Tag Archives: Beer Festival

Gonzo’s Top 5: Ballet, poutine and beers

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By John D. Gonzalez
WKTV Contributing Writer

What’s going on this weekend? What are you going to do?

I say it’s a great weekend to go on a hike, maybe see the ballet, enjoy mouthwatering Poutine or sip on 700-plus Michigan craft beers.

You’ll find all the details, and more, in my Top 5 list, exclusively on WKTV Journal.

Here we go.

Gonzo’s Top 5

Logan’s L.A. Veggie Poutine: Sidewinder fries topped with a garlic parmesan gravy, flash fried Brussel sprouts, spinach, mushrooms, red peppers and jalapeño cheese bites. (Photo by John D. Gonzalez)

5. Michigan Street Poutine Week

Have you had a chance to check out Poutine Week on Michigan Street? Several local restaurants and bars are participating, and one will be declared the winner. I’ve only been to Logan’s Alley, but if the others are just as good, don’t miss this opportunity to support local business and enjoy tasty fries covered in gravy, cheese and other proteins. Some are vegetarian, too, which is what you can find at Logan’s. Participating: 7 Monks Taproom – Grand Rapids, Birch Lodge, Bob’s Bar, Duke’s, Elbow Room Bar & Grill, The Friesian Gastro Pub, Glass House Bar, Grand Coney, Kaffeine Place GR, Logan’s Alley, Maggie’s, Palio Grand Rapids and Vander Mill. Voting continues until Feb. 26 at https://poll.app.do/2022-michigan-street-poutine-week.

4. Noodle Fest 2022

Our friends at the Grand Rapids Asian-Pacific Foundation are raising funds for their summer festival with this weekend’s Noodle Fest competition from noon-5 p.m. Saturday (Feb. 26) at Sixth Street Park. This is part of Downtown GR’s World of Winter. Each bowl is $5 each, and you help decide the winner by voting for the best dish.

The competitors include:

– PHỞ 616 Grand Rapids: Pho Ga / Vietnamese chicken noodle Soup (*Gluten Free)

– Legacy Noodles: Kha Poon Noodles / Hmong chicken coconut curry with vermicelli noodle

– Adobo Boy GR – Filipino Food: Pancit Canton / Filipino style stir-fried egg noodles

– Festival Fixx: Pork Red Curry with Rice Noodles (*Gluten Free)

– Rak Thai: Shoyu Ramen

– Amazing Myanmar Asian Cuisine: Burmese Shan Noodles

– Lao Lahanam Association: Thai River Boat Noodle / Clear pork broth with rice noodles (*Gluten Free)

Sixth Street Park located at 647 Monroe Ave NW. Check out the Facebook Event Page for more info.

 

3. Luminary Walk

On this special luminary walk, you can explore Kentwood’s Stanaback Park, which has been transformed into a half-mile pathway lit up with luminaries decorated by community members. This event is free and open to anyone to participate. Dress for cold weather. Hours are 5:30-7:30 p.m. Friday (Feb. 25). Stanaback Park is located at 3717 Whitebud Dr. SE. More info at kentwood.us.

The Grand Rapids Ballet starts the celebration of its 50th celebration with the production of “Cinderella.” (Photo by Blaine Truitt Covert)

2. Grand Rapids Ballet presents Cinderella

The Grand Rapids Ballet Company kicks off its 50th Anniversary with performances Feb. 25-27 at DeVos Performance Hall. Fans of all ages will recognize the classic fairytale “Cinderella,” which has been choreographed by renowned choreographer Ben Stevenson. The Grand Rapids Symphony performs Sergei Prokofiev’s melodic score, as the audience watches Cinderella’s story unfold. Tickets and showtimes at www.grballet.com.

READ MORE: Grand Rapids Ballet’s ‘Cinderella’ adds to company’s rich history

1.Winter Beer Festival

If you’re a craft beer fan, count your blessings that you live in Beer City USA! With nearly 120 breweries tapping 707 unique beers in 92 styles, this weekend’s Winter Beer Festival – presented by the Michigan’s Brewers Guild – at LMCU Ballpark is the place to be. A few tickets remain. Doors open at 1 p.m. (noon for enthusiasts) on Saturday (Feb. 26) and includes beer samples, fun and good times. Tickets are $55 per person; attendees must be 21 or older with valid ID. Get tickets at mibeer.com. For the current list of breweries and beers go to https://beerlist.num1pirate.com/2022gr/

That’s it for now.

As always, I welcome your input and recommendations for events to include in my Top 5 list. If you have something for me to consider, just send me an email at michigangonzo@gmail.com.

Have a great, safe weekend.



John D. Gonzalez is a digital journalist with 30-plus years of experience as a food, travel, craft beer and arts & entertainment reporter based in Grand Rapids, Michigan. He also co-hosts the radio show and Podcast “Behind the Mitten,” which airs at 6 p.m. Sundays on WOOD-AM and FM. Follow him on his journey to discover what’s next. You can find him on Twitter as @MichiganGonzo, on Instagram @MichiganGonzo and Facebook at @GRGonzo. He also relaunched his YouTube Channel. Email him story ideas and tips at michigangonzo@gmail.com.