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Cherry Pie Vodka Makes a Splash Just in Time for National Cherry Festival
Gypsy Spirits is releasing a new Cherry Pie Vodka this summer. It’s a collaboration with King Orchards in Northern Michigan. Photo provided by Gypsy Spirits. High Five Spirits
PETOSKEY, MI – Gypsy Spirits’ new liquor is meant to taste like you’re sipping a slice of a favorite summertime dessert.
Cherry Pie Vodka is slated to be available at its Petoskey distillery and hit store shelves around July 1. The fruit-forward vodka was born of a collaboration between Gypsy Spirits and King Orchards in Northern Michigan, near Torch Lake.
“This delightful new spirit captures the essence of Michigan’s famous cherry pies, offering a unique and flavorful experience that is sure to become a new favorite among our fans,” Gypsy Spirits staff said. “Cherry Pie Vodka is crafted using the finest cherries from King Orchards, ensuring a rich, authentic taste that embodies the spirit of Michigan. This collaboration combines the expertise of Gypsy Spirits with the exceptional quality of King Orchards’ produce, resulting in a vodka that is as delicious as it is distinctive.”
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The sleek bar area inside Gypsy Distillery near Bay Harbor, in a space that used to be a tack room for the Bay Harbor Equestrian Club. Now, you can get cocktails mixed with award-winning Gypsy vodka, whiskey, and more. Photo provided by Gypsy Distillery.
This new cherry vodka is also a hat-tip to Gypsy Spirits’ announcement that it plans to open a tasting room this fall in Traverse City – a spot that’s been dubbed the Cherry Capital of the World. The new spirit makes its debut around the same time as Traverse City hosts the National Cherry Festival, set to begin this weekend.
The new Gypsy Spirits tasting room is set to open on West Front Street, according to the Traverse City Ticker. MLive plans to bring you a sneak peek before the opening.
“We love the Grand Traverse area and are beyond excited to bring Gypsy Spirits to downtown Traverse City. Bringing our passion for spirits, hospitality, and community to an area that has meant so much to us since we were kids is a dream come true” said Michael and Adam Kazanowski, the twin brothers who own the brands Gypsy Spirits and High Five Spirits along with the Gypsy Distillery production site, tasting room and events center near Petoskey. Their partner, Michael Kolkmeyer, is the company’s director of operations.
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“This new tasting room will allow us to connect with more of our customers and share our passion for crafting exceptional spirits. We can’t wait for everyone to try our new Cherry Pie Vodka and experience the Gypsy Spirits magic firsthand.”
The brand is known not only for its Gypsy Vodka, but for a spirits line that includes gin, flavored and aged rums, whiskey and canned cocktails. You can see all their products on the website here.
A comfortable lounge area inside Gypsy Distillery near Bay Harbor. Grab a cocktail or drink at the bar and settle in to sip and savor. Photo provided by Gypsy Distillery.
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General Hospital Recap: Finn’s Tough Choice – Violet or Vodka? (June 25 Episode)
After Finn’s drunken night landed him with a restraining order against his daughter on General Hospital, the doctor made his choice between Violet and a bottle of vodka on the June 25, 2024 episode.
Diane (Carolyn Hennesy) arrived at Finn’s (Michael Easton) bearing paperwork that explained not only Chase (Josh Swickard) and Brook Lynn’s (Amanda Setton) temporary custody of Violet (Jophielle Love, who recently made a new career move), but the restraining order that was granted. Finn fought the lawyer on her actions before calling his own, and when Scott (Kin Shriner) arrived, things only got worse.
When Scott questioned what happened to make Chase do this, Finn claimed the documented events were exaggerated, but Scott saw right through him. “I can’t fix this legally… you have to fix yourself,” Scott told him, even turning down Finn’s offer to let him keep any money they’d receive from the case.
Feeling like everyone had turned against him, Finn sat hugging one of Violet’s stuffed animals before placing a delivery order for a handle of vodka. “Actually, make it two.”
When his order came, he immediately opened the bottle and was about to take a sip when he looked back down at the restraining order on the table. With a shaky hand inching the bottle to his lips, he suddenly threw the bottle against the wall. The glass bottle shattered while vodka splattered all over the colorful piece of artwork that hangs in his hallway.
Now that Finn clearly chose Violet, a teaser for June 26 showed him finally confronting Chase about the situation. Do you think Finn will get the help he needs to get his daughter back? Let us know in the comments.
The post Finn Chose Between Violet And Vodka On The June 25 General Hospital appeared first on Soap Hub
Rising Popularity: Why More Diners Are Choosing Beer at Restaurants
Beer sales at chain restaurants kicked up between 2022 and 2024 according to newly released data.
The last few years have been tough for beer.
After more than a decade of nothing but growth, the post-pandemic reality set in. People are drinking less beer overall—largely because they are drawn to cocktails and spiked seltzers, news of craft breweries closing seem commonplace and some have dared to suggest craft beer is…I can hardly type these words…cringe.
But don’t count beer out just yet.
Recent data from CGA by NIQ’s On Premise Measurement service provided some news beer lovers can finally toast.
Beer increased its share of total sales at chain restaurants by 1.52% between 2022 and 2024. With craft, import and below-premium accounting for most of those gains. Beer’s gains came at the expense of spirits, which lost 1.4% and wine lost 0.3% percentage points during the time period.
“It’s encouraging to see drinks sales through chains have recovered well since the upheaval of COVID-19—especially for beer brands,” said Matthew Crompton, CGA by NIQ’s regional director – North America, in a statement released with the new data.
Chains are a very specific type of U.S. restaurant but they’re not without influence and this data could be a sign that trends around beer have changed, though the reasons why are a bit complex.
“Pressure on disposable incomes has made for a hyper-competitive beer category in recent months, but our research confirms there are still many opportunities for growth,” Crampton wrote previously. “The resilience of the below-premium segment indicates the importance of value at the moment, while interest in imports and styles like stout suggests some beer consumers are looking beyond tried-and-trusted domestic brands for new flavors.”
I agree value/price point is playing a role. Cocktails have surged in price over the years and anecdotally more and more people I know are opting for beers when they go out for financial reasons. Yes, many restaurants have good cocktail programs but as those programs have become more common and cocktail prices have soared, ordering a cocktail out has become less appealing for some. At least that’s the case for me. After switching briefly to cocktails, I’ve returned to my first love of beer as my dining-out go-to, unless I’m at an establishment that is incredibly well-known for its cocktail program.
Of course, there’s no real proof this trend extends beyond my social circle or that the spike in beer sales at chain restaurants isn’t just a statistical fluke. But it seems like these might be among the first numbers that beer, much like the mustache is making a comeback.
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The Perfect Wine Pairing for Classic Chicken Soup: An Expert’s Choice
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Most of us think of wine pairings and automatically start picturing juicy steaks next to glistening glasses of red wine. Or, perhaps we’re conjuring up images of wine and cheese spreads on an hors-d’oeuvres table. However, sometimes you want something simple, comforting, and light but don’t want to forgo your favorite glass of wine. If that’s the case, a simple chicken soup can actually work pretty well with your alcohol.
Catherine Fallis, master sommelier and author of “Ten Grapes to Know: The Ten and Done Wine Guide,” spoke with Daily Meal and provided a few exclusive insights into how to bring this pairing to life. She explains that when it comes to the ideal wine, “a chilled, medium-bodied lightly or unoaked dry white wine, such as a Pinot Blanc, Albarino, or Chablis” are all good picks. These wines create a perfect balance that works against the temperature and taste of the soup.
Read more: Canned Soups You Should And Shouldn’t Buy
Catherine Fallis explains that the reason medium-bodied, dry white wines are such a good pick for chicken noodle soup is that they “both soothe and cleanse the palate while lifting the delicate flavors and textures of the hot soup.”
Each of these wines also has its own tasting notes that work well with your soup. For its part, Pinot Blanc has herbal notes that can work against the parsley, oregano, and other seasonings you’ll often find in chicken soup. If it’s Albarino you’re dealing with, this wine has salty and bitter notes. These can work well against the richer flavors of a creamy chicken soup and, as Fallis notes, help cleanse the palate. Chablis has similar mineral and salty notes to Albarino that can help enhance the vegetables and herbs in the soup.
And if you’re a fan of chicken noodle soup with pasta or matzoh in it, don’t worry about needing to mix up your wine pairings. Fallis says you can still drink the same wines with the soup as the noodles and matzoh “are both very mild in flavor or texture.”
Read the original article on The Daily Meal.
Rum Unveils Shareholder Voting Outcomes at Annual General Meeting
EDMONTON, AB / ACCESSWIRE / June 25, 2024 / Rocky Mountain Liquor Inc. (TSX-V:RUM) (the “Company” or “Rocky Mountain”), listed on the TSX Venture Exchange (the “Exchange”), today announced the shareholder voting results of its 2024 Annual General Meeting held June 25, 2024 in Edmonton, Alberta.
Shareholders voted and approved to set the number of directors at six (6).
The following individuals were nominated and received the requisite majority of votes, becoming directors of the Company for the forthcoming year:
01.
Peter J. Byrne
02.
David Delaney
03.
Chris Queitsch
04.
Allison Radford
05.
Courtney Burton
06.
Gene Coleman
Shareholders voted and approved to appoint PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP, Chartered Accountants as Auditors of the Company for the ensuing year and authorizes the directors to fix their remuneration.
The Company also announces the repayment of its bank loan with Toronto Dominion Bank (“TD”). Originally structured at $2,650,000, the loan was amortized over 36 months with monthly payments of interest and principal scheduled until August 30, 2025. As of June 21, 2024, the Company has settled the outstanding principal balance amounting to $731,809. The Company maintains an ongoing credit agreement with TD, encompassing a demand operating facility with a maximum availability of up to $5,400,000.
About Rocky Mountain
Rocky Mountain is a public company whose shares are traded on the TSX Venture Exchange (TSX-V:RUM). Rocky Mountain is the parent to a wholly owned subsidiary, Andersons Liquor Inc. headquartered in Edmonton, Alberta, which owns and operates 24 private liquor stores in that province.
Forward-Looking Statements
This news release contains forward-looking statements and forward-looking information within the meaning of applicable securities laws. These statements relate to future events or future performance. All statements other than statements of historical fact may be forward-looking statements or information. Forward-looking statements and information are often, but not always, identified by the use of words such as “appear”, “seek”, “anticipate”, “plan”, “continue”, “estimate”, “approximate”, “expect”, “may”, “will”, “project”, “predict”, “potential”, “targeting”, “intend”, “could”, “might”, “should”, “believe”, “would” and similar expressions.
Forward-looking statements and information are provided for the purpose of providing information about the current expectations and plans of management of the Company relating to the future. Readers are cautioned that reliance on such statements and information may not be appropriate for other purposes, such as investment decisions. In particular, results achieved in 2022 and previous periods might not be a certain indication of future performance, which is subject to other risks, including but not limited to changes in operational policies, changes in management, changes in strategic focus, market conditions and customer preferences, the impact from COVID-19 pandemic on our operations and third party suppliers. Since forward-looking statements and information address future events and conditions, by their very nature, they involve inherent risks and uncertainties. Actual results could differ materially from those currently anticipated due to a number of factors and risks, the risks that these events may not materialize as well as those additional factors discussed in the section entitled “Risk Factors” in RUM’s Management Discussion and Analysis, which can be obtained at www.sedarplus.com. If they do materialize, there remains a risk of non-execution for any reason. Accordingly, readers should not place undue reliance on the forward-looking statements, timelines and information contained in this news release.
The forward-looking statements and information contained in this news release are made as of the date hereof, and no undertaking is given to update publicly or revise any forward-looking statements or information, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, unless so required by applicable securities laws or the TSX-V. This cautionary statement expressly qualifies the forward-looking statements or information contained in this news release. Neither TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accept responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.
For further information:
Allison Radford
Peter Byrne
President & CFO
Executive Chairman & CEO
(780) 483-8183
(780) 686-7383
SOURCE: Rocky Mountain Liquor Inc.
View the original press release on accesswire.com
Muenster Chamber of Commerce Cancels Germanfest Amid Controversy Over Beer Sales
The Muenster Chamber of Commerce has announced it will no longer host the city’s biggest festival.
“The Chamber felt it was in the best interest of all our vendors, volunteers, and most especially our guests at Germanfest, to let all know the Chamber has decided not to host Germanfest 2025,” a news release from the chamber said.
The chamber has hosted the event for the past 48 years.
In April, one of the festival’s primary sponsors, the Muenster Jaycees — who for years provided labor and beer — held a competing festival called “Party in the Park” on the dates — the last full weekend in April.
Jared Flusche, president of the Muenster Jaycees, said he was stunned and saddened to hear the news.
“This decision was made with considerable thought and much angst. For most of us, it has become a significant part of our lives that will be greatly missed,” the chamber’s statement said.
“Party in the park” was birthed out of a contract dispute between the Chamber and the Jaycees on how much of the beer sales the Jaycees and the Chamber would split.
The split caused a rift in the community of just under 1,700 and drew the attention of national and regional media.
“The Chamber would like to thank all who have in some way participated with us over the years. Especially, we would like to thank the founders who had the foresight to start this tradition and remind us of our heritage,” the statement said.
The statement concludes by saying, “The Chamber would also like to thank most essentially of all the guests, both local and those who have come from afar to celebrate with us. A huge THANK YOU too.”
Upcoming California Wine Festival: Discover the Summer Stops and Fall Finale
SUMMERTIME, with all of its dappled delights, is in full flower. We can see that in the powerful sunlight and the lovely later nights, for starters, as well as the variety of produce on the market shelves. Another sign of the dazzle-iest season may be found in the sorts of festivals that are on the sunny-spirited slate. One of those happenings, the California Wine Festival, isn’t a one-time-only kind of thing; the gathering, which spotlights a host of sublime vintages from around our state’s fantastic wine countries, has a tradition of passing through some of California’s most picturesque coastal communities over the course of several months. Spring has its festival, and fall, too, but summertime, it will not surprise you, gets two vino-taculars. And they’re nearly back-to-back, with Carlsbad up over the last weekend of June 2024 and Santa Barbara three weeks later on July 18 and 19.
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THE BEACHSIDE WINE FESTIVAL… is a major draw — that’s the Saturday event — while a Sunset Reserve & Rare Tasting is the sippable centerpiece on Friday evening. You’ll want to peruse either Carlsbad or Santa Barbara to find out which wineries and eateries will be stopping by, but the lists, for both locations, are lengthy. The California Wine Festival in Carlsbad will include Polemonium Wines, Hawk and Horse Vineyards, Mendocino Farms, and Inferno Woodfired Kitchen, as well as several other great choices; complimentary nibbles, like cheeses and such, are part of your ticket as well. If you’d like to attend both the Carlsbad and Santa Barbara dates, note that they are separately ticketed. And if you can’t make either? Look to November, when the California Wine Festival visits Huntington Beach. More information about the long-running festival, including the festival beneficiaries, is located on the site.
Grand Valley State Athletics Launches Exclusive Canned Vodka Lemonade
GVSU Athletics announced Monday that it has partnered with Grand Rapids-based Long Road Distillers to create Lake + Valley Lemonade. GVSU Athletics
ALLENDALE, MI – Grand Valley State now has its own cocktail.
GVSU Athletics announced Monday that it has partnered with Grand Rapids-based Long Road Distillers to create Lake + Valley Lemonade, a ready-to-drink cocktail. Long Road was founded by GVSU alumni Jon O’Connor and Kyle Van Strien in 2015.
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Whiskey of the Week: Savor the Excellence of Russell’s Reserve 15 Year Old Bourbon
It’s funny to think that Russell’s Reserve, master distiller Eddie Russell’s offshoot of Wild Turkey, started off to commemorate the retirement of his father, the even more legendary Jimmy Russell. The special batch of bourbon was laid down in 1998 to celebrate Jimmy’s 45th year at Wild Turkey, with the intention of bottling and releasing it when he decided to take his leave. 15 years later, Jimmy was still sharing the title of Master Distiller with Eddie, with no retirement in sight. The commemorative bourbon eventually came out in 2014, sans commemoration, as Russell’s Reserve 1998 — now one of the most acclaimed and sought-after of all Wild Turkey bottlings.
In 2024, Jimmy shows no signs of stopping, though his duties nowadays are mostly limited to greeting well-wishers and signing bottles at Wild Turkey’s visitors’ center. And Russell’s Reserve is back with another 15 year old bottling that’s already a sensation among bourbon fans and the secondary market. Officially, Russell’s is a collaboration between father and son, but in practice it’s really Eddie’s baby, especially the older expressions, which Jimmy largely eschews in favor of Wild Turkey classics like 101 and Rare Breed. Eddie tells a story that illustrates the differences in their approaches to bourbon: “When I first started tasting with Jimmy in the lab…. I’m like, ‘I get this super rich dark cocoa —’ ‘I didn’t put none-a that in my whiskey!’”
Eddie Russell has made a terrific bourbon, even if his father Jimmy doesn’t necessarily agree.
“Jimmy … he’d just taste it,” Eddie elaborates. “But I always talk about the journey, starting with the nose, because if you walk into a restaurant and it smells good, you’re already thinking it’s gonna taste good. With taste, I want something up front, something in the middle, and something to finish, but I also want the comeback taste. So for me I want creaminess right up front, whether it’s some kind of sweetness or it’s fruity — vanilla, butterscotch — anything like that. And the mid-palate, I want some of the traditional Wild Turkey spices. And then the finish, Jimmy’s big on the super-long finish. This one has that very long finish. You definitely get some of that oakiness in there. Aftertaste is a big part of it to me, too.”
Russell’s Reserve’s 15-Year-Old 2024 Limited Release Bourbon (actually a blend of 15 and 16 year old bourbons, but only the youngest drops in the bottle can be mentioned) ticks all of Eddie’s boxes — and mine, for that matter. And if you love bourbon, most likely yours as well. More than a dozen or so years in the barrel puts any bourbon at risk for excessive oakiness, characterized by a dry, tannic, often astringent flavor. But here, sweet cherry and vanilla notes dominate on the palate, with a smooth, velvety mouthfeel. At 117.2 proof (58.6% ABV), it’s no shrinking violet, and the oaky spice picks up midpalate, but it complements the sweeter flavors rather than overwhelming them. It finishes off with long, lingering toffee and oak notes. It even looks pretty spectacular, with a deep, dark, reddish amber color that resembles motor oil more than your typical bourbon.
The 15 year old is a replacement for the 13 year old expression that’s been released on a regular basis since 2021, but don’t expect a sequel of the 15 in the near future — there was only enough on hand for one bottling, the quantity of which hasn’t been made public by Wild Turkey or its parent company, Campari. At $250, this bottling isn’t cheap, and bourbon fans being as zealous as they are, it definitely won’t be easy to find once it hits shelves on July 1. But it’s more than a collector’s item, it’s a fantastic bourbon that’s worth the hunt and the dent in your wallet.
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Discover the Hidden Gems of ‘Beer City USA’: More Than Just a Drinking Town
A rust-colored tree stands in the Frederik Meijer Gardens & Sculpture Park in Grand Rapids, its leafless arms contrasting with the surrounding sugar maples. Get closer, and you’ll see this is no real tree but rather Iron Tree, a sculpture by Ai Weiwei.
A short walk away stands Eve, a glossy bronze by Auguste Rodin tucked in a corridor of European hornbeam trees. Further still, Mark di Suvero’s 25-foot-tall industrial steel sculpture Scarlatti occupies a wildflower meadow.
Some 300 sculptures — most of them by superstars such as Weiwei, Rodin, Louise Bourgeois and Nina Akamu (who utilized Leonardo da Vinci’s sketches to create the gardens’ The American Horse) — spread across a 158-acre campus at Meijer Gardens.
“This place is special for its ability to intersect art, culture and nature,” says Charles Burke, the president and CEO of Frederik Meijer Gardens & Sculpture Park.
“We love to generate curiosity around art for those who come to see the gardens,” he says. “And we love to generate curiosity around the gardens for those who come to see the art.”
Michigan’s second largest city (population 200,000), Grand Rapids lies in the heart of the Great Lakes state’s fruit belt, a region rich with orchards and gardens, lakes and fishing streams, all within an easy drive of Lake Michigan.
But at its core, this city is one of crafters, designers, innovators and artists. Grand Rapids exudes a creative energy that extends from the art and flower beds at the Meijer Gardens to downtown parks and from industrial design to breweries.
Grand Rapids may be best known as Beer City, USA. The city has won at least half a dozen nationwide people’s choice honors for its beer scene in the past decade. More than 100 breweries, distilleries and cideries lie scattered around Grand Rapids — so many that the city has created an app to help visitors navigate their options.
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Local mainstays include Founders, one of the city’s oldest post-Prohibition era breweries; Brewery Vivant, a Belgian-style brewer that operates the world’s first LEED certified microbrewery; and The Mitten, which pays homage both to baseball and to the shape of Michigan’s Lower Peninsula.
Other Michigan brewing powerhouses have opened taprooms in Grand Rapids, too, including Holland-based New Holland, Dexter-based Jolly Pumpkin and Detroit-based Atwater.
The city’s robust craft beverage industry has naturally led to an inventive dining scene, too. Favorite restaurants include Bistro Bella Vita, with an inviting Mediterranean menu; Mertens, a brasserie serving up French classics; Maru Sushi; and MDRD (pronounced Madrid), with modern Spanish fare.
These dining hot spots, like most in Grand Rapids, rely heavily on the agricultural richness of western Michigan. The area’s natural beauty is visible even in the heart of the city, which features dozens of waterside parks and kayak launches. Plus, there’s a downhill ski/mountain bike resort 20 minutes outside the city.
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You can even go fly fishing in the middle of downtown, where a “fish ladder” provides spawning salmon with a place to “climb” upriver on their fall migration upstream (the Grand River’s natural rapids were removed in the late 1800s for the sake of river commerce). The fish ladder doubles as a sculptural piece.
Creativity has been a part of the fabric in Grand Rapids from the beginning. Long before becoming Beer City, Grand Rapids was Furniture City.
In 1837, the city’s first cabinet maker set up shop downtown, and by the 1880s, Grand Rapids had become the capital of fine American furniture design. Buyers from around the world traveled to the city for their premium goods. Office furniture giants Steelcase, Haworth and Herman Miller all trace their roots to greater Grand Rapids.
A passion for creativity was so integral to the city’s ethos that in 1967, Grand Rapids commissioned sculptor Alexander Calder to create La Grande Vitesse, a 43-foot, 42-ton sculpture that sits downtown.
French for The Grand Rapids, the cherry-red La Grande Vitesse has served as a backdrop for the city’s numerous cultural festivals: Festival of the Arts, the Hispanic Festival, Pride Festival, World of Winter and ArtPrize.
Grand Rapidians call the sculpture The Calder, and it has become so identified with the city that La Grande Vitesse is depicted on Grand Rapids’ letterhead, its street signs and even on its garbage trucks.
“Public art is such an important part of the landscape of Grand Rapids,” says Kayem Dunn, a long-time resident who has been involved with downtown development projects for more than two decades.
Dunn cites not only The Calder as worth seeing downtown, but pieces such as Ecliptic, a combination sculpture and outdoor gathering space designed by Maya Lin for the city’s Rosa Parks Circle, and Steel Water, a 33-foot (10-meter) blue artwork by Cyril Lixenberg, which overlooks the Grand River.
“There are 252 works of public art in downtown Grand Rapids alone,” says Dunn, who believes the works are telltale signs of the region’s creative roots. “I tell people ‘Just walk around a little bit. You’ll see some remarkable art.’”
Five art and history museums lie within Grand Rapids’ downtown, as do most of the city’s more than 100 live music venues. These cultural offerings represent not only a deep interest in the arts but a longstanding commitment among local business leaders to bankroll them.
Having all those entertainment options within such proximity makes life simple for travelers to the city. Visitors can easily make their way between museums and restaurants, theaters and breweries, nightclubs and hotels entirely on foot.
More than 1,500 pieces of furniture highlight Grand Rapids’ decades-long design creds at the Grand Rapids Public Museum, which focuses on historical, cultural and science exhibits. Hand-carved Victorian bedsteads, sleek Arts and Crafts-era dining tables and mid-century Eames chairs showcase the region’s noteworthy designers.
Other highlights include displays about the area’s indigenous Anishinabek; the history and culture of Grand Rapids’ immigrant peoples, beginning with French fur traders; and a look at Grand River wildlife.
“The Grand River is Michigan’s longest,” says Dale Robertson, president of the Grand Rapids Public Museum. “It runs through the center of downtown. Our city borrows the river’s name. So it only makes sense for this museum to offer a view of the world through that lens.”
The Grand Rapids Art Museum (GRAM) was founded during the height of the city’s furniture boom, in 1910, as part of a citywide movement to create a stellar art repository. The institution has accomplished that with its collection of works ranging from 17th-century etchings to photography, from 19th-century prints to modern neon sculpture and from 20th-century oils to still more exquisitely crafted furniture.
Also part of the downtown cultural landscape is the Gerald R. Ford Presidential Library & Museum, which commemorates the life and service of America’s 38th president, who hailed from Grand Rapids.
Live music venues include the DeVos Performance Hall with Broadway-style shows and the Grand Rapids Symphony; the 300-seat Peter Martin Wege Theatre with the state’s only professional ballet company; and the 12,000-seat Van Andel Arena, all downtown.
Outdoor concerts take place all summer long on Rosa Parks Circle and live music acts perform at venues as varied as the Founders taproom and the Grand Rapids Public Library.
Whatever history Grand Rapids has in fostering community creativity, it’s clear that city planners strive to do still more.
All the buzz these days surrounds the recent groundbreaking of Acrisure Amphitheater, a 12,000-seat outdoor performance venue that will revitalize a 31-acre swath on the banks of the Grand River. The $184 million project is set to open in 2026.
At the same time, work is progressing on a new professional soccer stadium (also slated for 2026), improved public access to the Grand River, the restoration of the city’s namesake rapids and a redesign of the Grand Rapids Public Museum as a riverfront interpretive center.
All the projects will be located downtown. And all of them will incorporate public art.
“At the groundbreaking for the new amphitheater, there was already a place set aside for a sculpture,” says Kayem Dunn. “Every time something is built in Grand Rapids, it presents an opportunity for more art.”
It’s a safe bet the project will include a taproom, too.
This “scruffy little city” tastes and sounds great.
Writer Amy S. Eckert lives in Michigan, but she covers travel destinations around the globe for such publications as AFAR, Conde Nast Travel, The Saturday Evening Post, Hemispheres and Fodors.com.