If you need a break in your routine and a place for winter fun take a day trip to Grand Rapids. The World of Winter Festival takes over downtown Grand Rapids from January 6th to March 5th.
The World of Winter is a FREE, outdoor winter festival in downtown Grand Rapids that features over 100 events, activities and outdoor art installations. Enjoy the displays during the day and stick around in the evening to see them illuminated. The outdoor art is on display along the Grand River and this year’s installations include Starry Night, Angels of Freedom, House of Cards, Roaming Gnomes and more. Most of the art is on display throughout the entire run of the festival – find a complete list here.
Plan your visit to check out one of these special events:
- Ice Park (Jan. 20 – 28): Play games on ice – literally! Activities include shuffleboard, plinko, foosball, chess, checkers, cornhole and putt-putt.
- Fire & Ice (Saturday, Jan. 28): Witness fire performers skate around the ice rink.
- Great Lakes Snow Snake Competition (Sunday, Feb. 5): Snow Snake is a traditional northern Native American game of sport dating back to over 500 years ago. The game’s object is to throw the snow snake the farthest distance along a smooth trough made in the snow.
- Valent-ICE (Friday, Feb. 10): Find dozens of professionally-carved ice sculptures all throughout Downtwon Grand Rapids.
- ICE Breaker (Saturday, Feb. 11): The Ice Guru, Randy Finch, and the Ice Brigade will be carving up a 5,000 pound block of ice!
- Human Hungry Hungry Hippo Tournament (Saturday, Feb. 25): Family and adult divisions are welcome to compete in this 1-day ‘Hungry Hippo’ Tournament on ice
Grand Rapids is approximately 2 hours from metro Detroit, a reasonable day trip drive for families looking for a little extra fun. If you want more ideas for things to do, here are our top winter picks:
- Grand Rapids Public Museum: From A (Automobiles) to Z (Zoology) the three story museum is packed with engaging and interactive activities for kids. Admission is $8 for adults and $3 for kids ages 3 to 17. The museum is open daily and tickets can be purchased same day.
- Grand Rapids Children’s Museum: The hands-on museum for kids is especially fun for littles who love to play – from music and Legos to bubbles and balls -there’s plenty to keep kids busy. Capacity is limited and it’s advisable to reserve your tickets in advance. Admission is $9 per person.
- Cannonsburg: Located just outside Grand Rapids, Cannonsburg offers skiing, snowboarding and SNOWTUBING! Reservations for snow tubing are required and cost $18 per person on weekdays and $23 per person on weekends.
Photo credit: Downtown Grand Rapids
