The annual music festival rife with Michigan acts rolls out again Friday through Sunday in Trufant, 36 miles northeast of Grand Rapids. Get the preview and details at Local Spins.
Picturesque Setting, Dynamic Sets: Smiling Acres Music Festival returns to Trufant this weekend. (Photo/John Sinkevics)
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If there’s anything that describes the atmosphere at the annual Smiling Acres Music Festival in Trufant, it’s the words of Grand Rapids hip hop icon Lady Ace Boogie.
“Smiling Acres has easily become my favorite event of the year. To see it grow from Year 1 into what it is now has been amazing. Every time I leave, my cup is overflowing with confidence, love, and affirmation,” she said.
Lady Ace Boogie & Friends will perform for the third time on the festival’s Main Stage at 9:30 p.m. Saturday (June 27), bringing a late-night party to the Michigan-centric celebration that will also include a fireworks display.
Back for 2026: Lady Ace Boogie (Photo/Derek Ketchum)
She noted that the “full ensemble” will be on stage for 2026. “Not only will I be bringing my band, but Bedrock the Band will be joining us on stage as well. We’ll also have a very, very special guest joining us: Patty PerShayla.”
PerShayla will also play her own set at 5:40 p.m. that day, joining a festival roster that includes headliners The Reverend Peyton’s Big Damn Band (Friday), Joe Hertler & The Rainbow Seekers (Saturday) and Los Angeles-based Jerron “Blind Boy” Paxton (Sunday), who’ll deliver his multi-instrumental charm while unfurling traditional black folk music.
The festival, which staged its inaugural event in 2021, has become a go-to destination for music lovers and families, especially those dedicated to Michigan’s music scene with a bevy regional artists covering a wide range of styles playing two stages along with a bonfire performance area for late-night sessions.
“The people who attend this event — and the people who organize it — truly care about the art and the artists,” Lady Ace Boogie said.
“As I’m coming to terms with the reality that I may not always be as active in the performing arts, Smiling Acres will forever and always get a ‘Yes,’ from Lady Ace Boogie & Friends.”
Revisit Local Spins’ coverage of Smiling Acres 2025 here.
SMILING ACRES MUSIC FESTIVAL ESSENTIALS
WHEN: (Friday-Sunday) June 26-28
WHERE: 3060 N. Johnson Rd., Trufant, Mich., 49347
WEBSITE: https://smilingacresfestival.com/
THE DRIVE: 36 miles (50 minutes) northeast of Grand Rapids
86 miles (1 hour, 25 minutes) northeast of Kalamazoo
170 miles (3 hours) northwest of Detroit
77 miles (1 hour, 30 minutes) northwest of Lansing
124 miles (2 hours) south of Traverse City
THE LINEUP: The Reverend Peyton’s Big Damn Band, Joe Hertler & The Rainbow Seekers, Jerron Paxton, Lady Ace Boogie, Roosevelt Diggs, Mark Lavengood, Bleau Otis Band, Jen Sygit, The Mudhounds, The Smokin’ Dobroleles, Act Casual, The Rupple Brothers, Melophobix, Money Soup, Full Cord, Patty PerShayla and more.
TICKETS: $132.13 weekend adults (with camping), $27.09 children 6-12 (with camping; age 5 and under free); $53.35 adult day pass Friday-Saturday; $42.84 Sunday. Weekend camping passes will be $145 at the gate. Get advance tickets online here.
SMILING ACRES 2026: THE SCHEDULE
FRIDAY
11 a.m. – The Ellers
12:15 p.m. – Les Older
1:30 p.m. – Uphill River
2:45 p.m. – Bleau Otis Band
4 p.m. – Jen Sygit
5:15 p.m. – The Mudhounds
6:30 p.m. – The Smokin’ Dobroleles
7:45 p.m. – Act Casual
9 p.m. – Roosevelt Diggs
10:15 p.m. – The Reverend Peyton’s Big Damn Band
Midnight – The Rupple Brothers (Fireside Stage)
12:30 a.m. – Silent Disco (Workshop Tent)
SATURDAY
12:30 p.m. – Money Soup
1:45 p.m. – Jacqueline Therese
3 p.m. – Handmade Moments
4:15 p.m. – Melophobix
5:40 p.m. – Patty PerShayla
7 p.m. – Full Cord
8:15 p.m. – Undefeated
9:30 p.m. – Lady Ace Boogie & Friends
10:30 p.m. – Fireworks
10:45 p.m. – Joe Hertler & The Rainbow Seekers
Midnight – Mark “Huggy Bear” Lavengood (Fireside Stage)
12:30 a.m. – Silent Disco (Workshop Tent)
SUNDAY
11:45 a.m. – Blue Water Ramblers
1 p.m. – Jacob McLeod
2:15 p.m. – Jerron Paxton
VIDEO: Smiling Acres 2025
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