From staff reports
ARCADIA – Local music, brews and food will be on tap Sept. 1-2 in the parking lot of the Arcadia Marine along M-22 in this waterfront village. Festivities for the annual Minnehaha Brewhaha event begin on Friday with a brew tent and food vendors and musical group Barefoot taking the stage at 6 p.m., followed by J.R. Clark at 8:30 p.m.
More than 70 varieties of domestic and craft brews and foods from a half-dozen vendors will be served. Games and activities for adults and children are planned.
New to the festival stage this year is the M3 (Music Moves Me) Summer Jazz All Stars, directed by Eric Joslin, which will perform Saturday at 4:30 p.m. The band currently consists of eight high-school students, six from Frankfort and two who are home-schooled. Dan Macek is a spokesperson for Music Moves Me, the nonprofit organization which founded and hosts the Minnehaha Brewhaha each year. He said the band’s performers include two on drums, two on trumpet, one playing trombone, one on bass guitar, one on bass/cello and one playing piano.
“Director Joslin introduces students to the dynamics of jazz, use of various scales, rhythms, and intensity, and the idiosyncrasies of improvisation,” Macek said. Joslin added that the band practices for two hours once a week.
According to Macek, the idea for the band was conceived in response to the lack of summer music programs for high school students and because some schools experienced a loss of music programs. A grant was awarded by Music Moves Me to fund the project.
“This is an opportunity for students from Frankfort/Elberta, Benzie Central, Bear Lake, Onekama and home school students,” Macek said.
Saturday’s other musical performances include Nick Veine at 11 a.m., The Handstanders at 1 p.m., The Jim Cumming Band at 3 p.m., Great Lakes Brass at 5 p.m., Whiskey Wolves at 7 p.m. and The Smokin’ Dobroleles at 9 p.m.
The music festival’s 5k and 15k runs will be held for the fourth time. Both begin at 8 a.m. on Saturday at the festival grounds, 17073 Northwood Highway (M-22). For information and to sign up, go to: https://runsignup.com/Race/MI/Arcadia/MinihahaBrewhaha5k15k.
Friday’s admission price is $5 to hear the performances. Admission for Saturday’s events is $45 if purchased in advance and $50 at the door. The ticket price includes performances by six bands, five brew-tasting tickets and a souvenir tasting glass. Preorder tickets at: http://www.music-moves-me.org
Music Moves Me supports music education and appreciation in the greater Arcadia area schools and communities by sponsoring a music scholarship at the Interlochen Arts Academy, music competition for high school musicians, music experiences for local preschoolers, and Jazz Band opportunities for aspiring instrumentalists. The nonprofit organization has fulfilled the $50,000 endowment scholarship fund at Interlochen Center for the Arts.
The Ronald Stoops Memorial Scholarship is an ongoing scholarship for future generations of students and was created in memory of Stoops, a life-long music lover, avid performer and father of the Music Moves Me founding members. The nonprofit has donated $5,000 to music programs at Onekama, Bear Lake and Frankfort schools and tuition support for a preschool music program at Arcadia’s Pleasant Valley Community Center.
For more information about the festival or fun runs, go to: https://www.music-moves-me.org.
