Beyond ArtPrize, there are tons of music festivals and celebrations firing up the final weekend of summer across West Michigan. Get the lowdown on several of them at Local Spins.
Celebrating 50 Years: The Eastown Streetfair returns on Saturday. (Photo/Anthony Norkus)
Sure, Grand Rapids much-hyped ArtPrize officially kicked off today with entries/exhibits from more than 800 artists hailing from 30 states and 15 countries — and $600,000 in total prize and grant money at stake.
Support our coverage of
West Michigan's music scene
But this is also one of West Michigan’s busiest music festival weekends of the summer, a season reveling in its final vestiges before autumn sets in.
In addition to previously published Local Spins previews for this weekend’s Earthwork Harvest Gathering (Lake City), Grand Rapids African-American Festival (Grand Rapids) and Michigan Irish Music Festival (Muskegon), here are a few more music-rich celebrations you might have overlooked to spice up summer’s final flurry.
EASTOWN STREETFAIR
Just like last weekend’s Wheatland Music Festival (the granddaddy of Michigan music fests), Grand Rapids’ Eastown Streetfair hosted by the Eastown Community Association celebrates its 50th anniversary starting at 9 a.m. Saturday with vendors, food, beverages, WYCE-FM’s annual LP and CD sale, and a blast of live regional music that includes a toast to a genre also celebrating its 50th, hip hop.
The eclectic music lineup booked by Triumph Music Academy kicks off at 11:30 a.m. Saturday on Wealthy Street SE with the Celtic and world music charm of Selkie and continues deep into the evening with a hip-hop anniversary set curated by Monk Matthaeus and headlined by Euro-K.
EASTOWN STREETFAIR 2023: MUSIC SCHEDULE
WEST MICHIGAN BLUEGRASS MUSIC ASSOCIATION FALLFEST
As Calabogie Road, one of the bands performing this weekend in Lowell, puts it in their promotional material: “Everyone likes bluegrass music; some folks just don’t know it yet.”
The West Michigan Bluegrass Music Associations FallFest at the old Kent County Youth Fairgrounds in Lowell features two days of bluegrass music, workshops, 50-50 drawings, silent auction, camping and “parking lot picking and jamming.” Weekend tickets at the gate are $35 ($32 for members), with a Friday day pass costing $15 and a Saturday day pass $20. Children 15 and younger are admitted free.
Performing this year will be The Williams Family, Calabogie Road, The Band Bridge, Cedar Creek, Easy Idle, Gloria Lynne’s Bluegrass Express and more.
HAL BEVERIDGE MUSIC FESTIVAL
Jessie Beveridge & The Rockit King (Photo/John Sinkevics)
Described as a mix of jam sessions “and bands playing a variety of styles,” this year’s 2 p.m.-11 p.m. affair will feature performances by the Pice Project, Beveridge Brothers Band, The Rockit King, Weezil Malone Band, The Selby’s, Out of Time Band, Jellyfisherman and Cretin Family Band, with the $20 cover going to support the Hal Beveridge Memorial Scholarship Fund.
Get more details online here.
Hal Beveridge passed away in December 2018, sparking a flood of tributes and in-memoriams from fans and fellow musicians.
PERRIN BREWING BACKYARD BASH
Low Phase (Photo/Joshua Tufts)
Opening at 3 p.m. Saturday, this year’s event will feature indie-rock’s Low Phase at 5 p.m., funk-rock’s The Hacky Turtles at 6:30 p.m. and, finally, Petoskey-bred alt-country/Americana band Michigan Rattlers at 8:30 p.m.
Standard tickets for those 21-and-older are $25; non-drinking all-age tickets are $15. Purchase tickets online here.
The Backyard Bash also will feature exclusive beers, games and local vendors as part of the brewery’s anniversary celebration.
BALLPARK JAM: SULLIVAN FIELD
It features a reunion of some ’90s bands who made a big splash in Michigan. Saturday’s Ballpark Jam at Sullivan Field in Grand Rapids features the return of Papa Vegas, as well as folk-rock’s Troll for Trout. Others are on the bill include King Biscuit Trio, Milkhouse, Glen Danles, Ed Dupasand Adam Mikrut, with gates opening at 4:30 p.m. and music continuing till 10 p.m.
Attendees are encouraged to bring lawn chairs for this benefit fundraiser for Valley Field Restoration and also for the Aris Hampers Memorial Scholarship.
Tickets are $20 in advance online here; $25 at the gate day of show.
Other festivals taking place across the region this weekend include the South Haven Jazz Festival at South Haven’s Huron Street Pavilion, and the Michigan BluesFest in Old Town Lansing. And learn more about the Fallasburg Arts Festival and its music lineup at Local Spins on Friday.
Copyright 2023, Spins on Music LLC
