Tag Archives: Africa

Snapshots: Things to do in Grand Rapids this weekend

3-bottom, Citizen Journalism, , ,

By Anna Johns

WKTV intern

The way I see it, if you want the rainbow, you gotta put up with the rain.

Country Singer Dolly Parton
Wizards and muggles have a chance to explore the fantastic beasts of John Ball Zoo this weekend (John Ball Zoo)

The Fantastic Beasts of the Muggle World

Potion makers, spell casters and even muggles are invited to visit the John Ball Zoo, 1300 W. Fulton St., for a peek at the fantastic beasts of the muggle world. From 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Saturday and Sunday, and again next weekend, the lions, tigers, and bears will be out to showcase their unique talents during the Wizarding Weekends or visitors can take their chances in the forbidden forest. Costumes are highly encouraged. For more information, click here.

A Glimpse of Africa Festival

As part of Bridge GR, A Glimpse of Africa will be taking over Rosa Parks Circle on Saturday, Sept. 12, from noon to 8 p.m. Fashion, art, food, and music will be featured throughout the day with performances from the dancers of Eritrean Youth, comedian Daniel Kumapayi, the band Netty BM & Myra Maimoh, and many more. For guests safety, the event will be limited to 100 attendees throughout the day. For more information, visit the organization’s Facebook page.

Things that Go Bump in the Night

Take a walking tour around Grand Rapids this weekend and learn about the spooky history of the city. During this tour, guests will learn the stories of a ghostly janitor still trying to clean up in his after life and a recently deceased man who still roams the city. Guests will meet at Lyons Square, 295 Lyon NW (right next to Grand River). Guests have the choice of a daytime tour at 11 a.m. or a night tour at 7 p.m. The walking tour lasts for about 90 minutes. Tours run from September to October. For more information, click here.

The Mackinaw Bridge at sunset (WKTV)

Fun Fact: 150 million and still counting…

Completed in 1957, the Mackinaw Bridge, the longest suspension bridge in the Western Hemisphere, has been helping travelers go from the upper to the lower peninsula for more than five decades. Pre-COVID, the bridge averaged more than 11,600 vehicle crossings a day. In April 2020, that dropped to about 86,413 for the entire month. In September 2009, the bridge marked its 150th million vehicle crossing. To learn more about the Mackinaw Bridge, visit https://www.mackinacbridge.org/

New series focuses on the music, culture of Africa

Entertainment, , , , ,

By Joanne Bailey-Boorsma
joanne@wktv.org

It was a need that gave birth to Greater Grand Rapids’ newest cultural enterprise, the Motherland House Concerts.

Mirabel Umenei, who goes by the stage name Myra Maimoh, os a musician from Cameroon. When she arrived in Grand Rapids seven years ago, she began “looking for places to perform, to showcase my art and I was finding it difficult to do that. I also was finding other musicians from Africa who were facing the same issues,” Umenei said during a recent Locally Entertaining podcast.

From the right, Netty BM, Ruben Ndjerareou, Beatrice Muriithi, and Miracle Umenei join host Joanne Bailey-Boorsma for the Locally Entertaining podcast. (WKTV)

Umenei believed that if the various musicians and artists came together, they could do something to showcase the talents of the people from Africa. Thus Motherland House Concerts was born.

“The Motherland House Concerts is a platform where we showcase African music, African art, African storytelling, poetry and sometimes we have food and wines from Africa,” she said.

This Saturday, July 27, the Motherland House Concerts will feature a Padiman Experience Event, which provides an intimate showcase of African music and poetry. Saturday’s event, which is from 6 – 8 p.m., will focus on Senegal, the home country of featured artist Netty BM. The show is at Rising Grinds Cafe, 1167 Madison Ave. SE with tickets $25/advance, $30/at the door. The Padiman Experience will take place every fourth Saturday of the month.

In September will be the Banin Experience which pairs food, wine, poetry and music together. Those concerts will be Sept. 6 and 7 from 6- 9 p.m . at Rising Grinds Cafe. Tickets are $130.

“We hope to show that Africa is huge,” Umenei said. “That Africa is diverse, but it is oh so much fun!”

For more about The Motherland House Concerts, visit the Facebook page, Motherland House Concerts or go to Umenei’s website www.myramaimoh.com.