Saturday’s Grand River Water Festival at Grand Rapids’ Riverside Park served up sets from a diverse range of Michigan acts while celebrating and promoting efforts to improve water quality.
Inclusive, Educational: Dede & The Dream with young performers on stage at the Grand River Water Festival. (Photo/Kendra Kamp)
For those entering Saturday’s Grand River Water Festival at Grand Rapids’ Riverside Park in Grand Rapids, the chatter of children and smell of barbecue engulfed the senses.
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Add the engaging music on stage, the flower crowns worn by attendees and the peaceful milieu, and the result was a captivating and relaxed atmosphere at the 2018 edition of the festival.
Water and Bluegrass: Fauxgrass was among many acts who performed Saturday. (Photo/Kendra Kamp)
From noon till 9 p.m., Michigan acts and speakers provided nearly non-stop entertainment and education while food from Blue Spoon Food Truck, Getting Fresh Food Truck and A&E BBQ catered to the hungry masses and beer from Creston Brewery supplied refreshment for adults.
Booths representing environmental groups and programs also were on hand.
“We’re here this weekend to give people knowledge about invasive species in Michigan and give them advice on ways they can control the spread of them,” said Grant Young of the Kent Conservation District. Young traveled from Madison, Miss., to intern this summer with the Kent Conservation District.
He also couldn’t help but marvel at the talent on stage, noting “the lady earlier really had some pipes on her, but all the performers have been pretty amazing.”
That “lady” was Kalamazoo’s Yolonda Lavender, whose musical influences range from what she grew up in church singing on Sundays to the hip hop introduced to her by her dad, who taught her the Sugarhill Gang’s “Rapper’s Delight.”
Picturesque Riverside Setting: The festival once again took place along the Grand River. (Photo/Kendra Kamp_
“This is my first time performing at the Grand River Water Festival but I perform and am connected to many people in the local music scene here which I’m really grateful for,” said Lavender, who performed at Saturday’s festival with Bedrock, with whom she’s been working for years.
“I think it is so important for us to take care of the earth because it takes care of us so the more that we reciprocate that care then the better off we all will be,” added Lavender, noting festivals like these give her hope that people will finally realize the importance of protecting the planet’s natural resources. (Lavender also performs at 9 p.m. next Saturday as part of Black Girl Magic Night at Creston Brewery in Grand Rapids.)
Others performing at Saturday’s water festival included Aspen Jacobsen, Peter “Madcat” Ruth, Molly, Seth Bernard, Dede & The Dream, Fauxgrass, Haws & Owls (led by festival organizer Bruce Ling) and Evolucion, which closed out the evening.
PHOTO GALLERY: Grand River Water Festival 2018
Photos by Kendra Kamp
VIDEO: Yolonda Lavender at Grand River Water Festival
Video by Katlin Merby
Copyright 2018, Spins on Music LLC
