Dinosaur and Dragon Stroll comes to the DeltaPlex June 4 and 5. (Supplied)
As one of my exchange students said recently, there is a day for about everything. Today, April 18, is National Velociraptor Awareness Day.
We’re not sure why anyone needs to be aware of these creatures since they lived 73 million years ago and mostly lived on Asian continents, but after some research, we discovered that velociraptors have been wrongly depicted in such movies as “Jurassic Park.” So let’s dispel the myths.
According to National Today, velociraptors did not stand seven feet tall, but were 6.5 feet long and about two feet tall from the hips. They also were not scaly or reptilian looking but resembled more of a turkey dinosaur as they has feathers and wings. Still, they were a ferocious predator with sharp teeth and three-inch-long curved claws on its back feet. Paleontologists have deducted that a velociraptors would stab its victim in the gut and then withdraw to a safe distance letting the creature bleed to death.
So while today is the National Velociraptor Awareness Day, you won’t be able to see one (a replica) four about six weeks when the Dino and Dragon Stroll comes to the DeltaPlex on June 4 and 5. In this interactive walk-through experience, guests will see a range of dinosaurs, from velociraptors to T-Rexes, from babies to life-size.
Tickets for the Dino and Drago Stroll are $30 and available by visiting dinostroll.com.
Spring is around the corner, and we’re excited for all the cool things happening now.
Whether it’s the Home & Garden Show, a new exhibit at the Public Museum or a festival devoted to Bourbon. All of this, and more, are in my Top 5, exclusively on WKTV Journal.
Here we go.
Gonzo’s Top 5
Comedian Whitney Cummings performs Saturday, March 5 at GLC Live. (Supplied)
5. Comedy Shows
The local comedy scene is really exploding with local, regional and national acts performing throughout West Michigan. That’s great news as we get closer to Laughfest GR, which is March 16-20, and a great opportunity to see a variety of acts. This weekend check out:
Whitney Cummings – comedian, actor, writer, producer, and director – performs at 7 p.m. Saturday (March 5) at GLC Live at 20 Monroe. She is on her “Touch Me Tour.” Opening is Ricky Velez. Tickets start at $35 and on sale now at livenation.com. Learn more about Whitney Cummings in this recent Fox 17 interview.
Golden Age Comedy – Located in the upper room at Creston Brewery, and presented by Full House Comedy, the venue features Maddy Smith at 7 tonight (March 4) and 7 and 9:30 p.m. Saturday (March 5), and Hal Sparks at 9 tonight (March 4). Sparks also performs at 8 p.m. Saturday at Billy’s Lounge in Grand Rapids. More details at fullhousecomedy.com/.
May the force be with the Griffins: Star Wars night is Saturday, March 5. (Supplied)
4. Grand Rapids Griffins
What? You haven’t been to a Griffins game this season? What are you waiting for? The professional hockey team is in action four times over the next week with games March 4, 5, 9 and 11 at Van Andel Arena in downtown Grand Rapids. You can get $2 beers and $2 hot dogs at select stands on Friday and March 11. And it’s Star Wars Night on Saturday (March 5). All games are at 7 p.m. Get tickets and more details at griffinshockey.com.
The 2nd Annual GR Bourbon Fest returns to D2D Event Center. (Supplied)
3. 2nd Annual GR Bourbon Fest
Where are my bourbon lovers? Good news, the second annual Grand Rapids Bourbon Fest is back Saturday (March 5) at the Studio D2D Event Center, located at 401 Hall St SW. You will discover 200-plus whiskeys, with the majority of them being bourbon. There will also be a few non-bourbon options such as beer from New Holland Brewing Co. and wine from 45 North Winery. Designated Drivers get complimentary nitro coffee, kombucha and tea from Reputation Beverage Company. In addition to the beverages, attendees can experience food trucks, live music and more. There are two sessions with Session One from 4-7 p.m. and Session Two from 8-11p.m. Proceeds will benefit Friends of The River. More details at the Facebook Event page.
The dinosaurs take flight at the Grand Rapids Public Museum. (Supplied)
2. Pterosaurs: Flight in the Age of Dinosaurs
Are there any dinosaur lovers in your life? This weekend the Grand Rapids Public Museum opens “Pterosaurs: Flight in the Age of Dinosaurs.” These flying animals ranged from the size of a sparrow to that of a two-seater plane. They are believed to be the first back-boned animals to evolve into powered flight, and the only vertebrates to develop this ability besides birds and bats. The exhibition includes life-size models, videos and interactive exhibits. The exhibit opens Saturday, March 5, with a special members only preview from 9 a.m.-noon.
A sign of spring: the West Michigan Home and Garden Show. (Supplied)
1. West Michigan Home and Garden Show
The recent warm up makes it feel like spring, and that means it’s a perfect time for the 41st annual West Michigan Home and Garden Show at DeVos Place. You can expect 13 feature gardens, five free seminar stages and more than 350 exhibitors featuring a wide variety of products and services. Let’s go! Hours are noon-9:30 p.m. today (March 4), 10 a.m.-9 p.m. Saturday and 11 a.m.-6 p.m. Sunday. Admission is $12 for adults and $4 for children ages 6-14. Check out more information on seminars and services at GRHomeShow.com.
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.
What a stretch of weather? How are you doing? It’s like we need another day off just to recover from all of this snow. Thank you to all those who had to work outside to make our lives more safe. We appreciate you.
How were your holidays? It seems like so long ago.
We had a great time with a house full of kids, grandkids, parents and in-laws. We loved every minute of it.
As you prepare for a new year, and resolutions, let’s look at some of the things to do the first full weekend of 2022 in my Gonzo’s Top 5, exclusively on WKTV Journal.
5. La Furia Del Ritmo Original at The Stray
Local act La Furia Del Ritmo Original is performing a show and also debuting a new video, “Besos Marcado,” at 6 p.m. Saturday at The Stray, 4253 S Division Ave., Wyoming. If your goal is to experience local music, especially banda music, here is your chance. The show is free for all ages thanks to Poncho’s Tacos GR. More info on La Furia Del Ritmo Original Facebook page.
4. Pop Scholars Improv
Love comedy improv? Pop Scholars Improv is a fast-paced 2-hour show that doesn’t go for the easy laugh. It will impress you with their wit and on-stage chemistry. The show is at 8 p.m. tonight (Jan. 7) at Wealthy Theatre, 1130 Wealthy St. SE, in Grand Rapids. Doors open at 7 p.m. You must be vaccinated and wear a mask to attend. Organizers are also reducing capacity for social distancing. Tickets are $14 general admission at grcmc.org. Check out the event Facebook page for more info.
3. GRPD vs. GRFD Charity Hockey Game
Raise money for a good cause when the Grand Rapids Fire Department takes on the Grand Rapids Police Department in this charity game at 12:30 p.m. Saturday (Jan.8) at Van Andel Arena. The game benefits the Muscular Dystrophy Association. Attendees also get specially-priced tickets to the Grand Rapids Griffins’ game later that night at 7 p.m. Get ticket and more info at griffinshockey.com/grfd-vs-grpd. (The Griffins also play at 7 p.m. Friday.)
Photo supplied by Jurassic Quest.
2. Dinosaurs in Grand Rapids
The largest and most realistic dinosaur exhibit in North America – “Jurassic Quest” – returns to Grand Rapids this weekend (Jan. 7-9) at DeVos Place. In a recent story on WKTV Journal, we reported that the exhibit is an indoor family education and entertainment show that features more than 100 life-like dinosaurs, dinosaur-themed rides, live dinosaur shows, and interactive science and art activities. There also will be a Triceratots soft play area, bounce houses, and inflatable attractions. Tickets are $22 for adults and children and $19 for seniors. There is also a $36-dollar ticket for kids unlimited rides. Tickets do include a 100 percent guarantee of refund if the show is canceled or postponed for any reason. For more about the event or to purchase tickets, visit www.jurassicquest.com.
It’s like they planned for all this snow! The World of Winter Festival kicks off today (Jan. 7) and provides interesting ways for people to experience and enjoy the season. All programming and activities are free and geared for both families and adults. It will continue through March 6 and is organized by Downtown Grand Rapids Inc., the City of Grand Rapids and numerous community partners. See a complete schedule of events at worldofwintergr.com.
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.
The Grand Rapids Public Museum (GRPM) just announced that it will open two new exhibitions this October, Expedition: Dinosaur, a traveling family exhibit, and TOYS!, a GRPM-created exhibition. Expedition: Dinosaur will feature life-sized and life-like animatronic dinosaurs, themed around the hunt for dinosaur fossils. TOYS! will be an interactive, multi-generation exhibition of toys and games to rekindle childhood memories and spark the creation of new ones.
Expedition: Dinosaur – Opening October 14 – Tickets on sale now!
Expedition: Dinosaur explores the fascinating world of dinosaurs and the hunt for their fossils from Stage Nine Exhibitions, on display from October 14, 2018 through Spring 2019. Two special events, Breakfast with the Dinos and the Expedition: Dinosaur Opening Party, will take place on Saturday, October 13, 2018 to celebrate this new exhibit. For details and tickets, please visit grpm.org/Dinos.
This exhibit has something for every age and interest, from life-sized and lifelike animatronic dinosaurs – some controlled by visitors – to mechanical and electronic learning stations. Visitors can learn about modern imaging techniques like high-energy neutron beams that reveal the inside of a T. Rex skull in microscopic detail never seen before. The exhibit includes a number of hands-on interactives that explain dinosaur movement, digestion, and evolution, and show the life and methods of dinosaur hunters from the 1800s to today.
Expedition: Dinosaur taps into our fascination with these incredible creatures. It is perhaps the closest experience to what it would have been like to be in the presence of a living, breathing Mesozoic-era dinosaur.
This exhibit focuses on the science of paleontology. Exhibit developer Stage Nine Exhibitions engaged renowned paleontologist Dr. Thomas Williamson to consult and inform the exhibit. Dr. Williamson, Curator of Paleontology at the New Mexico Museum of Natural History and Science, was featured in the PBS documentary “The Day The Dinosaurs Died.”
Baby Boomers loved Paper Dolls, Erector Sets, and Mr. Potato Head, Gen Xers preferred Holly Hobbie and Hot Wheels, and Millennials have never known a world without Super Mario or My Little Pony. Some toys, like Barbie and G.I. Joe, have adapted to appeal to different generations and remain popular today. Toys and games have changed over time, but the desire to imagine, compete, and create has not. Explore this and more in the new exhibit, TOYS! opening at the GRPM on Saturday, Oct. 27.
TOYS! is an interactive, multi-generation exhibition of toys and games to rekindle childhood memories and spark the creation of new ones. This GRPM original exhibit features toys and games from the Museum’s Collections and on loan from the community, allowing visitors to imagine, compete and create, while taking going on a journey of toys through generations.
“TOYS! is a fun and interactive exhibit experience that is meant to spark inter-generational conversations about the importance of imagination and play, and how toys have changed over time,” said Alex Forist, the GRPMs Chief Curator. “We hope each visitor will remember playing with their favorite toys from childhood, as well as make new memories with their family, friends, and classmates.”
Through the design process of the exhibition, the Museum worked with several experts from the community making sure the design was as inclusive as possible so everyone visiting can enjoy it. The exhibition will be presented in both English and Spanish, and will also include Braille.
Museum members have the first chance to see TOYS! on Saturday, Oct. 27, during the members only preview from 8 a.m. to 10 a.m. Members can RSVP to the members only preview at grpm.org/Toys. TOYS will be included with general admission to the Museum.
Thanks to the many donors, lenders, collaborators and friends of the GRPM who shared their toys and ideas for the exhibit. These include: Arcade Market, Children’s Museum of Indianapolis, Comprehensive Therapy Center, Dave Dennett, Eileen DeVries, Sophia Forist, Melissa Fortino, Organized by Melissa, Brian Gritter, Great Start, Grand Rapids Public Museum School, GRPS Early Childhood, Highscope Educational Research Foundation, Torin Hodgman, Inclusive Performance Strategies, Dr. Mira Krishnan, Meijer, Sarah Murphree, Rick Overway, Penske, Playmonster, Tim Priest, Becke Shiel, Dr. Phil Stegink, Neal and Silas VanTil, Vidiots, and Gloria Warren.
