Planning is underway for 2026! Bands subject to change.
Music (subject to change)
Mélisande [électrotrad] — From Montreal, Award‑winning Québécois powerhouse, is one of the most electrifying forces in contemporary folk music today. Their fusion of traditional Québécois roots with modern energy creates a sound that is both deeply authentic and wildly innovative. With powerhouse vocals, masterful musicianship, and a stage presence that captivates audiences of all ages, Mélisande delivers performances that are unforgettable. They don’t just play music — they ignite a cultural experience.. This electrifying Acadian quartet will blow your socks off! Mélisande: lead vocals, mandolin, jaw harp, Alexandre de Grosbois-Garand : flute, bass, synth, vocals, Émile Garand : accordion, harmonica, vocals, Gabriel Girouard : fiddle, foot percussion, vocals a blend of traditional Acadian and modern interpretations and styling.
Henry Sir —Canadian CBC‑featured comedian, #1 iTunes, Just For Laughs, Comedy Central get ready to laugh till it hurts! Henry will do a special festival set before the headliner band- he is one of the sharpest, funniest, and most refreshingly original voices in comedy today. With his fearless punch‑up humor, razor‑smart social commentary, and wildly relatable storytelling, he delivers the kind of set that leaves audiences laughing, thinking, and wanting more. Catch him live — this is comedy with brains, heart, and serious bite.
Rock Rx – Hailing from the Kalamazoo area, this high-energy cover band returns again in 2026 doing their renditions of the best Canadian Rock, Pop and R&B of the 80s, 90s, and now! They make the audience feel like they are part of the band, literally. Don’t be surprised if you have a mic in your face during the show, as you sing along to one of your favorite songs.
Zion Lion – This popular Kalamazoo-based reggae band known for their high-energy blend of reggae, Afrobeat, soca, and zouk. Featuring musicians from the US, St. Lucia, Belize, and Jamaica, they are a staple of the local Michigan music scene.
Full Frontal Overdrive – If you saw them at The Moose Soir’EH back in May at Old Dog Tavern, you know what’s up! They’ll be covering the spectrum of Canadian rock from the 60s and 70s and they’ll get you up and dancing!
The Hen Peck’d Dawgs – These fine folks have been friends of the Fest since the beginning! They are best known in the region for blending traditional Celtic sounds, medieval folk, sea shanties, and early Canadiana classics.
Kalamazoo Pipe Band – The Kalamazoo Pipe Band is dedicated to teaching, performing & promoting highland bagpipe music in Kalamazoo, MI. Originating in the 1950’s, they have had the honor of piping at many Michigan ceremonies and events. Their heart thumping drum and heart wrenching pipes will move you and invoke the spirit of Canada’s Commonwealth origins.
Woodland Stream Drum & Song returns this year for our opening ceremonies! Their Indigenous drumming will join with Owyn Zapata of the Notawaseppi Huron Band of the Potawatami singing a traditional straight song.
Culture of the Event
See what Canada is all aboot! As Canada is a Mosaic Culture, we will honor as many of our founding people as possible including Indigenous peoples. Opening ceremonies will close with Honor Song of the Mi’gmak Tribe with Dr. Paul Rene Tamburro, his wife Andrea, and Fest founder Channon Mondoux. Our robust musical line-up is reflective of that Mosaic Culture, and our Vendor Village will include Canadian and Indigenous vendors.
Genot Picor will be presenting a 45-60 minute program entitled “Stories, Songs and Dances of the Voyageurs®” The program will reenact the French-Canadian veillée, which is an interactive family-oriented program that features stories, songs and a dance (or dances) from the fur trading era.
The Azure Musketeers French Living History. Step back into the 1640s and the era of the Thirty Years’ War! The Musketeers represent the historical Nerestrang Regiment and bring the past to life through immersive military displays and an authentic historical encampment. Witness the “Pike and Shot” formations that defined the age, where massive 15-foot spears met the first generation of gunpowder muskets. Explore their camp to see the uniforms, tools, and daily life of soldiers from 400 years ago.
WMU Archaeology The WMU team has done great work on the Fort St. Joseph project in Niles, MI. Nestled along the St. Joseph River, Fort St. Joseph was once a vital hub of colonial life, where French settlers, soldiers, fur traders, and Native American groups coexisted. The Fort St. Joseph Archaeological Project is dedicated to unearthing this rich past, bringing over 25 years of research to life through excavations, artifacts, and public programming.
2026 Activities
World Champine Poutine Competition Local and regional restaurants and food trucks will compete to create the best Poutine in the World!
The Butter Tart Competition returns this year! Open to all who want to bring their best version of this sweet Canadian classic, professional bakers and home bakers both. Details to come!
Children’s Tent: Join us at the children’s tent for arts, crafts and cultural and educational activities about Canada!
Workshop Tent: We debuted these workshops last year and they were a big hit! 2026 will have several workshops going on throughout the event with all manner of fascinating topics.
- Genealogist Janine Cotugno from the Kalamazoo Valley Geneaological Society speaks on genealogy from a Canadian perspective! She has presented for both of the workshops that the Fest put on this last winter. Find the recordings in the sidebar of any page on our site.
- 1-2 pm: The Ethics Center at WMU will be opening the Canadiana Festival with the world premiere of the short documentary, “Burd,” featuring 110-year-old WWII vet Burdett “Burd” Sisler, the oldest person in Canada. The film will be followed by a Q&A with the director, Abraam Dawod. The film confronts the physical and cognitive reality of living to 110, but it is not a film that offers lifestyle strategies for longevity. It is about memory, family, love, conflict, and the weight of outliving all of your contemporaries. As Burd reflects on war, marriage, grief, and the family that sustained him, larger questions emerge. What does it mean to become one of the final witnesses to major historical events? What details disappear when a person dies? And what can cinema preserve before that moment arrives? Watch the trailer here.
- 2 pm – 3:15 pm: Dr. Daniel McFarlane, one of the world’s leading authorities on the Great Lakes, will present again this year. The Edmund Fitzgerald: A Canada–U.S. Story Beneath the Waves This presentation will address the transnational Canada-U.S. aspects related to the sinking of the Edmund Fitzgerald in 1975. In addition to exploring the implications of this ship sinking in Canadian waters, this presentation will engage the many forms of transborder cooperation by Canada and the U.S. that allowed vessels like Edmund Fitzgerald to operate in the Great Lakes-St. Lawrence system. These forms of cooperation began with the 1909 Boundary Waters Treaty and include the various types of hydraulic infrastructure that allow the passage of deep-draught ships in the Great Lakes basin – dams, dredging, canals, locks, etc. – as well as cooperative efforts to address the pollution caused by the industries allied with the Edmund Fitzgerald, such as the Great Lakes Water Quality Agreements.
- 3:15 pm – 4:15 pm: Genot Picor will be presenting a 45-60 minute program entitled “Stories, Songs and Dances of the Voyageurs®” The program will reenact the French-Canadian veillée, which is an interactive family-oriented program that features stories, songs and a dance (or dances) from the fur trading era.
- 4:15 pm – 5 pm: Daisy Kostas, Cree Elder, Waswanippi First Nations – Indigenous Herbal Studies of the Saginaw Chippewa Indian Tribe Tribal College will speak on Tribal Land Based Learning
- 5 pm – 5:30 pm: Rayn Gimeyone Campbell, published author “Dangerous Lotus Flower”, Saginaw Chippewa Tribal Member will speak on the spirit of Bugajiniini (BigFoot), building a connection, how to reach out, and reflections from her book of poetry “Dangerous Lotus Flower”.
- 5:30 pm – 6 pm: Nizhi Meh – Mike McCreery, Saginaw Chippewa member, will speak on The Seven Grandfather Teachings.
- 6 pm – 7 pm: Dr. Paul-Rene Tamburro will tell stories of the Abenaki and Mi’kmaq Indigenous peoples. Paul-René is a member of the Nulhegan Band of the Coosuk Abenaki Nation of Vermont. He is an Indigenous studies educator and anthropologist who has taught Indigenous studies in both Canada and the United States. His PhD focused on the resurgence of interest in Indigenous cultures and languages. He is designated as a Master Artist by the Abenaki Artists Association. He learned art forms from Indigenous Elders, including finger weaving, basket making, porcupine quillwork, stone carving and tool making. He also completed an apprenticeship in metalwork specializing in hammered silver and copper chasing and repoussé. To share his cultural knowledge, Paul-René offers workshops, information sessions, and storytelling to tribal communities, powwows, libraries, parks, schools, conferences, and community groups. At this event, Paul-René’s storytelling will include Eastern Indigenous cultural items, which will enhance the experience for adults and children. As the story unfolds, participants will learn about each item’s purpose, how materials are gathered, how the items are made, and used.
Canadian Sports Center! Come out and enjoy skills workshops, experiences and learn the history of these sports! We will have:
- Curling! sponsored by the Kalamazoo Curling Club.
- Lacrosse! Canada’s official winter sport! Meet the athletes and coaches of Kalamazoo United!
- Basketball! Invented by a Canadian.
- Hockey! Come learn street hockey led by Premier Athletics.
- Crokinole! If you don’t know what crokinole is, come find out at the Fest! This traditional Canadian game is a family favorite.