(Community Matters 195) DBCZ July Events Update: America's 250th in Calhoun County - and More

The Community Matters July events update from the Downtown Battle Creek Zine highlights America’s 250th celebrations across Battle Creek and Calhoun County, from the Field of Flight to parades, cars, and free community concerts. 

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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 America’s 250th

Richard Piet 0:01

Time for our community matters events update from the downtown Battle Creek Zine. Nick Buckley is back with us, assembler of the events. Hello, Nick. Hey, Richard, how are you? Great, man. Big celebrations for the 250th anniversary of the United States of America. Boy, we got a lot of them around.

Nick Buckley 0:24

Yeah, no kidding. The uh semi-quincentennial, uh, say that 10 times fast.

Field Of Flight Festival Preview

Nick Buckley 0:29

Right. Uh, yeah, we uh here in Battle Creek, uh, our biggest annual festival is always the Field of Flight Air Show and Balloon Festival. Gets even bigger this year uh with America's 250th. Uh that's going to be July 1st through 5th out at the Battle Creek Executive Airport at Kellogg Field. And uh yeah, plenty to take in there and to bring the whole family out for uh between the air shows, hot air balloons. We love chasing the balloons around town. Uh we have the fireworks and drone shows, uh, which is kind of a uh newer kind of thing that has been really cool to see. Uh of course you have the carnival rides, live music, crafts, food and beer, or beverage other beverages if you like that kind of thing. Okay, now I'm in. And then uh if you're uh into getting out and getting moving, um, you have the morning of the fourth, the uh Battle Creek Half Marathon, and 5K, uh, which is really cool because that takes you through the airport. You get to get really close to some uh awesome planes, and it's just an awesome uh event all around for the whole family. And uh one uh word of advice too is bring some cash for parking. Um otherwise uh they'll they'll take your money any other way that you typically uh bring it.

Richard Piet 1:46

Yeah, but it's a lot easier with cash. I know we've we've heard that before from Barb Halushka, who has said many times, uh cash is king here, so you get in faster if you if you have that ready and uh you can park with that uh tootsuite, as they say in French. Right. All right.

VA Salute And Albion Fireworks

Richard Piet 2:04

Uh Battle Creek VA Medical Center has some things planned.

Nick Buckley 2:07

Yeah, of course. They have their their uh salute to veterans. It's gonna be a concert and picnic out there at the uh VA Medical Center on July 7th. Uh that's free and open to the community. You just want to make sure that uh you contact them ahead for uh reservations. Albion has some events as well. Yeah, Lbn will have their annual uh July fire, 4th of July fireworks. Uh they're gonna do those on July 3rd. Uh meet out at Barnes Park, probably around sunset, but uh 10 p.m. would probably be a good time to pull up a lawn chair and uh take it in with the rest of the community.

Richard Piet 2:43

Yeah, we need a dark sky for sure. And uh this time of the year we know when that is way late. So right, 10 p.m. Marshall

Marshall Cruise, Parade, And BBQ

Richard Piet 2:51

has lots planned, uh the fun stuff that they uh always have around the 4th of July weekend and more.

Nick Buckley 2:59

Yeah, absolutely. Um, and and certainly if you're a car fiction auto, you you you're a fan of uh Cruise at the Fountain. Uh this will be the 40th year of Cruise at the Fountain. Uh that's gonna be held uh July 3rd and 4th, uh out actually out at the Calhoun County Fairgrounds. Uh so Richard, I'm sure you're gonna um pull up and show off your wheels a little bit. Uh but that's always a great event and uh awesome that they've had have been able to keep it going for 40 years.

Richard Piet 3:25

Yeah.

Nick Buckley 3:26

Love, love, love it. Downtown, yeah, downtown at the uh at the old Brooks Fountain uh on July 4th. You're gonna wanna uh bring your kids uh a decorated bike or wagon or bring your pets uh because it's the Oakland pet bike and wagon parade uh that goes around the Brooks Fountain. Uh that starts at 10 a.m. Uh as I said, you you can decorate the the bikes or wagons or uh show up in some uh costumes. Uh it it's uh awards are given to uh the best costumes. Uh that's free, but you do need to register. You can do that in advance, or you can do that the morning of. Uh that is also uh happening at the same time as the uh annual chicken barbecue at the fountain. Uh that is uh gonna happen beginning at 10 a.m. and uh there'll be some music there, courtesy of the Marshall Rotary Band.

Richard Piet 4:21

All right. Uh lots to take in there. And if you thought the celebrations were over after the fourth, you would be incorrect. You

Athens Homecoming Celebration

Richard Piet 4:31

could go to Athens.

Nick Buckley 4:32

Yeah. Yeah, yeah. Head on over to Athens. Uh they're gonna do their annual homecoming celebration. Uh, but this year with that uh celebrating America's 250th theme, uh, that's gonna be hosted on July 24th and 25th. Uh there'll be uh a couple of free concerts and uh a lot of food trucks. Uh so step on down to uh beautiful Athens and um kind of enjoy that small town feel, that uh way to celebrate America's 250th.

Richard Piet 5:00

Is there anything else going on in July? This is uh the main focus, obviously.

July Concert Series And Local Bands

Nick Buckley 5:06

Yeah, July, there's always a lot going on. Uh there's uh a lot of uh live music if you're a fan. Um the uh Battle Creek Vibe at Five concert series returns that is going to be held in July on Fridays at 5 p.m. at Friendship Park in downtown Battle Creek. Uh that's a favorite of uh mine and my wife's. We like to pull up the lawn chairs and just enjoy downtown in the social district and then uh walk around and kind of uh take in all that downtown has to offer. Um so it's uh also available through the Friday night Beats and Bites that is uh gonna be held on July 17th. That's at the uh Festival Market Square in conjunction with the farmers market. Uh it's another opportunity to take in some uh great live music. Then heading on over to uh Marshall, they have their own uh free concert series uh Fridays at the fountain. Uh lots happening at the fountain in July. Uh that starts on July 10th, and it's going to be every other Friday at 7 p.m. Uh and then of course uh back to Battle Creek, uh the Battle of the Band competition continues. This is where we bring three local bands uh to a single event, and they will then progress to hopefully the winner will uh be performing at Kellogg Arena. So that's a great opportunity to um check these bands out and support some local music.

Richard Piet 6:31

All right, there you go. Lots to uh focus on. And as you mentioned, if you're into cars, we talk about uh what's happening in Marshall with the cruise at the Fountain.

August Car Show Heads-Up

Richard Piet 6:41

This is July, we're talking about, but here's a heads up for August. The Red Barn Spectacular always happens at the Gilmore Car Museum on the first Saturday of August. Huge. Big. So uh plan on that if you're a car fan for the first Saturday in August. You have these events listed in the zine, right? And and certainly online.

Nick Buckley 7:03

Yeah, you can find them uh downtown battlecreek uh zine.com. Um by uh the other publication I'm a part of, uh Black Squirrel News, you'll find a roundup of America's 250th uh uh celebrations happening around Calhoun County. Uh so check us out at blacksquirrelnews.com or follow us on Substack.

Richard Piet 7:22

All

Where To Find The Event Lists

Richard Piet 7:23

right. Thanks for the update, Nick. We always look forward to these exciting events reports, especially in summer, because uh we've I don't know about anybody else, but I've been waiting since, I don't know, November 1st for this weather. And so here we are. We get to get out and enjoy it. And pick up a downtown Battle Creek zine. I saw your post on social media with uh all the places where it's located. There were about 90 pictures or something of people holding up uh a zine in all the different places. Good for you. You're getting that around.

Nick Buckley 7:54

Yeah, thanks, Richard. We appreciate all of our host sites and uh appreciate my son going out and making deliveries with me. That was a fun couple days. All right.

Richard Piet 8:02

Nick Buckley, downtown Battle Creek Zine update with events here on Community Matters.