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9/19/26 Celebrating Culture and Community: Announcing Can Am Peace Jam 2026!

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Kalamazoo, get ready for an unforgettable celebration! Canadiana Fest—in partnership with Premier Athletics for Youth Development and OutFront Kalamazoo—is thrilled to present the Can Am Peace Jam 2026.

This milestone year places a special spotlight on the French-Canadian diaspora and its lasting influence on North American art, music, food, industry, and culture. While the festival proudly embraces all Canadian people—emphasizing our shared Indigenous, French, and British Commonwealth heritage—this year’s lineup is packed with incredible music, high-energy comedy, and authentic cultural experiences for the whole family.

We are also thrilled to bring this year’s celebration to Arcadia Creek Festival Place for the last festival before the venue undergoes a major reconstruction project, ahead of its grand return in 2028.

🎟️ Ticket Info & The Ultimate Early Bird Prize

Don’t wait to grab your gate pass! Buy your early bird tickets by August 1, and you will automatically be entered to win FREE PIZZA FOR A YEAR courtesy of BC Pizza K’Zoo!

  • General Admission: $12
  • Seniors / Veterans: $8
  • Students: $5
  • Children: Always Free!
  • The Royal Canadian VIP Experience: Want to support the festival in style? Upgrade to our Special VIP Experience Tent for an exclusive, elevated festival vibe (details on the ticket site).

Mélisande [électrotrad] Direct from Montreal, this award-winning Québécois powerhouse is one of the most electrifying forces in contemporary folk music. Blending traditional Acadian roots with modern electronic energy, their performance is a wildly innovative cultural experience. Featuring powerhouse vocals, flute, accordion, fiddle, and hypnotic foot percussion, this quartet is guaranteed to put on an unforgettable show!

Henry Sir Get ready to laugh until it hurts. Before Mélisande takes the stage, Edmonton-turned-New Yorker Henry Sir will deliver a special festival comedy set. Featured on the CBC, Comedy Central, and Just For Laughs, Henry is one of the sharpest, most refreshingly original voices in comedy today. Catch him live for a set with brains, heart, and serious bite!

Local & Regional Music Enjoy a massive lineup of bands spanning Caribbean, Indigenous traditional, Classic Rock, Celtic, Scottish Pipe, and Acadian folk. Catch sets from Zion Lion, Rock RX, Woodland Stream, Full Frontal Cortez, Hen Pecked Dawgs, and The Kalamazoo Scottish Pipe Band.

🛍️ Vendor Highlights & Market

Come ready to shop! Our market features incredible Canadian-inspired art, jewelry, pottery, food, and unique goods.

  • Indigenous Artists & Craftspersons: Browse beautiful, authentic creations from renowned Canadian Abenaki silver artist Paul-Rene Tamburro, Cherokee artist Andrea Tamburro of Sunrise Drum, and Canadian Cree artist Crystal Marshall of Northern Moon Designs. You’ll also find incredible work from local artisans of the Saginaw/Chippewa, Notawaseppi Huron, Gun Lake, and Pokégnek Bodéwadmik (Pokagon) Tribes.
  • Featured Local Canadian Businesses & Producers: Grab some delicious snacks from Kari Stopelstadt of Good Batch Popcorn, check out the work of Macal DeNeve Wadsworth from Wraps n’ Signs, and explore many more vendors being added daily.

🍁 Festival Highlights: So Much to Do!

  • The Festival Parade: A beloved tradition kicking things off with vibrant bands, flags, and mascots!
  • World Champion Poutine Competition: Food trucks will battle it out for the coveted Golden Gravy Ladle. Sample the entries and vote onsite for your favorite! Plus, we’ll be crowning the local restaurant winners of Poutine Week in the Zoo.
  • Butter Tart Competition: An open-entry baking showdown where registration proceeds directly support Canadian food banks.
  • The Beer Garden & N.A. Bar: Grab a drink at the Beer Garden hosted by OutFront Kalamazoo (featuring Bell’s and Canadian imports), or head to the Northern Lights Apothecary N.A. Bar for Clearly Canadian-inspired zero-proof cocktails, featuring flair bartending by Jesse Perez of Bandana Bartending and custom craft mocktails by Reese Waldon.
  • Canadian Sports Centre: Sponsored by Premier Athletics, come hang out with WMU Champions, local coaches, and Indigenous athletes. Try your hand at hockey, curling (with the Kalamazoo Curling Club), basketball, and The Creator’s Game (lacrosse).
  • Crokinole: Come learn to play this classic, beloved tabletop game invented in Canada—a fun mix of shuffleboard and curling!
  • N.I.C.E. Agents: Keep an eye out for the National Institute for Courtesy Enforcement agents, who will be walking the grounds doling out kindness, good advice, and free hugs.

🤝 Culture & Community

  • The Cultural Village & Presentations Tent: Immerse yourself in history and heritage. The Presentations Tent will host a variety of storytellers, culture bearers, authors, and genealogy experts. Nearby in the Cultural Village, you can connect with the Kalamazoo Valley Genealogical Society, d’Alliance Francaise, Voyageur storyteller Genot Picor, and the Azure Musketeers—a 17th-century French military living-history troupe.
  • Indigenous Ceremonies & Art: Join the community for the Opening Ceremonies featuring a beautiful Round Dance song by Woodland Stream.
  • Canadian Citizenship Booth: The Canadian Citizenship by Descent-Bill C3 Group (a 30K-member strong Facebook community) will host an info booth and gathering for Canadian citizens by descent.

🦉 The Official Post-Fest Pub Party

When the party at Arcadia Creek wraps up at 11:00 PM, the fun doesn’t stop. Take a short walk down the street to The Old Dog Tavern (402 E Kalamazoo Ave). It’s one of Kalamazoo’s most laid-back venues—complete with a giant moose inside. They’ll be keeping the Canuck-inspired fun going late into the night!

Full schedule and specific details are dropping soon on our website. Lock in those early bird tickets today and we’ll see you at the Peace Jam!