Community Calendar

The Great Michigan Gathering is a free, three-year initiative that builds community through the art of intentional gathering. Inspired by Priya Parker‘s book, The Art of Gathering: How We Meet and Why It Matters, the initiative will launch on October 8, 2026, with an event featuring Parker at The Henry Ford. The event will be livestreamed to community watch parties across Michigan, including this WMU/KPL joint event. Join us on October 8th at 7pm on WMU's Campus (Sangren Hall - 1910) for community and light refreshments.

The Quantum Committee Sextet blends traditional jazz with innovation and passion. Meeting in the Western Michigan jazz studies program. Jacob Nowakowski (Bass), from Bartlett Illinois, composes their original pieces while laying down the groundwork for the band. Rohan Marr (Drums) from West Chicago Illinois, and Caleb Downey (Piano) from Cadillac Michigan complete the rhythm section bringing a diversity of textures and fiery passion. Haden Bovee (Saxophone) from Middleville Michigan, Colin Woniewski (Trombone)from Byron Center Michigan, and Joji Klooster (Saxophone) from Redlands California complete the sextet, expanding its musical possibilities through their innovative solos. Quantum, being inspired largely by jazz legends such as Charles Mingus, Ornette Coleman, and John Coltrane seek to reflect these artists’ fire, while also bringing a refreshing originality. With the rich history of Jazz as their inspiration interspersed with their individual skills and passion for playing together, the possibilities are endless.

Ernestine Ashworth spends her 17th birthday agonizing over her insignificance in the universe. Soon enough, it's her 18th birthday. Even sooner, her 41st. Her 70th. Her 101st. As the years race by, birthdays become milestones in a life shaped by family, loss, laughter, and the quiet moments we often overlook until they've become faded memories.
Noah Haidle's Birthday Candles is funny, tender, and quietly profound. It’s funny in the way real families are funny, aching in the same places. It reminds us that extraordinary lives aren't measured by fame or fortune, but by the people we love and the moments we share. By the end, you're not just watching Ernestine's story - you're thinking about your own.

Enjoy the Golden Age of Broadway with Songs from Rodgers and Hammerstein

The Kalamazoo Civic Senior Class Reader’s Theatre celebrates the golden age of Broadway with the delightful musical revue Some Enchanted Evening – The Songs of Rodgers & Hammerstein October 2-11, 2026, in the Parish Theatre.

Featuring the unforgettable melodies of legendary composers Richard Rodgers and Oscar Hammerstein II, this joyful evening of music brings together beloved songs from timeless classics such as The Sound of Music, Oklahoma!, South Pacific, Carousel, and The King and I.

Purchase Tickets: https://bit.ly/SomeEnchantedEveningTickets-Oct2-11
Flex Pass Subscriptions: https://bit.ly/KazooCivicFlexPass
Group Rates: Call (269) 343-1313 or visit: https://bit.ly/KzooCivicGroupTix

Performance Dates and Times:
• Friday, October 2, 2026, at 7:30 PM
• Saturday, October 3, 2026, at 2:00 PM*
• Sunday, October 4, 2026, at 2:00 PM
• Friday, October 9, 2026, at 7:30 PM
• Saturday, October 10, 2026, at 2:00 PM
• Sunday, October 11, 2026, at 2:00 PM
*October 3 at 2 PM (ASL Interpreted & Audio Description Services Available)

Music and Lyrics by RICHARD RODGERS & OSCAR HAMMERSTEIN II
Concept by JEFFREY B. MOSS
For Jerry Kravat Entertainment Services, Inc.
SOME ENCHANTED EVENING – THE SONGS OF RODGERS & HAMMERSTEIN is presented by arrangement with Concord Theatricals. www.concordtheatricals.com

This class is open to everyone—whether it’s your first broom or your fiftieth. Beginners will get the chance to learn and explore, while more experienced makers can dive into creative techniques and artistic flourishes. Experimentation and exchanging ideas are encouraged in this exploration of the hand broom.

UrbanZone, a subsidiary of the non-profit Synergy Health Center, is hosting the 'Teen Minds Matter' Mental Health Summit on Saturday, October 10 from 10:00 AM to 3:00 PM at the WMU Fetzer Center. This is a 100% free, highly interactive, and hands-on summit specifically designed by and for Kalamazoo area teens (ages 14-19) to learn practical stress management and mental wellness tools. Rather than just sitting and listening to lectures, teens will actively participate in workshops, discussions, and movement.
Free catered lunch, t-shirts, and exciting raffle prize giveaways are provided for all attendees. We would greatly appreciate it if you could add this to your on-air community calendar rotations or highlight it on your morning show.
Registration info and details can be found at synergykzoo.org/urbanzone/mihap/teen-minds-matter/.

Join us in October for an Art Detectives program centered around Resilience—A Sansei Sense of Legacy. This exhibition features the work of eight third-generation Asian American Artists whose work reflects on a time during World War II when Japanese American families were forced to leave their homes and live in internment camps. We'll read Write to Me: Letters from Japanese American Children to the Librarian They Left Behind, view the exhibition, and create our own postcards that can be sent to friends or family members.

"Join us for a Community Day focused on our special exhibition, Resilience—A Sansei Sense of Legacy. This show highlights artwork by eight Sansei (third-generation Japanese American) artists exploring the lasting effects of Executive Order 9066, which authorized the forced imprisonment of Japanese Americans during World War II.

We invite the community to visit the exhibition and explore the stories shared in Resilience. Visitors will also be able to participate in a hands-on art activity, available between 11am-1:30pm, and tell their own stories through a storyboarding activity in the library. This event is free and open to all."

Enjoy the Golden Age of Broadway with Songs from Rodgers and Hammerstein

The Kalamazoo Civic Senior Class Reader’s Theatre celebrates the golden age of Broadway with the delightful musical revue Some Enchanted Evening – The Songs of Rodgers & Hammerstein October 2-11, 2026, in the Parish Theatre.

Featuring the unforgettable melodies of legendary composers Richard Rodgers and Oscar Hammerstein II, this joyful evening of music brings together beloved songs from timeless classics such as The Sound of Music, Oklahoma!, South Pacific, Carousel, and The King and I.

Purchase Tickets: https://bit.ly/SomeEnchantedEveningTickets-Oct2-11
Flex Pass Subscriptions: https://bit.ly/KazooCivicFlexPass
Group Rates: Call (269) 343-1313 or visit: https://bit.ly/KzooCivicGroupTix

Performance Dates and Times:
• Friday, October 2, 2026, at 7:30 PM
• Saturday, October 3, 2026, at 2:00 PM*
• Sunday, October 4, 2026, at 2:00 PM
• Friday, October 9, 2026, at 7:30 PM
• Saturday, October 10, 2026, at 2:00 PM
• Sunday, October 11, 2026, at 2:00 PM
*October 3 at 2 PM (ASL Interpreted & Audio Description Services Available)

Music and Lyrics by RICHARD RODGERS & OSCAR HAMMERSTEIN II
Concept by JEFFREY B. MOSS
For Jerry Kravat Entertainment Services, Inc.
SOME ENCHANTED EVENING – THE SONGS OF RODGERS & HAMMERSTEIN is presented by arrangement with Concord Theatricals. www.concordtheatricals.com

Song of the Alvar is an improvisational ensemble based around the Arabic tunings and rhythmic patterns of the oud. Featuring Mike Weis (Zelienople) on percussion, Ike Turner (Kalamazoo Drone Society) on percussion and guitar, Peter Kaiafas (Orpheus X, Middle Eastern Music Ensemble) on oud and Brian Harding (Zelienople) on reeds, this concert will be the fifth annual presentation of our "In a Landscape" series.

Attendees should meet at the tennis courts behind the Maple Street YMCA. As the audience will be walking to a location without seating, we recommend wearing appropriate footwear and bringing a portable chair. The hike to the performance location takes about 10 to 15 minutes.

A $10 cash suggested donation per person will be accepted on-site.

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This event is co-sponsored by the Stewards of Kleinstuck.

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Celebrate the unifying power of the world’s music at the 2026 Connecting Chords Music Festival, running from August 14 – November 29. Established in 2001, the Festival features an incredible variety and quality of musicians every year – if you know, you know!

Learn more about the Festival at ccmusicfest.com.