Tag Archives: National Cherry Festival

July is busy with food trucks, music, and more

Citizen Journalism, Entertainment, Gonzo's Top 5, Kids Activities, Local Entertainment, Local Faces, Recreation, Upcoming Events, , , , , , ,

By John D. Gonzalez

WKTV Contributing Writer

How’s the summer treating you?

I’ve been enjoying the National Cherry Festival in Traverse City with fireworks, concerts and cherries, of course.

If you still want to make the trip up north, the festival continues with many activities like the cherry pie eating contest, and the big Cherry Royale Parade at 11:15 a.m. Saturday. The remaining concerts feature 1964 The Tribute on Thursday (July 7), ZZ Top on Friday (July 8) and Boyz II Men on Saturday (July 9). Learn more at cherryfestival.org.

What are you doing this weekend?

If you’re staying close to home, here is my Top 5 of things to do, which you can find exclusively on WKTV Journal.

Here we go!

Gonzo’s Top 5

5. “Seven Brides For Seven Brothers,” Barn Theatre

Summer is a great time to take in a play. Whether it’s community theater or a Broadway touring musical, you can usually find something taking place in the region. One unique destination is the Barn Theatre School in Augusta, about 50 miles south and just east of Kalamazoo. In its 76th season, the school’s advanced theater training program promotes the concept that artists, performers, designers, technicians, stage managers, and everyone should have broadly based experiences through an apprentice program. And each summer they put on a variety of shows where the students produce every aspect of the experience. They are parking attendants, ushers and even the bartenders. Along with celebrity guest actors, the school has also featured future stars such as Jennifer Garner, Dana Delany, Lauren Graham and many more. My lovely wife Pam and I recently saw the first show of the season, “Seven Brides For Seven Brothers,” a musical based on the classic MGM 1954 film about settlers in 1850 Oregon. The show was great, but so was the whole experience of a show set in a barn. Get a pizza or drink before the show or stay after each performance for a special “Shed Bar Show” where the actors and guest actors come to entertain in the Rehearsal Bar. Advance reservations are encouraged for those productions. Performances of “Seven Brides For Seven Brothers” continue through Sunday (July 10). More details at barntheatreschool.org/events. Some of the other shows this season: “Cinderella,” “GroundHog Day,” “Rock of Ages,” “Young Frankenstein,” “Misery,” “Escanaba in da Moonlight” and “Doubt.”

4. LAUP Fiesta, Holland

Another great weekend destination is Holland for the annual LAUP Fiesta at the Holland Civic Center. It always features great food, car show, and Latino musical acts. There will be activities for children, a bar for adults and mercado (artisan market). It always ends with a big baile (dance). The party begins at noon. Check out the festival’s Facebook Event page for more information.

Food Truck Friday at Riverside Park

3. Food Truck Friday, Riverside Park

Have you been out to the popular “Food Truck Fridays” at Riverside Park this summer? Every week from 5-9 p.m. (through Sept. 2) you can expect anywhere from 12-17 food trucks. In its 6th season on the north side of Grand Rapids you can expect some of the area’s best-loved food trucks, as well as new ones, too. New this year is a Frequent Fridays Card that will offer you the chance to win prizes based on how many FTF you frequent. More details at https://www.facebook.com/GR8FoodTruckFridays/.

Wyoming’s Concerts in the Park return Tuesday, July 12. (WKTV)

2. Randy McAllister, Lamar Park

Blues and Soul artist Randy McAllister will headline the next Wyoming Concerts in the Park show, which takes place each week at 7 p.m. Tuesdays at Lamar Park in Wyoming. Admission is free. The remaining shows include folk artist Monty Pride (July 19), country singer Bernadette Kathryn (July 26) and 13-piece Latin soul band Grupo Latin (Aug. 2) More info: Wyoming Concerts in the Park Facebook page. Can’t make it to the show? You can still enjoy the bands by watching WKTV-Channel 25 for the weekly airings at 5 p.m. Wednesday and 11 a.m. and 10 p.m. Saturday. More info at wktv.org/concerts.

READ: Wyoming Concerts in the Park return this summer

1. Downtown Concerts

It’s another busy weekend in downtown Grand Rapids:

Death Cab for Cutie, the popular indie band from the early 2000s is back on the road and releasing a new album this fall. You can check them out Friday (July 8) at GLC Live at 20 Monroe Live in Grand Rapids. Ticket information at livenation.com.

The Doobie Brothers, the legendary band from the ‘70s and ‘80s, are on their 50th anniversary tour with Tom Johnston, Michael McDonald, Pat Simmons and John McFee on the road together for the first time in nearly 25 years. The band has sold nearly 50 million albums worldwide. The show is at 7:30 p.m.Sunday (July 10) at Van Andel Arena. Fans can expect to hear “Listen To The Music,” “Takin’ It To The Streets,” “Long Train Running,” “Black Water,” “What A Fool Believes,” “China Grove,” “Minute By Minute,” “It Keeps You Runnin’,” “Jesus Is Just Alright With Me” and many more. 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 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.

Boom! It’s July 4th weekend! Bring on the fireworks!

Citizen Journalism, Entertainment, Gonzo's Top 5, Recreation, Upcoming Events, , , ,

By John D. Gonzalez
WKTV Contributing Writer

How do we go from spring to summer so quickly?

It’s Fourth of July already!

I’ll be in the Traverse City area all weekend long for the National Cherry Festival, and I’m looking forward to meeting up with friends, checking out the local food scene and maybe hitting up a few breweries.

You can read my coverage if you go to my social media channels, including Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

What are you doing this weekend?

If you’re staying close to home, here is my Top 5 of things to do, which you can find exclusively on WKTV Journal.

Here we go!

Gonzo’s Top 5

“Starry Night Over the Rhone” is just one of the many Van Gogh paintings featured. (Photo by Thomas Hegewald)

5. “Beyond Van Gogh,” Grand Rapids

This immersive experience by the artist Vincent Van Gogh has been getting a lot of media attention. Opening night was canceled because of some technology issues. And on Wednesday a person felt faint and grabbed onto a pipe and drape that caused some art to fall on patrons? It did not cause the exhibition to close. The exhibition features the artist’s work on a larger-than-life scale as visitors see at least 300 of Van Gogh’s famous artworks through projection technology. It continues through July 9 at DeVos Place in downtown Grand Rapids. Check ticket availability at vangoghexpo.com/grand-rapids/.

READ: What it is like experiencing the ‘Beyond Van Gogh’ exhibit

4. Ballpark Series: Red, White and Blues

Our friends at Fans of Valley Field bring back their popular Ballpark Series with a show Saturday (July 2) at Sullivan (formerly Valley) Field, a Michigan landmark with a history that dates back to 1937. It is located on the West Side of Grand Rapids. Tickets are $10 at the door or $5 in advance. Gates open at 11:30 a.m. The lineup:

•12:00-12:45pm – Teddy Brewer

•1:00-2:00pm – Larry Mack Band

•2:15-3:15pm – Rochelle and The Spoilers

•3:30-4:30pm – Hannah Rose Graves Band

•4:45-6:15pm – Asamu Johnson and The Associates of Blues

More details on the Facebook Event Page.

Sheryl Crow’s Meijer Gardens show is sold out but there are plenty of other Meijer concert options. (Supplied)

3. Sheryl Crow, Meijer Gardens

The “All I Wanna Do” singer – better known as Sheryl Crow – performs a sold out show Sunday (July 3) at Meijer Gardens. But you can still see Corinne Bailey Rae with Michigan act War & Treaty on July 6. Tickets information for all remaining concerts as well as availability can be found at meijergardens.org/calendar/summer-concerts-at-meijer-gardens. By the way, if you still want to see Sheryl Crow, you can join me on Saturday (July 2) when she performs at the National Cherry Festival in Traverse City. Ticket information at cherryfestival.org/.

Grand Rapids July 4th celebration will be July 2.

2. Grand Rapids Fireworks

Activities begin at 6 p.m. Saturday (July 2) with games, food, vendors and live entertainment, which will lead up to the fireworks at 10:30 p.m. at Ah-Nab-Awen Park in downtown Grand Rapids (next to the Ford Museum). The Stone Soul Rhythm Band performs at 8 p.m. More info at https://4thofjulygr.com.

Kentwood pulls out all the stops for its annual Fourth of July celebration set for July 4. (Supplied)

1.4th of July Celebration, Kentwood

Kentwood plans a full day of activities, including a pancake breakfast, 5K race, parade, carnival and fireworks show. The events will begin with a pancake breakfast at Kentwood Fire Station 1, 4775 Walma Ave SE. The $5-per-person breakfast will be served 7-9:30 a.m. and include pancakes, sausage, juice and coffee. It’s free for ages 5 and younger. The NN Mobile Solutions 5K Race & Fun Walk begins at 8:30 a.m. at the Kentwood City Hall parking lot, 4900 Breton Ave. SE. The parade is at 9:30 a.m. A carnival is planned from 10:30 a.m.-2:30 p.m. behind City Hall, which is also the site for the 4th of July celebration from 4-10 p.m. with community booths, a beer tent, food trucks and a fireworks show. More information about Independence Day activities in Kentwood can be found at kentwood.us/july4.

READ: Join Kentwood for its annual 4th of July celebration

Other area July 4th activities:

July 2

Gun Lake: Fireworks are scheduled for July 2 with a rain date of July 3. Fireworks began at dark.

July 2 and 3

LMCU Ballpark: The West Michigan Whitecaps will have fireworks for both games against the Fort Wayne Tin Caps. Game times are 6:35 p.m July 2 and 6 p.m. July 3. More details at  whitecapsbaseball.com.

July 3

Caledonia: The Caledonia Independence Day Celebration will include a parade at 11 a.m. Fireworks will be at dusk and can be seen from Duncan Lake Middle School, CalPlex, or Holy Family Catholic Church.

July 4

Grandville: The Grandville July 4 Celebration will include a pancake breakfast, parade with flyover, life music and fireworks at dusk.

Dorr: As usual, the Dorr July 4th Celebration will be the entire weekend, July 2-4 with the parade and fireworks on July 4.

For more area July 4th celebrations and activities, visit Experience GR’s website.

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.