KALAMAZOO, MI –  A new kind of festival is taking shape in Kalamazoo and it’s not just one event, it’s all of them.

Introducing 269 Fest, a weeklong celebration happening September 19–27, designed to highlight the energy, talent, and creative momentum already moving through the community.

With more than a dozen events already on the calendar, the inaugural 269 Fest invites the community to come out to these events and more:

• Southwest Michigan’s Entrepreneurial Summit

• Bell’s 40th Anniversary Party

• LINK’s signature young professional events

• Live music with Sounds of the Zoo

• Community ground breaking of new event center

269 Fest takes its name from Southwest Michigan’s area code and will be hosted around the 269th day of the year, which this year is Friday, September 26th. 

The concept is simple: take everything already happening in Kalamazoo that week from music, film, food, entrepreneurship, community and weave it together into one unforgettable cultural moment.

“This isn’t just about throwing a party,” said Kyle Gulau, co-organizer of 269 Fest and co-founder of LINK, the city’s emerging young professionals group. “It’s about giving our community a shared sense of rhythm, connection, and possibility.”

The week is designed to feel decentralized, diverse, and dynamic offering multiple entry points for residents, students, visitors, and families to engage with Kalamazoo’s cultural fabric.

“It’s a little chaotic, in the best way,” said Bobby J. Hopewell, former Mayor of Kalamazoo and 269 Fest co-organizer. “We’re not trying to control every detail, we’re trying to shine a light on what’s already happening and invite people to see the city in a new way.”

While this is year one, organizers see 269 Fest as a multi-year effort to create a lasting cultural tradition in Kalamazoo, something that feels both homegrown and expansive. 

“Every great community has a cultural tentpole,” said Gulau. “Grand Rapids has ArtPrize. Austin has SXSW. These moments become part of a city’s story and it’s time for Kalamazoo to have ours.”

This is year one, and we’ve pulled it together in just about 60 days by highlighting the incredible events and energy that were already happening in our community. Year two, we’ll have more time, more partners, and more resources and with that comes the opportunity to dream even bigger.

And by year three, the new Event Center downtown will be open. We see this as our chance to host the largest gathering of creatives, food, and community that Southwest Michigan has ever seen. That’s our not-so-secret plan and it starts now.”

269 Fest is powered by data and community feedback. The concept emerged from LINK’s yearlong series of monthly pop-up events, where participants repeatedly asked: “What if this energy could stretch beyond just one night?

In its first year, 269 Fest is coordinated by a collaborative group of partners including LINK, Greenleaf Hospitality Group, Southwest Michigan First, Discover Kalamazoo, Startup Zoo, Stamped Robin, Sounds of the Zoo, Western Michigan University, Kabundant, and many others.

For more information, a full schedule of events, or to get involved, visit the269.com or follow @269Festkzoo on Instagram and @269Fest on facebook.