(Community Matters 190) DBCZ June 2026 Events Update

The Downtown Battle Creek Zine is back to outline a stacked June calendar proving Battle Creek and the surrounding area are anything but quiet once summer hits. Nick Buckley highlights family friendly events, local traditions, and the best ways to stay plugged into what’s happening downtown. 

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ABOUT COMMUNITY MATTERS
Former WBCK Morning Show host Richard Piet (2014-2017) returns to host Community Matters, an interview program focused on community leaders and newsmakers in and around Battle Creek. Community Matters is heard Saturdays at 8:00 AM on WBCK-FM (95.3) and anytime at battlecreekpodcast.com.

Community Matters is sponsored by Lakeview Ford Lincoln and produced by Livemic Communications.

Transcript

Welcome And Summer Events Preview

Richard Piet 0:02

Community Matters with the Downtown Battle Creek Zine Events Update. Nick Buckley's back from the Downtown Battle Creek Zine to talk to us about what's coming up in June. You know, I feel like we just recorded this. Come on, stop going so fast. It's barely summer, Nick, but look at the list of stuff, and we're gonna go through this in June and July and August, and we're gonna say to each other in September, what the heck? It's over. Right? So enjoy it while we can. Lots to talk about already in June, right?

Nick Buckley 0:36

Yeah, if you have that notion of like there's nothing to do in Battle Creek or the surrounding area, you are so wrong. Summer is kind of the time that really uh exemplifies that.

Three June 6 Family Events

Nick Buckley 0:47

So even starting off on Saturday, June 6th, we have a trio of events happening in Battle Creek, and you can take the whole family to all three. Let's start off on June 6th at Lakeview High School. We have the Battle Creek Community Spelling Bee that's open to everyone in the community, not just for the kiddos.

Richard Piet 1:04

You know, we talked with one of the young students who's coordinated this. He's very impressive. He qualified for the national spelling bee, and this was a few years ago, but is really excited about this and this the community spirit behind it. It's great.

Nick Buckley 1:22

Yeah, and as somebody who relies heavily on spell check, you won't be seeing me on stage, but I will be uh championing all the people who have the courage to go out and uh to try to spell things. So so yeah, that's something that you want to check out that's a little different and indoors, but of course, if you want to get outdoors, there's lots of opportunities, uh, such as the uh Trailblaze Family Adventure Day out at Kimball Pines Park on June 6th, and that is a great opportunity to explore the trail out at Kimball Pines, part of the North Country National Scenic Trail, and it's really a great asset for the community and a chance to uh have guided tours, the face painting and the food trucks, and really just a great chance to get outside and enjoy this beautiful weather we have here in southwest Michigan. And after that, if you want to head on downtown Battle Creek, the Taste of the Creek festival happening, if your family is like mine, where the four of us can never decide on the same thing to eat for dinner, it's a great chance to head out and uh just have a great variety and have some music and be among your neighbors and really uh feel how vibrant downtown Battle Creek has become.

Richard Piet 2:29

Yeah, and you get to taste all that awesome stuff. Remember now, this is what we were dreaming of in February. This is this is the stuff,

Serial Fest And The 5K

Richard Piet 2:39

right?

Nick Buckley 2:39

Including Serial Fest. Serial Fest, yeah. You have to relish these kind of days. Serial Fest weekend, uh, because it's a two-day affair with the uh parade on uh June 12th. You definitely want to come down and kind of enjoy the festivities associated with the annual parade and see your favorite mascots. And then on uh June 13th, of course, is the the main event, the world's longest breakfast table, as it's been called. And that's another great opportunity to get downtown, have some free cereal, milk. If you get up early enough and you like moving around, you also have the Serial City Classic 5K and 10K that goes along linear path in downtown Battle Creek. So you'll see me out there and uh with my family trotting along. So that's really just a summer staple event uh for Battle Creek and really part of our city's heritage.

Richard Piet 3:27

I was just gonna ask if you were gonna do it because I know you have in the past.

Nick Buckley 3:30

Yeah, that was actually my first 5K. Uh I don't think I ran one until I was 36. You know, five years later. I'm I'm more of a runner. I'm not a hardcore runner, but uh it was a great entry point to the world of running for me. And uh it's one I really enjoy, and I'll be uh tagging along with my son too. And it was his first 5K last year, so it's really a fun generational event.

Richard Piet 3:52

All right, and uh maybe have some cereal afterwards uh because you'll be ready for it. Yeah, that's right. All right, June, what else?

Concert Night And Blues Fest

Nick Buckley 4:01

You're gonna want to jump at the opportunity to get some tickets to uh David Lee Roth at Firekeepers Casino on June 13th. Get those tickets while they last. Everybody wants them. And that's uh, you know, a big name from the 80s. Uh, I'm sure Richard, you had the big hair rocking back then and as the lead singer at Van Halen, and uh that'll be uh a 21 and up show there at Firekeepers.

Richard Piet 4:25

Yeah, I did have more hair in the 80s, let me just tell you. I I did. You know, I I appreciate you said jump. I can't help it. Uh just a gigolo comes to mind for me.

Nick Buckley 4:38

Yeah, he's got some bangers for sure.

Richard Piet 4:40

Yeah, that's right. And let's not forget uh one of the more hallmark events is coming up in late June.

Nick Buckley 4:48

That's right. The Marshall Blues Fest, June 27th in downtown Marshall. Uh, that's again another one of those staple events. It's a great chance to be among the community and uh enjoy some great music and really just kind of capture all the vibes of uh beautiful downtown Marshall.

Richard Piet 5:04

All right, and that's uh just some of what you can find around Battle Creek in June to keep you occupied in your free

Where To Find More Events

Richard Piet 5:12

time. You, of course, corral all these things, and there are things about some of this stuff in the zine and by way of your Facebook page.

Nick Buckley 5:21

That's right. Yes, check us out at downtownbattlecreekzine.com is our website uh where you can check out our latest issues. Uh, but our Facebook page is also a great way to see what's going on in the community. Always something going on downtown. Um, this is just uh, you know, a sliver of the events happening in June. So, I mean, we see how vibrant downtown Battle Creek has become and all the activity happening down there. That was really a catalyst for why we launched this publication uh just over a year ago. So, yeah, you you definitely want to follow along with us and kind of see the people behind the scenes and behind these organizations and events. It's a chance to get to know your neighbors more, and so it's a chance to uh follow along and stay up to date on what's happening in downtown.

Richard Piet 6:04

Happy anniversary, uh, downtown Battle Creek Zine. Thanks, Richard. Yeah. All right, Nick, thank you. Nick Buckley with the Downtown Battle Creek Zine brings us an events update, he or Annie does uh here on Community Matters, and we'll do it again in July.