Readers' Choice Award - WKTV Journal

By WKTV Staff

Frederik Meijer Gardens & Sculpture Park is thrilled to announce its recent recognition as one of the nation’s top sculpture parks as part of USA Today’s Readers’ Choice 10Best awards!

This recognition serves as a testament to the park’s commitment to showcasing exceptional art and horticulture and providing a captivating experience for guests.

Highlighting outstanding parks

USA Today’s 10Best Sculpture Parks is an annual ranking that highlights outstanding parks across the United States. Meijer Gardens has been selected as a finalist based on its remarkable collection of world-class sculptures, picturesque landscapes, and immersive visitor experiences.

Frederik Meijer Gardens & Sculpture Park (Supplied/by Johnny Quirin)

Nominees for the USA Today’s Readers’ Choice 10Best awards are submitted by a panel of experts. 10Best editors narrow the field to select the final set of nominees for the Readers’ Choice Awards. Readers can vote once per category, per day.

How to vote

After winning the title of the nation’s Best Sculpture Park in 2023, USA Today invites the community to rally together and help Meijer Gardens retain this prestigious award by voting daily at bit.ly/FMG10Best24.

(Courtesy of Frederik Meijer Gardens & Sculpture Park)

Voting is now open and will continue until Monday, Feb. 19 at 12 p.m. ET. Winners will be announced on Friday, March 1st at 12 p.m. EST.

By voting daily, community members can help raise awareness about this incredible destination and showcase the vibrant arts and culture scene within West Michigan.

About Frederik Meijer Gardens

Frederik Meijer Gardens & Sculpture Park is a destination for art enthusiasts, nature lovers, and families alike. The park’s dedication to engaging exhibitions, educational programs, concerts and community events has made it an integral part of our region’s cultural fabric since first opening in 1995.

Wyoming and Kentwood students are among the semi-finalists in the Kent District Library and Schuler Books & Music’s Write Michigan Short Story Contest.

More than 600 writers from across the state entered the competition with the field being narrowed down to 10 semi-finalists for each category, adult, teen, youth and Spanish. A panel of celebrity judges in each category will select the Judge’s Choice, who will receive $250, and the Judge’s Choice Runner-up Awards, each receiving $100.

There is also a public voting for the $250 Readers’ Choice Award. Voting runs through Jan. 31 and is at www.writemichigan.org.

The local semi-finalists are: Breanna Harris, a resident of Kentwood who attends Byron Center High School is in the Teen semi-finals for her piece “A Whisper.” In the youth division, Morgan VanDorp, who lives in Kentwood and attends Grand Rapids Christian Middle School, with her piece “Two Bad Ants: First Person Point of View.” From Wyoming is Yareli Paulina Gonzalez Velazquez. who attends San Juan Diego Academy. Velazquez’s piece “Cuando vine a Estados Unidos” is in the Spanish division.

Winners will be announced Feb. 3 and honored at an awards ceremony at 2 p.m. March 18 at KDL’s Service and Meeting Center. Mardi Jo Link, author of the memoirs “Bootstrapper: From Broke to Badass on a Northern Michigan Farm” and “The Drummond Girls: A Story of Fierce Friends Beyond Time and Chance” will be the keynote speaker.

The top five stories in each age category chosen by the celebrity judges as well as the Readers’ Choice winners will be published by Chapbook Press using the Espresso Book Machine. Copies will be available in March 2017.