Tag Archives: Fall Festival

Snapshots: Fall festivities to do this weekend.

October 16, 20203-bottom, Citizen Journalism, City of Kentwood, City of WyomingFall Activities, Fall Festival, Ghost HuntingJoanne

By Faith Morgan
WKTV Intern

Fall has always been my favorite season. The time when everything bursts with its last beauty, as if nature had been saving up all year for the grand final.
Lauren DeStefano

Take the Family to a Fall Festival

A bounce house, corn maze, spinning strawberry, train rides and and lots of fall treats will be part Woodland Mall’s Pop-up Festival in the Von Maur Parking this Saturday. The event runs from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. with guests invited to stroll or drive through to snatch up an elephant ear or other fall treats. Or come from noon to 4 p.m. to partake in some of the activites. Tickets are required for the activities can be purchased online or at the event.

Fulton Street Cemetery (Faith Morgan/WKTV)

Finding those Neighborhood Ghosts

It is the season of ghosts and Grand Rapids certain has its share, so why not do a little ghost hunting? Wander the streets of Grand Rapids visiting some of the area’s historic places such as St. Cecilia Music Center with its musical apparitions or the Amway Grand, where some guests have liked the hotel so much that they haven’t checked out. There is lots more in the WKTV Journal’s ghost walk.

It’s Adventure Time

Archery, donuts and more will be part of the Adventure Point‘s two days of fun fall activities taking place this Saturday and Sunday. The adventure center located at 3213 Walker Ave stretches over 35-acres of land waiting to be explored with goodies along its trails, or expect a little haunting fun if you opt for the evening adventure.

Fun Fact: The World’s Best Mouser

What is the best mousetrap? Cats. Which cat has caught the most mice that she is in the Guinness Book of World Records? That would be Towser, who in her 24 years of life managed to catch 28,899 mice. In fact, she was so good that the Glenturret Distillery, located in Scotland, where she lived, decided not only to raise a glass but erect a statute in her honor. By the way, the need for cats at the Scottish distilleries has greatly diminished over the years, but tradition being tradition, about every distillery still has a cat mascot.

The Weekend Edition: Things to do Oct. 20 – 23

October 20, 2016Citizen JournalismAmerican witches, Fall Festival, Grand Rapids Art Museum, Grand Rapids Ballet, Iris van Herpen, Peter Pan, Trunk and Treat, witchesJoanne

Genealogy of the American witch

As Halloween is just around the corner, Schuler Books gets everyone ready with a visit from “American Witches: A Broomstick Tour through Four Centuries!” author Susan Fair Thursday, Oct. 20.

Fair will be at the store, located 2660 28th St. SE, at 7 p.m. In her latest book, Fair explores the history of American witches, which is way wilder than what most people can even imagine. From bewitched pigs hell-bent on revenge to gruesome twentieth-century murders, “American Witches” reveals strange incidents of witchcraft that have long been swept under the rug as bizarre sidetones to history.

Pumpkins and treats

It’s a celebration of everything fall as the City of Kentwood marks is Fall Festival Saturday, Oct. 22.

From 10 a.m. – noon there will be all kinds of family fun events including hayrides, a bounce house, pumpkin races, face painting and other games all at the Kentwood Department of Public Works, 5068 Breton Rd. SE.

This is the second year the Fall Festival takes place at the same time as the Trunk or Treat, which is happening at the same location. Area businesses and organizations will have decorated their car trunks and will be passing out treats. Participants are encouraged to dress up and vote for their favorite decorated trunk. Also River City Cup & Cake will be on hand with coffee and hot chocolate available. For more, click here.

Grand Rapids Civic Theatre gets ready for its upcoming production "Holes." (Photo courtesy of GRCT) — **Digging in**

“Things aren’t always as they seem,” said Grand Rapids Civic Theatre guest director Jason Marlett. “Stanley believes his life is unfairly destined to be full of bad luck. It isn’t until he is taken out of his home environment, his comfort zone, that he begins to see life a different way. You might say he starts digging deeper into his past and present – his destiny. It’s no coincidence this storyline is built like an onion, layers and layers of hidden meanings, messages, and treasures”.

Louis Sachar adapted his novel “Holes” with his story coming to life on the Grand Rapids Civic Theatre stage Oct. 21 – 30. To stay true to the storytelling, production designers tackled two significant lighting and set design challenges. The first is how to create a stage full of holes? The second is creating a unique time period transformation. Three stories from separate time periods in history are combined in “Holes” to create one story. It is important for the audience to react to the changes without feeling awkward because while in the past we continue to reference the present, and no matter where we are in time, we never forget where the story is ultimately headed.

“Holes” is playing at the Grand Rapids Civic Theatre, 30 N. Division, October 21-30 and is recommended for ages 8 and older. Please note, this play does contain violence. For tickets and other information, click here

Returning to Neverland

Peter Pan comes to life in Grand Rapids Ballet School Junior Company’s rendition of the classic story. Choreographed by Junior Company Artistic Director Attila Mosolygo, this one-hour performance includes pirates and mermaids and the vividness of a child’s imagination.

Performances are 7:30 p.m. Friday, Oct. 21; 2 and 7:30 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 22; and 2 p.m. Sunday, Oct. 23 at the Peter Martin Wege Theatre, 341 Ellsworth Ave. SW. Tickets are $18. For more information, click here.

Refinery Smoke, Dress, July 2008: Untreated woven metal gauze, cow leather, cotton, Groninger Museum. Photo by Bart Oomes, No 6 Studios

Say yes to the dress

It you have not heard, the designer behind some of Lady Gaga’s fashion, Iris van Herpern, will have an exhibit featuring her work at the Grand Rapids Art Museum, 101 Monroe Ave. NW.

The exhibit, “Iris van Herpen: Transforming Fashion,” features 45 haute couture outfits carefully selected from 15 of van Herpen’s collections designed from 2008 through 2015: 18 pieces from the designer’s most recent lines and a selection of her shoe designs, and 27 pieces from van Herpen’s solo exhibition at the Groninger Museum, Netherlands.

The exhibit runs Oct. 23 – Jan. 15 at the museum. For more information, click here.

Trunk-or-Treat gets accessorized with the Fall Festival (Note: Location Change!)

October 23, 2015Holidays, Local Faces, Our Cities, Recreation, Upcoming EventsFall Festival, Kentwood Parks and Rec Department, Mike DeWitt, Trunk or TreatJoanne

Children in costumes, candy coming through their ears, and laughter and smiles that can be seen from space!

Trick-or-Treating is an annual tradition around the nation on Halloween, but the City of Kentwood adds a little twist, instead of going door-to-door, the children go trunk-to-trunk. Why trick-or-treat when you can just as easily trunk-or-treat?

Trunk-or-Treat has become a holiday staple for the Kentwood Parks and Rec Department. It gives children an opportunity to dress up in their favorite costumes and trick-or-treat in a safe environment. The event is also a chance for those children who don’t live in neighborhoods to have a neighborhood brought to them!

This year, with a whole new staff running the event, the Kentwood Parks and Rec Department decided to add a little more fun to Trunk-or-Treat. Don’t think of it as a face-lift or a makeover, it’s more along the lines of accessorizing.

“We are excited about the new addition of the Fall Festival in conjunction with the Trunk or Treat event!” explained Lorraine Beloncis of the Kentwood Parks and Rec Department, “We’ve added hayrides, games, a bouncy house, music, cider & donuts and face painting along with our sponsored trunks handing out candy.”

The addition of the Fall Festival should only add more smiles to a fun-filled day that families and children of all ages can enjoy. On top of all the fun events previously mentioned, there will be pumpkin racing, Halloween Plinko, and pumpkin ring toss.

Oh! I almost failed to mention, the children aren’t the only ones who get to dress up and show off their creative side. It’s encouraged for all participants to decorate and vote on their trunks as well!

Don’t miss out on all the fun of the Fall Festival! This years event is Saturday, October 24 from 10am-noon. Because of the weather, Fall Festival has been moved from its original location at Veteran’s Park to the Garage at Kentwood’s Public Works Department. The address is 5068 Breton Road, between 44th and 52nd Street.