YPSILANTI, MI - An annual holiday season celebration of local music is set to be revived with the 12th installment of Mittenfest, a three-day music festival benefiting 826michigan.

This year's lineup for the festival includes a typical mix of veterans to the local music scenes in Ypsilanti, Ann Arbor and Detroit, as well as a few new acts Mittenfest has become know for providing exposure to.

The festival takes place Dec. 29 through 31 at Bona Sera in Ypsilanti, with 100 percent of its proceeds benefiting 826michigan, a nonprofit organization dedicated to supporting students ages 6 to 18 with their creative and expository writing skills, and to helping teachers inspire their students to write. Admission is $10 per evening for people 21 and older. Doors open at 7:30 p.m. each evening, with music beginning at 8 p.m.

Mittenfest board member and Frontier Ruckus member Davey Jones said the event originally started as a way for its organizer, Brandon Zwagerman, to revisit his favorite Michigan bands during a holiday trip from New York back to his home state.

A dozen years later, the event has raised around $150,000 for 826michigan while supplying a venue for local artists to congregate and perform together in.

"It's supposed to be sort of a celebration of the music scene in Michigan, in general, and the really supportive community that exists here," Jones said. "It's kind of this amazing reunion that people get back together for the holidays. It's an amazing way to see new bands, as well. It's sort of this nice, built-in crowd that comes to see new music and bands that they haven't even heard of."

While Frontier Ruckus is taking a year off from performing at Mittenfest, Jones is one of four current or former members of Frontier Ruckus to be performing at this year's Mittenfest under a different moniker or as a side project. He joins Frontier Ruckus songwriter Matthew Milia; Shuttershop, featuring Frontier Ruckus member Zachary Nichols and Jones; and former band member Anna Burch. Jones also will play with longtime festival participant Matt Jones and The Reconstruction.

Beyond the Frontier Ruckus collective, there are plenty of other acts to be excited about for this year's Mittenfest, Jones said, including Louis Picasso, who made waves during last year's festival in his first performance at Mittenfest.

"We've got a few bands we are excited to see for the first time," Jones said. "There's an amazing (artist) named Louis Picasso who actually played last year for the first time and that was one of everyone's favorites, so it was just this amazing, really energetic show. Everyone is excited to see that again."

Looking past the music, Jones said he is excited that Mittenfest continues to support a nonprofit like 826michigan. Proceeds from the event will specifically benefit 826michigan's free programs for school-aged students in Ypsilanti, which include daily after-school tutoring at Beezy's Cafe, workshops at the Ypsilanti District Libraries and residencies in Ypsilanti Community Schools classrooms.

"At its core, it is that same sort of community celebration that it always has been," Jones said. "Hopefully that will never change."

Check out the lineups for this year's Mittenfest below:

Friday, Dec. 29:

8 p.m. - Joanna and the Jaywalkers (Ypsilanti)

8:45 p.m. - Two Cheers (Detroit)

9:30 p.m. - Wiccans (Detroit)

10:15 p.m. - Matt Jones and The Reconstruction (Ypsilanti)

11 p.m. - Best Exes (Detroit)

11:45 p.m. - Human Skull (Ann Arbor)

12:30 a.m. - The Kickstand Band (Detroit/LA)

Saturday, Dec. 30:

8 p.m. - Priest Potion (Ypsilanti)

8:45 p.m. - Libby Decamp (Detroit)

9:30 p.m. - Shuttershop (Ypsilanti)

10:15 p.m. - I Believe in Julio (Grand Rapids)

11 p.m. - Louis Picasso (Ypsilanti)

11:45 p.m. - Loose Koozies (Ann Arbor/Detroit)

12:30 a.m. - Anna Burch (Detroit)

Sunday, Dec. 31:

8 p.m. - Moonswing (Ypsilanti)

8:45 p.m. - Raven Love and the 27s (Ann Arbor/Novi)

9:30 p.m. - Little Traps (Ann Arbor)

10:15 p.m. - Matthew Milia (Hamtramck)

11 p.m. - Jim Roll (Ypsilanti)

NEW YEARS CHAMPAGNE TOAST FOR 2018

12:05 a.m. - Tanager (Ypsilanti)

12:50 a.m. - Minihorse (Ypsilanti)

1:30am to 3 a.m.- DANCE PARTY