Grand Rapids Bourbon Fest touts having over 200 whiskeys and bourbons to sample Saturday
GRAND RAPIDS, MI – An indoor bourbon festival is making its return to Grand Rapids this weekend with more than 200 whiskeys and bourbons ready for sampling. The third annual Grand Rapids Bourbon Fest is set for Saturday, March 4 at the Studio D2D Event Center, 401 Hall St. VIP tickets are available for $100, which gets you into the festival with access to the VIP section, 20 VIP tasting tickets, and a dated bourbon glass. VIP ticket holders also can sample all whiskeys in the main festival for one ticket each. More than 800 people attended the festival last year, Neininger told MLive/The Grand Rapids Press.
mlive.comChalk Walk Art Festival to brighten downtown Bay City
BAY CITY, MI - An annual festival is set to brighten up Bay City’s streets with vibrant splashes of color this weekend. The annual Bay City Chalk Walk Art Festival will be held from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Aug. 13 in the area around Center and Water Street. According to organizers, the festival is an arts awareness event that promotes community involvement through street chalk art. The event will include captivating chalk art pieces, live music and a children’s area full of games, bubbles and, of course, chalk. Over 40 artists are expected to fill the streets with their chalk art pieces.
mlive.comMuskegon Heights Festival in the Park returns with live music, comedy show
MUSKEGON HEIGHTS, MI - The community is invited to participate in this week’s festivities for the annual Muskegon Heights Festival in the Park. In 1982, Mayor Robert A. Warren, Muskegon Height’s first Black mayor, created the festival to promote Black pride and encourage community involvement. “This festival serves as a tradition of legacy that demonstrated our love for the community and our cultural heritage.“The festival will feature food vendors, live music, comedy shows, and daily COVID-19 vaccine clinics, among other events. Tuesday, July 1912 p.m. to 5 p.m. - COVID-19 vaccine clinic5:30 p.m. - Opening ceremony6 p.m. - Gospel in the ParkWednesday, July 2012 p.m. to 5 p.m. - COVID-19 vaccine clinic7 p.m. - Chocolate Factory Urban Comedy Showcase, located at 114 Broadway Ave. $15 entry free. Friday, July 221 p.m. Senior Picnic12 p.m. to 5 p.m. - COVID-19 vaccine clinic12 p.m. - Beer tent opens6 p.m. Sada Baby performs.
mlive.comSee the best visuals from Electric Forest over the first 10 years
RELATED: Ultimate guide to Electric Forest 2022In 2020, the four-day festival with a focus on electronic music and jam band genres was set to celebrate a decade of music after debuting under the Electric Forest name in 2011. To celebrate the return of Electric Forest, scroll below for some of our favorite images captured by MLive photographers over the years. (Joel Bissell | MLive.com)Patrons take a break and lay in Sherwood Forest during the Electric Forest festival on Friday, June 27, 2014. (MLive.com file photo)A Sherwood Forest creature poses for a portrait at Electric Forest Music Festival on Thursday, June 28, 2018 at the Double JJ Resort in Rothbury, Michigan. (MLive.com file photo)Festival goers walk through Sherwood Forest during the second day of Electric Forest on Friday, June 24, 2016, at the Double JJ Ranch in Rothbury, Mich. Electric Forest runs from June 23 till the 26.
mlive.comSecond Gilmore Piano Festival headliner cancels due to COVID-19 complications
KALAMAZOO, MI — Pink Martini has become the second major headlining act to cancel its scheduled performance at the 2022 Gilmore International Piano Festival due to COVID-19 this year. Similar to jazz legend Herbie Hancock, who canceled his April 24 festival-opening performance, Pink Martini will no longer perform its headlining show at the Miller Auditorium on Western Michigan’s campus. A news release issued by the festival on Wednesday, May 4, announced the cancelation, stating the decision was made due to COVID-19 complications. The Gilmore Piano Festival, the largest gathering of keyboard artists in North America, has been underway since April 24 and will conclude on May 15. Also on MLive:10 things to experience at the Gilmore Piano FestivalSite of former Fannie May Candies in Portage to host new business6 construction projects in Portage that could impact your commute this summer
mlive.comFrom Herbie Hancock to family fun: 10 things to experience at the Gilmore Piano Festival
KALAMAZOO, MI — It’s been four years since the Gilmore International Piano Festival last took place. Offering a diverse and lengthy selection of musical performances and family-friendly entertainment, the festival, which is based primarily in Kalamazoo, is far more than simply classical piano performances, Gilmore marketing director Mindy MacInnis pointed out in a recent interview with MLive. This year’s marquee performances include jazz legend Herbie Hancock, who performs April 24, and Diana Krall, who performs May 14, both at the Miller Auditorium in Kalamazoo. Pop outfit Pink Martini also performs at Miller Auditorium on May 10, rounding out the trio of headliners. Featuring Alex J. Roston as Holiday, “Lady Day at Emerson’s Bar & Grill” will be celebrated with multiple performances between April 29-May 15.
mlive.comFoolMoon festival goers can light up Ann Arbor, support local businesses
ANN ARBOR, MI -- Light-filled art will take over downtown Ann Arbor at this year’s FOOLMoon festival, which is a little different this year due to the coronavirus. Starting April 1, the Ann Arbor District Library will host “9 Days of Glow” with video craft projects and a contest. New this year is the “Stroll and Roll” to support local businesses through the Show Your Love A2 campaign. Virtual content from local artists and youth will be available for viewing by anyone choosing to stay home. Ann Arbor OKs St. Patrick’s Day street closure for Conor O’Neill’s pubThe Year 2042 podcast: Health director talks about why Black people should trust the COVID-19 vaccineKids can sign up for free cooking, nutrition classes with St. Joe’s Ann Arbor
mlive.comWorld of Winter festival returns to Grand Rapids with giant ‘icicles,’ light-up art installations
GRAND RAPIDS, MI — The World of Winter festival has returned to Grand Rapids. The festival, which kicked off Jan. 15 and wraps up Feb. 28, provides a host of outdoor art and entertainment activities throughout downtown Grand Rapids. The festival is sponsored by Downtown Grand Rapids Inc., the City of Grand Rapids, and Ice Guru. That includes dance and musical performances, walking tours around the city (including one that focuses on Black history in Grand Rapids), as well as a frozen disc slam tournament. For a complete list of World of Winter events, click here.
mlive.comHoughton Lake Tip-Up Town postponed until February due to COVID restrictions
HOUGHTON LAKE, MI -- The popular Tip-Up Town USA festival in Houghton Lake has been postponed by more than month due to ongoing restrictions revolving around the COVID-19 pandemic. Food trucks and other vendors are typically in attendance as families from all over Michigan make the trip for the festival. State restrictions on the sizes of crowds during the ongoing pandemic forced organizers to move the festival to the end of February. If the restrictions are still in place as the new dates approach, organizers say they will likely have to cancel the festival. READ MORE:4-year-old boy dies after falling through ice in Isabella CountyBody of 67-year-old ice fisherman found at park in U.P.
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