Entertainment Archives – Page 15 of 15

Super Saturday: It’s not just a one day event anymore

By Newsroom

●

June 3, 2010

From 30,000 to 40,000 people are expected to turn out in Kalamazoo this weekend to take in the largest downtown event of the year.The event that began years ago as Super Saturday has morphed into the kick off of the summer season for retailers, restaurateurs and entertainment venues across downtown.The fun begins Thursday with the Greek Fest at Arcadia Creek Festival Place. Musical headliners are the Spin Doctors Friday and Night Ranger Saturday.Next up is the expanded Art Hop featuring art work in nearly 60 different locations across the downtown. Art on the Mall, traditionally a Saturday event, will open Friday night to cater to the Art Hop crowd. From 5 to 10 p.m. there will be a sneak preview of the KIA Art Fair in Bronson Park.Silliness steps off Saturday morning with the Do-Dah parade, a Kalamazoo tradition in which participants spoof just about anything as they march through downtown. Throughout the day people will be flocking to the 59th annual Kalamazoo Institute of Arts Fair where they'll find 200 artist booths, a kids art yard, live music, a beer garden and food court on South Street.Friends of the Library Book Sale, at the Kalamazoo Public Library, will run from 9 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. There is a Ladies Library Ice Cream Social and a Historical Walk that starts in front of Gazelle Sports, 241 S. Kalamazoo Mall.The weekend concludes with the Concerts in the Park series at Bronson Park beginning at 4 p.m. with Kalamazoo Singers, one of the area's premier choral organizations.Downtown Kalamazoo Incorporated is a private, nonprofit organization dedicated to establishing Downtown Kalamazoo as an accessible, diverse, green, progressive and vibrant urban center. Writer: Kathy Jennings Source: Vicky Kettner, DKI

Latest in Entertainment

The undead entertain downtown Battle Creek in search for brain food

By Newsroom

●

Arts & Culture

●

May 27, 2010

As thunder rolled and rained drizzled down, zombies swarmed the streets of Battle Creek. The prophesied Zombie Apocalypse had come, reports Laura Adams in her blog, The Village Thinker.There were blood-covered zombies, drooling zombies and pre-school-age zombies with mommy zombies. With the exception of an irate security guard at the W.K. Kellogg Foundation who threatened to call the police, folks in downtown Battle Creek seemed to accept the swarm.Local photographer Dave Melges organized and captured the zombie antics. Soon, he's organizing a bride-themed photo shoot. And for five days in September, the zombies and the brides will do battle in the streets of Battle Creek as he shoots a feature-length movie called Brides vs Zombies.For video, still pictures and more commentary on the event check out Adams' blog.Source: The Village Thinker

FireKeepers Casino keeps its word to Battle Creek

By Newsroom

●

Arts & Culture

●

May 13, 2010

FireKeepers Casino has kept its promise to spend locally, reports the Battle Creek Enquirer.About 40 percent of FireKeepers' spending happens within a roughly 60-mile radius of the Emmett Township casino, according to the newspaper's analysis of spending data provided by the casino.Excerpt: FireKeepers spent nearly $12.8 million on supplies between its August opening and late-April, according to the documents.About 22 percent of that $12.8 million was spent in nearby counties, including $2.5 million, or about 20 percent of the casino's total spending, in Calhoun County.FireKeepers spent about $1.94 million in Battle Creek, according to the documents.The story goes on to say a big, positive impact on the local economy was one of the casino's biggest selling points to critics before it opened.And $2.5 million could be a big, positive impact for Calhoun County, said George Erickcek, a senior analyst with Kalamazoo's W.E. Upjohn Institute for Employment Research who is studying FireKeepers' impact on Calhoun County. While FireKeepers could be tough competition for existing restaurants, the casino is spending the kind of money that could allow the beneficiaries of that spending to add jobs, Erickcek said.For a further breakdown on the casino's spending, read the entire story.Source: Battle Creek Enquirer

Local music scene: Something to blog about

By Rebecca Bakken

●

General

●

April 22, 2010

In a college town like Kalamazoo the music scene is an ever-changing landscape. This week writer Rebecca Bakken catches up with two bloggers, one looking back and one looking forward, to check out what they see (and hear).