Vinyl record fans, rejoice! The Southwest Michigan Record Show, a brand new vinyl record fair, will hold its inaugural event on Sunday, May 14, in Grand Upton Hall, Mendel Center, 1100 Yore Ave., on Lake Michigan College’s Benton Harbor Campus.
Music vendors throughout Michigan, Illinois, and Indiana will fill 65 tables with thousands of music items, including pre-loved LPs, new vinyl releases, 45s, CDs, cassettes, posters, record supplies, and more.
“We are excited to bring this event to the music lovers of Southwest Michigan,” said Jeremy D. Bonfiglio, the event organizer. “Whether you are new to vinyl or have been collecting for decades, you will feel right at home because we are all music fans. Our vendors share the excitement when customers find a record they’ve been searching for or discover music they didn’t even know they needed. For us, that’s the best feeling.”
According to the Recording Industry Association of America, revenues from vinyl records grew 17 percent in 2022 – the 16th consecutive year of growth – and accounted for 71 percent of physical format revenues. For the first time since 1987, vinyl albums outsold CDs.
“There is a misconception that vinyl records are a thing of the past,” said Bonfiglio, who also runs the popular South Bend Record Show, one of the largest record fairs in the Midwest. “The format, however, has seen an incredible resurgence. Popular artists are releasing their music on vinyl again as a preferred format. The statistics show the growth of new vinyl releases and sales, but what it doesn’t show is there is just as much, if not more, interest in pre-loved, vintage pressings. That’s the market that has driven record fairs for years.”
Bonfiglio added that crate diggers at the Southwest Michigan Record Show will find multiple genres represented, but the show centers on classic rock, pop, metal, punk, prog rock, and ’80s. Select vendors also will carry blues, jazz, R&B, soul, country, and more.
Admission to the show is free starting at 11 a.m. Customers can pay a $5 early entry fee beginning at 9 a.m. to shop as vendors set up. The first 75 customers will receive a free tote bag courtesy of BCW Supplies, the show’s sponsor.
Door prize drawings will be held at noon, 1:30 p.m., and 3 p.m., allowing customers to win shopping certificates and BCW products.
Cash is the preferred form of payment, but select vendors may also accept PayPal, Zelle, and credit and debit cards.
The Southwest Michigan Record Show will be held twice a year, with a second date scheduled for Saturday, Sept. 16.
For more information, visit southwestmichiganrecordshow.com, facebook.com/southwestmichiganrecordshow, or contact Bonfiglio at 574-261-3650 or jeremybonfiglio@att.net.
