With renewed national attention and the “Michael Craze” created by the new Michael  Jackson movie, Holland fans won’t have to travel far to experience the excitement. The Gentex Street  Performers Series welcomes back hometown favorite Michigan Moonwalker, a Michael Jackson tribute  performer who has been entertaining the downtown Holland crowds at the Series since 2021. 

Born and raised in Holland Michigan, the 25-year-old performer began studying Michael Jackson’s dance  style at the age of 15 after listening to “Smooth Criminal” for the first time. Since then, he has spent the  past decade learning and perfecting Michael’s moves, poses, energy and facial expressions. “I never  heard of Michael Jackson until the song played” said Michigan Moonwalker, “I was so intrigued by his  music and his dance skills. That’s when I thought to myself ‘I want to do that’, and ever since then I  haven’t stopped!” 

This year’s performances will feature fan favorite hits inspired by Michael Jackson’s ‘Dangerous Tour’, his  ‘This is It’ concerts, and other famous performances. Don’t miss out and come see Michigan Moonwalker  this Thursday June 25th where he will be performing in front of the Community Foundation on 8th street.  

Street Performer Series attendees should note that 8th Street will be closed to thru traffic and parking  from Columbia Avenue to River Avenue from 6:00 pm – 9:00 pm on Thursday nights to accommodate the  crowd. Free public parking for the event is available in the surface lots on 7th and 9th Streets, in the 7th  and 9th Street Parking Decks, and at the Holland Civic Center Place. And don’t forget that while the  Series is free to attend, tipping the performers is customary, as the Series is a traditional busking event. 

The Downtown Holland Social District is also open during the Street Performer Series, meaning that  patrons ages 21+ can purchase alcoholic beverages at one of nearly 20 different participating  establishments to enjoy while strolling throughout Downtown Holland during the event. For a list of  participating establishments, the social district regulations, and the district boundaries, please visit  www.downtownsocialdistrict.com. 

Street Performer Series Performer Line-Up for June 25 

Balloon Twisters 

Sadie’s Balloons  

Sadie Laarman is a Zeeland East High School student who discovered her love for balloon twisting in 6th  grade and has been creating colorful balloon animals ever since! Sadie is passionate about the arts and 

is actively involved in various art programs at school. She’s thrilled to be returning to the Gentex Street  Performer Series for her third summer! 

Dancers 

Lisa Bullis-Dennen 

Lisa has been a student and performer of Arab dance for over 20 years. She now focuses solely on  Egyptian dance styles, continuing to learn from the teachers that first taught her the art. Her goal is to  present an authentic and emotionally rich experience. Lisa lives part-time in Egypt, immersed in the rich  history and culture. During her street performances you can also join in on some of her mini-lessons and  wear one of the hip scarves she brings along! 

Michigan Moonwalker 

Jake Thompson has been dancing like Michael Jackson since 2016, when he first witnessed a video of  Jackson performing “Smooth Criminal” live. Jacob has performed as a Michael Jackson impersonator at  numerous high school talent shows and other special events and is excited to show off his skills at the  Street Performer Series for the sixth summer in a row. Jake is excited to go all out at the Series this year,  as he celebrates 10 years of honing his craft. 

Graphic Artists 

Alma’s Splash of Color 

Alma Sanchez is a talented local face painter from Fennville who performers regularly at birthday parties,  festivals, and community events. She uses colorful face paints and glitter in her full-face designs that are  popular among all ages! 

Be Airbrushing 

Libby Geurink is a high school teacher by day, who started an airbrush tattoo business to combine her  love for being creative with her love of interacting with people! Libby has been a street performer on her  own for several years and is excited to be teaming up with her 14-year-old daughter, Brea, for the first  time this summer! Together, they can airbrush a wide variety of colorful designs on the skin, which are  always popular with kids at festivals and events! 

Caricatures by Britta 

Britta Lindemulder has loved to draw since she was a young child. She earned how to draw caricatures  while working at Michigan’s Adventure back in 2008 and graduated from Grand Valley State University in  2011. A tattoo artist by day, Britta has been drawing caricatures at the Street Performer Series since  2012. Passionate about all forms of art, Britta enjoys connecting with people and bringing their creative  visions to life through her work. 

Doodle Face 

Brooke Wolf has talents in all creative outlets, but for the Street Performer Series she brings a unique  style of art in the form of glitter tattoos! She uses safe and kid-friendly paints to make designs that are  popular among all ages. When she’s not painting faces, you can also find Brooke assisting Steve’s  Twisted Ballons! 

Henna by Jahara  

Jahanara Begum has been a Street Performer in Downtown Holland since the beginning of the Street  Performer Series. She is a highly skilled and experienced henna artist who uses all natural ingredients  that are safe for the skin. Her designs never fail to impress her fans of all ages! 

Killvers 

Emily Chilvers is a talented tattoo artist working right here in Holland. She is making her Street Performer  Series debut this year, drawing portraits as a caricature artist! 

Liv for Henna 

Alivia Apol is a 17-year-old with three years of experience as a henna tattoo artist. She’s loved creating  art in multiple mediums since a young age, including acrylic painting, sketching, resin, and more. In 

addition to performing at the Street Performer Series, she’s also made appearances birthday parties,  farmers markets, block parties, and more. Alivia works to provide a positive and fun experience for all age  groups and loves being able to interact with others! 

Musicians 

Brethren 

Brethren has a combined 75 years of stage experience entertaining crowds with music. Musicians Ben  Barnes, Adam Davidson, Aaron Cole, and Zac Davidson have been performing in church basements,  outdoor events, corporate parties, and more together or over 20 years. With a blend of classic rock,  American standards, folk, and modern music, they bring the party to you with songs you know and love! 

Brian Markaity 

Brian is a West Michigan native multi-instrumentalist whose family taught him to love music from a young  age. He started playing piano at the age of five and took on the keyboard in 2020. Brian also plays  French horn with the Hope College Community Band. 

Buck Creek Brass 

Buck Creek Brass is a brass quintet who perform a wide range of styles of music from classical to  pop/rock, traditional hymns, polkas, and even film scores. The group shares their talents with the  community live music performances at venues like assisted living facilities, churches, community events,  and the Street Performers Series. Join in the fun by getting silly with the chicken dance or elegantly  waltzing to Edelweiss. They've got something for everyone! 

Chase & Mitch 

Chase Nelson and Mitch Lin are a talented voice and piano duo based in Taipei, Taiwan. Together, they  perform a mix of English, Chinese, and Japanese pop and folk, ranging from Billy Joel to Alison Krauss. 

Chris Clayton Loop 

Chris Clayton is a solo musician based in Grand Rapids who takes listeners on a journey with his music.  He found his passion for live looping years ago, and through hard work and practice, he’s been making  music ever since. Chris’ favorite part about performing is showing the crowd how he builds songs up and  breaks them back down while he plays. 

Eric Gilliland 

Eric Gilliland is a solo acoustic performer based on the Lakeshore. He is a street performer around  Holland and a frequent fixture at the historic Park Theatre's Tuesday open mic downtown. Eric is a 38- year-old father of four with a passion for music and the arts. He has been writing music and performing both personally and professionally for many years and loves to share his passion by performing for a  crowd. 

Madeline Opyd 

Madeline has been playing the viola for over three years. Along with her talent for the viola, she loves to  sing. Madeline sings voice covers and original songs with the guitar, an instrument she’s recently picked  up. Music makes Madeline so happy, and she loves sharing her music with others! She is excited to be  making her Street Performer Series debut this year. 

Mark Cosgrove 

Mark Cosgrove is a local musician and college vocal performance major who has been singing since he  was just two years old. He is a singer and guitarist, both acoustic and electric, playing a repertoire of 60+  crowd-favorite cover songs. In the past, he’s played at several Holland area restaurants, as well as the  Street Performer Series and the Grand Haven Kiwanis Vocal Competition. 

Matthew Nolen 

Matthew is a 25-year-old drummer who is passionate about the drum set and music. Matthew started  playing when he was just five years old and has a strong passion for music, the drum kit, and live  performance!

Shawna & Matt Veenstra 

Shawna and Matt Veenstra are a dad and daughter musical duo. Shawna primarily sings, but is also  talented with the harmonica, while Matt plays the piano and sings. With both of their experience in  musical theater as well as Matt’s experience in a cover band performing pop and rock songs, they  perform duets and solos in a wide variety of genres on Thursday nights. 

Steph Gillett 

Steph Gillett is an experienced singer and performer who began singing at her church and soon  expanded to events like fundraisers, weddings, and other local venues. While she studied voice for many  years, she taught herself guitar too. This summer marks her 11th year as a street performer, a tradition  that began in high school and remains her favorite place to perform! 

Still Broke 

Still Broke is a band made-up of college students Caleb Montgomery, Danielle Lebster, and Kyler Young,  on guitar, box drum and vocals, who love music and spending time in Downtown Holland. Having all  grown up in Holland, they’ve always enjoyed watching the Street Performer Series and are excited to now  be the ones performing! 

The Trill Seekers-Melodic Flutes 

Flautists Colleen Wedekind and Allie Haltenhoff both share a deep love of music. Colleen started on the  flute at the age of ten and has been playing for over 60 years. Allie, who also began learning the flute  when she was ten, is currently studying flute performance at Hope College. Together, they share a love  for the freedom of thought and expression the flute brings. They hope people will be moved by their  compositions they choose. 

Other Performers 

Connor Scholten 

Connor Scholten first began yo-yoing as a young child in 1997, and he first performed for the public as  part of the first ever Street Performer series in 2005. He has since worked full time as a yo-yo designer,  coached the top players in the world, and taught yo-yo to thousands of people online. He is also the 2017  and 2018 National Yo-Yo Contest winner. 

May & De Fuego 

May & De Fuego is a fire-born performance duo where rhythm meets flame. Combining expressive  dance, fire manipulation, theatrics and curated soundscapes, Nick May and Gem De Fuego deliver a  visually captivating experience that turns every stage into a living story. 

That Juggling Girl 

Kaylin Meyers, known as That Juggling Girl, hails from Muskegon. She first began juggling at the age of  17. Since then, she’s gained over half a million followers online with hundreds of millions of views, has  been featured on the world top 40 jugglers list, received an honorary international award from the  International Jugglers’ Association, and has performed and taught internationally from California to New  York and beyond.