For 19 years, West Michigan residents gathered for Muskegon Summer Celebration, an 11-day party to celebrate the best of summer on the shores of Muskegon Lake. 

The festival brought national big-name acts to scenic Heritage Landing, along with thousands of people who patronized downtown businesses after the concerts and other festivities.

Since the 2011 demise of Summer Celebration, several local business owners and entrepreneurs have stepped up to organize more unique, boutique-type festivals and fill the economic void and create a positive and memorable experience that will make visitors want to return.

This year, the Kalamazoo Blues Fest is relocating to Wings Event Center, a move that will double the number of musical acts and keep the festival in the black.

Not long after announcing she’d return to Grand Rapids for a headlining show at The Pyramid Scheme, critically acclaimed New York singer-songwriter Mitski took to social media to confess her love for our fair city, and divulged a secret, dream desire to maybe someday move here.

Festivals and summer go hand-in-hand -- no other season can you spend hours in the hot sun with a corn dog (or two) in one hand and a craft beer in the other, listening to a local band jam out while you browse some arts and crafts. And if that’s not up your alley, we have all kinds of festivals; film, cultural, food, sandcastles, art, and so much more.