By Cris Greer
WKTV Managing Editor
greer@wktv.org

Kentwood’s Fourth of July Celebration kicks off a fun, eventful month. Be sure to check out all these cool upcoming events in July!

Celebrate the Fourth of July on Friday with a full day of activities.

• 7:30 to 9:30 a.m. – Pancake Breakfast at Kentwood Fire Station 1, 4775 Walma Ave. SE.
• 8 a.m. – 5K Race and Fun Walk at City Hall, 4900 Breton Ave. SE.
• 9:30 a.m. – Parade following this route.
• 10:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. – Carnival with rides and games for all ages at City Hall. Wristbands for the carnival will be available for purchase Wednesday, July 2, until Thursday, July 3 for $20 at City Hall and the Kentwood Activities Center.
• 4 to 10 p.m. – Evening Celebration at City Hall with community booths, food trucks, a beer tent and live music – all leading up to FIREWORKS at DUSK.
  

Community members are encouraged to bring credit and debit cards to the event since all activities and many vendors are cashless. Find all the details, including parking and volunteer information, at kentwood.us/July4.

“Our Parks and Recreation and Public Works departments begin planning months in advance to make Kentwood’s Fourth of July Celebration a memorable event for all,” Parks and Recreation Director Val Romeo said. “From the morning pancake breakfast to the evening fireworks, this celebration is a great opportunity for our community to come together, have fun and honor the holiday.”

Check out the Kentwood Summer Concert Series Lineup for July
From 7 to 8:30 p.m. every Thursday through Aug. 14 there is live music from local bands. Bring a blanket or chair and watch the performances on the lawn behind Kentwood City Hall, 4900 Breton Ave. SE.

Food trucks will be on-site with food and beverages for purchase each week. Concertgoers may also bring their own food and beer or wine. Get there early and explore the Kentwood Farmers Market from 4:30 to 7:30 p.m. in the parking lot behind City Hall.

July’s lineup includes four performances:
July 10 – On the Lash, performing traditional Celtic music. Food trucks include Freddy Franks, Los Pinches Tacos and Dakiddd Bar-B-Que & Catering.
July 17 – Sunchaser, a five-piece band playing rock, country, blues, R&B and more. Food trucks include Taquero Mucho, Falafel Truck, Boujee Bowls and Taste of Toya’s World.
July 24 – Grupo Fierro, performing energetic norteño and tejano music. Food trucks include Kory’s Antojitos, Around Baking Company, Frostbite Shaved Ice and Patty Matters.
July 31 – Roosevelt Diggs, performing a blend of folk, country, bluegrass, blues and more. Food trucks include Freddy Franks, Tamales Mary, Sweet Racks & Smokin’ Butts BBQ and Dolce Mini Cakes.
Please note: There’s no concert or Farmers Market on July 3. For more information about the concerts, go to Kentwood.us/MarketsAndMusic.

Shop Local at the Kentwood Farmers Market through Aug. 21
The 11th season of the Kentwood Farmers Market runs through Aug. 21. You can find fresh produce, baked goods, tea, craft items and more from a variety of local vendors from 4:30 to 7:30 p.m. each Thursday behind Kentwood City Hall, 4900 Breton Ave. SE. Food trucks also are on-site each week.

Get the latest updates from the Kentwood Farmers Market Facebook page.

Summer Food Programs

Free lunches for children and some adults are available again this summer through Kent District Library’s Gather 2 Grow program, a partnership with Feeding America West Michigan. Kids ages 0-18 and individuals who are younger than age 26 and have a disability can enjoy a nutritious lunch from noon to 1 p.m. Monday-Friday through Aug. 29 at KDL – Kentwood (Richard L. Root), 4950 Breton Ave. SE. Learn more at kdl.org/lunch.

In addition, the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services is starting its annual SUN Bucks (Summer EBT) program, providing eligible households with $120 per child to purchase nutritious groceries. This initiative ensures kids have access to healthy food while school is out, bridging a gap in food security for thousands of kids in Michigan. Learn more and apply here.

Kent District Library – Kentwood (Richard L. Root) Events
The Kent District Library – Kentwood (Richard L. Root) Branch will offer a variety of programs this month, including:
KDL Lab Experience: Creature Power: Thursday, July 3, 10-11 a.m. Explore the amazing world of creatures big and small as we dive into fun animal activities.
Ruff Readers: Tuesday, July 8, 6:30-7:30 p.m. This unique read-aloud program in partnership with West Michigan Therapy Dogs Inc. pairs kids with a trained therapy dog and their handler. Kids read their favorite book and the pooches curl up, listen and enjoy.
Eric Litwin – Pete the Cat Family Concert: Tuesday, July 15, 10-11 a.m. Join Eric Litwin, the original author of the “Pete the Cat” series as well as the author of “The Nuts and Groovy Joe,” for a groovy time of song singing, guitar strumming and picture taking.
Chasing the Aurora Below the 45th Parallel: What It Takes to Catch the Northern Lights: Tuesday, July 22, 6:30-7:30 p.m. Join Melissa Kaelin, founder of Michigan Aurora Chasers and author of “Beyond the 45th Parallel,” to discover how to view the northern lights. Learn how an aurora is created and the best methods for predicting an aurora display.

Also, check out KDL’s Author Talks, online conversations in which authors of interesting, popular, informative and compelling books share more about their work, their writing process and the things that inspire them. These conversations are led by passionate readers from the Library Speakers Consortium, and they offer a chance for attendees to ask questions about their favorite authors and topics. Learn more at kdl.org/authortalks. Find a full list of KDL events at kdl.org

Home Lead Inspections
Get ahead of lead: Homeowners who live in a home built before 1978 can get free paint, dust and soil lead testing through Kent County Community Action. Learn more and apply for the Kent County Lead Evaluation and Reduction program by visiting gettingaheadoflead.com/kclear.