Gates open at 6 P.M.

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What are Festival Fridays?

First, the event is free to attend. The decision to provide a free event designed to encourage people to come downtown, enjoy the festival site, and to connect with the power of events and placemaking. Festival Fridays is designed to activate the Arcadia Creek Festival Place.

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This series is designed to encourage people to come downtown, celebrate the unique places that help to define community and gathering for celebration. This is called a placemaking event designed to change the way in which people interact with their public spaces. The festivals themselves are designed to celebrate cultures, highlight small businesses including food entrepreneurs and merchandise vendors, and to support local musicians by providing a live entertainment element.

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The 2025 theme this year is “A Taste of Kalamazoo.” The themed series is to highlight all the great food choices available in Kalamazoo. Restaurants, food trucks, and food entrepreneurs are welcome to participate. The four-part series is simply to create the opportunity to extend the event throughout the summer and to connect different audiences to the live entertainment. All participating vendors need to be licensed. The focus of the event is to promote the food industry.

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