Welcome to New Year's Fest 2008!

Welcome to New Year's Fest – a performing arts celebration in downtown Kalamazoo. Hosted on December 31, 2008. New Year's Fest provides 28 different entertainers who perform inside 9 buildings surrounding Bronson Park.

Admission is through a button that allows entry to all venues including a heated tent hosting college bands (probably more targeted to our 15-23 year olds). New Year’s Fest is made possible through a number of sponsors including Maple Hill Auto Group and our foundations including Irving S. Gilmore Foundation, Harold and Grace Upjohn Foundation and Dorothy U. Dalton Foundation. Donations are accepted by the general public and the money received helps keep the button price at 5 (about 30% of the cost to provide New Year’s Fest).

New this year, we have expanded our activities in Bronson Park and we will have the traditional TubaNewYear at 5:30 p.m. and then starting at 7 p.m. we have a high school music band/drum corps competition where high school music students can win money for their music departments (first place is $500, second place is $200, and third place is $100).

At 10:30 p.m. we will unveil a special video full of interview of Kalamazoo County people talking about what they see as great things happening in 2009. The people on the street interviews will start around Thanksgiving. And, then at midnight, thanks to AG Edwards, we have fireworks.

Admission buttons are $5.00 and children 3 and under are free. Advanced sale buttons are available at any Harding’s Market and Marketplace location (Kalamazoo, Portage, Oshtemo, Otsego, Plainwell, Three Rivers and Schoolcraft). Admission buttons can be purchased in Bronson Park starting at 3 p.m. on December 31 – event day sales are $8 (starting at 11 p.m. buttons are free – you still need a button to attend). The Official Program brochure is available starting mid-November, but if you go the entertainer page, you can access grid with preliminary information on our artists and their schedule.