/ calendar.

Vicksburg Harvest Festival — Food trucks, vendors, petting zoo, wagon rides, sawmill demonstration, tours of historical buildings & more, 11 a.m.–4 p.m. Sept. 28, Vicksburg Historic Village, 300 N. Richardson St., Vicksburg, vicksburghistory.org.

Susan Rosas (continued from page 38) potential harm to citizens in Kalamazoo. We started (collaborating) the week after the election, and we’ve since had half a dozen large sessions talking about what we are observing. How is behavior changing? Are organizations freezing hiring or having to pull from financial reserves? What about shifts in support for violence intervention, immigrant families, food and housing security, and services for the LGBTQ+ community? And what are the action steps we can take? What keeps you up at night?

All the things we once knew and could depend on and predict are no longer predictable. As a sector, we’re having to hedge bets on what we think might happen, and it’s hard to take risks when you’re not sure exactly what the impact will be. But we have an obligation to do our best to support this community to thrive, and I have an obligation to do the same for the people who work for this organization. There is great responsibility and honor in that work.

So, your immediate worries have to do with funding?

It’s a combination of funding and policy shifts that so dramatically hurt the wellbeing of people. We do have more than $2 million in awarded grants that are tied up in bureaucracy, and certainly foundations are also pausing to strategize (about) responding

YWCA Fall Events

Until Justice Just Is 10 a.m.–2 p.m. Sept. 18

Advia Credit Union, 6400 W. Main St.

A free day of education and skill-building for advocates, organizers and community members committed to systems change. The event Includes lunch.

Full Circle Luncheon

11:30 a.m.–1:30 p.m. Oct. 9

Delta Hotels Kalamazoo Conference Center, 2747 S. 11th St.

In observance of Domestic Violence Awareness Month, the Full Circle Luncheon aims to amplify the voices of survivors of violence who have been served by YWCA Kalamazoo.

For more information, visit ywcakalamazoo.org.

to changing needs. We are seeing a change in donor behavior. People pull back when there’s economic uncertainty. Perhaps they’re losing money on their investments or experiencing tariffs on their businesses, so we are seeing an increase of in-kind contributions, people donating their time and their stuff.

But even if all the money remains the same, there is still real hurt and harm that is making people feel persecuted by this government. We have folks in the community and the organization who have various forms of immigration status. Worrying about

your safety and your future is an incredibly stressful place to be. The fear is significant. Similarly with the queer community here, the policy shifts are challenging the existence and the identity of so many people in our community.

We’re an anti-violence, anti-oppression organization, and when the public narrative uplifts (an) oppressive rhetoric and narrative, we see an increase in violence. Rhetoric actually changes behavior, and we see that front and center. We saw an increase in community violence in the first 60 days following the election, and folks are coming to us with more severe injuries, with much greater fear of their partners, and a belief that their partners now feel empowered to hurt them more.

What gets you out of bed in the morning?

Everything! There hasn’t been a single day that I wished I wasn’t coming in to work. This work is timely, and it’s invigorating. It’s an intellectual challenge to try to think in a different way, keeping what we’re doing within our commitment to anti-racism, feminism, and trauma responsiveness. It’s not often that an agency is able to do direct service and broader policy systems-change work. It’s so meaningful to me and makes me feel like I’m doing my ancestors proud.

— Interview by Katie Houston, edited for length and clarity

Susan Rosas Helping others at the helm of the YWCA

Kalamazoo’s YWCA turns 140 this year, making it one of the oldest institutions in town, and it's one that serves myriad community needs from several locations. Executive Director Susan Rosas, 41, has been on the job since January 2024, supervising 180 employees who serve the community with programs focused on early childhood learning, maternal and child health, reproductive justice, and violence interruption. These programs include 24-hour victim services, emergency shelter for survivors of partner violence or trafficking, support for sexual assault survivors, transitional housing, and legal support and counseling. Rosas spoke with us from the YWCA administrative offices in Parchment.

How did you get where you are today ?

I grew up in Grand Rapids. My mother’s family came to the U.S. as refugees from Poland, and my dad’s family is from Mexico. My brother and sister are adoptees, and we all went into social justice in some capacity. I started out in child welfare, going to school in Miami, and moving to New York, where I experienced a stalking circumstance that shifted some of my focus into sexual violence. I went to graduate school in Chicago, where I became interested in anti-trafficking work. I went to Cambodia for a couple of years, but that work took a toll, so I returned to the U.S. and found work on border issues in San Antonio. When the pandemic hit, I was very pregnant and so my partner, our toddler and two dogs moved back to Grand Rapids, where my parents live. I’d been commuting from there for the last 18 months but just moved to Kalamazoo, where we are settling into our home.

What’s going on right now at the YWCA?

So much — some wonderful (things), some really difficult. In addition to all of our direct services, we are leading solidarity sessions across the community in anticipation of the shifts coming from the government — and those we’ve already seen. Many organizations, including ours, have lost significant funding. We are collaborating across a coalition of 42 organizations to mitigate the

(continued on page 37)

Taking Flight: How Airport Community Days Inspire the Next Generation of Aviators

Airport community days are more than just fun events — they’re powerful tools for education, outreach,and inspiration. Designed to welcome the public into the world of aviation, these events play a key role in raising awareness of the airport’s role in the community while offering hands-on experiences that can spark lifelong passions.

To promote aviation as a career, the Kalamazoo/Battle Creek International Airport will host AirFair on Saturday, Sept. 20, which will showcase aviation and the airport.

One of the most valuable outcomes of airport community days is the promotion of aviation education. AirFair is a great opportunity for youth in the area to experience aviation up close. Through aircraft displays, pilot demonstrations, and airport tours, attendees — especially youth — gain insight into how airports function and the many careers that support air travel.

For scouting groups, the AirFair is a golden opportunity. Through coordination with local scouts, AirFair will have many activities geared to helping the scouts achieve their aviation merit badges. Scouts will learn the basics of aircraft control surfaces, explore airport operations, or complete a model airplane build as part of their badge requirements. These structured educational sessions not only help scouts meet their goals, but also introduce them to a world of possibilities in aviation.

Additionally, AirFair will include Young Eagles flights led by the local chapter of the Experimental Aircraft Association’s (EAA). These free introductory flights give youth ages 8–17 their first experience in a small aircraft alongside a licensed

pilot. For many, this will be their first time off the ground and can be the beginning of a lifelong interest in flight.

These experiences also connect directly to STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, and Math) education. Aviation is a rich, interdisciplinary field that brings together aerodynamics, weather science, engineering, communications, and problemsolving. Hands-on exposure to aviation reinforces classroom concepts in an exciting, real-world context. Whether it’s calculating flight distances or understanding air pressure, kids engage with science and math in meaningful, memorable ways.

Ultimately, airport community days do more than open hangar doors — they open minds. By connecting kids with aviation and providing tangible educational opportunities, these events help build a future workforce and a more aviation-literate public, all while celebrating the vital role airports play in our communities.

For more about the Kalamazoo/Battle Creek International Airport AirFair follow along on Facebook.