I am so excited for World of Winter this year! What is the World of Winter? You might ask. To start it is the largest winter festival in the Midwest. With over 100 FREE events, activities and outdoor art installations, the festival provides an opportunity for families and adults to enjoy Michigan’s beautiful winter and experience the four-season offerings of Downtown Grand Rapids. Art installations stay up from January 6th all the way to March 5th, with events spread out during that time period as well.
To give you a better idea of what to expect for what kind of art you’ll be seeing, here are some of the art installations I’m most excited to visit –
If that’s not knocking your socks off then check out the upcoming World of Winter events –
And More! Check all the information on the World of Winter website here!
So much going on to make winter a blast in Michigan, so bundle up and explore all the fun art pieces and events happening this winter! I’ll be sharing all of the weekly events on the Weekly 411 page and in the weekly email newsletter so make sure you subscribe so you don’t miss out on anything! Leave your comments below sharing what art installation is your favorite, and have fun exploring.
Fall is the favorite season for many and it is mine as well! I am definitely that person who is pumpkin obsessed and I’m not afraid to shout it from the rooftops, I LOVE PUMPKIN EVERYTHING! Along with pumpkin flavored everything, I love all the fun fall activities – apple picking, bonfires, pumpkin carving, corn mazes, dressing up, and haunted houses! Grand Rapids is centrally located and is surrounded by fall fun for all ages. Here are some great options separated by day and night time activities that you can explore this fall season!
Robinette’s is a classic stop for Grand Rapids natives. They are open all year round but fall is definitely their busy season. They offer so many fall activities including – apple picking, corn maze, hayrides, petting zoo, jump pillow, donuts and cider, and fan favorites for the adults wine tasting! No matter your age Robinette’s is fun for everyone!
Since 1907, the Moelker family has been making you smile with homegrown fresh fruits, fun fall activities, and yummy baked goods.
Moelker Orchards is hands down my favorite place to get pumpkin donuts! I know that is a bold statement but they are the best. I stop here multiple times during the fall season just to get their donuts. Other than delicious donuts they are fun fall activities as well including – Pick your own pumpkin, apple picking, horse-drawn wagon rides, and they have a tasty market and other bakery yummies! Nothing beats picking out your own pumpkin from the pumpkin patch!
It’s that spooky time of year and John Ball Zoo is excited to announce tickets are now available for the Halloween favorite Zoo Goes Boo! The Zoo will again transform into the ultimate Halloween destination with decorations, costumes, candy, and, of course, the Zoo’s amazing animals. Tradition returns this year with spooky treat stations ready for trick-or-treating located throughout the Zoo. Dates are October 21st to 23rd and October 28th to 30th!
Farm lovin’ females where fruit is their specialty!
I love Ed Dunneback & Girls Farm, it is always a good time here with good eats and tasty brews! During the fall time they have u-pick apples, corn maze, farm fun land, pumpkins and wagon rides! Please note, corn maze, wagon rides are only available Friday – Sunday. With all that fun happening they also have special events happening throughout the month. One that I really enjoyed last year was Dogs & Donuts. Oakley had a blast there and got special treats and walked around the farm! It was a fun day out for both of us!
The Haunt has been a West Michigan Premier haunted attraction for 20 years! This year they have 5 different “stories” that you will be able to walk through and experience – Forsaken, Aberration, Aftermath, Tinkles Torment, and Frenzy Circus 3D! I enjoy being scared so this is right up my alley and we do attend every year, but if you’re not so much into getting scared I would probably pass on coming here then! On October 30th they are doing a kids haunt from noon-5pm if that is more your speed or if you have a spooky interested youngster in your family!
Roaring NIght & Living Lights Halloween Spooktacular
The zoo is always fun no matter what your age is, but the zoo can be extra fun if you are 21+. This 21+ event, one night event is a Halloween lover’s must with live entertainment, themed food and drinks, and the interactive light show, Living Lights. Come celebrate and learn about wildlife and wild places with friends at Roaring Nights + Living Lights: Halloween Spooktacular.Enjoy live music, Halloween themed food, Zoo Goes Boo & IllumiZoo decor throughout, and costume contest!
Love this night time activities because it is for the whole family! No ticks here just treats and cool Jack O’ Lanterns! This October, by popular demand, Jack O’ Lantern World is coming to Grand Rapids. Walk through the amazing trail filled with 1000’s of Jack O’ lanterns hand carved by over 50 artisans. Gather friends and family to experience the one of a kind whimsical celebration of art, nature & fall.
Prepare to be spooked by strange and peculiar stories and the paranormal events that go along with them. On Tours Around Michigan’s walking tour, you’ll learn something new about the past and hear some memorable and eerie stories unique to Grand Rapids. We often have new stories to share. This is on my bucket list for this spooky season. I’ve been wanting to do this tour since FOREVER but never worked out, but this season I am determined!
The New Salem Corn Maze is West Michigan’s premier haunted attraction location! While they are just a tad further away they are definitely worth the drive and the scares! Take a stroll down one of the two paths in the Witches Woods. It’s up to you on *witch* path to take, whether you take the *twisted* or the *wicked* you will scream around every corner. If you are really up for a challenge, try the haunted corn maze. It will leave you out of breath as you crawl, walk or run your way through the twists and turns as you try to escape the crazy atmosphere.
Come out during the daytime and enjoy the kid friendly activities, such as their daytime corn maze, which is void of ghouls. They also have a wide variety of family oriented fun for all ages!
I hope you enjoy these festive recommendations, something for everyone to join in on all the fall fun! There are so many more events that will be popping up so make sure your are subscribed to receive the weekly events update email list and to check out the Weekly 411 page so you don’t miss out! This places that I have listed here are my fall bucket list for October so make sure to follow along on socials as I highlight each location. What place are you most excited to check out?
Parooz is a Gift Boutique shop for Her, Baby, and Home! It is run by a Mother and daughters trio, which is so fun and sweet, and they are the kindest ladies you will meet!
This shop is bad news bears for me because when I go in I can’t just look around, I have to buy everything! What I love about local shops too is that they are constantly adding new items so you are not always looking at the same items every time you enter the shop.
I am huge on home decorations. I love decorating for the seasons and making everything festive and Parooz never disappoints, they cover them all! They have candles, signs, figurines, serving dishes, blankets, and so much more to make your home feel warm and cozy.
Lately I have been into their clothing. If you follow along on Instagram and Facebook then you might have seen me do a few try ons for them. I love their clothes and the new brands that I find there, and they are always on trend!
Have a baby shower you need a gift for? Or a new mama looking for fun baby items? Parooz has the cutest baby and kids section. They have adorable onesies, soft plush toys, unique learning items, and books. I shopped there for my nephew’s baby shower and loved that it wasn’t the same items as everyone else who got their gifts from Meijer or Target. Nothing wrong with those items at all but I love the uniqueness you get from shopping locally.
Something brand new that they just started is currecated custom gift boxes. Selecting a gift can be difficult so Parooz takes all the stress off of your shoulders and puts together the gift for you and for any occasion! Every box is different and custom to what you are needing it for, and can be picked up at the store or shipped directly to you.
If you can’t tell by now this shop has all the cute things! Check them out and tell them My Grand Rapids Life sent you there. I hope you love as much as I do, it really is a one stop shop for gifts. Support Grand Rapids local businesses, you have no idea how happy it makes them and keeps our community strong!
During the month of March, Kids Food Basket does Go Orange for our neighbors to raise awareness for childhood hunger and the complex issue of food insecurity in our community. Orange is the color that represents hunger awareness.
My Grand Rapids Life is joining the campaign by helping raise awareness, volunteering, and attending the awesome events they have planned throughout the month! I have also set up a Kids Food Basket amazon wish list! You can access it HERE, these are popular items that are needed for the meals they put together. Once ordered I will do a big drop off on March 30th for their GO ORANGE DAY! There is also a fundraiser link set up on the My Grand Rapids Life Instagram page where you can make a donation and it goes straight to Kids Food Basket! Our goal is to raise $300!
How can you help you ask? There are lots of ways! Mentioned above you can purchase an item from the Amazon wish list, make a donation on our Instagram page, or sign up to volunteer directly at Kids Food Basket. Another way is by attending one of these awesome restaurants or events!
Olive’s Restaurant & Bar: March 30, 6 p.m. – 9 p.m.
Luna (Ada location): March 30-31
Muskegon:
Wonderland Distillery: Entire month of March (Go-Orange Cocktail Features)
Fatty Lumpkins Sandwich Shack: March 8-11
Hamburger Mikey’s: March 15 (Wish List Drive, Bring at Item = Free Small Fries)
Nipote’s Italian Kitchen: March 17
Pints and Quarts: March 21-25
Hearthstone Bistro: March 28-31
Ottawa/Allegan:
Market Zero: March 25 (5% of all sales to KFB)
Kin Coffee and Craft House: March 14-19 (donating $1 for every Turmeric Ginger Chai Latte and hosting bag decorating)
What I love about this option is that you are not only supporting Kids Food Basket but also the local businesses and possibility giving yourself the opportunity to try something/where new!! It’s a WIN WIN! You’ll see me attending these events and eating at these great places throughout the month. You’ll probably see me with brown bags and crayons and I might just ask you to help me decorate them, so be on the hunt for me! Let’s do what we can as a community to help make sure a kid doesn’t have to go to bed hungry tonight!
To learn more about Kids Food Basket please visit their website here.
Trivia nights are a great way to get out of the house on a week day and let loose. Spend some time with friends, test your knowledge, and take a look at the list you might be able to try somewhere new! This last year Trivia in Grand Rapids has become very popular and a lot of awesome local spots are taking part and hosting. Check out the place’s and times below to see where you want to test your knowledge!
Monday
Michigan Moonshine – 7pm
Mulligan’s Pub – 9pm
Tuesday
Creston Brewery – 6pm
Grand Rapids Brewing Company – 7pm
Broad Leaf Brewery & Spirits Kentwood – 7pm
Long Road Distillers – 7pm & 8pm
Fulton Street Pub – 8pm
Tin Can – 8pm
Wednesday
3 Gatos Brewery – 7pm
Stella’s Lounge – 7pm
Ed Dunneback Girls & Farm – 7pm
Harmony Brewing Company – 7pm
Grand Rapids Brewing Company – 7pm
Thornapple Brewing – 7pm
Speciation Cellar – 7pm
Perrin Brewing – 7pm
Fratelli’s Kitchen and Bar – 7pm & 8pm
Thursday
Bobarinos Pizzeria – 7pm
Sunday
Brewery Vivant – 5pm
Harmony Brewing Company – 7pm
What trivia night are you going to first? Don’t forget to tag @Mygrandrapidslife in your photos and use the hashtag #mygrandrapidslife
October may be almost over but it’s not too late to get a hold of Oktoberfest, and where better to get that tasty fall favorite than in Beer City USA! There is no hiding that we have the best breweries and no one brewery is the same, and that goes for the beers as well! Check out this awesome list of all the local breweries to get your Oktoberfest and Pumpkin Beers before they’re gone!
Brewery Vivant Pumpkin Tart
Our uniquely tart pumpkin ale makes it’s return just as we start to think about autumn again…Brewed with real pumpkin and spices (cinnamon, nutmeg, brown sugar, and “pumpkin pie spice”) and blended with our sour ale, this isn’t your usual pumpkin beer.
Brewery Vivant Coqtoberfest
Fall in a glass, a returning favorite and a clear sign of autumn arriving. This malt-driven lager is meant to celebrate the season and is a fine example of European Oktoberfest beers.
New Holland Ichabod Pumpkin Ale
The legend of sleepy hollow lives on with Ichabod pumpkin ale. This flagship seasonal combines malted barley and real pumpkin with cinnamon and nutmeg in a delicious and inviting brew, perfectly paired with all things autumn.
Brewed to celebrate Perrin Brewing 9th anniversary — this sessionable German Lager offers flavor notes of biscuit and caramel with aromas of black pepper for a sweet malty finish
Railtown Brewing Co. Railtoberfest
Malty German amber beer, lagered for 8 weeks to encourage clean, rich, toasty and bready flavors. It is soft and elegant with complex malt flavors and aromas.
Even though GR is known as Beer City USA, we also have so many awesome local coffee shops and cafes! The list of coffee shops around the city is pretty close to endless and I know there are still lots more that I need to visit and check out. But for now here is Part 1 of coffee shops that I love!
Outside Coffee Company
Who doesn’t love Outside Coffee Company? Their coffee is amazing but when you add the outside atmosphere that they created for the seating area it is hard to beat! It’s so relaxing and inviting just sipping your coffee outside while the birds sing or enjoying one of their ice cream creations in a hammock, it really reminds you to enjoy the simple things. If you haven’t checked them out yet then add them to your list of places to visit, you’ll be asking yourself why have I waited so long to come here?!
Pa Latte
I absolutely love Pa Latte, they are definitely one of my favorite coffee shops! They are a coffee shop and an art gallery all in one! When you walk in it’s warm in color and the walls are filled with beautiful artwork from local artists from top to bottom, AND what’s awesome you can buy the art work as well! I am a sweet coffee drinker, I do enjoy strong coffee and love my caffeine spike but I love when it’s sweet and delicious, and that’s why I love Pa Latte. They have a lot of lattes based off of candy bars and my FAVORITE one is their hot Snickers Latte and oh my goodness it is so good! And if you order it and drink it in the cafe they make the prettiest designs on top which of course just make it taste 10x better!
Madcap Coffee Company
What’s super nice about Madcap Coffee is one- they have incredibly tasty coffee, two- they have two locations which is super convenient! They have one right in downtown Grand Rapids and one in Eastown. You know that you are going to get a great cup of coffee from them because of the passion they have behind their coffee creating craft. They take the extra time to make it right, how you want it, and how it should be made. I am a huge fan of Mochas (because coffee and chocolate just belong together) and Madcap is one of my favorite places to get one, everytime is perfection!
If you are looking for a fun time and to try something new, then look no further – Flannel Jaxs is the Premier Axe Throwing experience!
I took some friends there to check it out and I can not explain to you how much fun it was! This was our first time throwing an axe, so we were all a little nervous and hesitant to start. At first I didn’t think that I could throw it hard enough to make it onto the board but I did and very successfully! Don’t want to toot my own horn but I got a few bullseye’s and they have these green dots worth 10 points and I was the only one in the group to hit it, and I hit it twice!
When you first get there they have an instructor go over the rules with you and go over all of the safety protocols. They also go over how to throw the axe properly, which I found super helpful and felt a lot more comfortable when it came my turn to throw! Little did I know that I was a natural.
After you get a few throws in and have the hang of it they have some fun games that you can play with your group. They have a scoreboard so you can keep track and quite a few different game options. We played TIMBER, that’s where you throw 3 times and whoever gets the highest score gets a letter and whoever spells TIMBER first wins. Of course living in beer city, losers would have to buy the first round (that’s just our rule)! You’ll have to go visit and play one of the other options and let me know what you think!
I highly recommend checking them out. It’s perfect for group dates, hanging out with friends, parties, really anything! Bored on a Thursday night and want to try something new (that’s what we did!). From my experience I would say 4 people should be the minimum group size. It still would be fun with 2 people but for this kind of activity the more the merrier!
If you check them out tell them My Grand Rapids Life sent you and then tag me in your photos and let me know what you think! Can’t wait to hear about your bullseye!
The first annual GR Fitness Fest featuring over 45 local gyms, studios, and fitness professionals at amazing outdoor venues around the downtown area. Popular areas like the Calder Plaza, The Blue Bridge, Ah-Nab-Awen Park, Rosa Park Circle, and so many more awesome spots!
The fit pass is only $20 or $10 if you are a SweatNet member and it gives you access to all workouts April 30-May 9th! Tickets are on sale now. After you pass has been purchased you will be able to sign up for as many workouts as you want! There is a wide variety of workouts and they are for all levels of fitness!
All events are limited capacity so you will want to make sure you sign up right away for the classes that interest you most. But there are definitely enough options to where you will not miss out!
Also if you are interested in joining SweatNet you can read all about them and what they have to offer HERE! You can sign up for only $10.95 a month and if you use code ‘sweatdrop’ it will get your first month for only $1!
I will be attending at least one event everyday so make sure to follow me on social media and if you see me at an event say HI! Use the hashtags #GrFitnessFest and #mygrandrapidslife and your photo could have the chance to be featured!
I scream, you scream, we all scream for ice cream! What’s great about ice cream is that there is never a bad time for it! Even during a Michigan polar vortex; ice cream will still sound good and fuel the soul. From Furniture City Creamery’s website – Ice Cream is not seasonal and neither are we!
Furniture City Creamery means business when it comes to ice cream. They make each flavor from scratch in their cute shop by their own chemical engineer! Some of their mixes can take up to 3 days to be ready. If you’ve had their ice cream then you now understand why it tastes as amazing as it does. So much love, calculations, and patience goes into crafting their ice cream and you can taste the perfection!
Since they make their flavors in smaller batches some flavor depending on demand might sell out before you’ve had your chances to taste it. It is recommended “not to hesitate if you see something that is drool-worthy.” What also sets this ice cream shop apart from others is their wide range of vegan offerings! All of their house-made waffle cones and sauces are dairy-free vegan friendly. Tasty options for everyone!
To try one of their delicious creations you have a few options.
Order online so when you get there it all set to be devoured
Walk up and scan their menu with your phone and order in person
Get it DELIVERED through Uber, Doordash, or Grubhub
They are not offering indoor seating at the moment but they have 2 beautiful green houses (that are first come first serve) at the back door where you will pick up your orders. They are so cute and cozy and have their own little heaters in them!
And for the cherry on top(pun intended) they even have pup cups for our four legged fur babies! I own a dog and I love that we can share a tasty treat together, and he loves it too!
If I haven’t had you thinking about ordering ice cream yet check out their list of flavors here and I guarantee they will! Don’t forget that their flavors and offerings are changing and not the same everyday so make sure to keep checking so you don’t miss out on any masterpieces. Now I’m about to go wipe off the snow on my car because after talking about how good they are I need some to enjoy!
