Community Calendar

Bird Banding Up Close

Wednesdays, August 27 – September 24, 8-10 am (weather permitting)

Wednesdays, October 1 – October 29, 9-11 am (weather permitting)

Fee: Included in regular KNC admission
Audience: All ages
Meet: Banding Barn near KNC Camp

For half a century, the Kalamazoo Valley Bird Observatory’s team of researchers has been banding birds. This long-running program has contributed data on over 650,000 birds to the U.S. Geological Survey’s Bird Banding Laboratory that is actively being used for scientific research, management and conservation of birds across the country. As we embark on our 52nd year of this critical work, we invite you to come witness the intricate process of bird banding and observe these beautiful birds up close at the KNC Banding Barn.

All banding, marking, and sampling is being conducted under a federally authorized Bird Banding Permit issued by the U.S. Geological Survey’s Bird Banding Lab

In the quiet glow of a moonlit junkyard, a community of cats gathers for one extraordinary night. They dance, they sing, they tell their stories — each one hoping to be chosen for a new life.

Western Michigan University’s production of CATS brings this beloved musical into the intimate Williams Theatre, placing the audience right in the heart of the Jellicle Ball. With characters that range from rebellious to wise, mysterious to magical, this is a show about identity, memory, and connection — told through music that leaps off the stage and choreography that fills every corner of the space.

What if, just for an evening, you could step into a café where people simply lived together — enjoying coffee, ice cream, love, and laughter — without the barriers that so often divide us? That’s the gentle power of Utopia, a play by Charles L. Mee. As a mother and daughter watch lives unfolding around them, we hear tender confessions, playful debates, and dreams shared across tables. Different perspectives collide and comfort, inviting us to imagine a world where everyone belongs and small joys are truly enough. Warm, thoughtful, and quietly profound, Utopia reminds us how good life might feel — and how it still could be.

Bird Banding Up Close

Wednesdays, August 27 – September 24, 8-10 am (weather permitting)

Wednesdays, October 1 – October 29, 9-11 am (weather permitting)

Fee: Included in regular KNC admission
Audience: All ages
Meet: Banding Barn near KNC Camp

For half a century, the Kalamazoo Valley Bird Observatory’s team of researchers has been banding birds. This long-running program has contributed data on over 650,000 birds to the U.S. Geological Survey’s Bird Banding Laboratory that is actively being used for scientific research, management and conservation of birds across the country. As we embark on our 52nd year of this critical work, we invite you to come witness the intricate process of bird banding and observe these beautiful birds up close at the KNC Banding Barn.

All banding, marking, and sampling is being conducted under a federally authorized Bird Banding Permit issued by the U.S. Geological Survey’s Bird Banding Lab

This October, Art Detectives will explore the wonders of fall! We’ll read a charming story about some hesitant leaves who aren’t quite ready to change colors and let go. Then, we’ll search the galleries for autumn-themed art and create our own leaf-inspired creation.

Please note that this event will not be livestreamed or posted on YouTube.
Art Detectives is a free program for children 4-8 years old (but all ages are welcome). Join us as we read a story, look at art, and make a project to take home. Caregivers must stay with their children at all times. This is a free program; preregistration is encouraged. Adults, remember to register your children!

In the quiet glow of a moonlit junkyard, a community of cats gathers for one extraordinary night. They dance, they sing, they tell their stories — each one hoping to be chosen for a new life.

Western Michigan University’s production of CATS brings this beloved musical into the intimate Williams Theatre, placing the audience right in the heart of the Jellicle Ball. With characters that range from rebellious to wise, mysterious to magical, this is a show about identity, memory, and connection — told through music that leaps off the stage and choreography that fills every corner of the space.

What if, just for an evening, you could step into a café where people simply lived together — enjoying coffee, ice cream, love, and laughter — without the barriers that so often divide us? That’s the gentle power of Utopia, a play by Charles L. Mee. As a mother and daughter watch lives unfolding around them, we hear tender confessions, playful debates, and dreams shared across tables. Different perspectives collide and comfort, inviting us to imagine a world where everyone belongs and small joys are truly enough. Warm, thoughtful, and quietly profound, Utopia reminds us how good life might feel — and how it still could be.

Bird Banding Up Close

Wednesdays, August 27 – September 24, 8-10 am (weather permitting)

Wednesdays, October 1 – October 29, 9-11 am (weather permitting)

Fee: Included in regular KNC admission
Audience: All ages
Meet: Banding Barn near KNC Camp

For half a century, the Kalamazoo Valley Bird Observatory’s team of researchers has been banding birds. This long-running program has contributed data on over 650,000 birds to the U.S. Geological Survey’s Bird Banding Laboratory that is actively being used for scientific research, management and conservation of birds across the country. As we embark on our 52nd year of this critical work, we invite you to come witness the intricate process of bird banding and observe these beautiful birds up close at the KNC Banding Barn.

All banding, marking, and sampling is being conducted under a federally authorized Bird Banding Permit issued by the U.S. Geological Survey’s Bird Banding Lab

Meet new and old friends while enjoying an afternoon of dancing hosted by the Southwest Michigan Ballroom Dance Club. The dance will be held at the Kalamazoo Ballroom Academy at 2020 Fulford Street in Kalamazoo, MI 49001. Lori Marco will be teaching the spicy Salsa beginning at 2:00 p.m. During open dancing, DJ Bob Sievert will play current popular tunes and music hits from the past between 3:00 and 5:00 p.m. All levels of dancers, beginners, couples, and singles are welcome. For additional information, please visit https://swmbd.com.

Djékady is a collaboration between West African musician Balla Kouyaté and Grammy-winning cellist Mike Block. Their ensemble puts Malian music into conversation with American folk music and contemporary styles, allowing new shoots to sprout from his family’s musical tree.

Balla Kouyaté has been featured on numerous albums, including the Silkroad Ensembles’s Sing Me Home and Yo-Yo Ma’s Songs of Joy and Peace. His music has been recorded for the Library of Congress and heard in venues like Carnegie Hall, Lincoln Center, Symphony Space, and The Kennedy Center as well as festivals throughout the United States and Europe. As an educator, Kouyaté has offered masterclasses in universities and schools across the country, and he was chosen as a NEA National Heritage Fellow in 2019.

Mike Block is a Grammy Award-winning cellist, singer and composer with a passion for cross-cultural collaboration. Hailed as “one of the bravest, most intriguing musicians on the American fusion scene,” (Gramophone) he has been a member of the Silkroad Ensemble for nearly twenty years. Yo-Yo Ma calls Block “the ideal musician for the 21st century,” saying, “I’m always struck by his unique perspective on the world and his relaxed and confident approach; he takes on new music and new things fearlessly.”