Culture Archives

Three Rivers Pride pauses festival, identifies key organizational needs

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April 2, 2026

The board, which is made up of four members — President Riley Mains, Secretary Alexis Jacobs, Treasurer Ziggy Standish, and member Desireé Horrocks — said the organization is using this year to strengthen its structure and improve long-term sustainability. “At this point, we really have to focus on strengthening the organization so that we can provide you all with the festival that the town deserves,” Standish said. The Pride festival is the group’s largest event of the year and has cost about $20,000 to $35,000 to host in past years, the board told Watershed Voice.

Over 350 gather for No Kings rally in Three Rivers

By Maxwell Knauer

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Three Rivers

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March 31, 2026

More than 350 people gathered at the corner of U.S. 131 and Michigan Avenue on Saturday, March 28, from 3 to 4 p.m. Supportive drivers honked as they passed, while others shouted at demonstrators from their vehicles. At least two trucks repeatedly drove past the crowd in the lane closest to the sidewalk, revving their engines and emitting diesel exhaust toward protesters.

Farrand Hall hits market as owners look to pass the torch

By Maxwell Knauer

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Culture

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March 25, 2026

For now, co-founder James Gray said he hopes people see the sale not as an ending forced by controversy, but as a handoff. “Like many businesses, they get sold, owners pass the torch,” he said. “It’s a great thing that we were able to build something that could be sold. We are excited to see it continue with new ownership.” He added: “We truly believe Farrand Hall has a soul mate out there and that person will give this property the same love and dedication that we gave it.”

Local stories hit the big screen at Kalamazoo Film Society’s fourth annual showcase

By Maxwell Knauer

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Culture

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March 12, 2026

The event features mostly filmmakers from Kalamazoo and the surrounding region, with films shot in — and in some cases about — the city itself. One of the featured filmmakers, Jerod Kauffman, created a documentary about the final days of the longtime dive bar Harvey’s on the Mall, which closed after a buyout. Kauffman said he wanted to capture the story of a place that helped define Kalamazoo’s nightlife culture. “The closure was sudden to everyone — the community and staff — so I wanted to immortalize a place that was loved by so many,” Kauffman wrote to Watershed Voice. “I saw a fence and bulldozer outside the building today on the way to work. I think it's going to be torn down, so I am happy I was able to capture a piece of Kalamazoo history and the bar that stood and served the community for 40+ years.”

Useless Creatures to donate all of today’s sales to tornado relief

By Maxwell Knauer

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Three Rivers

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March 12, 2026

Useless Creatures Brewing Company plans to donate all sales today, Thursday, March 12 to tornado recovery efforts. All of the money will go to The Huss Project who has been organizing volunteers, collecting donations, and providing resources for those in need in the wake of the tornado.

Sturgis Civic Players to present “Anne of Green Gables” March 20–22 at Sturges-Young Center for the Arts

By Watershed Voice

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Sturgis

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March 12, 2026

Directed by Elizabeth Smith of Sturgis and adapted from one of the best-selling books in the world, Anne of Green Gables follows Anne Shirley’s journey from a mischievous girl to a young woman, exploring themes of imagination, belonging, and family. This production spans six years of Anne’s life — from her arrival in Avonlea as a 12-year-old to her young adulthood at 18 as she prepares to set out on her own. The production highlights many of the story’s most beloved moments.

Rapid fire film festival Kazoo 48 returns for its seventh year

By Watershed Voice

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Culture

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March 12, 2026

Designed to introduce people to filmmaking while also challenging experienced creators, Kazoo 48 gives teams 48 hours to complete a short film between one and six minutes long. Each team must incorporate an assigned genre, line of dialogue, character, location, and prop into their film. Once completed, the films are judged by a panel of local talent. Awards include prizes for best use of an assigned item and the festival’s signature award — a gold engraved kazoo — presented to the best films in both the amateur and professional categories.

Three Rivers High School students to bring the world of “The Little Mermaid” to life onstage

By Maxwell Knauer

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Culture

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March 6, 2026

About 35 students are involved in the production this year, director Jennifer Miller said, filling roles both onstage and behind the scenes. Some students perform as actors, singers and dancers, while others manage technical elements such as sound, lighting and props. “What I love is how diverse their contributions are,” Miller wrote. “It’s a whole ecosystem of student talent, and everybody has found a place where they belong.”

NYT bestselling author Shelby Van Pelt to keynote inaugural literary arts festival in Vicksburg

By Watershed Voice

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Culture

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March 4, 2026

Kimm Mayer, planning committee lead, said establishing the festival is important because “it makes reading and literacy accessible to everybody by introducing people to authors and activities in a fun and relaxed environment.” She added that the festival complements the arts community in Southwest Michigan and could impact literacy in the region while promoting tourism.

Huss Project offering paid summer internship for WMU students in Three Rivers

By Maxwell Knauer

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Three Rivers

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February 26, 2026

The 10-week internship generally runs through the organization’s Back to School Celebration at the August Second Saturday Farmers Market. Interns are paid $17.50 per hour and are expected to work about 20 hours per week. Every other week, they attend professional development training at Western Michigan University as part of the Broncos LEAD program. For Co-founder Rob Vander-Giessen Reitsma, the internship is about more than seasonal help — it’s about formation. “We hope students learn about small-scale food production, community development in a small town, and how our work is rooted in the core values of our organization,” he said.

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