Dec. 6, 2023

Owners of a historic wedding and event barn venue on the north edge of Canton have announced it will remain open with new owners effective Jan. 1.

When Tyler and Courtney Tjeerdsma first visited The Canton Barn in search of the perfect wedding venue, they knew they found something special. They were married in September 2021.

What they didn’t realize at the time is they would someday purchase the barn upon learning owners Tim and Kalli Blackstone planned to close.

“Once we heard they were (closing), we reached out to see if there was interest in passing it along, and after talking with them for a while, we moved forward with it,” Tyler Tjeerdsma said.

The Blackstones, who opened the venue in 2016, announced on Facebook in June that they needed to close the barn in order to focus on health and family:

“After what was probably the hardest decision we have ever made, we have decided that Dec. 31, 2023, will be the last day for The Canton Barn LLC. We will still host all weddings and events scheduled for 2023. Our service to you will be our usual outstanding customer service, and we will make sure your event is as you dreamed it will be,” the statement read.

After the Tjeerdsmas’ purchase was official, The Canton Barn announced the update in early December:

“Tim and Kalli would like to thank you all for your support these last 7 ½ years. We are so grateful and thankful for all of the friendships we have made. Please support this young couple in their exciting new adventure.”

The rustic venue with its original woodwork is a century-old dairy barn and one of the first barn wedding venues in the area, according to Tjeerdsma.

“My wife and I both grew up on a farm, so we take a lot of pride and value in the historical part of the barn that was restored.”

The house on the property will be renovated into a rental for eight to 10 guests and will be available beginning in the spring.

“We’re very excited to keep the barn open. When we meet with potential clients, we love to share our story with them. We were in their position at one time, so we know what they might be looking for or what questions they might have,” Tjeerdsma said.

“We are excited to make their day as special as ours was.”