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42 Thursday, August 22, 2024 BATTLE CREEK SHOPPER NEWS http://www.thebattlecreekshopper.com

See CARIBBEAN on 43

Minutes from the August, 2024

Board Meeting have been posted to

our Website and can be reviewed at

http://www.pennfieldmi.gov or they are

available from the Township Clerk

during regular business hours.

-Kathy Case, Clerk

Pennfield Charter

Township

20260 Capital Avenue N.E., Battle Creek, MI 49017

(269) 968-8549 • FAX (269) 968-2021

WILL KOWALSKI
Sports Editor/Asst. Editor

The ninth annual Battle Creek
Caribbean Festival took place last
Saturday (Aug. 17) at The Base
Bar & Grill on Dickman Road in
Springfield, and hundreds of folks
of all ages attended the event – get-
ting a full dose of island vibes in the
process.
Put on once again by local St.
Philip High grad David Bauman of
David’s Productions LLC, Bauman,
now in his 70s, said the move to The
Base as the site of the festival from
its original site the previous eight
years – Festival Market Square in
downtown Battle Creek – turned out
well.
The main reason for the festival’s
move, Bauman said, was because last
year’s event was shaved into a four-
hour program.
Last Saturday at The Base, the fes-
tival started at 6 p.m., had live music
until 11 p.m., and then continued on
with even more music provided by
DJ & MC Assane.
“As the night wore on, attendance
got really good. I was really pleased
with the turnout of hundreds of
people – many of whom stayed until
after 12:30 a.m. with DJ Assane
keeping the music and the atmo-
sphere going,” Bauman said.
The main act that took the stage at
approximately 8:30 p.m. and played
until 11 p.m. was Lazo Johnfinn
and his award-winning band Exodus
from Canada.
Lazo was formerly the lead vocalist
of Bob Marley’s band The Wailers.
“Lazo’s and Exodus’ performance
was of course super, and the opening
act – the Sweet Reggae Sensations

Ninth annual B.C. Caribbean Festival a hit at The Base

The award-winning group Lazo Johnfinn & Exodus was the headliner act at

last Saturday’s ninth annual Battle Creek Caribbean Festival that took place

at The Base Bar & Grill in Springfield. Lazo was formerly lead vocalist of Bob

Marley’s band The Wailers. (Shopper News photo by Will Kowalski)

A look at some of last Saturday’s attendees of the ninth annual Battle Creek

Caribbean Festival, dancing and moving and groovin’ to the music. (Shopper

News photo by Will Kowalski)

(LEFT)Last Saturday’s ninth annual

Battle Creek Caribbean Festival

included not only music, but craft and

food vendors as well. (Shopper News photo

by Will Kowalski)

Lazo Johnfinn performed island

music with a lot of soul last Saturday

at the ninth annual Battle Creek

Caribbean Festival. (Shopper News photo

by Will Kowalski)

• was also fantastic. People really
  responded to them. There was a lot
  of dancing and enjoyment going on,”
  Bauman said.
  Asked if the B.C. Caribbean
  Festival would return to The Base
  again next year with its extended-
  hours format, Bauman responded in
  the affirmative.
  “(Owner) Brad and the staff at The
  Base was excellent to work with,
  they tended to everyone’s needs, and
  we both agreed that we’d do the fes-
  tival at The Base again next year for