Events | Southwest Michigan Realtor Blog

December 4, 2011
by Michael Delaware

Attending the National Association of Realtors Convention 2011

This year the National Association of Realtors (NAR) Convention for 2011 was held in

Me at the 2011 National Association of Realtors Convention in Anaheim, CA.

Anaheim, California. I attended, and was there for a period of five days. As part of the convention, I was able to participate in special exclusive events for Realtors called ‘knowledge sessions’.

Some of the knowledge sessions consisted of briefings on the national economy from members of the Federal Reserve, as well as a NAR economist. Others that I attended were on marketing, social media, video making and many other special interests I had to help me improve my business and relationships with my clients.

There was also in the convention center a bookstore and a very large expo center. In the expo, I was exposed to products and services from around the world to better help my business and relationships with my clients.

Being a Realtor from Battle Creek, Michigan, it was very benefitial to find new ideas to help me reach more people to help them become homeowners. Having an understanding of what is happening at a national level gives me an better understanding on how my local market will be impacted. Here is a photo of me on one of my more casual days on Sunday at the NAR convention.

July 10, 2011
by Michael Delaware

The Fireworks Grand Finale at the Field of Flight in Battle Creek, Michigan

Fireworks are a popular feature of a 4th of July celebraton each and every summer.

I previously wrote a post on the fireworks held at the Field of Flight Airshow & Balloon Festival that was held from July 1st – 4th at the W.K. Kellogg Airfield in Battle Creek, Michigan last weekend. The fireworks display was quite sensational, and I ended up videoing it in two parts, and posted two separate videos on YouTube on this.

So I have decided to include the second part in my blog here today on the grand finale of the fireworks show at the Battle Creek Field of Flight Airshow & Balloon Festival in Battle Creek, Michigan.

Fireworks are a great tradition on the 4th of July, and this show was quite wonderful. It was probably the best fireworks I have seen in a long time. The night airshow leading up to it was also wonderful.

Here is the video:

July 10, 2011
by Michael Delaware

Fireworks Spectacular in Southwest Michigan

4th of July Fireworks are always the spectacular event of the weekend.

Last weekend I had the pleasure of seeing the fireworks extravaganza at the Battle Creek Field of Flight Airshow & Balloon Fest that was held at the W.K. Kellogg Airport. The event lasted 4 days, and the fireworks show was held on the evening of July 3rd, 2011. There were a lot of events that led up to the fireworks, such as the Balloon Illume and the Night Time Air Show, but those more or less set the stage for the big event of the evening.

I think that people love fireworks across all cultural lines and backgrounds. It something very special to admire the magnificent lights in the sky, and 4th of July is a great time to see them. I do not think that any Independence weekend would ever be quite complete without fireworks.

I filmed a video when I was at this years event, and I am presenting the first part here. I hope you enjoy it.

July 9, 2011
by Michael Delaware

Night Air Show at the Battle Creek Field of Flight

The night air show at the Battle Creek Field of Flight was nothing short of spectacular.

Last weekend the largest event in Southwest Michigan was held in Battle Creek. It is the Battle Creek Field of Flight Airshow & Balloon Festival. On the evening of July 3rd, I attended the festival with plans to see the Balloon Illume and then the evening fireworks show. What I did not expect was the exciting night time air show event that was held right after dark, before the fireworks extravaganza.

This event featured pilots flying at night, and they were shooting flames and sparks from their bi-planes lighting up the night time sky as they did flips, turns and dives to entertain the crowds.

They also fired off fireworks from their wings, making it an exciting crowd pleasing event. I managed to shoot a video of this portion of the evening show, and have included it here. Enjoy.

July 5, 2011
by Michael Delaware

Hot Air ‘Balloon Illume’ in Battle Creek, Michigan

The 'Balloon Illume' is a fantastic summer feature on 4th of July weekend.

There is one very exciting annual celebration that is the largest in Southwest Michigan during the 4th of July weekend. It is the Battle Creek Field of Flight Air Show & Balloon Festival which draws crowds of over 100,000 people over 4 days.

Part of the exciting annual event is the hot air balloons. One of the crowd pleasing feaures at this event it the ‘Balloon Illume’ which is held at dusk. On the night of the fireworks on July 3rd, I attended this event and shot some video. It is one of the most colorful and beautiful summer experiences you can go to.

I hope you will take time to watch my video and ‘like’ it on YouTube if you enjoy it. Thank you.

June 20, 2011
by Michael Delaware 1 Comment

UKC Dog Show in Kalamazoo, Michigan – June 19th, 2011

There are over 100 different breeds of dogs featured at the UKC 18th Annual Dog Show in Kalamazoo.

This past weekend I attended the UKC Dog Show in Kalamazoo, Michigan held at the Kalamazoo County Fairgrounds and Expo Center. It was my first time ever seeing a dog show, so I did not know what to expect. I am an active big brother volunteer with Big Brothers, Big Sisters (BBBS), so I went the event with my little brother for something new to experience. I was amazed at the many varieties of dogs. So many are just so beautiful.

The show was a several day event, and we attended on the final day. So we did not see all the events, but we did see a lot of the judging and competition between breeds, and some of the events on obedience training, etc. One of the most fun events was the ‘Ultimate Air Dog’ competition, where dogs run off a dock into a large pool, and are measured for distance. Some of the dogs were new, and did not jump very far. Others looked like profressionals, and would jump amazingly far. One dog jumped 25 feet!

The UKC 18th Annual Dog Show was held June 17th - 19th, 2011.

The event had everything one needs who is a dog lover. They had retail tents for all kinds of dog related products, from beds, to snacks, to chew toys, collars and outfits. These were quite fun to look at too.

There were also some great concession stands featuring the traditional hotdogs, hamburgers, nacho chips, etc. There were a few others that offered BBQ and even one that offered speciality ice cream desserts. So even the casual visitor would find something interesting to eat.

My little brother and I got to meet a lot of dog owners, and we learned a lot of interesting information about the various breeds that were there. The entire experience was a very educational trip for us, and I highly recommend it to people, even if they do not intend to have a dog of their own.

The 18th annual UKC Dog Show was held June 17th – 19th, 2011 which included both indoor and outside venues thoughout the event. Over 100 different breeds of dogs were featured.

June 19, 2011
by Michael Delaware

Cerealfest is an Annual Tradition in Battle Creek, Michigan

Cerealfest in Battle Creek, Michigan is a popular regional Annual Event.

Last weekend the city of Battle Creek hosted the annual Cerealfest in downtown on June 11th. It was moderately cool weather, and it turned into a great outdoor event. The Cerealfest is now over 100 years old, and is also known as ‘The World’s Longest Breakfast Table’. It features free breakfast for thousands of people on the street for a summer morning, and the cereal is donated by Kellogg’s, Ralston Foods and Post.

I have attended this outdoor event every year since I have lived in Battle Creek, Michigan. To me it marks the beginning of summer officially for the region, and it is one of my most favorite outdoor events to take part in. Thousands of people walk the streets, eat cereal, and sit on picnic tables. Live entertainment it provided, and even games for the kids to partake in.

The mascots from the various cereal companies wander the streets for photo

Free cereal for thousands of people, especially kids!

opportunities, and everyone in general has a good time. It is a piece of Americana that is a benchmark event for the city that refers to itself as ‘The Breakfast Capital of the World’. You will never go hungry at the Cerealfest, as long as you like cereal.

On some years, if you got there early, there were free bananas, pop tarts and juice. Every year is different. This year for the 2011 Cerealfest, they held the event at the West end of downtown near the McCamly Park area because the main road into downtown was torn up from construction. The extra space in the park allowed them to add hotdog and hamburger stands, and even a lemonaide stand to fit everone’s taste.

Walking around the Cerealfest this year, I decided to create a video to put on my YouTube Channel, and share with everyone. Writing about the good things in my community is important to me, and Battle Creek, Michigan deserves recognition for putting on this fabulous event.

April 21, 2011
by Michael Delaware

The Fredrick Meijer Gardens Annual Butterfly Exhibit

The butterfly exhibit is a great opportunity for photographers and nature lovers.

: The butterfly exhibit runs from March to April.

This past weekend I took a trip to Grand Rapids, Michigan to visit the Frederick Meijer Gardens Annual Butterfly Exhibit that runs annually from March 1st through April 30th each year. This year I decided to take some extra cameras and shoot not only photographs, but also some video.

I had a Canon Rebel ESI that I had purchased used last fall, and was looking forward to testing it out. I managed to get some nice photos with this camera before the battery died on me. I then switched to my Canon Powershot, and shot a majority of the video and photos seen here primarily with it.

The Fredrick Meijer Gardens also has a sculpture park, and during the warmer months when the leaves are full it is a beautiful place to visit and stroll the grounds. For more information about the Fredrick Meijer Gardens and Sculpture Park, visit their website at: MeijerGardens.org.

The butterfly exhibit is an indoor exhibit in a special atrium that is kept quite warm and humid to approximate the climate of the butterflies natural habitat. The butterflies are primarily imported from Asia, Africa and South America in the exhibit, and they are a mix of some of the most beautiful species you may ever have a chance to see in Michigan.

I highly recommend people mark this annual event on their calendar, and visit it. The entry fee is $12.00 per adult, and there are reduced prices for children. You will want to bring your camera, and I suggest a fast action camera if possible. The butterflies are faster than you think, and are often gone before you can click the photo. So it is quite a challenge to get photos, and well as shoot video.

I hope you enjoy this sample of the exhibit that I have presented here, and if you like the video please click the ‘like’ button on Youtube. Thank you!