GRAND RAPIDS — KAXE announced the 2025 Grand Rapids Riverfest lineup on the Friday, April 25, Morning Show.
Some people were so excited to hear about it, they showed up at the station in person, including KAXE volunteer Alyssa Ellyn. She joined us on "What's for Breakfast."
Alyssa hadn't gotten a proper breakfast yet, but she did have a coffee. She likes her coffee with a particular lion's mane mushroom-infused powder mixed in. It tastes like a mocha, and Alyssa said it helps her wake up if she's feeling groggy in the morning. It's a hearty beverage, so it'll hold over until a proper meal.
For the actual breakfast, Alyssa told us she's been having oatmeal a lot lately. She likes it when there's a lot of stuff in it, such as bananas and other fruits.
This year will be Alyssa's third Riverfest, and she's looking forward to the performances from Courtney Barnett, Margo Price, Jeremie Albino and Alan Sparhawk. She enjoyed a show with Jeremie Albino in St. Paul in February and had no idea that she'd get to see him in Grand Rapids again so soon.
We also talked about bats. Alyssa is a bat biologist, a role she started doing full-time recently. She does a lot of survey work pertaining to bats, including checking habitats, recording bats and occasionally capturing them.
It's hard to tell bats apart from afar, but Alyssa told us that there are seven species in Minnesota. All of them play an important role in the ecosystem, eating bugs such as mosquitoes. However, many of the species have been threatened by diseases such as white-nose syndrome, resulting in a severe drop in the population.
Lastly, Alyssa talked about her volunteering and membership at KAXE. She loves the music and the people, and she likes sharing it herself by volunteering.
Listen to the full story above to hear more about what Alyssa has been up to!
What's on the breakfast menu
A cup of coffee mixed with lion's mane mushroom powder.
Join us!
We love hearing about breakfasts. Send us photos or join us on "What's for Breakfast" Friday mornings at 7:50 a.m.
Text us at 218-326-1234. You just need to be a member of KAXE!
