38th Annual Heritage Festival offers various activities and events | Montcalm Community College

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Tuesday, July 15, 2025

38th Annual Heritage Festival offers various activities and events

Heritage Village Depot

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Take a trip to the past and experience Montcalm County and its history during the 38th annual three-day Montcalm Heritage Festival, July 31-Aug. 2, on Montcalm Community College’s Sidney campus.

“People of all ages enjoy the village festival,” said Shannon Kilduff, president of the Montcalm Heritage Village Committee.

Heritage Village is comprised of numerous historic buildings native to Montcalm County. Several activities and displays are available all three days, including historical displays in Heritage Village buildings, live music, an antique tractor display, children’s activities, ironwork demonstrations in the Blacksmith Shop, a display of a railroad speeder and equipment, demonstrations by the American Mountain Men, a Civil War Encampment, craft demonstrations, an ice cream parlor and dairy equipment display, antique small engine displays, steam engine display and demonstrations, cake walks and more.

The festival will begin with Honoring Seniors Day on Thursday, July 31, featuring a free lunch for senior citizens, sponsored by the Advocates for Montcalm County Area Seniors. Tickets may be picked up at the entrance to Heritage Festival the day of the event. An opening ceremony kicks off the festival at 10 a.m. and the buildings in Heritage Village will be open immediately following the opening festivities. Self-guided tours will begin at this time, as well. The buildings will be open each day of the festival from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Friday is Children’s Day, featuring pony rides, hands-on activities, crafts and more.

Saturday is Salute to Veterans Day, where Veterans will receive a free lunch courtesy of Lucy Hubbard and the Kitchenmaster Agency LLC. Tickets for the free lunch may be picked up at the entrance of the festival.

Saturday will begin with the Montcalm Community College Foundation’s Pancake Breakfast, taking place outside of the Activities Building from 8 to 11 a.m. Tickets will be $5 if purchased in advance or $6 at the door. Advance tickets can be purchased at the Donald C. Burns Administration/Library Building on the college’s Sidney campus, the Ash TLC Building on the college’s Greenville campus, or by contacting MCC Foundation Executive Director Lisa Lund at (989) 328-1284 or lisal@montcalm.edu. Proceeds from the breakfast help to support the MCCF Festival Scholarship, which supports MCC »ĆąĎĘÓƵ.

Saturday will also feature a petting zoo and an old-fashioned church service at the Village Church. There will also be Vintage Base Ball games throughout the day on MCC’s south lawn and the Heritage Village east lawn. Games will feature the Rockford Stars, Continental Base Ball Club of Kalamazoo, and the Elkhart County Railroaders.

“It’s a great time with a variety of things to see and do,” Kilduff added. “We have hands-on activities and crafts for kids, a quilt show, live entertainment at the gazebo, a craft show and so much more.”

The buildings are continuously maintained by a group of dedicated volunteers from all around the area. Most of the artifacts have been donated by volunteers and community members. The Stanton Rotary Club recently added a fresh coat of paint to the Rush Dairy Building.

During all three days, Stanton Women’s Club offers lunch to purchase under the pavilion including sandwiches, hot dogs, chips, apple pie from Anderson and Girls Orchard, cookies from Leppink’s Food Center and drinks.

The festival is offered by the Montcalm Heritage Village Volunteers; MCC; and the MCC Foundation. Montcalm Heritage Village was established in 1986 on MCC’s Sidney campus and has grown to include 28 buildings and hundreds of artifacts from local areas depicting life in Michigan in the late 1800s and early 1900s.

The festival runs from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. daily. All events are free unless otherwise noted.

For a complete schedule of events or more information about Montcalm Heritage Festival, visit montcalm.edu/heritage-festival.

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All Three Days

• Arts and Crafts – Craft Lane
• Bandstand/Gazebo – Music and entertainment
• Belle’s Hat Shoppe – Historic displays
• Blacksmith Shop – Open for display
• Children’s Scavenger Hunt – Village-wide
• Children’s Playhouse – Open for display and activities
• Civil War Encampment – Demonstrations and exhibits on the north lawn
• Doctor’s House – Open for display
• Edmore Jail – Open for display
• Ehle Barn – Antique farm equipment and small engines
• Gaffield Schoolhouse – Country school reenactments 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. daily
• Golf Cart Rides – Compliments of Fry’s Golf Carts, Crystal
• Maintenance of Way – Display of a Railroad Speeder and equipment
• Montcalm Area Master Gardeners – Plant Sale (Please note: Limited number of plants for sale)
• McBrides Depot – Steam engine, coal car and caboose on display
• Old Iron Tractor Club – Display of antique tractors and a steam engine on the east lawn
• Pavilion – Village Country Kitchen sells sandwiches, chips, pie, cookies and beverages provided by the Stanton Women’s Club
• Print Shop – Open for display with White Pine District Library displays
• Rush Dairy – Ice cream parlor with ice cream for sale and dairy equipment
• Shoen Log Cabin – Historic displays and spinning demonstrations
• Sidney General Store – Bake sale, candy, and pickles for sale and historic displays
• Sidney Town Hall – County and township historic displays
• Steam Engine – Display and demonstration of a steam engine by Dave Kemler on the east lawn
• Tent on the Green – Quilt Show
• Tool Shed – Farm tool displays and antique sleigh
• Village Church – Open for display

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Thursday, July 31 - Honoring Seniors Day

• 10 a.m. - Festival Opening at the Gazebo
o Buildings will open after the opening ceremony
• 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. - Advocates for Montcalm County Area Seniors Senior Fest.
o Special events for senior citizens include free lunch, drawings, door prizes, free blood pressure checks (sponsored by Metron of Greenville) and a scavenger hunt
• 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. – Children’s activities, crafts and fun at the Playhouse
• 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. - Quilt show on the tent on the lawn
• 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. - Self-guided tours of all village buildings with docents available to provide information and answer questions
• 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. - Silent Auction in the tent on the north side of the general store.
o Items include works from various artists. Proceeds benefit the Rural Pastors Institute in Uganda that is in partnership with MCC.
• 10:30 a.m. - Garden Tours
o Starting at the Master Gardeners table by the front gate.
• 10:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. - Entertainment at the Gazebo

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***Seniors will receive a free lunch ticket at the entrance of Heritage Village.

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Friday, August 1 – Children’s Day

• 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. – Children’s activities, crafts and fun at the Playhouse
• 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. - Pony rides
• 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. - Quilt show on the tent on the lawn
• 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. - Self-guided tours of all village buildings with docents available to provide information and answer questions
• 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. - Silent Auction in the tent on the north side of the general store
o Items include works from various artists. Proceeds benefit the Rural Pastors Institute in Uganda that is in partnership with MCC.
• 10:30 a.m. - Garden Tours
o Starting at the Master Gardeners table by the front gate.
• 10:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. - Entertainment at the Gazebo
• 2 p.m. - Old-fashioned church service in the Village Church

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Saturday, August 2 – “Salute to Veterans” Day

• 8 a.m. to 11 a.m. - Montcalm Community College Foundation Pancake Breakfast outside of the Activities Building on campus
• 9 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. - Vintage Base Ball on MCC's south lawn and the Village east lawn
o Featuring the Rockford Stars, Continental Base Ball Club of Kalamazoo, and the Elkhart County Railroaders
• 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. - Entertainment at the Gazebo
• 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. - Children's activities, crafts and fun at the Playhouse
• 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. - Petting Zoo
• 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. - Quilt show on the tent on the lawn
• 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. - Self-guided Tours of all village buildings with docents available to provide information and answer questions.
• 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. - Silent Auction in the tent on the north side of the general store
o Items include works from various artists. Proceeds benefit the Rural Pastors Institute in Uganda that is in partnership with MCC.
• 10:30 a.m. - Garden Tours
o Starting at the Master Gardeners table by the front gate
• 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. - Salute to Veterans at the Gazebo

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***Veterans will receive a free lunch ticket at the entrance of Heritage Village.

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Media contact:
Shelly Springborn
Director of Community and Board Relations
shellys@montcalm.edu
989-560-0833

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Alex Freeman
Communication Specialist
Alex.freeman@montcalm.edu
616-894-9881