Category: Culture

Event Annual Holiday Art Sale Organization Kalamazoo Institute of Arts (KIA) Date and Time November 30 from 5:00 pm to 8:00 pm
December 1 from 9:00 am to 3:00 pm Location 435 West South Street, Kalamazoo, MI 49007 — What roel does the KIA play in the community? When I first moved to Kalamazoo, the city […]

On August 8, 2019, Landscape Forms hosted a celebration for its 50th anniversary of crafting unique products for enjoyment across the world. The beautiful weather was the perfect complement to Landscape Forms’ 50th anniversary celebration, as more than 100 community leaders gathered in the summer sun at the company’s Kalamazoo, Michigan home base. The event […]

SPCA of Southwest Michigan serves animals in need while establishing its roots in the community as a shelter that is unlike the rest, promoting positive change as a result. While not everyone experiences a childhood calling to serve a greater purpose, Katie Timber, SPCA of Southwest Michigan executive director and long-time advocate of helping animals, […]

The Autism Awareness Support Center of Southwest Michigan is working to educate on and advocate for families and individuals whose lives are affected by autism. As a seasoned mother of two, Katrina Wood was no stranger to bringing up little ones when her third child was born, but when he was diagnosed with autism as […]

The story of Kalamazoo bookshop, this is a bookstore and Bookbug, begins with the Kalamazoo Promise—along with a leap of faith and a steadfast drive for making reading accessible, joyous, and human for every person in Southwest Michigan. 2008 was not the year to start a small, independent bookstore in the heart of Southwest Michigan—but, […]

Honor Credit Union, Arbor Financial Credit Union, and Huntington National Bank reveal insights on personal leadership and financial management for small businesses at the Chamber’s July Lunch & Learn event. July 24, 2019 | Southwest Michigan small business professionals from across the region joined together at the Chamber’s July Lunch & Learn to spark a […]

Kalamazoo Restaurant Week 2019 is cooking up to be the best-ever! Nearly a decade ago, Kalamazoo hosted its first-ever Restaurant Week in the dead of winter. The motivation behind the event was simple: Draw people out of their homes and make the frozen streets of Downtown Kalamazoo bustle with restaurateurs, retailers and hungry locals during […]

Monarch butterflies, though native to Southwest Michigan, are declining in number. The Michigan Nature Association is doing its best to change that! Each year when the snow in Southwest Michigan finally recedes, a wave of tiny orange butterflies migrates a few thousand miles north to replace it. Although the monarch butterfly, like many of us, […]

When it comes to Kalamazoo, history is all around you! Walking tours from Gazelle Sports are helping the community see it. Picture this: It’s Friday morning on the Kalamazoo Mall. A group gathers outside Gazelle Sports, congregating around Lynn Houghton as she adjusts her fanny-pack microphone in preparation of leading a historical walking tour throughout […]

Confections with Convictions is serving up much more than mouthwatering chocolates; it’s also changing the lives of young people across the community. The first time the phrase “confections with convictions” slipped out of juvenile counselor Dale Anderson’s mouth, he apologized and called it “a bad joke.” These days, “Confections with Convictions” means something much more […]

With several brand new events this summer, Kalamazoo Downtown Partnership is making the city “the place to be!” Imagine: Coachella-scale masses of people flood the sidewalks of Kalamazoo’s downtown each afternoon. People talk and laugh; they make purchases from shops, dig into delicious food from restaurants up and down the streets. Some gather together to […]

Support for sustainable winemaking yields wine that’s better for people and the planet. Shoppers are increasingly focused on how their purchasing decisions affect their health and that of the environment. The terms organic, natural, and sustainable have surpassed buzzword status, becoming a way of life for many. Discerning consumers, particularly millennials and members of Gen […]