Smiling Acres

05/31/2026

Last year we had Bill Drews do a guided nature hike. Well, we learned so much and enjoyed his hike, we asked him to come back again. Friday at 5:00 PM and Saturday at 1:30 PM, join Bill at the Nature Trailhead for his adventure this year!

Walking along a beautiful Smiling Acres Trail that features a vernal pond and wetland, large deciduous and conifer trees, various species of native shrubs that numerous animals call home. Short history sessions that will educate and entertain you.

Bill is a 75 year-old retired arborist and lifelong nature enthusiast. With a background in tree care and a deep love for the outdoors, Bill has spent years hiking, fishing, hunting, climbing, and planting trees. He’s also a natural storyteller who enjoys sharing what he’s learned along the way. A devoted husband to Julie, and a proud father, grandfather, and great-grandfather, Bill now focuses on spending time with family, exploring natural areas, and continuing his passion for planting trees.

📸 Triptych Photograghy

05/20/2026

New this year Primate Projections! IYKYK. Sandy brings the evening fun to music festivals with her groovy night dance scene. We are lucky to have her at SAMF 2026.

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We offer a Live Liquid Oil Light Show after dark, encouraging public interaction by Shadow Dancing.

We perform Old School Liquid Oil Light Shows, Live to the Music. We encourage public interaction, Shadow Dancing is Fun for All ages! We are evolving and have a team of New Monkeys bringing their Magical Mischief! As The Blue Rhythmic Monkey always said "Fun Is Important!!!" We continue bringing Fun in his Honor and Loving Memory.

05/18/2026

Memorial Weekend at Smiling Acres is going to be groovy, man. Bus Benefit 2026, presented by Buses by the Beach, is coming to Smiling Acres on May 22-24. It’s the first festival of the year at Smiling Acres, and this is our third time hosting! No need to have a bus – everyone is welcome. 🙂

There will be music, vendors, a leisure bike ride through the woods, a Friday fry-down (IYKYK), and a community breakfast ending the festival Monday morning – oh, and I cannot forget, they also have a very large silent auction and 50/50 raffle! There will be so many family-friendly goings-on, with all sorts of kids’ activities – including a kid vendor area on Saturday.

Friends, take a gander at their lineup – it’s pretty spectacular. Nicolas James and the Bandwagon, Sweet Dee & The Wild Honeys, Wild Honey Collective, The Debutants, and, of course, Roosevelt Diggs just to name a few! There is music Friday, Saturday, and Sunday. And, to top the entire weekend off, there are so.many.buses. to look at!

Buses by the Beach.org raises money throughout the year for Phoenix Society for Burn Survivors. They have collectively raised over $400,000 since 2003.
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Phoenix Society serves burn survivors, loved ones, burn care professionals, researchers, and anyone else committed to empowering the burn community and building a safer world.

Founded by Alan Breslau in 1977, Phoenix Society is now the leading national nonprofit organization dedicated to empowering people affected by a burn injury. Our seeds were planted when Alan, a burn survivor of a 1963 airplane crash, visited a young boy in a burn center shortly after his accident. There, he recognized the transformative power of peer support.

Our vision:
Uniting the voice of the burn community around the globe to profoundly advance lifelong healing, optimal recovery, and burn prevention.
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Bus Benefit is exactly how you want to start your festival season. To learn more about the festival, go to https://www.facebook.com/share/1CHshFyFaD/ for Miles of Smiles!

05/15/2026

Hooping! We have hoop building, hoop basics, and hoop dancing this year!

Smiling Acres Music Festival welcomes back Missy Collins to Workshop Row. Two different times on Saturday you can learn the basics of hula hoop making and use! Decorate and take home your own custom hula hoop!

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Missy Collins is a massage therapist/small farmer out of Big Rapids Michigan. She first fell in love with Hula Hooping at Earthwork Music festival, where she used a custom made hoop and was able to hoop for the first time ever! Since then she's both made hoops and taught others how so that everyone has the chance to feel the joy of being "in the circle"!

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Want to learn more hooping and dance? Stay after the last class with Missy and hang out with Megan Dupuy and her Hula Hoop Dance workshop. Grab the beautiful hula hoop you’ve created in the previous workshop, and come on down to Megan’s Hula Hoop Dance workshop to use it!

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Designed for children and adults alike, this class will go over basic hula hoop tricks: we’ll do fun and easy guided dance moves together, guided games playing with hoops & more!

Megan loves bringing people together in creative ways! Over the years she’s been a community leader in: Fine art paint therapy, Yoga, Physical fitness, Wellness Retreats, Hulahoop dance, Guided meditation and more. Because life’s too short to sit still - and she loves helping people learn - to shake things up!

05/10/2026

05/08/2026

Who participated in the scavenger hunt last year? Well, friends, Oor friend Nathan Powell created a hunt again, that’ll be taking place all weekend long! Start at the Smiling Acres General Store for your paper, pencil, and your first clue. Follow that clue onto your next around the back 40 to find your answers. Once you complete the hunt, come back to the store and check in with a volunteer. 😁

Saturday and Sunday at 10:00 AM, Lisa and Ed Piasecki will acoustically stretch into morning salutations.
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Mifrozenyogi is a husband and wife team of a musician and a certified yoga teacher, both with backgrounds in elementary school teaching! We at MiFrozenYogi are so excited to be teaching kids' yoga for the third year at Smiling Acres! Drop the kiddos off (or stay!) and head over to your own yoga class on Saturday and Sunday mornings while the kids enjoy yoga and breathwork to live music, games and activities, and maybe even make some music of their own! We can not wait to spend time with your littles!

At 11:00 AM, Betsy and her friends take you on an adventure through make-believe with puppets.
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Once again we invite the kids of Smiling Acres Music Festival to go on an adventure with Betsy Mokowitz with Sail & Puppet Theater. Along with her friends, they bring to life the “puppet theater, hosting many talking animals, friendly bugs, and a puppet vending machine – built by the puppets themselves!” This is an interactive hour that brings out the imagination of the kids.

05/08/2026

Kids' Corner has so much going on this year!

Crafting hours this year will be Friday and Saturday from 12:30 PM to 3:30 PM. The ladies on our committee have come up with some fun ideas for creating masterpieces and musical instruments. There are different crafts both days for the kids to enjoy.
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Back this year creating Otterrockas, is Team Van Otter. Led by Craig Van Otter, kids will make these shaker instruments during the crafting hours. On Sunday, at 12:45 PM, bring the SAMF kids back up to the corner and join Team Van Otter to learn a couple tunes and march in the parade to show your talents and the instruments they have made. Bring along your own instruments and join in the fun!

Following crafts on Friday evening, we have Jelly Fish Jam with Katelynn Krieglstein (M.A. in Music Education) and Michael Krieglstein (B.A. in Music Education).

Jellyfish Jam is a musical adventure for kids to adults featuring interactive story telling, singing, instruments, and drum/rhythm workshops. Our mission is to inspire joyful connections through music and creativity. We create inclusive, interactive workshops that invite all ages and abilities to explore rhythm, song, movement, and self-expression. Our instrumentarium is built off the ORFF method of music education with hands on xylophones, drums, and percussion of all sizes.

Friday night is for Field Day! Following Jellyfish Jam, join Megan at 5:30 PM.

Remember classic games like: Red Light Green Light and Duck Duck Goose? Here in 2026, many of these games have received a significant glow up! Join us!

05/03/2026

for more information, visit us at www.smilingacresfestival.com

05/01/2026

And today's vendor, we welcome back Denise from Itsadenise!

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"Itsadenise" is more than a brand—it’s a statement.

Her customer base is fiercely loyal. Her art is Collected! Some people collect art to showcase in their homes, her customers collect “Wearable Art.”

Women are drawn to her style, artistry and attention to detail. From Intricate Beaded Earrings to Bold, Painted, Patched and Embroidered clothing, This is a Boho Lovers Dream.

Experience the Magic. Be Wild. Step Into Your Power. Your Future Self will Thank You!