Jedi Mind Trip to Headline Freedom Lights the Future Concert from 6-9 p.m. on Friday, March 20, 2026!
After a stretch of miserable weather across Michigan’s Great Lakes Bay Region, Northwood University is inviting residents to shake off the cabin fever this Friday, March 20, with a free indoor concert designed to bring people together for a fun night out with family and friends.
The evening concert — part of Northwood’s Freedom Lights the Future Festival — will be headlined by Michigan party band Jedi Mind Trip. Northwood University student Brayden Lape, a Top 5 finalist on NBC’s The Voice, will open the show. The event is free and open to the public, and residents from across the Great Lakes Bay Region and beyond are encouraged to claim their free tickets online in advance.
“This is a wonderful opportunity for people from across the Great Lakes Bay Region to come to Northwood and enjoy a great night of live music and community,” said Dr. Lisa Fairbairn, dean of the DeVos Graduate School of Management and Freedom Lights the Future co-chair. “We want this to be a welcoming, memorable event for the community — one that offers a welcome escape from winter weather and gray skies.”
Friday’s Freedom Lights the Future Festival is the hallmark of Northwood’s nearly year-long effort to celebrate the 250th anniversary of the adoption of the U.S. Declaration of Independence. March 20 events include:
• “We Hold These Truths: How the Declaration of Independence Shaped America” — A panel featuring Northwood University faculty at 10 a.m. in the Robert W. Plaster Free-Enterprise Center. The event can be watched virtually here.
• Student showcases, contests, and an array of historical reenactors from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. on the Mall Walk.
• A concert featuring free swag and light-up accessories, as well as adult beverages available for purchase through Tavern 59, from 6 to 9 p.m. in the Hach Student Life Center. Doors open at 4:45 p.m. for students and 5:15 p.m. for members of the public. The Wolf Den restaurant will be open throughout the evening.
Visit northwood.edu/freedom-lights-the-future/ for additional festival details and concert information.
