Kalamazoo’s favorite cover band Rock Rx is kicking off our evening lineup! Rock Rx splashed onto the Kalamazoo music scene in early 2019. Rock Rx truly is your “rock prescription”.

The band was started by a drug dealer (a legal one, in the pharmaceutical business)—Quentin Hunt. Quentin, on lead guitar, is joined by Daniel and Kirsten Jassim on lead vocals and keyboards, Shannon Ashmus on bass, and Steven “Ziggy” Zeigler on drums.

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. 

We’ve seen their set list for the Fest, and it’s all Canadian artists! Come check them out, as a fun time is a straight up guarantee!

We’re pleased to announce that we are sourcing our wines exclusively from Ontario’s Pelee Island Winery for this year’s Royal Canadian VIP Experience Tent! A selection of their wines will be available in our beverage dome, hosted by the Chefs & Cooks Association of Kalamazoo Battle Creek, but if you’re a true oenophile, an elevated selection will be curated for tasting under the bilingual English and French direction of sommelier Austin Shynal in the VIP tent!

Pelee Island Winery is the largest private estate winery in Canada with over 700 acres of vineyards and a winemaking history dating back more than 150 years. They produce from vine to wine in an ecologically sound manner, and varietals grown on the island include both reds and whites.

White: Chardonnay, Gewurztraminer, Riesling, Sauvignon Blanc, Vial, Pino Gris, and Tokay Friulano

Red: Merlot, Pinot Noir, Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, Baco Noir, Shiraz, Tempranillo, Chambou

#peleewinery #mypelee #wine #winetasting #CanadianaFest #CanadianaFest #CanadianaFest2024 #ACFKZO #ChefAndCooksAssociation

Julius “The Genius” Fisher Julius is an African-American musician, singer, songwriter, producer, band leader, and DJ. He is a gifted keyboard player and will be the opener for Crystal Shawanda. He is currently living in Nashville.

The Kalamazoo Pipe Band is coming back in 2024 after opening and closing the Fest last year! This year they will be on the main stage with their bagpipes and drums accompanied by the Kalamazoo Scottish Country Dancers.

Interested in checking the band out before the Fest? The Kalamazoo Pipe Band meets on Tuesday nights at 6 pm. From September through May, we meet at Trinity Lutheran Church. In June, July, and August, we meet at Flesher Field in Oshtemo. Lessons are free to anyone interested in joining the band as a piper or drummer.

Scottish Country Dancing is the traditional form of Scottish social dancing. Historically, it was an inclusive form of dance, practiced by all Scots regardless of social status; and it is now enjoyed throughout the world by people of all ages and backgrounds. They meet on Monday nights at 7:00PM at Grange Hall in Kalamazoo, 3234 N 3rd St & W H Avenue. All all welcome to attended regardless of dance experience. No partner is necessary but flexible, soft soled shoes are recommended. 

The Andrew Rathbun Quartet returns to the Fest this year after a fantastic performance at the inaugural Fest in 2023. A Toronto native, he is an exceptionally creative and accomplished saxophonist, composers and bandleader, and he brought all of that in a compelling jazz set that was a highlight of the afternoon musical lineup. His style of swinging post-bop jazz will catch hold of you and not let go. The frequency with which this group plays together has created a tight knit unit, and this band truly has a group sound. He’ll very likely bring some of the new music written for the quartet’s recent appearance at the Stowe Jazz Festival MainStage last month. Andrew is also a Professor of Saxophone and Jazz Studies at Western Michigan University and lives in Kalamazoo with his family. We’re looking forward to this year’s set!