By Christie Bender
Grand Rapids Public Museum

The Grand Rapids Public Museum (GRPM) announced today the re-introduced Ethnic Heritage Celebration, combining the annual Native American Cultural Days and Ethnic Heritage Festival. This year’s Ethnic Heritage Celebration will bring cultural immersive experience to school groups during the week and culminate with a public Saturday celebration.

The City of Grand Rapids and the surrounding region have a long standing history of diversity and various cultural traditions dating back from early explorers and fur traders, to modern day cultural rituals from new residents of the region.

Ethnic Heritage Celebration will take place Nov. 1-3. Schools groups have signed up to attend Native American Cultural Days as part of the Celebration on Nov. 1 and 2, and then the public is invited to the Ethnic Heritage Festival on Saturday, Nov. 3.

Ethnic Heritage Festival is a day-long celebration of music, dance, crafts and food representing the various ethnic groups that call West Michigan home. Beginning at 10 a.m. on Saturday, November 3, the event features a variety of traditions, performances and presentations. The Museum Café will feature ethnic food selections. Event activities are included with general admission to the Museum. Colorful performances will take place throughout the day in the Meijer Theater starting at 10 a.m.

Visitors will be able to view the Museum’s exhibitions, with two specific exhibitions having a primary focus on diversity and culture: Newcomers: The People of This Place which highlights the ethnic groups that have settled the Grand Rapids area, and Anishinabek: The People of this Place which focuses on the Native American culture in the region.

Please visit www.grpm.org/EHF for additional information about the Ethnic Heritage Festival, and more on the Grand Rapids Public Museum’s exhibitions and programs.