Tag Archives: jamboree

Gonzo’s Top 5: WWE, Santa parade, holiday music, and James Taylor

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By John D. Gonzalez
WKTV Contributing Writer

Welcome to the weekend, my friends.

What do you have planned?

Me? Well, I’m still wrapping my head around the fact Christmas is about two weeks away. Yes, I said TWO  WEEKS! Thankfully I have the lovely Pam, my wife, who handles all the stress of shopping, cooking and wrapping to make it a perfect holiday. But there is just so much going on.

Well, I say don’t forget to take a break to try something new or maybe create new traditions.

Here are a few things to consider in this weekend’s Gonzo’s Top 5, exclusively on WKTV Journal.

5.WWE Supershow Holiday Tour

Are you a fan of Raw or SmackDown? Well, you probably already know your favorite stars will be in Grand Rapids this weekend for a show at 5 p.m. Sunday (Dec. 12). Scheduled to appear: Universal Champion Roman Reigns, WWE Champion Big E, RAW Women’s Champion Charlotte Flair, SmackDown Women’s Champion Becky Lynch, Bianca Belair, Drew McIntyre and many more. Ticket information and more details at vanandelarena.com.

The Horrocks Holiday Jamboree will including kids bands. (Supplied)

4.Horrocks Holiday Jamboree

Live music. Santra’s reindeer. Hot chocolate. And a mac and cheese bar! Sign me up. The annual Horrocks Holiday Jamboree returns from 4-8 p.m. Friday (Dec. 10) at Horrocks, 4455 Breton Road SE, in Kentwood. There is a winter petting zoo for kids, as well as holiday caroling and a lineup of children’s bands. Kids can also drop off a letter to Santa in the Elf Express Delivery mailbox. For a list of music acts and more details, check out the event’s Facebook page.

3.The Grand Rapids Ballet Presents The Nutcracker

You know it’s the holidays when the famous “Nutcracker” presented by the Grand Rapids Ballet Company returns. Performances are Dec. 10-12 and Dec. 17-19 at DeVos Performance Hall, 303 Monroe Ave NW. I’m not sure if I need to explain why it’s such a classic meant for every child, at least, once in their lifetime. (One of these days I’ll tell the story of how I took three little boys to the show, only to have them begging me to take them home at “halftime.” It’s a great memory in the Gonzalez household.)  For performance times, ticket information and more details, go to devosperformancehall.com or grballet.com.

The Wyoming Kentwood Area Chamber of Commerce’s Santa Parade returns this Saturday. (WKTV)

2.Wyoming and Kentwood Area Santa Parade

Presented by the Wyoming/Kentwood Area Chamber of Commerce, the Santa Parade is at 10 a.m. Saturday (Dec. 11) and features more than 50 entrants, including five school bands, and — well, you know — Santa. The parade travels on South Division between 34th and Murray Streets. More info at http://southkent.org. If you miss the parade, your friends at WKTV will re-broadcast on cable television at 7 p.m. Saturday and 10:30 p.m. Sunday. WKTV’s coverage of the parade also will be available on-demand later.

RELATED: Santa Parade returns to Division Avenue

1.James Taylor & Jackson Browne at Van Andel Arena

Concerts are back in a big way, and you get two big names in one show when James Taylor and Jackson Browne perform at 7:30 p.m. Friday at Van Andel Arena. Performing with his All-Star Band, James Taylor has been entertaining audiences for more than 40 years. He’s in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and the Songwriters Hall of Fame, and he has sold more than 100 million albums. Fans have loved him for years. And Jackson Browne, who is known for big hits such as “The Pretender” and “Running on Empty,” is always a pro. Check on ticket availability and more details at vanandelarena.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’s an early adopter of Social Media and SEO expert. 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.