Tag Archives: Kentwood 4th of July parade

A fun, eventful July planned for the City of Kentwood

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(Photo Courtesy, City of Kentwood)




By Cris Greer
WKTV Managing Editor
greer@wktv.org


Kentwood’s Fourth of July Celebration kicks off a fun, eventful month. Be sure to check out all these cool upcoming events in July!








Celebrate the Fourth of July on Friday with a full day of activities.

  • 7:30 to 9:30 a.m. – Pancake Breakfast at Kentwood Fire Station 1, 4775 Walma Ave. SE.
  • 8 a.m. – 5K Race and Fun Walk at City Hall, 4900 Breton Ave. SE.
  • 9:30 a.m. – Parade following this route.
  • 10:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. – Carnival with rides and games for all ages at City Hall. Wristbands for the carnival will be available for purchase Wednesday, July 2, until Thursday, July 3 for $20 at City Hall and the Kentwood Activities Center.
  • 4 to 10 p.m. – Evening Celebration at City Hall with community booths, food trucks, a beer tent and live music – all leading up to FIREWORKS at DUSK.

Community members are encouraged to bring credit and debit cards to the event since all activities and many vendors are cashless. Find all the details, including parking and volunteer information, at kentwood.us/July4.


“Our Parks and Recreation and Public Works departments begin planning months in advance to make Kentwood’s Fourth of July Celebration a memorable event for all,” Parks and Recreation Director Val Romeo said. “From the morning pancake breakfast to the evening fireworks, this celebration is a great opportunity for our community to come together, have fun and honor the holiday.”

Check out the Kentwood Summer Concert Series Lineup for July
From 7 to 8:30 p.m. every Thursday through Aug. 14 there is live music from local bands. Bring a blanket or chair and watch the performances on the lawn behind Kentwood City Hall, 4900 Breton Ave. SE.

Kentwood Farmers Market and Summer Concert Series. (Photo Courtesy, City of Kentwood)

Food trucks will be on-site with food and beverages for purchase each week. Concertgoers may also bring their own food and beer or wine. Get there early and explore the Kentwood Farmers Market from 4:30 to 7:30 p.m. in the parking lot behind City Hall.




July’s lineup includes four performances:
July 10 – On the Lash, performing traditional Celtic music. Food trucks include Freddy Franks, Los Pinches Tacos and Dakiddd Bar-B-Que & Catering.
July 17 – Sunchaser, a five-piece band playing rock, country, blues, R&B and more. Food trucks include Taquero Mucho, Falafel Truck, Boujee Bowls and Taste of Toya’s World.
July 24 – Grupo Fierro, performing energetic norteño and tejano music. Food trucks include Kory’s Antojitos, Around Baking Company, Frostbite Shaved Ice and Patty Matters.
July 31 – Roosevelt Diggs, performing a blend of folk, country, bluegrass, blues and more. Food trucks include Freddy Franks, Tamales Mary, Sweet Racks & Smokin’ Butts BBQ and Dolce Mini Cakes.
Please note: There’s no concert or Farmers Market on July 3. For more information about the concerts, go to Kentwood.us/MarketsAndMusic.

Shop Local at the Kentwood Farmers Market through Aug. 21
The 11th season of the Kentwood Farmers Market runs through Aug. 21. You can find fresh produce, baked goods, tea, craft items and more from a variety of local vendors from 4:30 to 7:30 p.m. each Thursday behind Kentwood City Hall, 4900 Breton Ave. SE. Food trucks also are on-site each week.

Get the latest updates from the Kentwood Farmers Market Facebook page.


Kentwood Farmers Market. (Photo Courtesy, City of Kentwood)


Summer Food Programs

Free lunches for children and some adults are available again this summer through Kent District Library’s Gather 2 Grow program, a partnership with Feeding America West Michigan. Kids ages 0-18 and individuals who are younger than age 26 and have a disability can enjoy a nutritious lunch from noon to 1 p.m. Monday-Friday through Aug. 29 at KDL – Kentwood (Richard L. Root), 4950 Breton Ave. SE. Learn more at kdl.org/lunch.


In addition, the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services is starting its annual SUN Bucks (Summer EBT) program, providing eligible households with $120 per child to purchase nutritious groceries. This initiative ensures kids have access to healthy food while school is out, bridging a gap in food security for thousands of kids in Michigan. Learn more and apply here.


The Kent District Library (KDL) Kentwood Branch Library. (WKTV)

Kent District Library – Kentwood (Richard L. Root) Events
The Kent District Library – Kentwood (Richard L. Root) Branch will offer a variety of programs this month, including:
KDL Lab Experience: Creature Power: Thursday, July 3, 10-11 a.m. Explore the amazing world of creatures big and small as we dive into fun animal activities.
Ruff Readers: Tuesday, July 8, 6:30-7:30 p.m. This unique read-aloud program in partnership with West Michigan Therapy Dogs Inc. pairs kids with a trained therapy dog and their handler. Kids read their favorite book and the pooches curl up, listen and enjoy.
Eric Litwin – Pete the Cat Family Concert: Tuesday, July 15, 10-11 a.m. Join Eric Litwin, the original author of the “Pete the Cat” series as well as the author of “The Nuts and Groovy Joe,” for a groovy time of song singing, guitar strumming and picture taking.
Chasing the Aurora Below the 45th Parallel: What It Takes to Catch the Northern Lights: Tuesday, July 22, 6:30-7:30 p.m. Join Melissa Kaelin, founder of Michigan Aurora Chasers and author of “Beyond the 45th Parallel,” to discover how to view the northern lights. Learn how an aurora is created and the best methods for predicting an aurora display.


Also, check out KDL’s Author Talks, online conversations in which authors of interesting, popular, informative and compelling books share more about their work, their writing process and the things that inspire them. These conversations are led by passionate readers from the Library Speakers Consortium, and they offer a chance for attendees to ask questions about their favorite authors and topics. Learn more at kdl.org/authortalks. Find a full list of KDL events at kdl.org


Home Lead Inspections
Get ahead of lead: Homeowners who live in a home built before 1978 can get free paint, dust and soil lead testing through Kent County Community Action. Learn more and apply for the Kent County Lead Evaluation and Reduction program by visiting gettingaheadoflead.com/kclear.

Kentwood announces Fourth of July Celebration schedule; All-ages event includes a full day of activities on Friday, July 4

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City of Kentwood Fourth of July Celebration, 2024. (Photo Courtesy, City of Kentwood)



By WKTV Staff
greer@wktv.org

The City of Kentwood is inviting community members of all ages to join its Fourth of July celebration on Friday, July 4. 

The annual event includes a full day of activities for all ages and interests, including a pancake breakfast, 5K race, parade, carnival, fireworks show, and more. Community members are encouraged to bring credit and debit cards since all activities and vendors are cashless.

“Our Parks and Recreation and Public Works departments begin planning months in advance to make Kentwood’s Fourth of July Celebration a memorable event for all,” Parks and Recreation Director Val Romeo said. “From the morning pancake breakfast to the evening fireworks, this celebration is a great opportunity for our community to come together, have fun and honor the holiday.”

The day starts with a pancake breakfast at Kentwood Fire Station 1, 4775 Walma Ave. SE. The breakfast takes place from 7:30 to 9:30 a.m. and costs $5 per person. It’s free for ages 3 and younger.


City of Kentwood Fourth of July Celebration, 2024. (Photo Courtesy, City of Kentwood)

The 5K race and fun walk begins at 8 a.m., with the start and finish at Kentwood City Hall, 4900 Breton Road SE. The route takes participants through nearby neighborhoods and across a portion of the East West Trail. For the safety of all participants, roller skates, dogs and bicycles will not be allowed on the course. All finishers will receive a medal.



At 9:30 a.m., the parade begins at Crestwood Middle School, 2674 44th St. SE. The parade travels south on Walma Avenue to Breton Avenue, turns north at the roundabout, heads east on 44th Street and ends at Crestwood Middle School.

Carnival rides, games and prizes

City of Kentwood Fourth of July Celebration, 2024. (Photo Courtesy, City of Kentwood)

From 10:30 to 2:30 p.m., community members can head over to City Hall for a carnival featuring rides, games, prizes and more. Individual tickets cost $1 each, and the number of tickets needed for each attraction varies.

Wristbands for carnival rides also will be available for $20 at the event and in advance Wednesday, July 2 through Thursday, July 3 at City Hall and the Kentwood Activities Center, 355 48th St. SE. City Hall is open from 7:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Wednesday and Thursday. The Kentwood Activities Center is open 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Wednesday through Thursday.

The day concludes with an evening celebration at City Hall from 4 to 10 p.m. that features community booths, a beer tent, food trucks, live music and fireworks. There will be musical performances by Signal Trip, Simply in Time and Par-llo Connection.

The fireworks show begins at dusk and is visible from City Hall and surrounding areas.



City of Kentwood Fourth of July Celebration, 2024. (Photo Courtesy, City of Kentwood)



A section of Walma Avenue near City Hall from Fire Station 1 to the roundabout will be closed all day to allow pedestrians to safely cross the street and take part in the activities. A section of Breton Avenue in front of the library to the roundabout will be closed for the fireworks display. It will close 15 minutes before the show and reopen 30 minutes after the fireworks are done. The Kentwood Police Department and volunteers will be on-site to help direct traffic.

The event’s diamond sponsor is Macatawa Bank, and the gold sponsors are Bloom Sluggett, PC, DTE Foundation, Lacks Enterprises, Metronet, MCSA Group Inc., MSU Federal Credit Union, Sabo PR, Spark 43 Architects and Triangle Construction Inc. The silver sponsors are Arie Nol Auto Center, Moonlight Graphics Inc. and Wolverine Building Group, and the copper sponsors are The Joint Chiropractic, Kent County Health Department and Renewal by Andersen.

The City is seeking 5K runners, parade participants and volunteers for the day’s events. Learn more and sign up at kentwood.us/4thofJuly.

WKTV will host special Fourth of July programming for the holidays

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WKTV will broadcast the Kentwood Fourth of July parade.

For the Fourth of July holiday, WKTV will be hosting special programs to celebrate the nations 242nd birthday. The programming will include two showings of the Kentwood 4th of July Parade, 12:30 and 7:30 p.m.

 

Here is a detail look of the Fourth of July schedule:

 

9:00am Senior Exercise: Summer Special

9:30am Celebrating Life & Food: Celebrating the 4th of July
10:00am 4th of July Special
10:30am A Salute To Honor
11:00am Wings of a Mighty Fortress
12:30pm Kentwood 4th of July Parade
1:00pm Lost Boat Ceremony
2:15pm Lest We Forget
4:30pm Patriotic Festival of Music
6:00pm West Shore Symphony: Spirit of America
7:30pm Kentwood 4th of July Parade
8:00pm 2017 Metro Cruise
8:30pm Wings of a Mighty Fortress
10:00pm Veteran’s Creative Arts Festival

Tulip Time celebrates its 87th year May 7-14 in Holland, Mich

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tulip time

 

Holland, Michigan’s Tulip Time 2016 is May 7-14
By Pure Michigan

 

The beautiful beach town of Holland has been celebrating its Dutch heritage and culture since 1929 and the festivities continue this year. May 7-14, 2016 the Tulip Time Festival will feature parades, traditional Dutch Dance performances, concerts, theatre, Dutch attractions, Dutch food and more. More than 500,000 people from 40 countries travel to the Holland Tulip Time Festival each year.

tulip time dutch dance

 

During your visit at the Tulip Time Festival, you’ll see more than four million tulips decorating city parks, public attractions and city streets. Drive the six miles of Tulip Lanes through Holland’s historic neighborhoods. For more of nature’s beauty, explore Windmill Island Gardens, home to manicured gardens with more than 115,000 tulips, a 250 year-old working Dutch windmill and an antique Dutch carousel. For a more adventurous day, take your family to the Midway Carnival, or have a blast at the Nelis’ Dutch Village Family Theme Park, where the history of the Dutch culture comes to life. Continue the Dutch experience at Dutch Marktplaats, a marketplace where you can delight in the tastes, sights, sounds and crafts of 19th century Holland.

tulip time map

 

The Tulip Time Festival features three spectacular parades. See the traditional Volksparade, led by thousands of locals in traditional Dutch costumes. Participants gather at the beginning of the parade for the official Street Scrubbing, which includes an appearance by Michigan Governor Rick Snyder. The Johnson Controls Kinderparade, or “children’s parade,” is the largest parade of children in the state. The parade series finishes with GMB Muziekparade “music parade,” one of the most spectacular parades in the state, featuring 4,000 participants including floats, dancers, and bands along Michigan’s longest parade route.

 

For a relaxed way to experience the tulips, book a Tulip City Tour. The tours are offered daily; purchase your same-day tour tickets at the booth at Centennial Park The hop-on, hop-off tour allows easy access through beautiful Tulip Lanes, Holland’s Historic District, city parks and downtown, and includes admission to Windmill Island Gardens and the Holland Museum, Cappon House and Settler’s House.

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While visiting Holland, make sure to take in beautiful Lake Michigan. Visit Holland State Park to view Big Red Lighthouse or Tunnel Park beach to watch a sunset. For a little more adventure, climb the 230 steps to the top of Mt. Pisgah, a 157 foot sand dune. Here, enjoy a panoramic view of Lake Michigan and Lake Macatawa.

 

Downtown Holland is a great destinations for unique, first-class shopping and dining. For Holland travel information and suggestions, click here. To purchase tickets and to peruse the entertainment opportunities, go here.

 

Images courtesy of Pure Michigan and Tulip Time

Don’t Miss Kentwood’s 4th of July Parade!

Local Entertainment, Local Faces

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Marching bands, classic cars, local businesses and community service groups will all be participating in Kentwood’s 4th of July Parade.  It begins at 9:30a.m. and the route starts on Eastern Ave between 52nd and 60th.

WKTV Community Television will be there with numerous volunteers and state of the art equipment to bring you live views of the parade.  So if you can’t get there, watch it on Channel 25 at 12:30 and 7:30p.m. that day.

The parade coverage will be hosted by Linda Pacic, Kathey Batey and Sophia Maslowski. Show Producer Nate Diedrich is looking forward to coordinating the project which the station has covered for the last 20 years.

“Produced entirely by volunteers, WKTV’s coverage of the Kentwood 4th of July Parade is one of our favorite annual events.  The parade provides a fantastic opportunity to create exclusive local content made by and for the people in our community,” he said.

Here are just a few of the participants that will be featured:

Kentwood Fire Dept., East Kentwood Marching Band, West Michigan Mustang Club, and Celebration Cinema.

Restaurants:  Culver’s, Dave & Busters, McDonalds, The Salted Cupcake, and Java Cone.

There is nothing like the excitement of a parade to commemorate the 4th.

If you would like to be a volunteer for WKTV’s production team, give the station a call at 261-5700.