GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. (WOOD) — Visitors to downtown Grand Rapids will encounter some changes when Grand Rapids Festival of the Arts kicks off Friday.
Dozens of food booths, musical and dance performances, activities and art vendors will return this year. But this year may be more convenient for parents of budding artists: Organizers have consolidated kids’ activities at Rosa Parks Circle.
“It’s a brand new focus. We’ve kind of taken a lot of the kids activities and we’ve centered them around, down in that area,” said Joanne Bailey-Boorsma, Vice President of Grand Rapids festival of the Arts.
She says the popular glue-in will return for pint-sized artists, as well as a bunch of new activities, including decorating bags for Kids Food Basket and performances by puppeteer Kevin Kameraad. Children can also interact with animals from John Ball Zoo.
The activities don’t stop at Rosa Parks Circle.
“It’s all the way up to the Calder. That’s where we started, that’s the basis of our celebration. It was the first public artwork supported by the National Endowment of the Arts,” explained Bailey-Boorsma.
In partnership with the Grand Rapids Festival of the Arts, Ferris State University’s Kendall College of Arts + Design will host the Regional Arts Exhibition, as well as a performance stage.