Best Festivals in Grand Rapids: Lanterns, Beer, Tulips, ArtPrize, and More!
Grand Rapids Lantern Festival
World of Winter Grand Rapids
The World of Winter Grand Rapids Festival is an exciting festival that showcases local and international art installations. There is an open call for artists each year in order to find the most exciting large-scale installation art for the festival. Artists from Grand Rapids and beyond can submit to this open call, and the community can see the selected artworks on view at the festival each wintertime.
In addition to there being visual art on view, there are always exciting performers at the festival, too. The yearly fire and ice performances are incredibly exhilerating—during these shows, iceskaters perform with fire. Also, throughout the festival, a large-scale ice sculpture is created in front of the public. This tradition is special because residents of Grand Rapids vote on the design they want to see each year.
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Grand Rapids Beer Festival
The beer festivals in Grand Rapids are known to be some of the most exciting events of the year—but that is probably because they revolve around beer! The Michigan Brewers Guild offers several Beer Festivals each year. There are usually beer festivals in the summertime and in the fall, so you can enjoy a brew with friends when the weather is nice outside.
Every festival usually features good music, great food, and even better beer. Grand Rapids is known as a beer city (there are over twenty craft breweries in our Beer City, USA), so our beer festivals do not disappoint. When you visit the Grand Rapids Beer Festival, you'll leave impressed and with newfound knowledge about beer and ales.
ArtPrize
Whether you have experience making art or not, you'll find something to enjoy at the ArtPrize festival in Grand Rapids. According to the festival's webpage, the yearly event is meant to celebrate "ideas, conversations, experimentation, inclusiveness, and Grand Rapids itself." Not only is the ArtPrize festival free and open to the public, but it's also full of marvelous art from international artists.
This festival is more than just a small art show—ArtPrize is actually the world's most-attended public art event. Millions of people have visited Grand Rapids to attend ArtPrize since the festival began in 2009! If you want to explore downtown Grand Rapids, you can do so at ArtPrize because the festival places captivating art all over the downtown area. Plus, visitors are encouraged to vote for their favorite pieces, and then certain artists are awarded cash prizes based on the public's vote.
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Coast Guard Festival in Grand Haven
At the end of July each year, there is a Coast Guard Festival hosted in Grand Haven, Michigan. Grand Haven is right outside Grand Rapids, so it's easy to get to this festival if you're living there. The festivities at this event vary each year, but there is always music and events that celebrate members of the Coast Guard. A few events you might expect are cardboard boat competitions, fireworks, and more.
Grand Haven Kite Festival
This festival is hosted right outside Grand Rapids, in Grand Haven. Adults, children, and pets alike will love attending the Kite Festival in Grand Haven. This festival is usually hosted around late May, and it's a perfect way to ring in the summer. For one weekend only, there are always dozens of colorful, unique kites that adorn the skyline of Grand Haven, Michigan. Come to the Kite Festival to get some fresh air, fly your own kite, or see some of the impressive kites that local community members have—kites have been as big as a school bus in past years!
Tulip Time Festival in Holland, Michigan
There is nothing more beautiful than tulips, so what's better than celebrating the beautiful flower at the Tulip Time Festival Holland Michigan hosts each year? If you're a gardening enthusiast or just someone interested in taking photographs in a field of tulips, you'll enjoy visiting the Tulip Time Festival in Holland, Michigan. Each year, the Tulip Time Festival is hosted at the peak of tulip season, usually at the beginning of May.
Tulips are a very important element of Dutch culture, so in honor of this, the Tulip Time Festival showcases thousands of Tulips planted around the entire city of Holland, Michigan. If you're looking for a standout spot to look at tulips, visit Windmill Island. Here, you'll not only find stunning tulips, but you'll also find the only authentic Dutch windmill left in the entire United States—the windmill is still operational, and it continues to make flour, even today.
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LaughFest
Since 2011, Grand Rapids has hosted the LaughFest, which brings together some of the most popular comedians working today. LaughFest is hosted each and every spring, typically at the beginning of March. In the past, comedy artists like Whoopi Goldberg, Kevin Hart, Howie Mandel, and Wanda Sykes have performed. Even the iconic comedian Betty White has performed at LaughFest! If you visit LaughFest, you're sure to see some top-notch talent, so to see what's trending in comedy, visit LaughFest.
The Fun Doesn't Stop in Grand Rapids! Find Your New Home at the Springbrook Flats Apartments
As you can tell, there are events going on all year in Grand Rapids, so regardless of the season, there will be an activity for you to attend in town. If you're excited to join a community in Grand Rapids, then we're excited to welcome you to our Grand Rapid apartments. At the Springbrook Flats Apartments, we prioritize our residents and can't wait to welcome you home, so contact us for more information about our apartments and Grand Rapids.