KALAMAZOO, MI (WKZO AM/FM) — Due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, the annual Kalamazoo Gazelle Sports Historic Walks have been canceled.
Normally, the free walks are sponsored through a joint collaboration between Gazelle Sports and the Western Michigan University (WMU), Archives and Regional History Collections, but will be unable to take place for the time being.
These guided tours of the city have been hosted by Local Historian and Regional History Collections Curator for WMU Lynn Houghton since 2002.
“I don’t think this should surprise anyone, but like with so many events, we won’t be holding the Gazelle Sports Historic Walks this year,” Houghton said in an interview. “I’m gonna miss everybody, but it just makes a lot more sense to go that way with the uncertainty of not knowing what’s gonna happen.”
The walking tours would usually begin in June and last all the way through August.
“It’s been a part of my life, and so many other people’s lives since 2002, but this year I think we’re just gonna have to step back and see what happens,” Houghton said. “This is not exactly the summer I planned, but this is the summer I’m gonna have to deal with.”
Meanwhile, citizens and would-be visitors are still encouraged to explore Kalamazoo virtually. This can be done by visiting https://www.discoverkalamazoo.com/virtual-kalamazoo/.
