Canadians Will Invade Kalamazoo With New Festival
Well... ok, maybe "Invade" isn't the right word to use, but they will be crossing the border from the Great White North in October for a new festival in Kalamazoo.
Canadiana is going to be a celebration of all things Canadian. And this fall, at Arcadia Creek Festival Place, you can bet on a Tim Horton's Jelly Donut I'm gonna be there.
On October 7th, all things Canadian will come to Kalamazoo. MLive spoke to event coordinator Channon Mondoux, who is originally from Windsor, Ontario, Canada. Apparently, the idea for the fest came during the pandemic, when she was unable to travel home to see family.
"When the pandemic hit, my sister and I were flying back from vacation together. Little did I know my world would change forever. When we landed, everyone was masked, and a sense of fear had settled over the entire airport. We parted at Detroit Metro Airport, and she went back home, and I went to Kalamazoo."
That was the last time Mondoux saw her sister, or any of her other family, for almost three years.
She said while working a fundraiser for Ukraine, it hit her that nobody in Kalamazoo had something to celebrate the culture and heritage of Canada, and she thought it would be good to bring it to the city she calls home now.
"If you can't bring the girl to Canada, bring Canada to the girl."
Canadiana will be on October 7th at Arcadia Creek Festival Place, and feature Canadian music (not Nickelback), food, beer, art, and of course, poutine.
Chef and Cooks Association of Kalamazoo/Battle Creek will help organize and put on the event with Eclectic Events, and will serve as a fundraiser to benefit both associations' educational fund, and the South Michigan Food Bank.
You can find more details on the festival on their events page on Facebook.