Good Morning Grand Rapids!

What a great fall season, eh? If you’re a hunter, golfer, football fan, or really anyone in Michigan - time to count our blessings before Turkey Day 🙂 Let’s cheer on those Grand Rapids football teams playing in the semi-finals this weekend!

Let’s get into it!

📰 This Week’s Grand Stories

🤑Raising Funds on the Roof: A local man raised almost $800,000 for a local non-profit by staying on the roof for eight days.

🎡 AJ’s Family Fun Center is Changing: The Whitecaps have recently purchased the iconic, Grand Rapids amusement center with plans to offer it as some nearby fun during games!

🚗Division Is Opening!: The roadwork at Division and Fulton is nearly complete.

🦁Lions Devoured Jaguars: The Detroit Lions decimated the Jacksonville Jaguars this week, closing out with an unbelievable 52-6.

🎮 Video games at GRPL: Parents get ready for book time to become play time, because the GRPL is now offering video games for checkout!

🏈Ford Field, Here We Come!: 16 games are now left in high school football to see who will play for the state championship at Ford Field (lets go South Christian!) 🙂 

🪀 Plastic Pending: A new company is working on converting Grand Rapids’ plastic waste into durable goods.

🎵 Shows & Concerts -

🕯️Candlelight: Tribute to Taylor Swift: Feeling the chill coming on? Shake it off, shake it off, shake it off with an evening of the music of the Queen of Pop, Taylor Swift, by cozy candlelight! Wealthy Theatre, November 21.

🕯️ Candlelight: Tribute to Coldplay: You’ll feel a rush of blood to your head as your whole world goes yellow when the music of Coldplay and candlelight fills the Wealthy Theatre on November 21. 8:45 - 10:00 PM.

🎷 Grand Rapids Jazz Orchestra at Golden Age: Dance the night away to an evening of the Golden Age of Jazz when the Grand Rapids Jazz Orchestra comes to Golden Age on November 21.

🎼 An Evening with Mozart: Hear some of the most brilliant music ever laid to staff paper when the immortal music of Mozart comes to St. Cecilia’s on November 22.

🎸 Local Natives at The Intersection: Orange County’s Local Natives are bringing their one-of-a-kind indie rock to The Intersection on November 22.

🎹 Neal Francis: Chicago’s Neal Francis is bringing his keyboard-driven funk to Elevation on November 22 

😆 Gabriel Iglesias: Get ready to laugh your butt off when Gabriel Iglesias brings his  Don't Worry Be Fluffy Tour to Van Andel Arena on November 23.

🎸 Lowell Arts at Sound Check: Roosevelt Diggs: Lowell Arts inaugurates a new series at Sound Check with the intimate sounds of Roosevelt Diggs on November 23.

🎙️Wreckno: Party girl Wreckno’s bringing their queer-friendly hip-hop to Elevation on November 23.

💰️ Sounds Like Michigan: Here’s your chance to support a great cause while listening to some incredible sounds on November 24 at 1130 Wealthy St SE Grand Rapids MI 49506.

🐙 Desmond Jones presents Squids: Desmond Jones is hosting the release party for his new album, Squids, at Elevation on November 27.

🦃 Old School Cool

These are the kinda Thanksgiving parades I grew up watchin in the early 90’s on our TV that was encased in wood. :)

🏀 Sports & Hobbies-

🧑‍🎨 Artists Helping Artists: Nobody understands artists like other artists. On November 21, bring one of your pieces to Rivertown Artists Guild for critique, helpful hints, or just to share with some of your fellow creatives.

🍸️ Thanksgiving Cocktails Class: Take your aperitifs and after-dinner drinks to the next level with this special cocktail class hosted by Katy of Mitten Girl at Spruced Studio on November 22.

🦃 Friendsgiving Game Night: Pre-game Turkey Day with a night of trivia and music bingo at The Score Restaurant & Sports Bar on November 27.

🌽 Harvest Market at Fulton Street Market: Elevate this year’s Thanksgiving with a farmer’s market full of fresh, delicious ingredients for your holiday meal. Fulton Street Farmer's Market, November 27, 10 AM - 1 PM.

🎄 Holiday Cheer

🎄 2024 Holiday Craft Show: Here’s a chance to check everybody off your list in one place, at one time, when over 80 vendors come to HSB, Inc. on November 23.

🎅 Allendale Artisan & Craft Marketplace: Allendale are going even harder, bringing over 200 vendors to 10760 68th Avenue on November 23.

🎻 La Sinfonia Navidena: Ring in the festive season with an evening of glorious orchestral music and choral sing-a-longs at Godwin Heights High School on November 23.

😎 Ongoing Stuff That’s Pretty Cool

• On Fridays, Rebounderz Park is hosting their Parents Night series, where parents can enjoy a night on the town with a night of fun and affordable childcare.

🎵 Music

• Pyramid Scheme, as usual, has a show every night this upcoming week. Tickets are typically $10 and many of the shows are for all ages.

• Speciation Cellars hosts a free show every Friday!

• There’s jazz at Noto’s every Saturday.

• Greyline Free Music Series is running from September 10 through the New Year at Greyline Brewing Co.

• Live Music at Rendezvous will be taking place from September 13 - December 28.

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👨‍💼 Highlighting New Businesses

Big Mini Putt Club just opened their first Grand Rapids location.

The Main Event, a family event center with everything from billiards to bowling alleys, has opened at Woodland Mall in Kentwood.

We Rock The Spectrum, a sensory-friendly gym for kids on the spectrum, had their grand opening recently.

Woodchuck.ai, an innovative AI-driven platform for eliminating wood waste, is opening their first physical headquarters in Grand Rapids.

People are already calling Roti Indian Kitchen the best Indian food in the area.

Thai Table’s new location is officially open and according to Yelp, is yet to receive anything less than 5 stars!

The Main Event family amusement center recently opened over at the Woodland mall. With bowling, laser tag, a full bar and restaurant, and more - it’s definitely a place to check out!

The nostalgic Rocket Fizz candy store just opened a new location over at the Tanger Outlets. Go give them some love and make your kiddos happy.