The first night of the three-day music festival at Circle Pines Center south of Grand Rapids embraced regional artists and more. The recap, photos and the rest of the weekend lineup.
Rocking the Orchard Stage: Chicago’s Mucca Pazza ‘marching band’ revved up fans on a wet night. (Photo/Derek Ketchum)
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There’s never a dull — or unfriendly — moment at Buttermilk Jamboree.
So Day 1 of the 2025 music festival at Circle Pines Center kept the upbeat vibe and eclectic music humming on Friday to launch the 13th edition of this family-friendly affair celebrating regional music, despite rain that swept through the site south of Grand Rapids.
The Wayland Jazz Band opened up the evening on the Orchard Stage with their vibrant tunes, under gray skies with a cool breeze drifting through the trees and rain showers making their way into the Delton area.
They performed a variety of swing songs, as well as takes on “Twist and Shout” and Adele’s “Rolling in the Deep.”
Upbeat Vibe Despite the Rain: The scene on Friday. (Photo/Derek Ketchum)
“I think that music is the very nature of all of us and that’s what connects us,” said band director Kelli Smith. “We’re sharing music with the people that we love and making new friends along the way. What a gift.”
Kalamazoo singer-songwriter Kait Rose, who performed Friday evening with her Band of Thorns in front of a joyful crowd, called Buttermilk one of her favorite festivals “because of its size and its community. It’s such a very close-knit group of people, and everyone is so friendly and kind and safe.”
The rain kept many people under their umbrellas, the trees or the food tent, with the rain letting up for bit during the upbeat set by Chicago rock ‘n’ roll marching band Mucca Pazza (only to return midway through).
The wet weather didn’t keep folks from dancing along to music from the likes of Mucca Pazza, Great Lakes Brass Band, Cabildo or Adam Gottlieb & OneLove, which closed out the Garden Stage.
And smiles were everywhere.
First-time festival attendees Jake Grevenstuk and Melissa Beck of Kalamazoo said the opening day was “awesome so far. Everybody’s just super chill; it’s a real family environment. Everybody can just relax, kick back and be themselves.”
That connection for live music fans from across the state continues Saturday and Sunday with performances by The Go Rounds, Crys Matthews, The Mainstays, Chuck Whiting Jr., Y-Not, Space Bar, Laura Rain & The Caesars and many more. And today’s forecast is rain-free, calling for variably cloudy and clear skies, and temperatures near 80.
View the full schedule below, and get daily ticket details online here.
PHOTO GALLERY: Buttermilk Jamboree 2025, Day 1
Photos by Derek Ketchum
BUTTERMILK JAMBOREE 2025: THE SCHEDULE
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