Category: Culture

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 […]

Melissa Goodson, Development Director of Alzheimer’s Association, tells us how the Walk to End Alzheimer’s leads ever closer to a cure. SPONSOR ORGANIZATION: Alzheimer’s Association EVENT: Walk to End Alzheimer’s DATE: September 29, 2019 TIME: 12:00 pm LOCATION: Kalamazoo College Athletic Complex, 1600 West Michigan Avenue, Kalamazoo, MI Stand Together, Walk as One The Walk […]

Greenbush Brewery owner, Scott Sullivan, took his love for home brewing to the next level when he opened the Sawyer, Michigan brewery. The coast of Lake Michigan is home to some of the best-kept secrets the mitten state has to offer. From Muskegon to Holland, Grand Haven to St. Joseph, its beach-centric towns draw thousands […]

A Q+A with Michael Betz, President and Co-Owner of ImageStream. How do you approach design at ImageStream? My business partner Tom Brooks and I started this company 20 years ago, in 1999. We were working for Pharmacia & Upjohn, handling its media center here in Kalamazoo. But when the company started moving its jobs to […]