Tag Archives: South Kent Community Expo

South Kent Community Expo features 50-plus businesses, food and more Oct. 25

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(Image Courtesy, City of Kentwood)



By WKTV Staff

Community members of all ages are invited to the sixth annual South Kent Community Expo on Tuesday, Oct. 25.

The free event is hosted by the City of Kentwood and takes place from 9 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. at the Kentwood Activities Center, 355 48th St. SE. There will be a variety of products and services from more than 50 local businesses, as well as health screenings, door prizes and refreshments.

The free health screenings will include blood pressure, spine alignment and more.

“We have a great lineup of vendors and goodies that’s sure to have something for everyone,” Recreation Program Coordinator Ann Przybysz said. “All are welcome to join us for this fun, community-focused event.”

The touchdown sponsor of this year’s football-themed expo is Humana. Field goal sponsors are SERVPRO of South and Northwest GR, Star Insurance Agency LLC and Tim Hortons.

Vendor space at the expo is available. Interested vendors are encouraged to complete an online vendor registration form. More information about the event is available at kentwood.us/SouthKentCommunityExpo.

Free-to-public, football-themed South Kent Community Expo spotlights area businesses

3-bottom, City of Kentwood, City of Wyoming, Going Local, Health, Local Business, Senior Living, Upcoming Events,
South Kent Community Expo is this week.

By WKTV Staff
ken@wktv.org

For community members, the 4th annual South Kent Community Expo, on Saturday, Oct. 26, will be an opportunity to explore products and services from a variety of community businesses and organizations.

For local local businesses and organizations, it is an opportunity to connect with the community — and customers.

The free event, hosted by the City of Kentwood Parks and Recreation Department and Wyoming-Kentwood Area Chamber of Commerce, will be held from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the Kentwood Activities Center, located at 355 48th St. SE.

“This family-friendly event is designed to connect area community members with the broad range of businesses and organizations offered in southern Kent County,” Bob O’Callaghan, president/CEO of the Wyoming-Kentwood Area Chamber of Commerce, said in supplied material. “We like to think there’s a product or service for everyone to discover at this community expo.”

In addition to community booths, the expo will feature health screenings, flu shots and food trucks. The flu shot clinic will be provided by Walgreens from 10 a.m. to noon. The cost for a flu shot will be $35 for individuals without qualifying insurance.

According to Lorraine Beloncis, assistant director of the City of Kentwood Parks and Recreation Department, this year’s event will be football themed and vendors are encouraged to decorate their table with the football theme and wear something supporting their favorite team.

There will be a Heisman trophy award for the booth with the best use of theme,” Beloncis said in supplied material.

For more information about the community event, visit here.

Vendors interested in participating can fill out a vendor registration form online.

More than 80 vendors scheduled for this year’s South Kent Community Expo

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By Joanne Bailey-Boorsma

joanne@wktv.org

 

A packed house for last year’s South Kent Community Expo has lead to four community organizations hosting the event again this year.

 

The South Kent Community Expo is set for this Saturday, Sept. 30, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the East Kentwood High School, 6230 Kalamazoo Ave. SE. Hosted by the City of Kentwood, the Wyoming-Kentwood Chamber of Commerce, Cutlerville-Gaines Area Chamber of Commerce and Kentwood Public Schools, the Expo features more than 80 different community business vendors.

 

Along with those vendors, there will be safety demonstrations by Kentwood Police and Fire Departments, said Kentwood Parks and Recreation Marketing and Events Coordinator Laura Barbrick. The two departments are scheduled to demonstrate cutting a car in half to show how police and fire personnel train for emergency rescues. There also will be family activities and a job fair.

 

“The job fair includes companies and organizations looking to fill part-time and full-time positions,” said Kentwood Parks and Recreation Department Assistant Director Lorraine Beloncis. “Many businesses are expanding their job force. This event is a great way to connect companies hiring with people looking for jobs.”

 

According to Bob O’Callagan, president/CEO of the Wyoming-Kentwood Area Chamber of Commerce, the expo is designed to bring in a representation of businesses and organizations in the Wyoming, Kentwood, Gaines and Cutlerville areas. Products and services that will be highlighted include financial planning, retail, medical, home improvement an entertainment.

 

The concept for the South Kentwood Community Expo came about last year, according to O’Callagahn.

 

“The Kentwood Parks and Recreation department hosted a health expo and they were running out of space at the location they were at along with the fact that we at the chamber and Cutlervile-Gaines have hosted similar events in the past,” O’Callaghan said. “Coming together, we felt that we had more options and a better opportunity to reach a broader range of residents.”

 

By combining efforts, the South Kent Community Expo last year drew residents from all over to the East Kentwood High School and this year’s expo also is expected to be well attended.

 

“The South Kent Community Expo highlights the best our community has to offer,” Beloncis said. “You’ll have the opportunity to support local businesses, taste different cuisines, see who is hiring and experience fun cultural events throughout the day. There really is a little bit of everything.”

 

The event is free and open to the community. Information is available online at www.yourkprd.org or www.southkent.org.

The Weekend Edition: Things to do for Sept. 29 – Oct. 2

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logosCommunity Finds

South Kent Community Expo takes place from 10 a.m. – 2 p.m. Sunday, Oct. 1, at the East Kentwood High School, 6230 Kalamazoo Ave. SE. More than 80 vendors are expected to be at featuring an array of services and products available in Kentwood, Wyoming, Gaines Township and Cutlerville. There will be fire and rescue demonstrations along with cultural events hosted by the Kentwood Public Schools. The event is free to the public. For more information, click here.

 

ArtPrize 2016

ArtPrizing

The Round 1 voting for Artprize ends at 11:59 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 1, with the top five entries in each of the four categories – two-dimensional, three-dimensional, time-based, and installation – moving on to the Round 2 voting which starts at 2 p.m. Sunday, Oct. 2, which is the day the top twenty will be announced.  Those interested in learning more about the juror’s selections can do so through the Critical Discourse program at 7 p.m. Thursday, Sept. 29, at the ArtPrize HUB, 41 Sheldon Blvd. SE. The ArtPrize Eight Grand Prize Jurors—including Michelle Grabner, artist and professor at School of the Art Institute of Chicago; Paul Ha, director at the MIT List Visual Arts Center; and Eric Shiner, senior vice president at Sotheby’s—also will discus the current and future state of contemporary art exhibitions.

 

29f15603-eaa1-4d98-be9808744781ce84_featureimageThe Burns Edition

Actor’s Theatre gets its season underway with Ann Washubrn’s play “Mr. Burns, A Post Electric Play.” After the collapse of civilization, a group of survivors share a campfire and being to piece together the plot of The Simpsons’ episode “Cape Feare.” Explore how pop culture becomes the myths and legends from which new forms of performance are created. The show runs this weekend and next at Grand Rapids Community College’s Spectrum Theater, 160 Fountain St. NE. All shows are 8 p.m. Thursday – Saturday. Tickets are $22 – $28. For more information, visit actorstheatregrandrapids.org.

 

16974807-standardThe Greatest Show on Earth

The Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus returns to the Van Andel Arena with a show that promises to be “extreme.” Performances includes the Human Cannoball, high wire act The Daring Danguir Troupe, Taba and his Exotic Big Cats, The Mighty Ibarra and the Wheel of Steel and amazing trampoline and bicycle feats from The Incredible Concrete Jungle. Oh, and of course there will be plenty of clowns. Shows are 7 p.m. Thursday – Saturday, Sept. 29 – Oct. 1; 3 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 1; and 1 p.m. Sunday, Oct. 2. Tickets start at $12. For more information, visit, vanandelarena.com.

 

cinderella6602If the shoe fits

Broadway Grand Rapids currently presents Rogers and Hammerstein’s “Cinderella” through Sunday at DeVos Performance Hall. The timeless classic features some of the most recognizable Broadway tunes such as “In My Own Little Corner,” “Impossible/It’s Possible” and “Ten Minutes Ago.” Show times are 7:30 p.m. Thursday – Saturday, Sept. 29 – Oct. 1; 2 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 1; and 1 and 6:30 p.m. Sunday, Oct. 2. For more information, visit broadwaygrandrapids.com.

 

Community organizations come together for first South Kent Expo

3-bottom, Citizen Journalism, City of Kentwood, City of Wyoming, Upcoming Events, , ,

logosSeveral community organizations — covering four municipalities — have come together to host the first South Kent Community Expo, which is set for this Saturday, Oct. 1.

 

The Kentwood Parks and Recreation Department, Kentwood Public Schools, the Wyoming-Kentwood Area Chamber of Commerce and the Cutlerville-Gaines Area Chamber of Commerce are hosting the expo which runs from 10 a.m. – 2 p.m. at the East Kentwood High School, 6230 Kalamazoo Ave. SE. The event is free.

 

expo“The Kentwood Parks and Recreation Department hosted a health expo and they were running out of space at the location they were at along with the fact that we at the chamber and Cutlerville-Gaines have hosted expos in the past,”said Bob O’Callaghan, president/CEO of the Wyoming-Kentwood Area Chamber of Commerce, as he talked about how the idea for the South Kent Community Expo came about. “Coming together, we felt that we had more options and a better opportunity to reach a broader range of residents.”

 

The expo is designed to bring in a representation of businesses and organizations in the Wyoming, Kentwood, Gaines and Cutlerville areas. About 80 different vendors are expected to be at the event representing a variety of groups from health care to financial.

 

“We do not have a lot of duplicate businesses,” O’Callaghan said. “We have a variety of services along with organizations that provide products. It’s a nice representation and should meet about anyone’s tastes or needs.”

 

Mixed in will be several local restaurants and food stores that will be providing tastings of some of the items they offer. There also will be outside activities that include demonstrations from fire and rescue.

 

Kentwood Public Schools will be providing a variety of cultural activities, which O’Callaghan said organizers hope will help draw people to the expo.

 

Being the first year, O’Callaghan said it is hard to predict how many people will attend. A lot depends on the weather, however; being that the event is free, organizers are expecting somewhere between 2,000 – 3,000 participants.