2025 is Grand Rapids' third year of Christkindl Markt.  I'd thought about going last year, but I wasn't free on the days it was open, so this was my first visit.  The Detroit News wrote about the growth of Christmas markets in Michigan.

The Grand Rapids market is much more lively than Holland's Kerstmarkt, with many more booths and many more people.

Seasonal drinks seemed to be the best-seller on a Saturday afternoon when I visited.  A good percentage of the crowd was either drinking from souvenir mugs or waiting in line to buy some.

There were a good variety of food choices... sausages, melted Raclette cheese on bread, pirogi, schnitzel on a stick, Bosnian pastries, and churros.

 

Other huts offered Christmas ornaments, cutting boards, and assorted gifts.

The weather was overcast and cool when I visited, but not really cold.  The middle aisle of the market is a covered drinking hall, for those looking to escape the weather.  The Christkindl Markt is connected to the Grand Rapids Downtown Market, which offered more food and drinks inside its heated building, as well as restrooms.

 

Christkindl Markt
435 Ionia Ave. SW
Grand Rapids, MI
49503 

Summer Events 2025

Although the solstice just passed, it feels like Kalamazoo is already fully into Summer.  West Michigan is a great place for biking, canoeing, hiking, and camping, or beachtime at Lake Michigan.  

  

Summer events near Kalamazoo

May 7- October 15 Summer Time Live 125 free concerts Kalamazoo and surroundings

July 2-6 Field of Flight: Air Show and Balloon Festival Battle Creek

July 25- August 3  Coast Guard Festival  Grand Haven

August 7-10  National Blueberry Festival South Haven

August 22-24 Hastings Summerfest Hastings

August 29- September 1 Lawrence Ox Roast Lawrence

Also consider:

50 fun things to do in Michigan this summer

West Michigan Summer Weekends

Kalamazoo Farmers Market

Michigan Fireworks Displays a comprehensive list of fireworks throughout the state

Kzoo Kids: 101 Summer fun ideas for families.

Gazelle Sports Events page (running and races)

Bike Friendly Kalamazoo's  Event listings

Event listings from Discover Kalamazoo

Events from West Michigan Tourist Association

Cleveland.com promotes Lake Michigan beach towns.

Beach Freaks guide to Michigan's Best Beaches

League of Michigan Bicyclist's Michigan Ride Calendar

West Michigan Coastal Kayaker's Association Event Calendar

Events calendar from Pure Michigan 

Best Beach Umbrellas from the Wirecutter

 

Peak wildflowers 2025?

 

 

 

Spring wildflowers are near their peak in Kalamazoo.  Both Dicentra species are in bloom (Squirrel Corn, show here, and Dutchman's breeches.)

Spring Beauty seemed a little later than most years, but they always live up to their name.

Trillium are just starting to bloom.  I saw more plants with only buds or just leaves than in full flower, but that will certainly change in the next few days.

I don't see Blue-eyed Mary as frequently, but it is really eye-catching where it does get established.

Spring 2025 Events near Kalamazoo

This Spring in Kalamazoo has alternated warm sunny days with snow and freezing temperature.  Soon it should be consistently warm enough for hiking, biking, or bird watching. Despite the cold a handful of early wildflowers are already blooming, but it will be a couple of weeks before they are in full display.  Even later morels will spring up.

Spring events near Kalamazoo

March 1- April 30 Butterflies are Blooming at Meijer Gardens Grand Rapids

April 7-22  Kalamazoo Earth Day events

April 26  free admission to the Kalamazoo Nature Center for Earth Day

April 19-27 National Park Week

May 10 Blossomtime Grand Floral Parade 1pm St Joseph - Benton Harbor

May 2-11 Tulip Time festival Holland 

May 10-17 Kalamazoo Bike Week Kalamazoo

May 17-18 The Kite Festival at Grand Haven Grand Haven

June 1 Kalamazoo Area Wild Ones Spring Plant Exchange Kalamazoo 

Also consider:

Vegetable planting dates

Bike Friendly Kalamazoo's  Event listings

Discover Kalamazoo's event listing
 
Gazelle Sports' calendar of West Michigan Races and Events

League of Michigan Bicyclists Michigan Bicycling Calendar  

Spring weekend getaways 

Events calendar from Pure Michigan

 

Winter 2024-5 Events near Kalamazoo

 While it feels like Kalamazoo is deep into Winter, with plenty of snow and Thanksgiving long over, we still have a few days before its official start.  It's the season for skiing and sledding, and skating, as well as local festivities to celebrate.

Winter Events near Kalamazoo

December 31, 2024 New Year's Eve Fest Kalamazoo

January 31- February 2, 2025  Icebreaker  South Haven

February 1-8 2025 Kalamazoo Beer Week Kalamazoo

February 15-16, 2025 Free Fishing Winter Weekend throughout Michigan

February 22, 2025 Winter Beer Festival Grand Rapids

March 1, 2025 Quiet Adventures Symposium East Lansing

Ongoing events
          Kerstmarkt Fridays and Saturdays (11/23 to 12/21/2024) Holland

          Christkindl Markt Wednesday-Sunday (11/15 to 12/23/2024) Grand Rapids

          Christmas Bird Count


See also

Kzoo Kids: Christmas Activities in Downtown Kalamazoo

Discover Kalamazoo's event listing
 
Gazelle Sports Races and running calendar

11 Unforgettable Winter Places in Michigan

West Michigan Winter Weekends

Events calendar from Pure Michigan

Sarrett Nature Center's Event calendar  Benton Harbor

 

Fall Events around Kalamazoo 2024

 

Labor Day marks the end of summer, even if the official season lasts a few more weeks.  September and October still have great weather for outdoor activities-- for camping, paddling, or a walk or bike ride.  Seasonal festivals celebrate Art, Sandhill Cranes, and harvest time.

Fall events around Kalamazoo

September Summer Time Live concerts continue through September Kalamazoo

September 6-8  Paw Paw Wine and Harvest Festival Paw Paw

September 7 Kalamazoo Scottish Festival Parchment

September 7-8 Grand Valley American Indian Pow Wow  Grand Rapids

September 13 - 28  Art Prize Grand Rapids

September 21 Fall Festival St. Joseph

September 29 Harvest Fest Vicksburg

September 27-28 Oktoberfest Grand Rapids

October 12-13 Cranefest Bellevue

October 10-13 Fennville Goose Festival Fennville

October  19-20 Arts and Eats Tour  Allegan, Barry, Calhoun, Kalamazoo, and Van Buren counties



Also consider:

SW Michigan Fall Festivals Guide from Kzoo Kids

8 Spots to Sip Cider, Pick Pumpkins, and Soak up Fall from Discover Kalamazoo

Fall Scenic Drives from Pure Michigan

Fall recommendations from 52 Michigan Weekends

Fresh apple cider from VerHages Cider Mill.

Fall walks and rides on the Kalamazoo River Valley Trail

Event listings from Discover Kalamazoo

Gazelle Sports' calendar of West Michigan Races and Events

League of Michigan Bicyclist's Michigan Ride Calendar

Sarrett Nature Center's Event calendar  Benton Harbor

         Events calendar from Pure Michigan

 

 

Summer Events 2024

 

With the fading crackle of fireworks, Kalamazoo is fully into Summer.  West Michigan is a great place for biking, canoeing, hiking, and camping, or beachtime at Lake Michigan.  

  

Summer events near Kalamazoo

May 1- September 25 Summer Time Live 118 free concerts Kalamazoo and surroundings

July 3-7 Field of Flight: Air Show and Balloon Festival Battle Creek

July 26- August 4  Coast Guard Festival  Grand Haven

August 8-11  National Blueberry Festival South Haven

August 23-25 Hastings Summerfest Hastings

August 30- September 3 Lawrence Ox Roast Lawrence

Also consider:

50 fun things to do in Michigan this summer

West Michigan Summer Weekends

Kalamazoo Farmers Market

Michigan Fireworks Displays a comprehensive list of fireworks throughout the state

Kzoo Kids: 101 Summer fun ideas for families.

Gazelle Sports Events page (running and races)

Bike Friendly Kalamazoo's  Event listings

Event listings from Discover Kalamazoo

Events from West Michigan Tourist Association

Cleveland.com promotes Lake Michigan beach towns.

Beach Freaks guide to Michigan's Best Beaches

League of Michigan Bicyclist's Michigan Ride Calendar

West Michigan Coastal Kayaker's Association Event Calendar

Events calendar from Pure Michigan 

Sarrett Nature Center's Event list Benton Harbor

Best Beach Umbrellas from the Wirecutter

 

 

Early wildflowers

Wildflower season in Kalamazoo has begun!  I visited the Kalamazoo Nature Center this afternoon and was surprised by the number of species in flower.  Most of these weren't at their peak, with just a few individual plants in bloom and many more almost ready.  Hepatica may be at its peak and Harbinger of Spring has been blooming for a few weeks and may be past its peak, but the rest of these have plenty of season remaining.

Blue-eyed Mary

Dutchman's Breeches

Spring Beauty

Harbinger of Spring

Dutchman's Breeches

Yellow Trout Lily

I did see a few other flowering species.  Marsh Marigold was just getting started.  Rue anenome and Toothwort had plenty of flowers.  Skunk cabbage were mostly done blooming but a few plants still showed their mottled maroon buds (or spathes.)

The most exciting thing I saw was an otter swimming across the Kalamazoo River, but I had the wrong lens for a decent photo.

Spring Events 2024

Spring in Kalamazoo is a great time for hiking, biking, or bird watching.  Warmer temperatures bring wildflowers, morels and Spring events.

Spring events near Kalamazoo

March 1- April 30 Butterflies are Blooming at Meijer Gardens Grand Rapids

March 25 Oberon Release Day, Bells Brewery, Kalamazoo

April 7-22  Kalamazoo Earth Day events

April 20  free admission to the Kalamazoo Nature Center for Earth Day

April 21 free admission to the Kellogg Biological Station for Earth Day 

April 20-28, National Park Week

May 11 Blossomtime Grand Floral Parade 1pm St Joseph - Benton Harbor

May 4-12 Tulip Time festival Holland 

May 11-18 Kalamazoo Bike Week Kalamazoo

May 18-19 The Kite Festival at Grand Haven Grand Haven

June 2 Kalamazoo Area Wild Ones Spring Plant Exchange Kalamazoo 

Also consider:

Vegetable planting dates

Bike Friendly Kalamazoo's  Event listings

Discover Kalamazoo's event listing
 
Gazelle Sports' calendar of West Michigan Races and Events

League of Michigan Bicyclists Michigan Bicycling Calendar

Sarrett Nature Center's Event list Benton Harbor

Spring weekend getaways 

Events calendar from Pure Michigan

 

Winter Events 2023-4

 

With Thanksgiving over and Kalamazoo's first snow cover, it's feeling like Winter is here.  We'll need more snow for skiing and sledding, and some colder temperatures for outdoor skating but local festivities celebrate the season regardless of weather.

Winter Events near Kalamazoo

December 2, 2023 Tree Lighting & Traditional Holiday celebration Celery Flats, Portage 

          December 2, 2023 Local Gift Fair  9 am -4 pm Kalamazoo Nature Center Kalamazoo 

December 18, 2023 December to Remember Bronson Park Kalamazoo

December 31, 2023 New Year's Eve Fest Kalamazoo

January 12-24 2024 Kalamazoo Beer Week Kalamazoo

February 2-4, 2024  Icebreaker  South Haven 

February 17-18, 2024 Free Fishing Winter Weekend throughout Michigan

February 24, 2024 Winter Beer Festival Grand Rapids

March 2, 2024 Quiet Adventures Symposium East Lansing

Ongoing events
          Kerstmarkt Fridays and Saturdays (11/18 to 12/16/2023) Holland

          Christkindl Markt Wednesday-Sunday (11/17 to 12/23/2023) Grand Rapids

          Christmas Bird Count


See also

OptOutside  An alternative to hitting the malls on Black Friday

Kzoo Kids: Christmas Activities in Downtown Kalamazoo

Discover Kalamazoo's event listing
 
Gazelle Sports Races and running calendar

11 Unforgettable Winter Places in Michigan

West Michigan Winter Weekends

Sarrett Nature Center's Event list Benton Harbor

Events calendar from Pure Michigan 

 

Fall Events 2023

The start of school and the Labor Day holiday mark the end of summer, even if the astronomical season lasts a few more weeks.  September and October still have great weather for outdoor activities-- for camping, paddling, or a walk or bike ride.  Seasonal festivals celebrate Labor Day, Art, Sandhill Cranes, and harvest time.

Fall events around Kalamazoo

September 2-4  Lawrence Ox Roast Lawrence

September 4 West Michigan Labor Fest Grand Rapids

September 8-10  Paw Paw Wine and Harvest Festival Paw Paw

September 14 - October 1  Art Prize Grand Rapids

September 16 Fall Festival St. Joseph

September 17 Fall Festival Portage

September 24 Harvest Fest Vicksburg

September 29-30 Oktoberfest Grand Rapids

October 6-7 Pumpkinfest Zeeland

October 14-15 Cranefest Bellevue

October 12-15 Fennville Goose Festival Fennville

October  21-22 Arts and Eats Tour  Allegan, Barry, Calhoun, Kalamazoo, and Van Buren counties



Also consider:

Southeast Michigan Labor Day events from MetroParent

SW Michigan Fall Festivals Guide from Kzoo Kids

Labor Day Weekend Events for Metro Detroit (Oakland County Moms)

Mackinac Bridge Walk

5 Spots to Sip Cider, Pick Pumpkins, and Soak up Fall from Discover Kalamazoo

Fall Scenic Drives from Pure Michigan

Fall recommendations from 52 Michigan Weekends

Fresh apple cider from VerHages Cider Mill.

Fall walks and rides on the Kalamazoo River Valley Trail

Event listings from Discover Kalamazoo

Gazelle Sports' calendar of West Michigan Races and Events

League of Michigan Bicyclist's Michigan Ride Calendar

Sarrett Nature Center's Event list Benton Harbor

         Events calendar from Pure Michigan

 

Pilgrim Haven Natural Area

After a few enjoyable hours in South Haven (including a good lunch at Three Blondes Brewing and observing the Army Corps of Engineers' channel-dredging/ beach nourishment project at South Beach) I headed out of town to explore a beach that I had never visited.

Pilgrim Haven is a Southwest Michigan Land Conservancy preserve about 5 miles south of South Haven, near Van Buren State Park.

The parking lot on 18th Avenue is well-marked and has restrooms and signs explaining the history of the preserve.  A sidewalk leads directly to Lake Michigan.  The ramp to the beach is paved and wheelchair accessible.  The beach itself is less wheel friendly, consisting of a mix of sand, pebbles, and rock cobble.

 

While there were a few people sunbathing, most people were beachcombing for interesting rocks.  The Conservancy does allow visitors to collect a small number of rocks for personal use and the preserve frequently appears on lists of places to rock hunt. 

I didn't find much-- just a few colorful granite pebbles-- but I didn't really know what to look for. Michigan Rockhounds report that commonly found treasures at Pilgrim Haven include lightning stone, quartz, unakite, horn coral, crinoid calyx, and chert along with some rare finds that are more common in Northern Michigan.   (Southwestern Michigan Tourist Council has a list of shoreline rocks and fossils  and Owlcation has two articles: identifying rocks of Lake Michigan and beach stone identification. MLive has an article with photos on Collectible rocks of Southwest Lake Michigan beaches.)

Before becoming a preserve, Pilgrim Haven had been a youth camp for decades.  The chimney from the camp's dining hall has been preserved in an open lawn.  (Here's a post from a former camper revisiting Pilgrim Haven.) 

A short system of grassy trails runs through the woods of the 27 acre preserve, with a bridge over Dyckman Creek.

I'd been vaguely aware of Pilgrim Haven as a supporter of the Southwest Michigan Land Conservancy, but I didn't realize it so was so close to South Haven.  Now that I'm familiar with it, I expect it will become a regular addition to my Lake Michigan visits.

Pilgrim Haven Natural Area
18th Avenue
South Haven Charter Township, MI 49090

[free admission]

West Side County Park

 

 

Holiday weekends have been really crowded at Lake Michigan.  Last summer, we weren't able to visit our favorite beaches a couple of times since all the parking spots and the overflow parking were full.  On Sunday, of the Fourth of July weekend, we were in Douglas, MI and didn't want to face the congestion at Saugatuck Dunes State Park or Oval Beach, so we drove south to see what we could find.

Driving about 5 miles brought us to West Side County Park, where we easily found a parking space.  The park had a big picnic area with two pavilions and a lot of picnic tables, occupied by several groups.  There was a grassy play area and a fenced playground.

We walked the length of the park to a nice beach overlook, with benches and a small gazebo.  Access to the beach was fenced off and a small sign said to use the north stairs.

We walked the width of the park through the woods and found a steep stairway down to the beach.  A visitor in the parking lot said she had counted 80 steps initially, but only 77 after drinking a few White Claws.

The beach wasn't huge, but it was a nice stretch of sand with a little bit of shade at the edge of the dune.  The sand changed to pebbles at the waterline, making walking less comfortable.  There were plenty of people of all ages using the beach on what I imagine was one of its busiest days of the season.

This was a new beach for me and a nice option when everything else was likely to be full.   It looks like the park had a wheelchair accessible ramp to the beach at one point, but we didn't see any traces of it.  A cooler would be difficult to manage on the current stairs and a wheelchair would be impossible.

 

West Side County Park
2152 Lakeshore Dr,
Fennville, MI 49408

free

Sunset Lake

Sunset Lake is about 15 miles south of Kalamazoo in the Village of Vicksburg.  It's a long narrow lake with access at Sunset Lake Park.  It's a short carry from the street to the little beach in the park.

Lakeside homes line the shore near the park.  Paddling north, the docks and houses give way to cattails and trees.  The Vicksburg Recreation Area preserves a section of waterfront on the east.

Sunset Lake had plenty of seaweed, algae, and duckweed.  I'd recommend visiting early or late in the season when the vegetation is lighter.  We did watch an airboat spraying copper sulfate to control the algae, so it may clear somewhat as the chemicals work.

Sunset Lake connects to Gourdneck Creek which eventually leads to Gourdneck Lake.  We didn't explore the creek this afternoon.

Sunset Lake Park
339 Page St
Vicksburg, MI 49097

 

 

 

Milkweed season

I have three types of milkweed blooming in my yard.  I've let a big patch of Common Milkweed (Asclepias syriaca) turn into a jungle near my mailbox. 

Butterfly Milkweed (Asclepias tuberosa) with its bright orange flowers is more attractive.  I have some blooming in a prairie garden in my backyard.

Swamp Milkweed (Asclepias incarnata) with its brilliant pink flowers is a close contender for showiest milkweed.  It grows naturally near our pond.

All three are great host plants for Monarch butterflies and their caterpillars.