The Blog

Steve Ferency is the current Media Outreach Specialist at Caster Concepts, Video Producer, Photographer, and YouTube Specialist at Brick Street Marketing. In this podcast he shares his how he come to Albion through connections to Ramona Kidder at Dickerson Music, and the starting of Kelly’s Corner. Ferency goes on to share the media and production lifestyle he lived for a …

Meet Betty Chlystek, a hidden gem in town who is doing some truly amazing work. Ms. Chlystek is a professional theatrical costumer with extensive experience fabricating costumes for notable performing arts organizations and the film and TV industries.  As a theatrical costumer, Ms. Chlystek has worked in many major cities across the country as well as in Shenzhen, China and …

Ms. Hazel Lias is a retired Albion Public School educator and active community member. In this episode, Ms. Lias shared with podcast host, Cassidy Porter, how she came to Albion during a time of strife in our community. She and her husband were recruited from the south to teach in the Albion Public Schools system. Ms. Lias was a Physical …

This coming Sunday, the 29th, is the annual Sweets on Superior Street will be kicking off the Halloween festivities in Albion. Sweets on Superior Street is a free trick or treating event that happens right downtown Albion. Different organizations and groups set up tables and décor to pass out treats. This year’s theme is Halloweentown, encouraging organizations to pass out …

The Greater Albion Area Chamber of Commerce & Visitors Bureau currently has two interns from Albion College. They are working hard to help support the endeavors of the Chamber, so here is a little bit about them. Kelly Guadarrama – Marketing Intern Kelly is from Houston, Texas, and currently a senior at Albion College. She is majoring in Political Science …

Who’s looking to have a wicked good night in Albion? Join Riverside Gifts & Treasures on Tuesday October, 24th from 5PM – 8PM for Witches and Wizards night! This fun filled adult event, is the perfect date night, ladies’ night, and an exploration of everything downtown Albion has to offer. During the event, participating businesses will have giveaways, specials, and …

This past Saturday, the Albion Branch of the NAACP held their 50th Annual NAACP Freedom Fund Banquet. This community event was a time for reflection, acknowledgement, understanding, and celebration as the evening’s theme was “Thriving Together”. Mistress of Ceremony for the night, Jesse Whitfield, Albion Branch NAACP Executive Committee and Planning Committee Chair, took the event through multiple speakers. The …

Riverside Gifts & Treasures recently celebrated their ribbon cutting with the Greater Albion Area Chamber of Commerce. In their new location at 404 S. Superior Street, Riverside Gifts & Treasures is bringing a local twist to shop small. Owners Nancy and Sheila have fallen in love with Albion. Nancy shared that how she loves the friendly people in town and …

With the month of October in full swing, it’s time to get excited about all the great events happening in Albion. Throughout the month there will be Albion’s Big Read events and discussions surrounding around a common reading. This year’s common read is Mighty Inside by Sundee T. Frazier. Set in 1955, Melvin Robinson learns to navigate his way through …

Eggs & Issues is a Greater Albion Area Chamber of Commerce event every third Friday of the month from October until June every year. It is a community breakfast to bring people together to learn what is happening in and around Albion. Each month there is a different local sponsor for the event, that will then be the featured speaker …

“It’s a chance for the people in the community who genuinely love other people in the community to show them love” – Akaiia Ridley, Albion’s Big Read Assistant Director Albion’s Big Read is amid their ninth year of reading experiences with the Big Read month, October, soon to be kicked off this Saturday, September 30th. Director Jess Roberts and Assistant …

Just last week, Albion welcomed six French delegates from the sister cities, Noisy-le-Roi and Bailly. The relationship built on exchanges of culture, community, and education; is a treasured experience within the Albion community. Starting in the late 1990s, the Sister City Committee formed to nurture this relationship with the established connections in France. As time as passed, countless people have …

Hear from a hand-full of people who love Albion, and shared their passion with the Community & Brand Ambassador at the Festival of the Forks. Listen to current graduate student at Eastern Michigan University, Akaiia Ridley, share her love about Albion; to a few French delegates from Albion’s sister cities, Noisy-le-Roi and Bailly, share their experience of Albion.

Philanthropy, one of the key components of the Albion community, is one of the most undervalued acts. It is the action that goes unnoticed and unrecognized, for countless reasons. But seeing how some of the Albion area giving circles recently had their quarterly meeting, it is important to recognize the generosity of these groups. Albion Area Philanthropic Women have been …

The Brick by Brick Podcast first started four years ago with Emily Verbeke as the host. The intentions of the podcast were to better understand Albion’s past, present, and future through discussion with community leaders on different topics. Guests ranged from Mark Lelle and his involvement with the Albion Trails, to Jontaj Wallace’s experiences at Albion College as a Albionite …

Hi! I am Cassidy Porter, and I am the Community & Brand Ambassador at the Albion Community Foundation. This is a new position working towards improving the positive outlook and understanding of Albion. The role is a partnership between the Albion Community Foundation, Caster Cares, the City of Albion, and the Greater Albion Chamber of Commerce & Visitor Bureau. I …

In one short week, the Festival of the Forks will be in full swing. The annual celebration in downtown Albion has been occurring since 1967. Named after the fork in the Kalamazoo River not a utensil, the festival is a celebration of the heritage and culture of the Albion community. The two-day event kicks off with the Cruise-In & Car …

As the school year has begun, countless extracurricular activities have started too. One opportunity we have in Albion is robotics through INNOVATE Albion. I had the opportunity to sit down with Caroline Hurteau, Executive Director at INNOVATE Albion, to discuss the build-up and work that really goes into FIRST robotics competitions. Although the official competition materials and preparation does not …

The Run Albion 5K races and series have been going on for numerous years. The organization has blossomed into an annual 5K series including the Run the Rock in the spring, the History Hustle in the summer, and the Forks 5K the Friday night of the Festival of the Forks in September. It ventures runners and walkers through the beautiful …

As they tried to beat the rain, American Legion Post 55 with the help the Albion Scout Troops 158B and 158G and Home Depot, successfully restored Barnes Park on Thursday August 17th and Tuesday August 22nd. A project two years in the making has come to fruition with replacing park benches, cleaning the riverbank, and trimming overgrown trees. This passion …

Kids ‘N’ Stuff Children’s Museum has been an iconic and vibrant aspect to downtown Albion for almost 21 years. Personally, being one of the first kids in the community to truly experience Kids ‘N’ Stuff, the opportunity for hands-on play in Albion has always been an opportunity I’ve cherished. This past month, I had the opportunity to sit down with …

About one month ago, the local Scouts, Troop 158B and 158G, went on an amazing trip to West Virginia with the support of the Albion community. On July 21st, the Scouts took off with a mission of visiting the National Jamboree for a day. The Jamboree is a time for Scouts from across the nation to gather and experience the …

The heart of Albion, the historic downtown district is filled architectural charm and iconic landmarks. To preserve and enhance this unique character, the Albion Downtown Development Authority (DDA) recently celebrated the successful completion of the 2023 Façade Grant projects. The program aimed to revitalize and maintain the city’s historic downtown by providing grants to deserving recipients for improvements to building …

The weekly community event of the Albion Farmer’s Market is an easily overlooked resource within our community. Albion Farmer’s Market is a great way to support local but also buy fresh produce to support healthy living. Not only is it convient that our Farmer’s Market is located right downtown in Stoffer Plaza, but it is also accessible to all with …

4-H Creative & Expressive Arts has been a great opportunity for students in the Albion community for over 25 years, but what effect has it had on the students? There is a great love from the leadership for the program, but how do the students feel? I had the opportunity to talk with some of the student leaders and participants …