One of Michigan’s longest-running music festivals embraced traditional music, rock, funk and more on several stages and amid the woods in Remus last weekend. The Local Spins recap, photos and video.
Wheatland Highlights: Graham Parsons and The Go Rounds, left, and Cristina Vane impressed crowds over the weekend. (Photos/Anna Sink/Holly Holtzclaw)
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The 52nd annual Wheatland Music Festivalbrought a lineup representative of nearly every facet of roots music and beyond over the weekend.
Even with the chill of fall setting in, throngs of dedicated festival attendees bundled up in their coats and blankets to experience and support this beloved festival in Remus, northeast of Grand Rapids.
Even in the corners of the festival farthest from the main stages, jam sessions, workshops and impromptu campsite performances echoed throughout the grounds along with joyful cries of “Happy Wheatland!” from longtime Wheatlanders and newcomers — or “Wheaties” as they’ve been dubbed by festivalgoers.
“Wheatland is about community and that’s the biggest takeaway from it. It’s incredible to be in a place full of friends in the most genuine sense. It’s the friendliest place I’ve ever been,” Tori Shultz of Eaton Rapids said. “Everybody is so present here. Blame it on poor cellphone connection or whatever, but you don’t always see that in 2025.”
All American Funk Parade (Photo/Holly Holtzclaw)
Community and solidarity is everywhere at Wheatland. The weekend showcased several up-and-coming Michigan acts — The Wild Honey Collective, The Rebel Eves and The Lucky Nows to name just a few -— as well as national touring acts, all of whom shared the same stages and drew massive crowds all weekend.
In fact, two Michigan favorites, The Go Rounds and The All American Funk Parade, closed out the Centennial Stage Friday night with electric back-to-back performances that were still sparking conversations among fans well into Saturday afternoon.
Indie-rock and funk may not be everyone’s first thought when they imagine a festival full of traditional roots music like Wheatland, but both bands won their late-night crowds over immediately, especially with the inclusion of covers from artists such as The Allman Brothers Band and Roy Orbison.
Singer-songwriter Steve Poltz’s set also made for a memorable Friday night moment on the Main Stage. Poltz entertained the crowd with hilarious stories and improvised verses about some young Wheatland attendees sitting near the stage.
“I had heard about Wheatland, but it really does live up to the expectations. It’s beautiful here, it really is,” said Poltz.
The singer ended his set by stepping off stage and performing amid the crowd, inviting people to gather in close and sing along with him.
CRISTINA VANE, LADAMA, AJ LEE & BLUE SUMMIT AND MORE
Saturday afternoon’s performance schedule included several female-powered groups that captured people’s attention.
Cristina Vane shared tales from her time on the road with her country-, blues- and rock-inspired tunes while Latin alternative band LADAMA brought a vibrant, multilingual world music affair to the stage.
Dancing, Family Fun: Wheatland (Photo/Anna Sink)
California-based group AJ Lee & Blue Summit impressed the audience at Centennial Stage with a contemporary take on bluegrass and lightning-fast guitar and mandolin picking. The award-winning band traded off on vocals throughout the set, giving each member an opportunity to showcase their talents.
“The were really the best band I’ve seen in a long time,” said Annie Webb of Holland, after AJ Lee & Blue Summit’s Wheatland debut.
Another Wheatland essential is the Schaefer Song Stage. Hosting multiple songwriter rounds, intimate sets from Main Stage performers, and plenty of Michigan-based artists, this little stage tucked away in The Pines celebrates everything Wheatland was built upon.
All of it showed that the roots music scene is alive and well, but also growing and developing in new, innovative ways. Wheatland and its undying support system once again offered proof that these genres will continue to thrive and evolve for generations to come.
PHOTO GALLERY 1: Wheatland Music Festival 2025
Photos by Anna Sink
PHOTO GALLERY 2: Wheatland Music Festival 2025
Photos by Holly Holtzclaw
VIDEO: Wheatland Music Festival 2025
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