Pianist Xavier Davis will be the featured artist during a concert Sunday, Feb. 10. (Supplied/MSU/Christine Southworth)
By K.D. Norris ken@wktv.org
Continuing its fifth season of jazz in the historic — and visually and acoustically great — sanctuary at Grand Rapids’ Fountain Street Church, series host and curator Robin Connell will give up her usual seat at the piano as the Jazz in the Sanctuary returns this weekend.
Pianist Xavier Davis will be the featured artist during a concert Sunday, Feb. 10, at 3 p.m., at the church, 24 Fountain St. NE. Tickets are $15 general admission and $5 for students with ID, on-line or at the door.
People who have never heard a concert at Fountain Street before are in for a treat; people who have already know and probably already have their tickets as well.
Davis, born in Grand Rapids and an alumni of the Jazz in the Sanctuary series, is the son of local music educators Duane and Kay Davis. According to supplied information, Xavier was brought into the spotlight by legendary vocalist Betty Carter, who invited him to New York after witnessing his performance at the 1994 International Association of Jazz Educators convention.
“Today, he is one of the most accomplished working jazz pianists in the world,” Connell said in supplied information.
Xavier was a member of the teaching staff of the Juilliard School of Music for six years and now serves Michigan State University as Associate Professor of Jazz Piano. He has performed with dozens of world-famous artists like the legendary Freddie Hubbard, Tom Harrell, Christian McBride, Regina Carter, Stefon Harris, Abbey Lincoln, Wynton Marsalis, Don Byron, Nat Adderley, Nicholas Payton, Jon Faddis, Jimmy Greene, Steve Turre, Al Foster, and Jeremy Pelt. His piano playing has been featured on more than 50 albums.
In 2005, Xavier became the first person to receive the prestigious New Works Grant twice from the Doris Duke Charitable Foundation under the auspices of Chamber Music America. For more information visit his website.
Connell, no stranger to the local and regional jazz scene, received West Michigan Jazz Society’s 2017 “Musician of the Year” award for her widespread collaboration with area jazz artists and her work on this series. In 2016, she won the ArtPrize Public Choice Award for her original composition “Prisms”.
An advocate for jazz education, she co-directs the Youth Jazz Combo at St. Cecilia Music Center, teaches every June at Aquinas College Jazz Camp, and formerly served as summer jazz faculty at Interlochen Center for the Arts for 20 years. For more information visit her website.
For more information on the concert and the Jazz in the Sanctuary series visit fountainstreet.org/jazz .
Nigel Tau, right, working with Grand Rapids Ballet dancers on his new work, part of MOVEMEDIA: Handmade. (WKTV/K.D. Norris)
By K.D. Norris ken@wktv.org
James Sofranko, the artistic director of the Grand Rapids Ballet and a growing talent as a choreographer himself, is clearly an advocate of new contemporary dance by new artistic voices.
So it is only natural that, as an advocate for the team of dancers at the ballet, he would seek to include their voices in the upcoming MOVEMEDIA: Handmade program set to have its run Friday to Sunday, Feb. 8-10 at the Peter Martin Wege Theatre.
The headliner of the program is likely to be a powerful, searing work of “Testimony”, a work by the ballet’s continuing choreographer-in-residence, Penny Saunders, inspired by the U.S. Senate hearings for now-Supreme Court justice Brett Kavanaugh and his accuser Christine Blasey Ford. Although another new work by the Joffrey Ballet’s Nicolas Blanc — whom Sofranko worked with at the San Francisco Ballet — will undoubtedly be equally unique and impressive.
But the five other works on the program will be original choreographic efforts by members of the dance company, including Nigel Tau, who apprenticed with the Grand Rapids Ballet in 2015 before joining the company in 2016.
(WKTV/K.D. Norris)
“I think it is wonderful to give an opportunity to the dancers … you do not necessarily have a lot of opportunities given to you,” Sofranko said to WKTV. “This is a program that is about creating new works … you are experimenting and this is a program where it is meant to be an exploration.”
Tau, according to his supplied biography, began dancing at age 10 with The Academy of Dance in his home town of Savannah, Georgia. In 2013, he became a trainee with Next Generation Ballet, and performed in the school’s own productions as well as with Opera Tampa and the Florida Orchestra. He went on to train with BalletMet on a full scholarship, where he performed and rehearsed alongside the company.
Tau’s work, titled “Errant Thoughts”, will not only be the dancer’s first dance creation but will continue his artistic journey — the journey of all artists, really — where excitement and frustration often exist side-by-side.
(WKTV/K.D. Norris)
“This piece is about two different things,” Tau said to WKTV. “It is the story of someone who has had a passion project, or a work they have really be invested in … that feeling of inspiration and excitement … (but also) that continuing cycle of excitement and frustration — is it good enough?”
Bottomline: Handmade is usually pretty good, and Tau’s work, as with the others on the program, are handmade.
MOVEMEDIA: Handmade will be on stage Friday, Feb. 8, at 7:30 p.m., Saturday, Feb. 9, at 7:30 p.m., and Sunday, Feb. 10, at 2 p.m.
For tickets visit GRballet.com or call 616-454-4771 x10. The Peter Martin Wege Theatre is located at 341 Elllsworth Avenue SW, Grand Rapids.
They say that folk music is at it best where its played by family about real people. If that is true — and the musical proof of such things is in the listening — than Béla Fleck and Abigail Washburn’s late-2018 recording of two songs for a video by renowned dance company Pilobolus may well be the art of folk music at its perfection.
The musical evidence will likely be heard Saturday, Feb. 9, as the husband and wife duo, both accomplished and innovative banjo artists, return to St. Cecilia Music Center’s Royce Auditorium for an Acoustic Café Folk Series concert.
Tickets are still available.
Béla Fleck and Abigail Washburn. (Supplied/Courtesy of the Artists)
In fall 2017, Fleck and Washburn released their second full-length studio album together, “Echo In The Valley”, an 11-track LP includes the two banjo players playing folk and bluegrass music. In October of last year, the duo released a new single that married two songs from that album, which also is the soundtrack for the Pilobolus music video.
The new single and video pairs “Come All You Coal Miners” — written by Sarah Ogan Gunning, an Appalachian ballad singer, activist and wife of a coal miner — with Fleck and Washburn’s own “Take Me to Harlan.”
Fleck and Washburn, who have been called “the king and queen of the banjo”, return to St. Cecilia after a sold-out concert midwinter in 2018.
“Béla and Abigail are two of the most delightful and gracious musicians we’ve hosted in concert,” Cathy Holbrook, executive director of St. Cecilia, said in supplied material. “Their warmth and love of music reflects in their amazing show.”
Fleck is a 15-time Grammy Award winner who has taken the instrument across multiple genres, and, according to supplied material, Washburn is a singer-songwriter and clawhammer banjo player who re-radicalized it by combining it with Far East culture and sounds. “Echo in the Valley” is the follow up to Fleck and Washburn’s self-titled debut that earned the 2016 Grammy for Best Folk Album.
“The mission of ‘Echo in the Valley’ was to take our double banjo combination of three finger and clawhammer styles to the next level and find things to do together that we had not done before,” Fleck said in supplied material. “We’re expressing different emotions through past techniques and going to deeper places.”
Acoustic Café Folk Series remaining concerts
The Acoustic Café Series, in partnership with the syndicated radio show of the same name, features five remaining folk concerts this season. Following Fleck and Washburn are: The War and Treaty, on Sunday, on Feb. 24; The Milk Carton Kids, on Thursday, Feb. 28; Asleep at the Wheel, on Thursday, April 11; and guitar master Leo Kottke on Thursday, April 18.
Tickets for Fleck and Washburn
Fleck and Washburn concert tickets are $45 and $50 and can be purchased by calling St. Cecilia Music Center at 616-459-2224 or visiting the box office at 24 Ransom Ave. NE. Tickets can also be purchased online at www.scmc-online.org. A post-concert party with complimentary wine and scmc-online.org beer bar is offered to all ticket-holders. All ticket prices include service fees and no additional fees are charged.
WKTV offers on-demand viewing of the Wyoming and Kentwood high school sports, community events, and government meetings. (WKTV)
Mike Moll, WKTV Volunteer Sports Director sports@wktv.org
WKTV Featured Game high school sport coverage this week will include two girls/boys basketball doubleheaders, with Potter’s House visiting Tri-unity Christian Tuesday, and Wyoming high hosting Middleville Thornapple-Kellogg on Friday.
Show the local schools your support by going in person, but then watch WKTV for the events that are showcased each week. Check out the broadcast schedule at wktvjournal.org for replay dates and times.
The final featured coverage on the current tentative January featured game schedule is Thursday, Jan. 31, with boys swimming/diving, as Rockford visits East Kentwood.
In addition our featured games — where our sports crew and remote coverage truck will be on hand — we also have a weekly list of all local sporting contests for local fans to get out and enjoy in person.
Featured games are broadcast the night of the contest and then at least once later in the week.
WKTV broadcasts on Wyoming and Kentwood cable channels. On Comcast cable, Channel 25 is the Community Channel, where sports events and other community events are shown; Channel 26 is the Government Channel, where local government meetings and events are shown. On AT&T cable throughout the Grand Rapids area, viewers go to Channel 99, and then are given the choice to watch Wyoming (or Kentwood) Community (Channel 25) or Government (Channel 26) channels.
All Featured Games, as well as other high school sports and community events covered by WKTV, are available on-demand within a week of play at wktvondemand.com.
For a complete schedule of all local high school sports action each week, any changes to the WKTV feature sports schedule, and feature stories on local sports, visit wktvjournal.org/sports/.
Following is this week’s schedule:
Monday, Jan. 21 Boys/Girls Bowling Godwin Heights @ Calvin Christian South Christian @ Christian Kelloggsville @ Wellsprings Prep Wyoming @ FH Eastern Grandville @ East Kentwood Girls Gymnastics Potter’s House @ Rockford
Tuesday, Jan. 22 Girls Basketball Wyoming Lee @ Godwin Heights Wayland @ South Christian Calvin Christian @ Kelloggsville Wyoming @ East Grand Rapids Potter’s House @ Tri-unity Christian – WKTV Featured Event Grandville @ East Kentwood Fruitport Calvary @ West Michigan Aviation Zion Christian @ Algoma Christian Boys Swimming South Christian @ East Kentwood Boys Basketball South Christian @ Wayland Kelloggsville @ Calvin Christian East Grand Rapids @ Wyoming Wyoming Lee @ Belding Potter’s House @ Tri-unity Christian – WKTV Featured Event East Kentwood @ Grandville Fruitport Calvary @ West Michigan Aviation Flat River @ West Michigan Lutheran Zion Christian @ Ravenna Boys/Girls Bowling Northpointe Christian @ Wyoming Lee Tri-unity Christian @ Wyoming Lee NorthPointe Christian @ Potter’s House
Wednesday, Jan. 23 Boys/Girls Bowling Godwin Heights @ Hopkins East Grand Rapids @ South Christian Kelloggsville @ Wyoming Lee Christian @ Wyoming East Kentwood @ Rockford Boys Wrestling Godwin Heights @ Belding Kelloggsville @ Belding Wyoming @ FH Eastern Wyoming Lee @ NorthPointe Christian Cedar Springs @ East Kentwood Girls Cheer Godwin Heights @ Wyoming Lee Kelloggsville @ Wyoming Lee Wyoming @ Byron Center Girls Gymnastics FH Central vs Potter’s House @ Kenowa Hills
Thursday, Jan. 24 Boys Swimming South Christian @ Middleville T-K East Kentwood @ Grand Haven Boys/Girls Bowling East Kentwood @ Wyoming Lee Potter’s House @ Tri-unity Christian Girls Basketball Potter’s House @ Howardsville Christian Boys Basketball Potter’s House @ Howardsville Christian
Friday, Jan. 25 Boys Basketball Godwin Heights @ Calvin Christian FH Eastern @ South Christian Tri-Unity Christian @ Kelloggsville Middleville T-K @ Wyoming – WKTV Featured Event East Kentwood @ Grand Haven Barry County Christian @ Zion Christian Girls Basketball Godwin Heights @ Calvin Christian FH Eastern @ South Christian Middleville T-K @ Wyoming – WKTV Featured Event East Kentwood @ Grand Haven Potter’s House @ Kalamazoo Hackett West Michigan Lutheran @ Zion Christian Girls Cheer Wyoming Lee @ Hamilton Boys Hockey Kenowa Hills @ East Kentwood
Saturday, Jan. 26 Boys/Girls Bowling Godwin Heights @ Rockford South Christian @ Rockford Wyoming @ Rockford Boys Wrestling Godwin Heights @ Northview Kelloggsville @ Northview Wyoming @ Montague Wyoming Lee @ Reed City East Kentwood @ Lakewood Girls Cheer Kelloggsville @ Caledonia Wyoming @ Caledonia East Kentwood @ Caledonia Boys/Girls Dance Wyoming @ Jenison Boys Hockey East Kentwood @ Byron Center Girls Gymnastics Potter’s House @ Kenowa Hills
Monday, Jan. 28 Boys/Girls Bowling Godwin Heights @ Potter’s House South Christian @ Byron Center Calvin Christian @ Kelloggsville Wyoming @ Middleville T-K Wyoming Lee @ Belding East Kentwood @ Hudsonville Girls Gymnastics Rockford vs Potter’s House @ Kenowa Hills Girls Basketball Holland Calvary @ Grand River Prep
Tuesday, Jan. 29 Girls Basketball Muskegon Heights @ Godwin Heights South Christian @ Hudsonville Tri-Unity Christian @ Wellsprings Prep FH Central @ East Kentwood Potter’s House @ Grand River Prep West Michigan Aviation @ Holland Black River West Michigan Lutheran @ WMAES Zion Christian @ Ravenna Boys Basketball Calvin Christian @ South Christian FH Central @ Wyoming NorthPointe Christian @ Wyoming Lee Tri-Unity Christian @ Wellsprings Prep Potter’s House @ Grand River Prep West Michigan Aviation @ Holland Black River West Michigan Lutheran @ WMAES Muskegon Catholic Central
Wednesday, Jan. 30 Boys/Girls Bowling Kelloggsville @ Godwin Heights Wyoming @ South Christian Wyoming Lee @ Calvin Christian Grand Haven @ East Kentwood Boys Wrestling Hopkins @ Godwin Heights Kelloggsville @ NorthPointe Christian Wyoming Lee @ NorthPointe Christian Grandville @ East Kentwood Girls Cheer Godwin Heights @ Hopkins Kelloggsville @ Hopkins Wyoming Lee @ Hopkins Wyoming @ FH Eastern Girls Gymnastics Potter’s House @ Rockford
Thursday, Jan. 31 Boys Swimming South Christian @ West Catholic Rockford @ East Kentwood – WKTV Featured Event
“A little girl giggles when she is denied an ice-cream by her mother. She knows daddy will get her some later.”
― Unknown
From a previous year City of Kentwood Daddy-Daughter Dance, fun is had by all and memories made. (WKTV)
Dads and daughters dance coming to Kentwood
Fathers can dance the night away with their daughters at the City of Kentwood’s annual Daddy-Daughter Dance, which is set for Saturday, Jan. 26 at the Kent District Library — Kentwood (Richard L. Root) Branch. With an “Under the Sea” theme, this year’s event will run from 6 to 8 p.m. The evening will include dinner, dessert, crafts, a photo area with props and, of course, dancing. For the complete story, visit here.
The Grand Rapids Public Museum. (Supplied)
Local history exhibit at GRPM extended
The Grand Rapids Public Museum exhibition, “Ralph W. Hauenstein: A Life of Leadership” is being extended. Visitors can now experience the life and legacy of Ralph W. Hauenstein through April 14. Hauenstein was a leader in the West Michigan community, remembered for his role as a journalist, his military and intelligence service, his dedication to the Catholic faith, his entrepreneurship, and his philanthropy in Grand Rapids. For the complete story, visit here.
Joey DeFrancesco having fun in concert. (JoeyDefracesco.com)
Jazz organ on display at St. Cecilia
“Hammond hero” Joey DeFrancesco and his serious jazz playing will be on full display when St. Cecilia Music Center bring multi-talented, multi-Grammy nominated jazz man and his quartet “The People” to Grand Rapids on Thursday, Feb. 7. Tickets are still available. For the complete story, visit here.
Fun fact:
Organ keyboards are called manuals
Most Hammond organs have two 61-note (five-octave) keyboards called manuals. As with pipe organ keyboards, the two manuals are arrayed on two levels close to each other. (Source)
The Little Food Pantry is located in the Kentwood Activities Center, 355 48th St. SE.
By City of Kentwood
In honor of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., the City of Kentwood will hold a food drive to stock its Little Free Pantry on Jan. 21. The City will collect canned goods and other non-perishable items on Martin Luther King Jr. Day at three locations:
Family Fare, 6127 Kalamazoo Ave. SE – 7:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m.
Celebration Cinema, 1506 Eastport Dr. SE – 11 a.m. to 2 p.m.
City of Kentwood Parks and Recreation Department, 355 48th St. SE – 8:30 a.m. to 2 p.m.
The City is also seeking community partners willing to place a Kentwood Little Free Pantry collection bin for canned goods and other non-perishable items at their organization or business.
“Kentwood is a compassionate community which supports practical acts of generosity by encouraging neighbors to help neighbors especially in times of need,” said Mayor Stephen Kepley. “Since 2017, Kentwood’s Little Free Pantry has assisted countless families to such an extent that the shelves become empty on a weekly basis.”
“To ensure those who need help can find it year-round, please lend a hand by donating to the pantry and consider becoming a year-round partner. Added partners will provide a more sustainable food source for our community.”
Kentwood’s Little Free Pantry initiative began as an MLK Day community service project in 2017 to fill an immediate and local need throughout the year.
Located in the Kentwood Activities Center, 355 48th St. SE, the premise of the Kentwood Little Free Pantry is similar to that of the Little Free Library movement: Take an item (or items) when needed and leave an item when you can. No applications necessary. No questions are asked.
Those interested in accepting a collection bin are encouraged to contact the Parks and Recreation Department at 616.656.5270 or eRecreation@kentwood.us.
More information about Kentwood Little Free Pantry, including a list of suggested donations, is available online at kentwood.us/littlefreepantry .
A Border Patrol agent drives past new vehicle barriers near Deming, N.M., built by U.S. Army soldiers. (U.S. Army historical photo)
By K.D. Norris ken@wktv.org
After President Donald Trump gives his State of the Union speech on Jan. 29, the World Affairs Council of Western Michigan’s 2019 Great Decisions global discussion series will debut with a discussion on the “State of the State Department” on Feb. 4-5.
Ambassador Barbara Stephenson, president of American Foreign Service Association (Supplied/World Affairs Council)
With Ambassador Barbara Stephenson, president of American Foreign Service Association, will be talking about the “State of the State Department” on both days, and will pose and then discuss the question: “Is the State Department currently equipped to do its diplomatic work?”
“Our organization’s perspective on this series is that to change the world — or to even begin to understand global issues — one first must know about the world, and that’s what we attempt to do with Great Decisions,” Michael Van Denend, executive director of the World Affairs Council of Western Michigan, said to WKTV.
The eight topics covered by the series were specifically chosen by the Foreign Policy Association in New York as the global issues every American community should know more about and currently be discussing. The World Affairs Council has been sponsoring the series since the mid-1950s.
“We’re particularly pleased with the expertise and diversity of the speakers coming to West Michigan this year,” Van Denend said. “There are two ambassadors, a cyber security FBI agent, two journalists reporting on Eastern Europe and Syria, and one of the country’s foremost China experts. Attending these presentations will open up many corners of the world for participants.”
The annual series, which bring leaders in international theory and action to Grand Rapids for lectures, will offer two options to attend: Mondays, 6-7:15 p.m., at Aquinas College Performing Arts Center; and Tuesdays, noon-1 p.m. at the Recital Hall in the Covenant Fine Arts Center at Calvin College.
There is a $10 general-public admission fee per discussion, with no reservations needed and free parking.
The series will continue through March 25-26.
The Great Decisions format features a world-class expert leading each conversation, followed by an extensive question-answer session.
The reminder of the 201 series will feature:
Feb. 11 and 12: “Democracy on the Run: Dispatches from Eastern Europe”, a behind-the-scenes-look at rising anti-democratic efforts abroad, lead by Carol Schaeffer, a freelance journalist.
Feb. 18 and 19: “Immigration Policy beyond the Border”, a talk “shedding light on a complicated and contentious issue with thoughtful dialogue,” according to supplied material, with Ambassador Jim Nealon, former U.S. Ambassador to Honduras.
Feb. 25 and 26: “A New Nuclear Arms Race?”, with Kelsey Davenport, of the Arms Control Association, discussing “Russia. North Korea. Iran. What’s our nuclear future?”
Mar. 4 and 5: “China-U.S. Trade War”, with Amy Celico, Albright Stonebridge Group (ASG), discussing “How will we handle the most important bilateral relationship of the 21st century?”
Mar. 11 and 12: “Life After the Arab Uprisings and the Islamic State”, a ground-level report from a brave Lebanese journalist, Rania Abouzeid, author of “No Turning Back: Life, Loss, and Hope in Wartime Syria”, a New York Times 2018 Notable Book.
Mar. 18 and 19: “Global Cyber Threats” with FBI Special Agent Peter Jolliffe discussing “Cyber risks are on the rise — can we thwart them?”
And finally, on Mar. 25 and 26: “Mexico and the U.S.: The Economic Ties that Bind”, Carlos Capistran, Bank of America Merrill Lynch, New York City, discussing “What must we do to make certain both countries thrive?”
The Aquinas College Performing Arts Center is located at 1703 Robinson Road S.E., Grand Rapids. The Covenant Fine Arts Center at Calvin College is located at 1795 Knollcrest Cir SE, Grand Rapids.
The World Affairs Council of Western Michigan is located at 1700 Fulton Street E., Grand Rapids, For more information on sessions, dates and times, as well as detailed information on speakers, visit worldmichigan.org .
Joey DeFrancesco having fun in concert. (JoeyDefracesco.com)
By K.D. Norris ken@wktv.org
In publicity material for Van Morrison’s 2018 all-jazzed up release “You’re Driving Me Crazy” his partner in musical crime is listed at “Hammond hero” Joey DeFrancesco. Maybe the nickname is a little bit of Morrison’s infamous Irish humor and maybe it is simply stating the obvious.
Either way, DeFrancesco and his Hammond heroics will be on full display when St. Cecilia Music Center bring multi-talented, multi-Grammy nominated jazz man and his quartet “The People” to Grand Rapids on Thursday, Feb. 7.
Tickets are still available.
DeFrancesco is a four-time Grammy Award nominee, with more than 30 recordings as a leader under his belt. He has received countless jazz awards including being inducted into the inaugural Hammond B3 Organ Hall of Fame in 2014, as well as being named the top organ player in the Critics Polls in DownBeat Magazine 11 times over the past 15 years and the Readers Polls every year since 2005.
That certainly qualifies as being a “Hammond hero.”
Accompanying DeFrancesco at St. Cecilia will be his group — known as “The People”, and including drummer Michael Ode, guitarist Dan Wilson and saxophonist Troy Roberts. And Joey may well also break out his trumpet and singing voice during the show.
“Joey DeFrancesco and “The People” … is bound to have guests swinging in their seats,” Cathy Holbrook, SCMC executive director, said in supplied material. “Their amazing jazz, blues, soul sound will really speak to the hearts of true jazz lovers and it’s something different then we have featured in the past with Joey on the Hammond B3 Organ.”
DeFrancesco’s latest Grammy nomination was with “The People”, in 2017 for “Project Freedom”, an album that features DeFrancesco on the Hammond B-3 organ, along with contributions on keyboards, trumpet and as a vocalist. “Project Freedom” includes originals by DeFrancesco and covers of Sam Cooke’s “A Change is Gonna Come” and John Lennon’s “Imagine”.
DeFrancesco is no stranger to a little genre bouncing, and in 2018 he teamed up with Van Morrison on Morrison’s hard-driving soul-jazz sounding 2018 album titled “You’re Driving Me Crazy”. The album included Morrison, JDeFrancesco, Wilson, Roberts and Ode.
Joey DeFrancesco, in brief
Joey DeFrancesco (Jay Gilbert)
DeFrancesco was raised in Philadelphia where his musical roots in jazz, blues and other musical art forms were born, according to his website bio. The son of “Papa” John DeFrancesco, an organist himself, the younger DeFrancesco remembers playing as early as four-years-old. Soon after, his father began bringing him to gigs in Philadelphia, sitting in with legendary players like Hank Mobley and Philly Joe Jones.
Some argue that DeFrancesco’s emergence in the 1980s marked the onset of a musical renaissance as organ jazz had all but gone out of vogue from the mid-’70s to the mid-’80s “until DeFrancesco reignited the flame with his vintage Hammond organ and Leslie speaker cabinet.”
DeFrancesco has recorded and toured with his own groups as well as musical whose who names such as Ray Charles, Diana Krall, Nancy Wilson, George Benson, James Moody, John Scofield, Bobby Hutcherson, Jimmy Cobb, John McLaughlin, Larry Coryell and David Sanborn.
He currently also hosts a weekly program on SiriusXM Radio’s Real Jazz channel, fittingly called “Organized.”
Tickets for Joey DeFrancesco and “The People” are $35 and $40 and can be purchased by calling St. Cecilia Music Center at 616-459-2224 or visiting the box office at 24 Ransom Ave. NE. Tickets can also be purchased online at scmc-online.org .
A pre-concert reception for $15 begins at 6:30 pm, including wine and hors d’oeuvres, is available by reservation in advance by calling the center. A post-concert party with dessert, coffee and wine is open to all ticket-holders to meet the artists, obtain autographs and CD purchases.
The final St. Cecilia Jazz Series Concert will be on March 7 and will feature rising jazz star singer Veronica Swift and the Benny Green Trio.
WKTV offers on-demand viewing of the Wyoming and Kentwood high school sports, community events, and government meetings. (WKTV)
Mike Moll, WKTV Volunteer Sports Director sports@wktv.org
WKTV Featured Game high school sport coverage this week will include two girls basketball games, a solo game from Wyoming High Tuesday, and part of a boys-girls basketball doubleheader Friday from Godwin Heights.
The Jan. 15 game will feature Grand Rapids Christian at Wyoming. The Jan. 18 game will featured NorthPointe Christian at Godwin Heights.
Show the local schools your support by going in person, but then watch WKTV for the events that are showcased each week. Check out the broadcast schedule at wktvjournal.org for replay dates and times.
The rest of the current tentative January featured game schedule is:
Tuesday, Jan. 22 — Boys/Girls basketball: Potter’s House at Tri-Unity Christian Friday, Jan. 25 — Boys/Girls basketball: Middleville T-K at Wyoming Thursday, Jan. 31 — Boys swimming/diving: Rockford at East Kentwood
In addition our featured games — where our sports crew and remote coverage truck will be on hand — we also have a weekly list of all local sporting contests for local fans to get out and enjoy in person.
Featured games are broadcast the night of the contest and then at least once later in the week.
WKTV broadcasts on Wyoming and Kentwood cable channels. On Comcast cable, Channel 25 is the Community Channel, where sports events and other community events are shown; Channel 26 is the Government Channel, where local government meetings and events are shown. On AT&T cable throughout the Grand Rapids area, viewers go to Channel 99, and then are given the choice to watch Wyoming (or Kentwood) Community (Channel 25) or Government (Channel 26) channels.
All Featured Games, as well as other high school sports and community events covered by WKTV, are available on-demand within a week of play at wktvondemand.com.
For a complete schedule of all local high school sports action each week, any changes to the WKTV feature sports schedule, and feature stories on local sports, visit wktvjournal.org/sports/ .
Following is this week’s schedule:
Monday, Jan. 14 Boys/Girls Bowling South Christian @ Wayland Kelloggsville @ Belding Wyoming @ Byron Center Hopkins @ Wyoming Lee East Kentwood @ Grand Haven Girls Gymnastics Potter’s House @ Lowell
Tuesday, Jan. 15 Boys Basketball Godwin Heights @ Wyoming Lee Hopkins @ Kelloggsville Wyoming @ Christian Wellsprings Prep @ Tri-Unity Christian Hudsonville @ East Kentwood Holland Calvary @ Potter’s House Wellsprings Prep @ West Michigan Aviation Creative Tech @ West Michigan Lutheran Muskegon Catholic Central @ Grand River Prep Girls Basketball Kelloggsville @ Hopkins Christian @ Wyoming – WKTV Featured Event Fruitport Calvary @ Tri-Unity Christian East Kentwood @ Hudsonville Holland Calvary @ Potter’s House Wellsprings Prep @ West Michigan Aviation Creative Tech @ West Michigan Lutheran Holland Black River @ Grand River Prep Boys/Girls Bowling Wyoming @ Unity Christian Calvin Christian @ Potter’s House
Wednesday, Jan. 16 Boys/Girls Bowling Wyoming Lee @ Godwin Heights Middleville T-K @ South Christian Kelloggsville @ Hopkins Wayland @ Wyoming Caledonia @ East Kentwood Boys Wrestling Godwin Heights @ Hopkins Wyoming Lee @ Hopkins Allendale @ Kelloggsville Christian @ Wyoming Caledonia @ East Kentwood Girls Cheer Godwin Heights @ NorthPointe Christian Kelloggsville @ NorthPointe Christian Wyoming Lee @ NorthPointe Christian Wyoming @ Zeeland East East Kentwood @ West Ottawa
Thursday, Jan. 17 Boys Swimming South Christian @ Muskegon Mona Shores East Kentwood@ Grandville Boys/Girls Bowling Potter’s House @ Hopkins
Friday, Jan. 18 Boys/Girls Bowling Ottawa Hills @ Godwin Heights Girls Cheer Godwin Heights @ West Catholic Boys Basketball NorthPointe Christian @ Godwin Heights – WKTV Featured Event South Christian @ Middleville T-K Kelloggsville @ Belding Wyoming @ Benton Harbor Hopkins @ Wyoming Lee Tri-Unity Christian @ Zion Christian Rockford @ East Kentwood Holland Black River @ Potter’s House West Michigan Lutheran @ Libertas Christian Girls Basketball NorthPointe Christian @ Godwin Heights – WKTV Featured Event South Christian @ Middleville T-K Kelloggsville @ Belding Benton Harbor @ Wyoming Tri-Unity Christian @ Zion Christian Rockford @ East Kentwood Holland Black River @ Potter’s House West Michigan Lutheran @ Libertas Christian Boys Wrestling Wyoming Lee @ Pinconning Boys Hockey East Grand Rapids @ East Kentwood
Saturday, Jan. 19 Boys Wrestling Godwin Heights @ Hopkins Kelloggsville @ Christian Wyoming @ Jenison East Kentwood @ Holt Boys Basketball Catholic Central @ South Christian Girls Cheer Kelloggsville @ Muskegon Reeths-Puffer East Kentwood @ Rochester Girls Dance East Kentwood @ Wayland Boys Hockey FH Central @ East Kentwood
Monday, Jan. 21 Boys/Girls Bowling Godwin Heights @ Calvin Christian South Christian @ Christian Kelloggsville @ Wellsprings Prep Wyoming @ FH Eastern Grandville @ East Kentwood Girls Gymnastics Potter’s House @ Rockford
From a previous year, the City of Kentwood Daddy-Daughter Dance includes fun had by all and memories made. (WKTV)
City of Kentwood
Fathers can dance the night away with their daughters at the City of Kentwood’s annual Daddy-Daughter Dance, which is set for Saturday, Jan. 26 at the Kent District Library — Kentwood (Richard L. Root) Branch.
With an “Under the Sea” theme, this year’s event will run from 6 to 8 p.m. The evening will include dinner, dessert, crafts, a photo area with props and, of course, dancing.
“We love offering this dance for Kentwood dads and daughters to have a special night out together,” said Val Romeo, Kentwood Parks and Recreation director. “Our Daddy-Daughter Dance sets the stage for a fun evening, making memories that will last a lifetime.”
Tickets cost $20 per pair, $5 per extra person. Pre-registration is required. Those interested in purchasing tickets can go online at kentwood.us/daddydaughter or call 616-656-5270.
The LowellArts Players Youth Theater presents Henry and Ramona, a full-length comedy by Cynthia McGean based on the books by Beverly Cleary. Performances are Jan. 17th at 7pm, Jan. 18th at 7pm, and Jan. 19th at 2pm & 7pm at Lowell Performing Arts Center/Lowell High School, 11700 Vergennes, Lowell, MI 49331. The production includes 19 youth, teen, and adult actors ages 8 and up from Lowell and surrounding communities. Directed by Teresa Goldner.
Synopsis: Newbery Award-winning author Beverly Cleary’s irrepressible hero saves the day in this adaptation of one of the best-loved children’s book series of all time. Ten-year-old Henry wants to do something important; he wants to deliver newspapers, just like that showoff Scooter McCarthy and the other boys. But first Henry has to prove to his parents he can handle the responsibility. That won’t be easy with Ramona Quimby around! Then when the boys form a clubhouse excluding girls, Henry’s friendship with Beezus is tested and the girls wreak their hilarious revenge. All of Henry’s most memorable adventures are here including riding to the dump in a bathtub and getting his first bike. Along the way, with the “help” of Ramona, he learns some valuable lessons about friendship and maturity. ‘Henry and Ramona’ captures the everyday trials and triumphs of being a kid.
Fred and Lena Meijer, in Meijer Gardens gallery. Undated. (Supplied/Meijer Gardens)
By Frederik Meijer Gardens & Sculpture Park
Timed to commemorate the centenary of Fred Meijer’s birth and to celebrate his role as one of America’s foremost patrons of the arts, Frederik Meijer Gardens & Sculpture Park is honored to announce A National Treasure: Fred Meijer, His Collection and Legacy.
Opening on Feb. 1, 2019, this exclusive exhibition is a celebration of Meijer’s desire to build a world-class sculpture collection. This exhibition will run through Aug. 25, 2019 and will display eleven different “chapters”, each based around original works of art from Meijer Gardens’ permanent collection as well as exclusive loans from sculptors and galleries that Meijer knew and admired.
In addition, the exhibition will debut a series of important recent acquisitions to Meijer Gardens’ permanent collection, including works by El Anatsui, George Segal and George Minne.
A National Treasure: Fred Meijer, His Collection and Legacy examines Meijer’s passion for sculpture, his growth as a collector and his profound commitment to engage diverse audiences through his collection. Each facet of Meijer’s collection is explored in this exhibition, including early ideas for a sculpture park and ways that the collection would be integrated across the gardens and grounds of what would become Frederik Meijer Gardens & Sculpture Park. The exhibition follows Meijer’s journey as a collector and patron of the arts, with rare insight into the creation of one of the world’s greatest collections of Modern and Contemporary sculpture.
“One of the many things that I admired about Fred Meijer was that he was a lifelong learner and enjoyed finding out about new sculptors and their work with each acquisition,” said Laurene Grunwald, Director of Sculpture, Exhibitions and Installations at Meijer Gardens. “He never sought to collect for himself, but to enrich the lives of others.”
Fred Meijer’s history
Frederik G.H. Meijer was born in Greenville, Mich., in 1919, to Dutch immigrants Hendrik and Gezina Meijer. Together with an older sister, Johanna, the Meijers formed an industrious working-class family and embraced life in the rural Midwest. The Meijer parents maintained a life-long connection to their European roots and instilled the importance of education, culture and the arts in their children.
“The eye needs something, too” was a favorite phrase Gezina Meijer often shared as a reminder that, whenever possible, a truly full life extended beyond physical needs to embrace beauty, as well as intellectual and cultural pursuits.
In 1934, in the depths of the Great Depression, 14-year-old Fred Meijer worked with his father to found and operate the first Meijer grocery in Greenville. This store became the cornerstone of the chain of supercenters, Meijer Inc., which flourishes with 242 stores today.
In 1946, Fred Meijer married Lena Meijer (born 1919) who became his beloved wife of 65 years. As their success in business burgeoned, so did their commitment to community through philanthropy in education, health care, the natural environment and the arts—an extraordinary tradition embraced by their sons and families today.
The opening of Frederik Meijer Gardens & Sculpture Park in 1995 brought together Lena’s love of plants and flowers with Fred’s passion for sculpture and quickly became a cherished focal point of their interest and support.
Fred and Lena in Milan, Italy studio of Arnaldo Pomodoro. Undated. (Supplied/Meijer Gardens)
Although never formally trained in the visual arts or art history, Fred Meijer was deeply interested in cultural endeavors and history, and had a long interest in sculpture. In particular, he was initially attracted to historical and figurative statuary in bronze. He began collecting in the mid-1980s according to his own interests, but his views broadened in the following years.
In August of 1999, he declared his dream to “build a world-class sculpture collection” at Meijer Gardens — opening a door for collecting beyond his initial personal aesthetic with the betterment and enjoyment of the public in mind.
Today, the collection is hailed as among the finest in the world. This exhibition celebrates Fred Meijer’s centenary and traces the development of the man and his collection of sculpture and his emergence as one of the nation’s foremost patrons of the visual arts.
Exhibit events scheduled
Associated with the exhibit there will be a series of free-with-admission programs:
Gardens of Art Around the World Sunday, March 17, 2 p.m. Presented by Suzanne Eberle, Professor of Art History, Kendall College of Art & DesignDrawing inspiration from gardens and sculpture collections around the globe, Fred Meijer sought to create a unique museum environment that was second-to-none right in Grand Rapids. Join Dr. Sue Eberle as she highlights the sculpture gardens that inspired Meijer as well as some of the outstanding outdoor collections to add to your travel bucket list.
Great American Collectors Sunday, April 14, 2 p.m. Presented by Dr. Craig Hanson, Associate Professor, Calvin CollegeFred Meijer, as an art collector, is among a small group of philanthropists who believed that art should be shared widely with the public. He saw his collection as a tool to enrich lives through the power of art. Join Dr. Craig Hanson as he discusses the role of collectors in the United States and the legacy of art patronage.
The Art of Fine Art Collecting Sunday, May 5, 2 p.m. Presented by Linda and Scott Lafontsee, Owners of Lafontsee GalleryYou don’t have to have the resources of Meijer Gardens to build your own fine art collection. Join the owners and artists behind Lafontsee Galleries to learn easy ways to live with original artwork that inspires you every day. Linda and Scott Lafontsee have represented local artists for over 30 years in Grand Rapids.
Charcoal Drawing with Anna Greidanus Friday, June 14, 3-5 p.m. Presented by Anna Greidanus, Professor of Art, Calvin CollegeHead outdoors with artist Anna Greidanus and learn the relaxing and inspiring practice of charcoal drawing. A gestural, loose and rapid approach is both less intimidating to first time artists and an effective form of observation. Class size is limited to 15 guests. Please register online at MeijerGardens.org/calendar
Summer Sculpture Walks Sculpture Park Niches, The Gallery – Tuesday, July 30, 6 p.m. Sculpture Park Niches, The Groves – Sunday, August 11, 11:30 a.m. Get off the beaten path and explore lesser known areas of the Sculpture Park. See fantastic examples of Modern and Contemporary sculpture instrumental to Fred Meijer’s collection style and legacy. Meet outside of the Indoor Sculpture Galleries and be prepared to walk and stand for at least 90 minutes, rain or shine.
Exhibition programs are drop-in and registration is not required.
A National Treasure: Fred Meijer, His Collection and Legacy is made possible by: The Meijer Foundation, Frederik Meijer Gardens & Sculpture Foundation, Botanic and Sculpture Societies of Frederik Meijer Gardens & Sculpture Park, and The Michigan Council for Arts and Cultural Affairs, a partner agency of the National Endowment for the Arts.
Meijer Gardens today
Today Frederik Meijer Gardens & Sculpture Park had 723,000 visitors in 2017 and was recently listed in the top 30 most visited museums in the United States by The Art Newspaper, the leading publication in global art news. The 158-acre main campus features Michigan’s largest tropical conservatory; one of the largest interactive children’s gardens in the country; arid and Victorian gardens with bronze sculptures by Degas and Rodin; a carnivorous plant house; outdoor gardens; and a 1900-seat outdoor amphitheater, featuring an eclectic mix of world-renowned musicians every summer.
The internationally acclaimed Sculpture Park features a permanent collection including works by Oldenburg, Moore, Hepworth, Serra, Bourgeois, Ai Weiwei and Plensa, among others. Indoor galleries host changing sculpture exhibitions with exhibitions by Ai Weiwei, Picasso, Degas, di Suvero, Borofsky, Calder and Dine.
In June 2015, the eight–acre Richard & Helen DeVos Japanese Garden at Frederik Meijer Gardens & Sculpture Park opened. Created by renowned designer Hoichi Kurisu, the garden features sculpture by Anish Kapoor, Jenny Holzer and Guiseppe Penone, among others.
It’s always warm and smells like good beer in Rockford Brewing’s main-floor bar — music is upstairs this weekend. (Supplied/Rockford Brewing Company)
By K.D. Norris ken@wktv.org
Rockford Brewing Company will be hosting a weekend-long party starting today to celebrate its 6th year of business. While there will be special food menu items, beer releases and live music both days, the moment you tip an imperial oatmeal stout while listening to Delilah DeWylde may well be the moment to have a spot at the bar.
On Friday, Dec. 21, through closing at midnight, patrons can bring in a stein and fill it with 32 ounces of select beer for $5, enjoy a Bavarian-themed menu, and also have a chance to win gift cards and mug club memberships throughout the day, that according to supplied material. Country/pop artist Kari Lynch will be performing at 8:30 p.m.
Saturday, Dec. 22, will be a holiday extravaganza with holiday-themed trivia (teams of four) starting at 4 p.m., with mug club memberships for the winning team, an ugly sweater party, a “Charles Dickens Christmas” inspired menu, and a holiday set from local rockabilly band Delilah DeWylde and the Lost Boys at 8:30 p.m. (Looking for a last minute gift and an excuse to go out and have a beer? All merch will be 50 percent off.)
Oh, and the beer? Rockford Brewing Company will be releasing two new beers: the aforementioned imperial oatmeal coffee stout and an amber ale.
“We’ve had an exciting six years in the Rockford community and now we want to throw a party for all of those who supported us,“ Seth Rivard, co-owner of Rockford Brewing Company, said in supplied material. “We not only want to celebrate our business but the customers and staff who have helped us get to where we are today.”
The Rockford Brewing Company is located in downtown Rockford at 12 E Bridge St. NE. For more information visit rockfordbrewing.com .
News for Brewsaders (hint Kitzingten is all in)
There are 43 local breweries in the new Brewsader Passport – including Brewsader newcomer and Wyoming’s own Kitzingen Brewery, as well as other newcomers Castle Brewing Co., Depot No. 36 Brewery, East West Brewing and HopCat Knapp’s Corner.
In case your not in the know, you just need to collect stamps or check-ins from eight breweries to get a free Brewsader t-shirt; but the shirt is secondary to the honor of having a passport bursting at the seams. You can get an app, of course, but that digital stamp doesn’t have beer stains as a bonus.
With or without the passport, go to Kitzingen for the seasonal German Hefeweizen or any of another dozen or so other German styles. And if you want to sound smart, bring up in conversation that Count Dracula is likely buried in a Kitzingen (Germany) cemetery.
For more information on Kitzingen Brewery, located at 1760 44th St. SW, Wyoming, visit kitzingen-brewery.com . For more information on the Brewsader Passport, visit here .
(L to R) Assa Sylla, Lindsay Karamoh, Karidja Touré and Mariétou Touré in Céline Sciamma’s GIRLHOOD
By Kerri VanderHoff
The Chiaroscuro International Film Series’s 13th season will feature five celebrated films from around the world. The theme for this year’s award-winning roster of films is ‘Fate’. Using a variety of narrative, cinematic and thematic devices, each film explores the idea of fate — destiny, chance, luck, karma, providence, serendipity… what’s the idea of fate?
The programs begin at 2pm on scheduled Sundays, January through March, and include the feature presentation, a panel discussion, and a reception with refreshments. All programs are free and open to the public.
The 2019 films and their screening dates include:
Jan. 13 — Phoenix (Petzold, 2014) Germany. After undergoing reconstructive surgery, a concentration camp survivor tries to find out if her husband betrayed her to the Nazis.
Jan. 27 — Girlhood (Sciamma, 2014) France. Marieme joins an all-girl gang in the projects of Paris and is slowly turned out of her shell by her three sassy neighbors. As she falls further under their bravado and volatile energy, she begins making brave and foolish choices.
Feb. 10 — The Cakemaker (Raul Graizer, 2017) Israel. A German pastry chef travels to Jerusalem in search of the wife and son of his dead lover.
Feb. 24 — The Happiest Day in the Life of Olli Maki (Kuosmanen, 2016) Finland. As fiercely talented as he is modest, Finnish boxer Olli Maki is swept into national stardom as he trains for a once-in-a-lifetime fight against the World Featherweight Champion. There’s only one problem: he’s just fallen in love.
March 10 — Jauja (Alonso, 2014) Argentina. A Danish settler journeys into the South American desert in a desperate search for his daughter, a solitary quest that takes him to a place beyond time, where the past vanishes and the future has no meaning.
The Chiaroscuro film selection committee considers various criteria during the nominating process of the international films including variety in country of origin, length, critical acclaim, availability, and status as a West Michigan premiere viewing.
The panel discussion is organized with consideration of each film selected. Two experts are invited to sit on the panel; one is knowledgeable in film studies and the other deeply connected to the culture represented in the film. Feedback and questions from audience members are greatly encouraged.
From ‘The Happiest Day in the Life of Olli Maki’ (Kuosmanen, 2016)
The reception that follows the film viewing and panel discussion completes the afternoon immersion in world culture by offering complimentary food and drink and a comfortable space to gather outside the theater. This allows participants a space to mingle with others and build upon the ideas presented earlier in the program, encouraging further dialogue and cultural exchange in a friendly, casual setting.
Everyone is welcome to enjoy Sunday afternoons of film, food, and cultural exchange. The series offers an engaging way to experience the world without leaving town. All films are shown in the state-of-the-art theater at the UICA in downtown Grand Rapids (2 West Fulton). Parking garage is available, entrance is off Commerce Street. Follow us on Facebook and check the website often for update announcements on panelists and other information.
Step right up ladies and gentlemen, boys and girls, to a world of gears and canvas, pulleys and sawdust when Cirque Mechanics presents 42FT – A Menagerie of Mechanical Marvels on Friday, Feb. 1, at 8pm at The Mendel Center as part of the Discovery Series on the Mainstage.
At the center of every circus rests a 42-foot ring full of thrills, laughs, and excitement. 42FT – A Menagerie of Mechanical Marvels is the latest invention from the creative minds of Cirque Mechanics. The company dares us to leap into the circus ring and experience the timelessness of this evolving art form. The show’s unique mechanical interpretation of the traditional, and its story full of the lore of the historic one-ring circus create a welcoming place, like a big top, the audience can be amazed. The action in 42FT is full of theatricality and a modern sensibility, showcasing a galloping mechanical metal horse and a rotating tent frame for strongmen, acrobats, and aerialists.
Cirque Mechanics was founded in 2004 by Boston native and German Wheel artist, Chris Lashua, after the success of his collaborative project with the Circus Center of San Francisco, Birdhouse Factory. Cirque Mechanics quickly established itself as a premiere American circus, with its unique approach to performance, inspiring storytelling and innovative mechanical staging. Spectacle Magazine hailed it as “the greatest contribution to the American circus since Cirque du Soleil.”
Cirque Mechanics, although inspired by modern circus, finds its roots in the mechanical and its heart in the stories of American ingenuity. The shows, rooted in realism, display a raw quality rarely found in modern circus, making their message timeless and relevant. The stories are wrapped in circus acrobatics, mechanical wonders, and a bit of clowning around. The troupe has created four extraordinary productions; Birdhouse Factory, Boomtown, Pedal Punk, and new for the 2018-2019 season 42FT- A Menagerie of Mechanics Marvels.
Tickets for 42FT – A Menagerie of Mechanical Marvels are on sale now starting at $26. They are available online here and through The Mendel Center Box Office at (269) 927-8700, option 1, weekdays from 10am to 6pm. Discounts are available for groups of 10 or more, seniors, students and children, active military members, and veterans. For information about group rates, pre-show party options, and other special arrangements, contact the Box Office.
This performance is made possible in part by the Gast Young People’s Performance Endowment and is sponsored by Chemical Bank and Kruggel Lawton CPA. This presentation is supported by the Arts Midwest Touring Fund, a program of Arts Midwest that is funded by the National Endowment for the Arts, the Michigan Council for Arts and Cultural Affairs, and the Crane Group.
About The Mendel Center Mainstage
The Mendel Center raised the curtain on its first Mainstage season performance in the fall of 1992. Since that time, it has presented Mainstage season performances to more than half a million attendees. This is in addition to the scores of performing arts, national and international speakers, ceremonies, and community events hosted by other groups and organizations on the Mainstage. The 1,559-seat Mendel Center Mainstage Theatre offers state-of-the-art acoustics and comfortable seating in elegant surroundings. Amenities include free parking, handicap accessibility, and an array of services including catering and bar service for private pre- and post-show events, child booster seats, assistive listening devices, non-spill cups for beverages inside the theatre, and premium seats in the Stage Side section.
About the Discovery Series
Now in its sixth season, The Mendel Center’s Discovery Series provides family-friendly performing arts events for audiences of all ages. The series delivers enriching experiences that introduce young people and their families to the excitement of professionally produced touring productions. The goal of the series is to inspire creativity, spark imagination, educate through the arts, and to create opportunities to build cherished memories while having a lot of fun.
The Mendel Center is 30 minutes from Niles and 40 minutes from the Kalamazoo and South Bend areas. It is located on the Lake Michigan College campus at 2755 E. Napier Avenue, Benton Harbor, Michigan, one mile east of I-94 (Exit 30) and one mile west of the US 31 Bypass (exit 24). Its GPS mapping address is 1100 Yore Avenue, Benton Harbor, MI.
“Don't cry because it's over, smile because it happened.”
― Dr. Seuss
A celebration of holiday times past
Blandford Nature Center welcomes West Michigan families to join us at our Annual Pioneer Holiday Celebration on Saturday, Dec. 8th, 2018, from 12-4pm located at 1715 Hillburn Ave NW, Grand Rapids, MI 49504. The program is the perfect way to kick off the Grand Rapids holiday season with festive favorites and holiday traditions for guests of all ages to enjoy. Go here for more info.
Gentlefolk, mark your calendars!
Calvin College’s 2019 January Series lineup features numerous noteworthy people, including Mary Robinson, president of Ireland from 1990-1997; Nicholas Kristof, a columnist for the New York Times and winner of two Pulitzer Prizes; and Rachael Denhollander, an advocate and educator who became known internationally as the first woman to file a police report and speak publicly against Larry Nassar. Go here for the details.
Give a kid a (temporary) home
The goal of the Host Home Program is to connect young people with caring adult volunteers who are able to provide them with safe, temporary housing while they have time to repair relationships or make decisions about other housing options with the support of Arbor Circle staff. This community- and volunteer-based approach is available to young adults, ages 18-20, who are seeking to increase stability in their housing. Go here for more info.
Fun fact:
If you kept yelling for 8 years, 7 months and 6 days, you would produce enough sound energy to heat up a cup of tea.
The lights are up on houses all over the place, and this week the city’s of Wyoming and Kentwood officially begin sharing their Holiday spirits. (publicdomainpictures.net)
Most people think Black Friday after Thanksgiving is the official start of the Christmas Holiday season in Wyoming and Kentwood. We beg to differ. The season starts, this, the first full week of December with activities Thursday to Saturday, Dec. 6-8. And we have all you need to know.
Oh, and by the way, WKTV will be at each event. Stop by and say “Hello”.
Thursday: Wyoming Gives Back
Mayor Jack Poll near the truck during a previous Wyoming Gives Back event.
The 8th annual Wyoming Gives Back is set for Thursday, Dec. 6, from 6 – 8 p.m. at Rogers Plaza Mall. Residents are encouraged to bring a new, unwrapped toy to the event and every person who does, will receive raffle tickets for prizes provided by local businesses. There will be holiday cookies, music and the biggest gift-giver, Santa, is planning to attend. For more information click here.
Friday: Kentwood tree lighting
Kentwood city officials accompanied by carolers previously conduct the annual Tree Lighting Ceremony. (WKTV)
The City of Kentwood invites the community to begin the holidays with its annual Tree Lighting Ceremony and Holiday Light Parade, slated for Friday, Dec. 7. Centered around the Kent District Library – Kentwood (Richard L. Root) Branch, the free event will take place from 5 to 8 p.m. The evening will be filled with festive activities, including a parade, live holiday music and carriage rides, as well as caroling and a tree lighting ceremony. Hot chocolate and cookies will be offered, and Santa, of course, will be there to take pictures with families. For more information click here.
Saturday: Chamber Santa Parade
Area high school bands performing at a previous year’s Santa Parade. (WKTV)
Santa is coming to town. How do we know? Because the Wyoming Kentwood Area Chamber of Commerce, along with the cities of Wyoming and Kentwood, is hosting the 12th annual Santa Parade Saturday, Dec. 8, along Division Avenue. The parade, which starts at 10 a.m. and lasts about 45 minutes, will feature more than 50 participants including five school bands. Participants will travel down South Division from 33rd Street to Murray Avenue. For more information click here.
Blandford Nature Center welcomes West Michigan families to join us at our Annual Pioneer Holiday Celebration on Saturday, Dec. 8th, 2018, from 12-4pm located at 1715 Hillburn Ave NW, Grand Rapids, MI 49504. The program is the perfect way to kick off the Grand Rapids holiday season with festive favorites and holiday traditions for guests of all ages to enjoy.
“Winter is a beautiful season! This event allows families to get out in nature and experience the beauty of Blandford while also learning about history and engaging in Pioneer traditions. We will also offer traditional holiday concessions available such as coffee, hot cocoa, and roasted marshmallows free of charge”, says Amber Kilpatrick, Community Programs Manager.
Several activities will be available to visitors such as cookie decorating, creating ornaments, candle dipping, making stick gnomes, cookie making, marshmallow roasting, snow snake games outdoors and more. Visitors are also encouraged to tour the historical buildings on site and explore life as an early pioneer in the one-room schoolhouse, log cabin and blacksmith shop.
Guests can also visit the wildlife ambassadors inside the Wildlife Education Center and farm animals over at the Blandford Farm (3143 Milo St NW). As usual, the trails will be open for exploration plus information will be available on how Blandford gift memberships make a great holiday gift.
The event is open to the public with admission fees of $5 for members and $8 for non-members. Children 2 years and younger will be admitted for free. For registration and more event details, go here.
Kent County will be holding three community forums to allow residents an opportunity to participate in the development of its strategic plan. The county is currently developing a strategic plan that will guide its leadership through the next five years, better reflecting the changing demographics, economics, and needs of the County.
Wyman Britt, Kent County Administrator/Controller. (WKTV)
“Community engagement is absolutely integral to the success of Kent County,” said Wayman Britt, Kent County Administrator/Controller. “It is important for us to hear the thoughts and ideas from our communities as we renew our strategic plan and effectively plan for the future.”
The meetings will be held from 6-7:30 p.m. as follows:
Thursday, December 6, at the Kent County Health Department (700 Fuller Ave. NE, Grand Rapids, MI 49503)
Tuesday, December 11, at the Rockford Freshman Center (4500 Kroes St. NE, Rockford, MI 49341)
Thursday, December 13, at the East Kentwood Freshman Campus (6170 Valley Lane Dr., SE, Kentwood, MI 49508)
All three meetings will cover the same information. Due to space constraints, each event is limited to the first 100 individuals and pre-registration is required.
To register for one of the forums, residents should click on this link. If an individual would like to register by phone, please call Diane Kelly at (517) 484-4954.
“Solutions and ideas do not just come from government – they come from our residents who live, work, and play in Kent County,” said Britt. “These forums are another way we can hear directly from the public by allowing residents to provide open and honest feedback on the in our strategic plan, which in turn, will goals and action items that should be included improve our great County.”
The Robin Connell Trio will be playing trio jazz at Grand Rapid’s One Trick Pony Thursday, Dec. 6, from 8-11 p.m., with Kentwood bassist Charles Johnson sitting in.
Connell will be on keyboard and vocals, with Ian LeVine on drums.
There is no cover. One Trick Pony is located at 136 E. Fulton. For more information on music at One Trick Pony visit one-track.biz . For more information on gigs with Robin Connell visit robinconnell.com . For more jazz in West Michigan, visit wmichjazz.org .
Courtesy W.K. Kellogg Conference Center and Manor House
By Sarah Carroll, W.K. Kellogg Biological Station
Have a holly jolly holiday season when you visit the W.K. Kellogg Manor House this year for a marvelous meal or a traditional high tea. The holidays are a special time at the Manor House, visible in our lavish decorations and decadent culinary spreads.
Holiday meals at the Manor House are a special tradition, sure to bring cheer to you and your friends and family of all ages.
Each high tea at the Manor House has a different theme and menu, featuring a light meal and a historic tour of the Manor House. All teas will be held from 3–5pm unless otherwise noted.
Pricing information and registration for each event are available online. All events will be held in the W.K. Kellogg Manor House, located at 3700 E. Gull Lake Dr., in Hickory Corners. Reservations are required. To learn more, visit conference.kbs.msu.edu, call 269-671-2400 or email conference@kbs.msu.edu.
Many of our holiday events have already sold out, please register today to secure your reservation.
The W.K. Kellogg Manor House is part of the W.K. Kellogg Biological Station. As MSU’s largest off-campus educational complex, we’ve put our land-grant values into practice for nearly a hundred years as we’ve delivered groundbreaking scientific research and education, community engagement, and historic preservation. As we look forward, our students, staff, and faculty are working to understand and solve real-world environmental problems for a better tomorrow.
KBS is more than any individual lab or location. There’s a story behind all that you see; look closer and you’ll find more amazing discoveries than ever before. To learn more about KBS, visit us online at kbs.msu.edu.
To say Chicago-based Ryley Walker is a busy man these days would be a grand understatement. Just check his passport and his album/EP catalogue and music downloads.
After gigs in Europe on Nov. 30 through Dec. 2 — in the Brighton UK, Paris and Amsterdam, respectively — Walker will likely catch a red-eye and get over a bout of jet lag before he takes the stage at Calvin College on Wednesday, Dec. 5.
And that is just his live music schedule. He has also been busy in the studio.
Ryley Walker. (Supplied photo by Evan Jenkins)
So far this year the 29-year-old singer-songwriter and guitarist from Rockford, Ill., has released Deafman Glance, an eclectic mix of originals, as well as the just-out The Lillywhite Sessions, a track-by-track cover of Dave Matthews’ infamously abandoned 2001 art-rock masterpiece of the same name.
So, the audience at Calvin’s Recital Hall should be prepared for a wild ride with Mr. Walker. And cheap tickets — $10 general admission — are still available.
Deafman Glance is Walker’s fifth album release since 2014, not to mention three EP releases between 2011-13, including The Evidence of Things Unseen, originally only available on cassette. (Ya, he’s worked his way up.) His 2015 album release, Primrose Green, gained a ton of buzz and included several notable Chicago jazz and experimental musicians doing their instrumental things.
While Walker is probably proud of Deafman Glance, he quickly moved on to the next thing on his non-stop musical ride.
“It’s a good record. But I can’t really listen to it anymore. It kind of broke my brain,” Walker said in supplied material. “I was under a lot of stress because I was trying to make an anti-folk record and I was having trouble doing it. I wanted to make something deep-fried and more me-sounding. I didn’t want to be jammy acoustic guy anymore. I just wanted to make something weird and far-out that came from the heart finally.”
An initial listen of Deafman left me with the feel that I was on a long road-trip with the musician, with the smooth, confident alt-pop songwriting flowing forth often in almost stream of consciousness, accompanied by long long instrumental/synth experimentations. My favorite cuts were “Opposite Middle”, “Spoil With the Rest” and, for an unknown reason, the hypnotic instrumental “Rocks on Rainbow”. But there are several soft, almost spacey ballads.
From Deafman, Walker turned to The Lillywhite Sessions, and a sometimes complete reinterpretation of Matthews songs, which Walker describes as “a record where (Matthews) and his band indulged a new adult pathos and a budding musical wanderlust … (with Walker’s covers being) one adolescent fan’s fulfillment of that possibility, a partial musical map of the places that this trio’s early interest in Matthews has since taken them.”
An initial listen to Lillywhite found interpretations filled with both smooth and jagged synth riffs, sparse almost jazzy horn riffs, and often haunting alt-pop sounds. Having little experience with Matthews’ originals, I found “Big Red Fish” to be my favorite, while “Grace is Gone” was the one original remembered, but I was still drawn to Walker’s clear, clean version.
The period of the making of Deafman and Lillywhite was, not so incidentally, actually filled with the “a new adult pathos” of Walker’s own.
Ryley Walker. (Supplied photo by Evan Jenkins)
“I quit drugs and booze recently,” he says. “I got sick of being a party animal — I don’t want to be 19-gin-and-tonics-Ryley any more. My brain is working a little better now, but man I was just going at it pretty wildly, and then trying to make a record (Deafman Glance) while I was drinking, it was kind of like torture.
“The songs (on Deafman) don’t really deal with any political or personal or social issues at all. Mostly it just comes from being bummed out. And there’s not a lot of musical influences on the record. I wasn’t even listening to music when I made it. … Maybe I’d say it’s a record for coming up or coming down. It’s not an album for the middle of the day. It’s for the beginning or end of it.”
Can’t think of a better way to end a work day than catching Walker at Calvin.
The concert will be somewhere in Calvin’s Covenant Fine Arts Center, 1795 Knollcrest Circle SE, Grand Rapids. For tickets and information, visit calvin.edu/calendar/event . For more on Ryley Walker visit ryleywalker.com.
The War and Treaty, featuring Michael and Tanya Trotter, has been added to the St. Cecilia Acoustic Café Folk Series, with the performance set for Feb. 24. (Supplied)
Anybody who attended the recent Bob Seger concert in Grand Rapids already know that The War and Treaty — which opened the Seger show — are worth the price of a ticket all by themselves.
The rest of us will just have to find out for ourselves at St. Cecilia Music Center in February.
St. Cecilia on Monday announced that the band, featuring Michael and Tanya Trotter, has been added to the Acoustic Café Folk Series, with the performance set for Sunday, Feb. 24, at 7:30 p.m.
“The War and Treaty’s Motown sound with soul and folk roots … are a powerful duo who are on the rise and we are excited to feature them,” Cathy Holbrook, St. Cecilia executive director, said in supplied material.
Tickets for The War and Treaty are now on sale. (Tickets are also still available for this week’s folk series performance by the The Lone Bellow, who will take the St. Cecilia stage Thursday, Nov. 29, at 7:30 p.m.)
The War and Treaty, featuring Michael and Tanya Trotter, sing songs of their lives and of other lives. (Supplied)
The War and Treaty, according to supplied material, “blend roots, folk, gospel, and soul, reaching back through their deep-rooted history to conjure up the strength of their ancestors. Their Down to the River EP (2017) boasts a sound that’s both stirring and sensual, driven by joy, determination, and an unceasing upward gaze.”
Lofty sounding words, but their real life stories provide evidence to the description.
The backstory of the band, and its name apparently, is a story of the separate but now joined musical paths of Michael and Tanya. One found their voice during childhood; the other found it during time of war. And their songs now blend to show life — real life, of real people.
After winning a talent show when she was 13, Tanya knew singing would be her life, her supplied biography states. Growing up in a tight-knit community just outside of Washington, D.C., she had a voice described as “honeyed and bold, guttural but angelic.” She started writing songs young as well, often alone in her room at night.
Michael spent part of his childhood in Cleveland before moving with his mother, brother, and sister to Washington, D.C. The family spent time in and out of homeless shelters – a limbo Michael would experience again as an adult. He was 19 when his first daughter, Michaela, was born, he “joined the Army for her,” he says in his supplied bio. Michael enlisted in the United States Army in 2003.
The musical transformative days, came when he was sent to Iraq, and stationed in one of Saddam Hussein’s ruined palaces. There, he had access to a piano that had emerged miraculously unscathed. An American officer heard him play and sing, and he encouraged Michael to pursue music. When that same officer was killed, Michael sat down to write the first of his many songs, some for other fallen comrades.
When Michael returned home, he was booked on a festival, where he met Tanya Blount. Today, they’re married, with a 6-year-old son, and writing and singing songs that, again, translate life, real life, to the audience.
“You have to have a deep place of love within yourself to be vulnerable,” Tanya said in describing their music. “With The War and Treaty, we allow people to see two people that are not perfect. We get on stage. We sweat. We’re overweight. We yell. We get ugly, we scream! My hair comes loose. We’re vulnerable — naked — in front of people, and it’s a chain reaction. It allows them to be vulnerable, too.”
For more information on The War and Treaty visit their website: thewarandtreaty.com/ .
Tickets for The War and Treaty are $30 and $30. All concert tickets can be purchased by calling St. Cecilia Music Center at 616-459-2224 or visiting the box office at 24 Ransom Ave. NE. A post-concert “Meet-the-artist” party with wine and beer will be offered to all ticket-holders, giving the audience the opportunity to meet the artists and to obtain signed CDs of their releases. For more information or to purchase tickets online visit www.scmc-online.org.
Comedian, actor, writer, producer, and director Aziz Ansari is bringing his “Road to Nowhere” Tour to Grand Rapids! The MASTER OF NONE star will take the stage at SMG-managed DeVos Performance Hall on Friday, April 26, 2019, at 7:30pm*.
Tickets go on sale to the general public beginning Friday, Nov. 30 at 12pm. Tickets will be available at the DeVos Place® and Van Andel Arena® box offices, online at Ticketmaster.com, and charge by phone at 1-800-745-3000. A purchase limit of four (4) tickets will apply to every order. See Ticketmaster.com for all pricing and availability.
Fans who register as a Ticketmaster Verified Fan by Wednesday, Nov. 28 at 10pm will receive a personal presale code to gain presale access to tickets with a 10% discount on Friday, Nov. 30 at 10am.
*No late seating. No cellphones, cameras or recording devices will be allowed at this show. Upon arrival, all phones and smart watches will be secured in Yondr pouches that will be unlocked at the end of the show. Guests maintain possession of their phones throughout the night, and if needed, may access their phones at designated Yondr unlocking stations in the lobby. All guests are encouraged to print their tickets in advance to ensure a smooth entry process. Anyone caught with a cellphone in the venue will be immediately ejected. We appreciate your cooperation in creating a phone-free viewing experience.
Oh Brudder Productions own all rights in the content and materials delivered during his performance (the “Materials”). Any use of the Materials without the express prior written consent of Oh Brudder Productions is strictly prohibited and is punishable to the full extent of the law.
About Aziz Ansari
Aziz Ansari is a stand-up comedian, actor, writer, producer and director. Ansari stars in his Emmy Award-winning Netflix hit MASTER OF NONE, which he also writes and directs. Among several other awards and nominations, the show has earned him a 2017 Golden Globe Award for “Best Actor in a TV Series, Comedy” as well as nominations for “Best TV Series, Musical or Comedy” in 2016 and 2017. In 2017, Ansari was honored with the Charlie Chaplin Britannia Award of Excellence in Comedy, a SAG nomination for “Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Comedy Series,” and the WGAW Evan Somers Award for outstanding writing featuring characters with disabilities, for the MASTER OF NONE episode “New York, I Love You.”
In 2015, Aziz became one of the only headlining comedians ever to sell out Madison Square Garden in New York. His two sold-out performances at the legendary arena were filmed for his fourth comedy special, AZIZ ANSARI: LIVE AT MADISON SQUARE GARDEN, which was released on Netflix in March 2015. In 2013, his hour-long stand-up special BURIED ALIVE premiered on Netflix to rave reviews. Aziz’s other comedy specials include DANGEROUSLY DELICIOUS and INTIMATE MOMENTS FOR A SENSUAL EVENING. He continues to perform stand-up for tens of thousands of people all around the world.
Aziz co-starred opposite Amy Poehler in the beloved NBC series Parks and Recreation for the show’s entire seven season run. Aziz’s portrayal of government employee ‘Tom Haverford’ earned him critical praise as one of the show’s breakout stars and garnered him nominations for an American Comedy Award for “Best Comedy Supporting Actor – TV” and a NAACP Image Award for “Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series” in 2014.
Aziz has also appeared on the big screen in THIS IS THE END, FUNNY PEOPLE, 30 MINUTES OR LESS, GET HIM TO THE GREEK, I LOVE YOU, MAN, and OBSERVE AND REPORT, and lent his voice to animated projects in both film and television; the FOX animated series BOB’S BURGERS as ‘Deryl’ and in Twentieth Century Fox’s animated features EPIC and ICE AGE: CONTINENTAL DRIFT, which grossed $268 million and $877 million worldwide, respectively.
For his career in comedy, Aziz received VARIETY’s “Power of Comedy” Award in 2014. Aziz got his start in entertainment performing at the Upright Citizens Brigade Theatre and with the sketch comedy group HUMAN GIANT.
You can get a charge these days at Comstock Park’s Bier Distillery: you, your car and your pancakes.
Bier Distillery recently re-released its Redeemed Whiskey, and whiskey made from beer pulled off the tap. The original beer was a sour beer, we are told, so the whiskey will be “nothing like you’ve ever tasted before.”
Speaking of something never tasted before … The brewery/distillery also released a maple syrup that — and I quote — is a “barrel aged maple syrup (which) exclusively uses syrup from our local farms to provide a a wonderfully unique flavor. Aged in our own used Michigan white oak whiskey barrels, the syrup has been transformed with notes of brown butter, creamy vanilla, smokey oak, and caramel.” Warning: it is an very limited release. But can you imagine giving that as a holiday gift.
The final charge to be gained from the Bier Distillery is its electric car charging stations, which earlier this fall hosted a Tesla takeover.
“The number of electric cars on the road will only be increasing in the near future,” management previously said about the car chargers. “The cars need convenient places to recharge, and the drivers often need to recharge as well.”
Dark Beer, Dark Side returns to GRPM on Black Friday
Can you think of a better way to end the day of craziness that is Black Friday than attending an evening music/light show performance at the Grand Rapids Public Museum (GRPM) which, in partnership with Brewery Vivant, will host Dark Beer, Dark Side.
Beginning at 7 p.m. on Friday, Nov. 23, attendees will hear a brief 45 minute presentation from Ryan Engemann, the Wandering Monk from Brewery Vivant, on the differences between various dark beers including Brewery Vivant’s highly anticipated release of Tart Side of the Moon. After the presentation, visitors have the chance to grab another beer before entering the Chaffee Planetarium for the Museum’s original production, Dark Side: The Light Show, set to the music of Pink Floyd.
“Shine on your crazy diamond …” You either know it or you don’t.
Tickets include 3 beer samples and admission to the evening’s planetarium show. Beer samples will be Tart Side of the Barrel, Tart Side of the Moon and Velvet Stud. Tickets are $22 and $12 for Museum members. Must be 21 or older to participate.
The Grand Rapids Public Museum is located in downtown Grand Rapids, at 272 Pearl Street, NW. For more information visit www.grpm.org.
Grey Skies fall releases includes Breakfast Bourbon
Grand Rapids Grey Skies Distillery on Nov. 20 released its limited-edition Breakfast Bourbon, whichwas aged more than two years and bottled at 87 proof. According to supplied material, the bourbonspent time in two different barrels, starting in charred new, oak barrels before it was finished for 9 months in maple syrup casks.
“Breakfast Bourbon offers a playful twist on a typical bourbon whiskey,” Steve Vander Pol, co-owner of Gray Skies Distillery, said in supplied material. “We infused maple flavor into the whiskey by taking a traditional bourbon and finishing it for 9 months in a barrel that was previously used to age maple syrup … The maple finish amplifies the sweetness inherent in bourbon whiskey and imparts a creamy mouthfeel to the viscous finished spirit.”
For more information about Gray Skies Distillery please visit the Gray Skies Distillery website.
The City of Kentwood’s busy holiday schedule started with an Ugly Sweater Cross County 5K run on Saturday, Nov. 17, but that is just the start of the city’s season’s offerings.
Next up will be the annual Tree Lighting Ceremony and Holiday Light Parade, slated for Friday, Dec. 7. Centered around the Kent District Library – Kentwood (Richard L. Root) Branch, the free event will take place from 5 to 8 p.m.
The Holiday Light Parade will start at 6 p.m., at the Kentwood Public Works, located at 5068 Breton Ave. SE, and travel north to the Kentwood Justice Center at 4740 Walma Ave. SE. Roads will be closed from 5:50 p.m. to 6:25 p.m. for the parade, which will affect both Breton Avenue and Walma Avenue.
At 6:30 p.m., city officials accompanied by carolers will conduct the annual Tree Lighting Ceremony. Following the tree lighting, community members will have the opportunity to take pictures with Santa, go on carriage rides and enjoy a musical performance by the East Kentwood High School Jazz Band. The Elves Express Gift Shop will be open at the library for the duration of the event, offering a variety of gift items and gift-wrapping services.
The Ugly Sweater 5K run featured a route that showcased two Kentwood parks and a portion of the Paul Henry Thornapple Trail. Proceeds from the race will support the Kentwood Parks and Recreation Youth Scholarship Fund, which allows recipients to receive up to 50 percent off of one program per season.
More information about Tree Lighting Ceremony and Holiday Light Parade, as well as other community events, is available on the City’s website at www.kentwood.us.
Experience the joy of the holidays at Frederik Meijer Gardens & Sculpture Park with the annual Christmas and Holiday Traditions Around the World exhibition on display from Nov. 20 through Jan. 6, 2019. Guests from all over the world visit Meijer Gardens to experience 42 Christmas and holiday trees and displays representing countries and cultures from across the globe. The always favorite and enchanting Railway Garden and the holiday wonderland that encompasses it will once again wind its way through three lush indoor garden spaces, including the recently renovated Grace Jarecki Seasonal Display Greenhouse.
Guests are invited to ring in the holiday season with our most beloved winter exhibition. It’s the season of joy! This year Meijer Gardens celebrates how our community and communities around the world joyfully commemorate the diverse and generations-old traditions that remain vibrant today. Visitors will experience a world of cultural celebrations, represented across 42 different displays that explore folklore and fact, past and present.
In many cultures, the holidays bring people together in distinct and memorable ways that are difficult to capture in a display. New this year, Meijer Gardens is presenting a wondrous original film, joy, that explores the diverse festive fabric that is holiday life across our local communities. This film will be shown continuously in the Hoffman Family Auditorium and is available on the Meijer Gardens YouTube channel as well. “This year we take note of how our community joyfully commemorates the diverse, generations-old traditions that remain vibrant today though joy, a new film exploring the festive fabric that is holiday life across our local community,” said Maureen Nollette, Annual Exhibitions Assistant Designer.
Each winter, Meijer Gardens transforms into a botanic wonderland with fresh poinsettias, orchids, and amaryllis. The smell of evergreens as visitors enter the building and the sounds of carolers make it a place to reflect and enjoy the holiday season. Indoors and out, trees sparkle with 300,000 colorful lights. More than 500 volunteers lovingly decorate the trees and displays.
Photo courtesy Frederik Meijer Gardens & Sculpture Park
The unique horticultural artistry of the beloved Railway Garden complements the model trolleys, trains and handcrafted buildings replicating 30 Grand Rapids landmarks. Visitors will find familiarity in the Fifth Third Ballpark replica building with its light posts made of willow, as well as striking hydrangea petals that make up the iconic glass tower of the Helen DeVos Children’s Hospital. Five landmarks from Grand Rapids sister cities around the world are also represented in the Railway Garden.
“This holiday season, guests have a special opportunity to see how our community joyfully celebrates a variety of traditions from centuries ago that remain vibrant today,” said Steve LaWarre, Director of Horticulture. “These traditions are wonderful, celebratory aspects of West Michigan’s diversity and community.”
Mainstays of the exhibition include the Germany tree, adorned with handmade glass ornaments and homemade springerle cookies, the England tree—with antique Christmas cards and mistletoe—and the beautiful Eid ul-Fitr display, which celebrates the end of Ramadan.
A variety of family-friendly activities are offered throughout the exhibition.
Exhibition Activities
Extended Holiday Hours:Open until 9 pm on Dec. 17,18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 26, 27, 28 and 29. (PLEASE NOTE: Meijer Gardens is CLOSED on Thanksgiving Day, Christmas Day and New Year’s Day).
The Original Dickens Carolers: Tuesdays: Nov. 20 and 27, Dec. 4, 11, 18, 6-8 pm
Santa Visits: Tuesdays: Nov. 20 and 27, Dec. 4, 11, 18, 5-8 pm
Winter-Time Walks: (Nov. 20-Jan. 5, 2019)
Tuesdays 10:15am and 11:15am, Saturdays 11:15am
Fee: Included with admission
Winter in the Lena Meijer Children’s Garden can be chilly, but fun! Bundle up and join us on an outdoor interactive discovery walk to investigate the Children’s Garden in new ways. We’ll explore different winter themes and gather in a cozy spot to learn about winter with stories, kid-friendly conversation, and other activities.
Christmas and Holiday Themed Classes: Enjoy festive learning opportunities for adults and families. Fees apply. Visit MeijerGardens.org/calendar for more information.
At 6:30 p.m., Kentwood city officials accompanied by carolers will conduct the annual Tree Lighting Ceremony.
City of Kentwood
The City of Kentwood invites the community to begin the holidays with its annual Tree Lighting Ceremony and Holiday Light Parade, slated for Friday, Dec. 7. Centered around the Kent District Library – Kentwood (Richard L. Root) Branch, the free event will take place from 5 to 8 p.m.
The evening will be filled with festive activities, including a parade, live holiday music and carriage rides, as well as caroling and a tree lighting ceremony. Hot chocolate and cookies will be offered, and Santa, of course, will be there to take pictures with families.
“The holidays are special times every year that bring families and communities together,” said Kentwood Mayor Stephen Kepley. “In Kentwood, we are working diligently to create memories for both the young and old by sponsoring a holiday evening in Kentwood. The tree lighting and parade along with other family activities that night are becoming a tradition in Kentwood that we hope our friends and neighbors will enjoy.”
The Holiday Light Parade will start at 6 p.m., at the Kentwood Public Works, located at 5068 Breton Ave. SE, and travel north to the Kentwood Justice Center at 4740 Walma Ave. SE. Roads will be closed from 5:50 p.m. to 6:25 p.m. for the parade, which will affect both Breton Avenue and Walma Avenue.
At 6:30 p.m., city officials accompanied by carolers will conduct the annual Tree Lighting Ceremony.
Following the tree lighting, community members will have the opportunity to take pictures with Santa, go on carriage rides and enjoy a musical performance by the East Kentwood High School Jazz Band. The Elves Express Gift Shop will be open at the library for the duration of the event, offering a variety of gift items and gift-wrapping services.
As with any large community event, the city relies on volunteers to ensure a smooth-moving event. Individuals interested in helping with the evening festivities may sign up online. The cost to participate is $15.
There are also openings for the parade. Groups interested in participating can submit a parade entry form online, The cost to participate is $15.
More information about Tree Lighting Ceremony and Holiday Light Parade, as well as other community events, is available on the City’s website at www.kentwood.us.
The Triiio Tour features the three key members of The Lone Bellow — guitarist/vocalist Zach Williams, guitarist Brian Elmquist, and multi-instrumentalist Kanene Donehey Pipkin — playing in concert as a trio with no back up band.
The Lone Bellow, the band’s hearts and souls anyway, will bring their alt/indie Americana folk sounds to St. Cecilia Music Center’s stage later this month as part of its Acoustic Cafe Folk series with the Royce Auditorium stage set for an unusual but alluring concert focused on the band’s one-mic sounds.
Grand Rapids will, in fact, be among the first cities in the U.S. to feature The Lone Bellow’s Triiio Tour, which not only focuses the band down to its core three but also highlights their new acoustic EP, Restless, released Oct. 19.
And tickets remain available for the Thursday, Nov. 29, show, scheduled for 7:30 p.m. with a post-concert party open to all ticket-holders and giving the audience the opportunity to possibly meet the artists and obtain signed CDs of their releases.
The Triiio Tour features the three key members of The Lone Bellow — guitarist/vocalist Zach Williams, guitarist Brian Elmquist, and multi-instrumentalist Kanene Donehey Pipkin — playing in concert as a trio with no back up band. (Something which experienced fans know from previous live shows where the trio would gather for a couple of songs as part of an intimate acoustic interlude.)
“We are very excited to welcome The Lone Bellow on this special acoustic tour,” Cathy Holbrook, St. Cecilia executive director, said in supplied material. “SCMC will be the perfect venue for this great band and their acoustic sound.”
The Triiio Tour is also a live presentation of their Restless EP, which features new songs, two covers, and three reworked versions of songs from previous records form the Brooklyn-born, now Nashville-based band.
“Since we released our first album in 2013, we’ve been setting a few songs aside every night to sing together around one mic, and those times have become some of our most memorable musical moments of touring together,” Williams said in supplied material. “We were prompted to make a record that would capture that feeling, and to make it ourselves. We had never done that before. We ended up making it in Jason and Kanene’s attic along with all of the natural sounds of that space: floors creaking, birds chirping, babies crying, lawnmowers running. It was a joy to make.”
The Restless EP was produced by Brian Elmquist and Jason Pipkin. For more information on The Lone Bellow, visit here.
Remaining tickets for The Lone Bellow are $30. All concert tickets can be purchased by calling St. Cecilia Music Center at 616-459-2224 or visiting the box office at 24 Ransom Ave. NE. For more information or to purchase tickets online visit www.scmc-online.org.
This year marks the twenty-first anniversary of celebrating the holidays for Christmas Lite Show — a Grand Rapids-area holiday attraction. Christmas Lite Show is West Michigan’s largest, animated, drive-through light show. Located at Fifth Third Ballpark in Comstock Park, the attraction maintains almost two miles of lights, tunnels, and animated displays and entertained over 70,000 visitors last year.
Founder, Bill Schrader hopes to continue “Making Lifetime Memories” for other West Michigan families like his own, who helped him open and grow the attraction throughout its twenty-one years.
The popular Memory Lane Train will return for a second season. Guests can experience maximum views under the sky on this open-air train ride. Also new this year is the 2018 Season Pass Giveaway. The Lite Show will be giving away 21 Season Passes, announced Saturday, Dec. 1st. Santa will visit the Christmas Lite Show on select dates in November and December. To find these dates and more information, please visit christmasliteshow.com.
This year, the Lite Show will open Wednesday, Nov. 21st and run until Monday, Dec. 31st, including all holidays, from 5:30pm until 9:30pm. The Bicycle Blast family bike ride through the lights will take place Friday, Nov. 16th from 6pm until 8:30pm and the Red Nose Run will take place Saturday, Nov. 17th from 6pm until 8:30pm New this year is the Winter Wonder Walk, which lets guests walk through the show at their own pace and take close-up photos. The walk will begin at 7pm on Saturday, Nov. 17th, just after the Red Nose Run.
The Muskegon Museum of Art’s 14th Festival of Trees runs Nov. 21 through Dec. 2, 2018. Each year, MMA volunteers and staff transform gallery spaces with festively designed Christmas trees and decorations, many of which can be purchased through the silent auction during the Festival. The Festival has become a local community holiday tradition that offers special events, holiday music, visits with Santa, Money Tree and special gift raffles, and holiday shopping. Festival of Trees looks different every year; this year’s theme is “A Fantastical Holiday Adventure.”
Funds raised through tree and decoration sales, raffles, sponsorships, and ticket sales benefit the museum. For information on sponsoring an event or tree in 2019, call 231.720.2573.
Hours
The Festival will be open Wednesday, Nov. 21 through Sunday, Dec. 2 and will be closed on Thanksgiving. Open daily 10am to 5pm and Sundays noon to 5pm.
Admission
Purchase tickets at the door: $10 Adult, $5 MMA Member, $3 child 3-17 years (under 3 free); $15 Every-Day Festival Pass. To purchase gift passes, call 231.720.2580 or purchase at the Museum Store.
Special Festival of Trees Events
First Day Food Drive — Wednesday, Nov. 21
Special half-off adult admission: $5 with a food donation for Loaves and Fishes food pantry, just in time for the holidays. Regular adult admission: $10.
Family Day — Friday, Nov. 23, 10am-5pm
Santa will stop in for a visit from 2-4pm and the fun will include a kids’ craft activity, scavenger hunt, and performances from The Nutcracker by the Michigan Youth Ballet Theatre from 1-3pm. Call 231.720.2571 for group bookings. Special Family Day half-off adult ticket price: $5.
Teddy Bear Breakfast is especially fun for kids ages 3 to 8 years old, with a full family breakfast; visit with Santa, teddy bear checkup (by a certified teddy bear nurse), Teddy Bear Parade, and more.
Tickets: Adults $15, Kids 12 and younger $8. Tickets include breakfast, all activities, and Festival of Trees admission. Tickets are limited and sell out early. Call 231.720.2580 to purchase tickets in advance.
Floral designers Deb Moon from Lefleur Shoppe and Skeeter Parkhouse from Wasserman’s Flowers and Gifts will demo how to create unique holiday décor during this event. Ticket includes a take-home DIY kit, refreshments, and Festival of Trees admission. Items created during the demo will be raffled to the audience. Holiday Cheer, from 1:00 to 1:30 pm, will include a light snack, coffee, and cash bar.
Space is limited.
Advance Tickets: $35 per person/$30 MMA member. Call 231.720.2580 to purchase. Purchase tickets by Nov. 18.
Senior Day — Tuesday, Nov. 27, 10am-5pm
Special Senior Day half-off ticket price: $5 for ages 65+. Free coffee and cookies, vendor samples, door prizes, and more. For large groups, call 231.720.2571.
THE SANTALAND DIARIES by David Sedaris, Presented by Andrew Zahrt Friday, Nov. 30 & Saturday, Dec. 1, 6:30pm Cocktail Hour | 7:30pm Performance
(ADULT CONTENT: For mature elves only). THE SANTALAND DIARIES is the story of a Macy’s elf during the holiday crunch. At first, the job is simply humiliating, but once the thousands of visitors start pouring through Santa’s workshop, he becomes battle-weary and bitter. When a new Santa is ushered into the workshop, one who seems to care about and love the children who come to see him, our hero experiences an uncharacteristic moment of goodwill, just before his employment runs out. Arranged by Joe Mantello
Ticket includes cocktail hour with a complimentary drink and refreshments in the Festival of Trees galleries. $12 adult, $10 MMA Member, $15 at the door.
Call 231.720.2580 to order advance tickets.
Santa at Festival of Trees
Santa will be at the museum on Family Day and on Saturdays during Festival of Trees:
Family Day Friday, Nov. 23, 2–4pm
Saturday, Nov. 24, 12–2pm
Saturday, Dec. 1, 2–4pm
The Muskegon Museum of Art is located at 296 W. Webster Ave. in downtown Muskegon. Visitor information at www.muskegonartmuseum.org or 231.720.2570. Membership information: 231.720.2571. Museum Store and Event Ticket Sales: 231.720.2580.
With thrilling acrobatics, classic films and timeless music, the sublime sounds of the holidays from the Grand Rapids Pops are sure to make spirits bright.
Carrying on tradition, the Grand Rapids Symphony once again presents its Wolverine Worldwide Holiday Pops on Dec. 6-9 and Old National Bank Cirque de Noël on Dec. 19-20 in DeVos Performance Hall.
Also coming to the DeVos Performance Hall are two full-length feature holiday film concerts, The Snowman on Nov. 17 and Home Alone Nov. 29.
Principal Pops conductor Bob Bernhardt will lead the Symphony in the old, familiar carols and other timeless holiday melodies in this year’s Wolverine Worldwide Holiday Pops.
Joining the Symphony in favorites such as the “Hallelujah Chorus” from Handel’s Messiah and music from the 1990 filmHome Aloneare the joyful voices of the Grand Rapids Symphony Chorus, led by director Pearl Shangkuan, and the Grand Rapids Symphony Youth Chorus, directed by Sean Ivory.
Bass-baritone Justin Hopkins, who was a special guest for the Grand Rapids Symphony’s 2016 Holiday Pops, will return to DeVos Performance Hall to perform You’re a Mean One, Mr. Grinch among other holiday hits. Hopkins’ appearance is sponsored by Jim & Ginger Jurries.
West Michigan’s own Embellish handbell ensemble, directed by Stephanie Wiltse, will return to the Holiday Pops to ring holiday favorites including Sing We Now of Christmas and the Coventry Carol.
Five performances of the Wolverine Worldwide Holiday Pops will be held at 7:30 p.m. Thursday, Dec. 6, and at 8 p.m. Friday and Saturday, Dec. 7-8. Matinees will be at 3 p.m. Saturday and Sunday, Dec. 8-9, in DeVos Performance Hall. Tickets for this Fox Motors Pops concert start at $18 adults, $5 students.
Cirque de la Symphonie
Since 2009, Cirque de la Symphonie has spent part of each Christmas season in Grand Rapids. This year, for the 10th annual Old National Bank Cirque de Noël with the Grand Rapids Symphony, Cirque de la Symphonie will once again bring the magic and thrill of the holiday season to DeVos Performance Hall at 7:30 p.m. on Dec. 19-20.
The company of acrobats, jugglers, contortionists and aerial artists will make merry with amazing feats of agility and strength, accompanied by beloved Christmas songs and classical favorites. Acts include aerial artists Vitalii Buza and Ekaterina Borzikova performing above the DeVos Hall stage while the Grand Rapids Symphony plays the “Waltz of the Flowers” from Tchaikovsky’s The Nutcracker.
Associate Conductor John Varineau leads the orchestra in familiar melodies such as Leroy Anderson’s A Christmas Festival, Franz Schubert’s Ava Maria, and Duke Ellington’s “Peanut Brittle Brigade” from The Nutcracker Suite.
Kicking off the Grand Rapids Symphony’s holiday season in November are two full-length feature film concerts.
The Snowman returns once more to inspire children of all ages with the story of a boy who builds a snowman who comes to life and leads him on a wide-eyed and wondrous adventure to meet Father Christmas.
The hour-long DTE Energy Foundation Family series concert, which has sold-out past performances by the Grand Rapids Symphony, features the popular animated short, projected onto a 40-foot screen, accompanied by a live performance of Howard Blake’s musical score at 3 p.m. on Saturday, Nov. 17. Tickets are $15 adults, $5 children.
Full of clever antics and comical wit, the 1990 film Home Alone is sure to get everyone in the holiday spirit at 7:30 p.m., Thursday, Nov. 29, part of the Gerber SymphonicBoom series.
A modern holiday classic starring Macaulay Culkin, Home Alone is the story of an 8-year-old troublemaker, accidentally left behind by his family on Christmas vacation, who must protect his home from a pair of inept burglars.
See the full-length film with the Grand Rapids Pops performing John Williams’ delightfully sentimental and sweet score, full of hummable melodies that evoke a child’s view of family and Christmas. Tickets start at $32.
Tickets
Tickets for Grand Rapids Symphony concerts and are available at the Symphony box office, weekdays 9 am – 5 pm at 300 Ottawa Ave. NW, Suite 100, (located across the street from Calder Plaza). Call (616) 454-9451 x 4 to order by phone. (Phone orders will be charged a $2 per ticket service fee, with a $12 maximum).
Tickets are available at the DeVos Place ticket office, weekdays 10am-6pm or on the day of the concert beginning two hours before the performance. Tickets also may be purchased online at GRSymphony.org.
Special Offers
For the Wolverine Worldwide Holiday Pops concert on Thursday, Dec. 6 or the matinee on Saturday, Dec. 8, full-time students of any age can purchase tickets for $5 on the night of the concert by enrolling in the GRS Student Tickets program, sponsored by Calvin College.
Discounts also are available for the Holiday Pops to members of MySymphony360, the Grand Rapids Symphony’s organization for young professionals ages 21-35.
Students age 7-18 are able to attend for some concerts for free when accompanied by an adult. Free for Kids tickets must be purchased in advance at the GRS Ticket office. Up to two free tickets are available with the purchase of a regular-price adult ticket for the Wolverine Worldwide Holiday Pops on Thursday, Dec. 6 or for The Snowman on Saturday, Nov. 17. Go online for more details.
Symphony Scorecard provides members up to four free tickets for many Grand Rapids Symphony concerts. Members of the community receiving financial assistance from the State of Michigan and members of the U.S. Armed Forces, whether on active or reserve duty or serving in the National Guard, are eligible. All concerts in the Wolverine Worldwide Holiday Pops and DTE Energy Foundation Family Series are available to Scorecard members. Go online for information on signing up with a Symphony Scorecard Partner Agency.
"People rarely succeed unless they have fun in what they are doing."
~ Dale Carnegie
Don’t forget your roots
Searching for the perfect Christmas tree? You might want to check out Downtown Market’s Christmas Tree & Decor Lot, beginning Saturday, Nov. 17th. The market also has lots of other treasures and events coming up. Go here for more info.
Must open before Christmas
Bring the kids! The Grand Rapids Symphony Pops has quite the lineup this holiday season, from thrilling acrobatics, classic films and timeless music, to the the sublime sounds of the holidays, sure to make spirits bright. Go here for info.
It’s OK to wax nostalgic
This holiday season, you’re in for an extra-special treat! From Saturday, Nov. 17 through Jan. 18, the Grand Rapids Public Museum (GRPM) will have a community favorite on display — the Herpolsheimer’s Child Passenger Train. While you’re there, enjoy the Museum’s holiday decorations. Go here for more info.
Fun fact:
It was a simpler time.
Between 1887-1933 a fishing schooner called the "Christmas Ship" would tie up at the Clark Street bridge and sell spruce trees from Michigan to Chicagoans.
Mike Epps is generating an extraordinary amount of buzz among his peers for being not only one of the funniest comic actors in town, but also for his burgeoning dramatic talent. Now Epps will bring his talents to Grand Rapids for one show at SMG-managed Van Andel Arena on Saturday, April 20, 2019 at 8pm. The show will also feature Rickey Smiley, DC Young Fly, Earthquake, and Lavell Crawford.
Tickets will go on sale to the general public beginning Friday, Nov. 16 at 10am. Tickets will be available at the DeVos Place® and Van Andel Arena box offices, online atTicketmaster.com, and charge by phone at 1-800-745-3000. See Ticketmaster for all current pricing and availability.
Epps steadily climbed his way up the stand-up comedy ranks when he was recognized by a national audience in 1995 for appearing on HBO’s Def Comedy Jam (which, years later, he would go on to host). During a performance at LA’s Comedy Store, Epps caught the attention of Ice Cube. This led to the first of three feature films they would do together: the cult hits “Next Friday,” “Friday after Next,” and “All About the Benjamins.”
In 2011, he was awarded an NAACP Image Award for “Best Supporting Actor” for his role in the Sony Pictures film, “Jumping the Broom.” He continued to receive critical praise for his dramatic turn in 2012 with “Sparkle,” opposite Whitney Houston and Jordan Sparks. In 2016, he further pursued his dramatic side with two important roles: starring opposite Forest Whitaker and Anthony Mackie in the Lionsgate thriller, “Repentance,” being released through Lionsgate/Codeblack Entertainment, followed by the independent Nina Simone biopic, “Nina,” starring Zoe Saldana.
Mike was seen in three seasons of the Starz series “Survivor’s Remorse” produced by LeBron James and Mike O’Malley, and he won a 2016 NAACP Image award for “Best Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series” for his portrayal as Uncle Julius. On TV he can be seen opposite Queen Latifah in Fox’s “Star,” and he produced the first BET Social Media Awards which aired February 11. On March 28, Harper Collins released his autobiography called Unsuccessful Thug, written by Mike about his life and childhood.
Take a walk through each festively decorated room of the W.K. Kellogg Manor House, and complete your holiday shopping with treasures from local vendors.
On Friday, November 23 (Black Friday) and the five following Saturdays (Nov. 24, and Dec. 1, 8, 15, and 22), visit the Holiday Walk & Market for tours and shopping from 12–5pm. Docents will share the history of W.K.’s philanthropy and life at his former summer estate. End your tour with hot spiced tea and cookies, and time to browse items from local artists. Admission is $5 (free for members, students, and children under 5 years old).
General shopping hours and self-guided tours are also available Monday–Friday, from 9am to 3pm at no charge; donations to the Manor House are appreciated.
On Wednesday, Nov. 28, from 6:30–8:30pm, attend the Meet the Artist event to meet the local artists and vendors selling gifts throughout the home. Complimentary samples of MSU Wine and Cheese will be offered with options to purchase both, and a cash bar will be available. There is no charge for the Meet the Artist event.
Dec. 1 is Family Fun Day at the Manor House! From 12–5pm (during the Holiday Walk and Market), we welcome families to the Manor House for free crafts and winter fun! Bring out your snow shoes and other winter gear to enjoy the trails and lakeside views.
The W.K. Kellogg Manor House is located at 3700 E. Gull Lake Dr., in Hickory Corners. To learn more, visit conference.kbs.msu.edu, call 269-671-2400 or email conference@kbs.msu.edu.
The W.K. Kellogg Manor House is part of the W.K. Kellogg Biological Station. As MSU’s largest off-campus educational complex, land-grant values have been put into practice for nearly a hundred years with groundbreaking scientific research and education, community engagement, and historic preservation. Looking forward, students, staff and faculty are working to understand and solve real-world environmental problems for a better tomorrow.
KBS is more than any individual lab or location. There’s a story behind all that you see; look closer and you’ll find more amazing discoveries than ever before. To learn more about KBS, visit kbs.msu.edu.
