“We are thrilled to host the American Quilters Association for the next three years. As part of our convention business strategies for 2010, we made a commitment to aggressively pursue and confirm multiple year contracts from national groups for future years. AQS was at the top of our list,” said Experience Grand Rapids President Doug Small. “The group size, location history and economic impact on a community were all factors in this target marketing strategy. It’s a perfect fit for Grand Rapids.”
“Grand Rapids is a great venue for the AQS Quilt Show & Contest,” said AQS President Meredith Schroeder. “The attached Amway Grand Plaza Hotel, other nearby downtown hotels and abundant parking at and near the convention center make this a very accessible event for the quilters to attend. They can check into their hotel, park their car and enjoy the quilt show, downtown restaurants, and area attractions for four full days.”
The show’s quilt contest will award more than $40,000 in cash prizes, including $10,000 for the quilt designated as Best of Show. The show will include a 350-booth Merchant Mall featuring antique and new quilts and the latest in quiltmaking supplies, and will offer 150 classes through the AQS School of Quiltmaking.
For more information about AQS, visit www.AmericanQuilter.com.
Wednesday, February 23, 2011
Grand Rapids to host Major Multi-Year Convention in 2012
Tuesday, February 15, 2011
It’s Just a Noisy Hall, Where There’s a Nightly Brawl…
WINNER OF SIX 1997 TONY AWARDS
INCLUDING BEST MUSICAL REVIVAL
Starring John O’Hurley
CHICAGO is BACK IN TOWN and its PURE ENTERTAINMENT!
CHICAGO which opened to rave reviews on November 14th, 1996, now has the distinction of being the longest-running musical revival playing on Broadway, the second longest-running musical production currently playing on Broadway, and the fifth longest-running production in Broadway history, and... shows no sign of ever slowing down! CHICAGO will play 2 shows only at DeVos Performance Hall May 10 & 11, 2011 at 7:30pm. Tickets are now available at ticketmaster.com and charge by phone at 1-800-745-3000.
John O’Hurley (Billy Flynn) is one of People magazine’s “Sexiest Men Alive,” and has become one of television’s busiest and most versatile actors, show hosts, advertising heroes, and feature film stars. The award-winning actor is best known as "J. Peterman" on "Seinfeld," which is now the #1 syndicated series in the world in 85 countries. He danced his way into the hearts of America as the ultimate champion of the highly rated ABC show “Dancing with the Stars,” starred on Broadway in Chicago, as the male lead “Billy Flynn” and starred in a two-year stint as the head of the Round Table, King Arthur, in Eric Idle’s hilarious musical comedy “Monty Python’s Spamalot” in Las Vegas. On the small screen he can be seen weekly on the popular syndicated show “Family Feud.” As a follow-up to his Billboard chart topping CD Peace of Our Minds (which was the first independently produced CD to ever reach #13 on the Billboard Music charts), O’Hurley recently released Secrets from the Lake, a collaboration of his piano compositions with cellist Marston Smith. O’Hurley has written 2 books including his New York Times Bestseller called It’s OK to Miss the Bed on the First Jump: And Other Life Lessons Learned from Dogs, and Before Your Dog Can Eat Your Homework, First You Have To Do It. When not performing, John maintains his single digit gold handicap by playing on the Celebrity Players Tour. Additionally, he lends his name and golf game to help charities close to his heart, especially Golfers Against Cancer and Child Development Institute. O'Hurley enjoys spending his free time with his wife Lisa and their young son William Dylan. Together they love to play golf, travel, play with their dogs, cheer for the Boston Red Sox, and entertain friends at their Beverly Hills home.
Murder. Greed. Corruption. Violence. Exploitation. Adultery. Treachery. Set amidst the razzle-dazzle decadence of the 1920s, CHICAGO is the story of Roxie Hart, a housewife and nightclub dancer who maliciously murders her on-the-side lover after he threatens to walk out on her. Desperate to avoid conviction, she dupes the public, the media and her rival cellmate, Velma Kelly, by hiring Chicago’s slickest criminal lawyer to transform her malicious crime into a barrage of sensational headlines, the likes of which might just as easily be ripped from today’s tabloids.
With a book by Fred Ebb and Bob Fosse, music by John Kander and lyrics by Fred Ebb, CHICAGO is the winner of six 1997 Tony Awards including Best Musical Revival and the Grammy Award for Best Musical Cast Recording.
The national tour is directed by Scott Faris and choreographed by Gary Chryst. Walter Bobbie is the director of the original New York Production and Ann Reinking was the original choreographer in the style of Bob Fosse. CHICAGO features set design by John Lee Beatty, costume design by William Ivey Long, lighting design by Ken Billington and sound design by Scott Lehrer. The production also features orchestrations by Ralph Burns, supervising music direction by Rob Fisher.
Produced by Barry and Fran Weissler, CHICAGO has become a worldwide phenomenon with productions in 24 countries and 11 languages since 1996.
The record-breaking London production of CHICAGO continues to hold the record as the longest-running American musical in West End history. CHICAGO is also on tour throughout the U.S. and Canada, as well as international tours in Australia and the United Kingdom.
CHICAGO is a production not to be missed. And all the reviewers agree. Time Magazine calls it “A Triumph,” Newsweek raves “Smashing” and Entertainment Weekly sums it up by calling CHICAGO “Broadway’s Most Electrifying Show.”
CHICAGO is affordably priced from $33 and will perform 2 shows at DeVos Performance Hall May 10 & 11, 2011 at 7:30pm. Tickets are available at the DeVos Place and Van Andel Arena box offices, all Ticketmaster locations, www.ticketmaster.com or via phone at 1-800-745-3000. Group discounts are available for Groups of 15 or more by calling 616-742-6185 or by e-mailing groupsales@smggr.com. Group offer expires May 3, 2011.
*PLEASE NOTE: Performance dates have been changed (originally April 5-7) due to changing tour schedules. Previously purchased tickets may be refunded in full or moved to a new performance date. Please contact the original point of purchase to receive a refund or you may contact Broadway Grand Rapids at 616-235-6285 to exchange your ticket to one of the new performance dates.
For more information on the Fifth Third Bank Broadway Grand Rapids Series visit www.BroadwayGrandRapids.com.
Visit www.ChicagoTheMusical.com for more information.
Friday, February 11, 2011
West Michigan Golf Show At-A-Glance
| What: | 23rd Annual West Michigan Golf Show—‘the game is on’ with hundreds of exhibits from courses and resorts to clubs and merchandise. Also, fabulous door prizes, free golf lessons, clinics, and the Treetops Par-3 Challenge (a real grass golf hole indoors!) where one lucky golfer might win $25,000! |
| When: | Friday, Feb. 11, 4 pm-9 pm |
| Where: | DeVos Place, 303 Monroe Ave. NW, downtown Grand Rapids |
| Tickets: | $9 for adults; $4 for children ages 6-14; children 5 & under free. |
| Parking: | Best place to park is under DeVos Place. Enter off Michigan St NW or |
| Seminars: | The 2010 National PGA of America’s Teacher of the Year Todd Anderson of Sea Island, GA. will be on stage Friday & Sat. A native of Rockford, MI, Anderson has taught such Tour players as Davis Love III, Brandt Snedeker, Brett Quigley, as well as NBC-TV’s Today show co-anchor Matt Lauer. Also on stage (Friday/Sat.) will be LPGA Tour player and GR resident Allison Fouch who’ll talk about “life and golf lessons” on the pro tour. Other teaching pros on stage for the weekend include Boyne Resort’s Brian O’Neill, Treetops’ Kevin McKinley, and the Otsego Club & Resort’s Jason Guss. |
| Specials: | With giveaways just for women, Friday night is Ladies Night sponsored by Shanty Creek Resort celebrating the 25th anniversary of The Legend with special events including a pre-season golf & training seminar by Shanty Creek’s Brian Kautz, Director of Golf. Also on Friday, the 6th annual Executive Women’s Golf Association Fashion Show. And all weekend: a $10,000 Putting Challenge--one putter might sink a 50-foot putt for ten grand. Free golf lessons c/o of Boyne Resorts & Michigan Section PGA. And courtesy of AirTran, Florida Golf & WZZM-TV, a grand prize drawing for a foursome winter getaway to Don Shula’s Hotel & Golf Club in Miami Lakes, FL—air, golf and rooms! |
| Sponsors: | Treetops Resort, Srixon, Golf Association of Michigan, Shanty Creek Resort, AirTran Airways, Boyne Resorts, and the Michigan PGA |
| Other: | The first 100 people entering the Show each day and anyone purchasing tickets online will receive a free 2-pack of Srixon golf balls. On Friday (only), get half-price off admission by donating a dozen (new or used) golf balls to junior golf. Saturday: To benefit area high school golf teams, a pancake breakfast for $7 ($4 going to teams) at 9 AM @ Grand Gallery. Sunday is both “Junior Day”—first 250 juniors receive a golf hat, and “Military Appreciation Day”—where all military personnel and/or veterans receive FREE admission by showing ID at WILL CALL. |
| Charities: | Several local charities will benefit including Folds of Honor Scholarship/Patriot Golf Day, Warren Reynolds Golf Classic, and RacingAwareness.com to benefit the Helan DeVos Children’s Hospital. |
| Information: | Produced by ShowSpan Inc., call 800-328-6550 or visit www.WestMichiganGolfShow.com |
Wednesday, February 9, 2011
Jeff Beck Up For Several Grammys Sunday; Catch Him Live at DeVos Performancde Hall This Spring
Legendary Yardbirds Guitarist Jeff Beck will be in the running for several Grammy Awards, which will air Sunday, February 13th on CBS. But you don't have to wait in front of the television or travel hundres of miles to see him. Jeff Beck will be hitting the DeVos Performance Hall stage in Grand Rapids this Spring on April 19th at 8PM.Beck is sharing the nomination for Best Pop Collaboration With Vocals with Herbie Hancock, Pink, India.Arie, Seal, Knono No 1, and Oumou Sangare for their collective work on "Imagine," a track for the Imagine Project. Beck also shares a nomination for Best Rock Performance By A Duo or Group With Vocals with Joss Stone for their collaboration on "I Put A Spell On You."
But Beck also earned two major nominations in categories Beck's fans would hardly disagree to. Beck also will be trying to earn the nods for Best Rock Instrumental Performance for "Hammerhead" and Best Rock Album for his latest release, "Emotion and Commotion."
To see the legend live at DeVos Performance Hall, purchase tickets online at ticketmaster.com, at Ticketmaster outlets, Van Andel Arena and DeVos Place box offices, or charge by phone 800-745-3000.
A word from the Opera singer who plays Manon Lescaut & her love, on and off stage
It was the wild success of this, Puccini’s third opera that launched the string of masterworks that made him the most popular composer in history. While traveling to a convent where she is being sent by her family, Manon Lescaut attracts the attentions of France’s very wealthy Royal Tax Collector. She escapes his clutches with the help of her true love, a handsome young student. But, the allure of living in luxury soon overwhelms her and she abandons love for riches. Her attempt to return to her true love comes, however, at the incalculable cost of deportment and her tragic demise in the New World. Puccini’s ravishing and poignant music will sweep you away with its rich and emotional power!
Opera Grand Rapids presents Puccini's Manon Lescaut performs at DeVos Performance Hall, February 11th & 12th at 7:30 PM! Tickets are $20-$94 and are available through ticketmaster.com, all Ticketmaster outlets, the DeVos Place and Van Andel Arena box offices, or charge by phone at 1-800-745-3000.
To hear a word from the Opera singers whom play Manon Lescaut and the wealthy Royal Tax Collector, please follow this link: Fox 17, Tim Doty interview.
Musicians Jeff Beck, LeAnn Rimes, Seal, and more Announced as Additional Performers to honor Barbra Streisand as 2011 MusiCares Person of the Year
Performances by multi-GRAMMY®-winning artists Tony Bennett, Seal, Donna Summer, BeBe Winans, and Stevie Wonder; multi-GRAMMY-winning artists and current GRAMMY nominees Jeff Beck whom is nominated for “I Put a Spell on You” from the Emotion and Commotion Track and Herbie Hancock; two-time-GRAMMY-winning artist and current GRAMMY nominee LeAnn Rimes; two-time GRAMMY winner Diana Krall; GRAMMY-winner and current GRAMMY nominee Barry Manilow; artist and member of the GRAMMY-nominated "Promises, Promises" cast album Kristin Chenoweth; artists and members of the GRAMMY-nominated "Glee" cast Lea Michele, Matthew Morrison and Darren Criss; and artist Nikki Yanofsky. Ms. Streisand, a multi-GRAMMY-winning artist and current GRAMMY nominee, will close the evening with her own special performance.
Attendees include President/CEO of MusiCares® and The Recording Academy® Neil Portnow, and MusiCares Foundation Board Chair Paul Caine and Board Chair Emeritus John Branca. Tribute co-chairs are Marilyn and Alan Bergman, Marty Erlichman, Jay Landers, Ron Meyer, and L. Lee Phillips. Jay Landers and Phil Ramone are the evening's musical directors. Past MusiCares Person of the Year honorees include: Tony Bennett, Bono, Natalie Cole, Phil Collins, David Crosby, Neil Diamond, Gloria Estefan, Aretha Franklin, Don Henley, Billy Joel, Elton John, Quincy Jones, Luciano Pavarotti, Bonnie Raitt, Paul Simon, Sting, James Taylor, Brian Wilson, Stevie Wonder, and Neil Young. In addition, a host of celebrities, along with prominent music industry and entertainment executives, are scheduled to attend.
Iconic artist and philanthropist Barbra Streisand will be honored as the 2011 MusiCares Person of the Year at a special event celebrating her exceptional artistic achievements as well as her philanthropic work. Proceeds from the annual Person of the Year tribute — now in its 21st year — provide essential support for MusiCares, which ensures that music people have a place to turn in times of financial, medical and personal need.
The 2011 MusiCares Person of the Year gala will begin with a cocktail reception and silent auction sponsored by the Starkey Hearing Foundation that will offer an exclusive and unparalleled selection of luxury items, VIP experiences and one-of-a-kind celebrity memorabilia for bidding guests. The auction will be followed by a gala dinner sponsored by MasterCard, and a star-studded tribute concert sponsored by Acura/ELS. The MusiCares Person of the Year tribute is one of the most prestigious events held during GRAMMY Week. The celebration culminates with the 53rd Annual GRAMMY Awards on Sunday, Feb. 13, 2011, at STAPLES Center in Los Angeles. The telecast will be broadcast live on the CBS Television Network at 8 p.m. ET/PT.
For more information on the Grammys, please visit www.grammy.com.
Tuesday, February 8, 2011
A Game of Numbers: Golf and the West Michigan Golf Show
Golf is a game of numbers on a scorecard. It has par-3s, par-4s, and par-5s. It has 130-yard holes and 600-yard holes. It has 7200 yard championship tees and 5200 yardage forward tees. It has 9 and 18 holes and of course the famed 19th hole where memories of triple bogies are often ‘washed away.’ You get the picture: numbers are essential to the game of golf. And numbers are also essential and revealing about the 23rd West Michigan Golf Show on Feb. 11-13 at DeVos Place in downtown Grand Rapids. Let’s count the ways:
105,000 - There’s 105,000 sq. ft of exhibit space devoted to the Golf Show at DeVos Place
23,000 - The Golf Show uses 23,000 sq. feet of netting for the Indoor Par-3, the free golf lesson and demo club area.
12,000 - 12,000 sq. feet of carpeting is laid down for the Golf Show.
9000 - In the past 10 years, 9000 golfers are estimated to have tried a shot at the popular Par-3 Challenge, sponsored again by Treetops Resort and fully landscaped by Everett’s.
3200 - 3200 new Srixon golf balls will be given away at the Show for those purchasing tickets online or for the first 100 patrons at the Show each day. (3000 of them will be lost or drowned by July 4th)
2010 - The 2010 PGA of America’s Teacher of the Year is Golf Show headliner Todd Anderson, the first Michigan native to be so honored. Previous honorees include past Show headliners as Jim Flick, Hank Haney, Mike Bender, Mike Hebron, Charlie Sorrell, Gary Wiren, and Bill Strausbaugh.
100 - The 100th Michigan Amateur Championship, conducted by Show sponsor the Golf Association of Michigan, will be held this June over famed The Heather course at Boyne Highlands Resort. (Incidentally, the first Michigan Amateur was held in Grand Rapids in 1906 and won by James Wylie at Kent Country Club.)
500 - 500 golf hats will be given away, evenly divided between Friday’s Ladies Night and Sunday’s Junior Day. (Hats off to the Show!)
92 - 92% of show patrons said they enjoyed the show last year and plan to attend this year.* (The other 8% may have been non-golfers who admitted they took a wrong turn into DeVos Place.)
25 - Two of Michigan’s finest resort courses—Treetops’ Masterpiece course designed by Robert Trent Jones Sr. and Shanty Creek Resort’s The Legend designed by Arnold Palmer—will celebrate 25 years of great golf this summer. At the Show, Shanty Creek is sponsoring Ladies Night on Friday.
77 - 77% of show patrons purchased products at the show—from socks, sweaters and gloves to booked rounds, swing aids, putters, and drivers—and spent an average of $152.* (No worry, we won’t tell spouses.)
76 - 76% of show patrons are planning at least one golf vacation this year with 82% being in-state and 52% out of state destinations.*
63 - Over 63 door prizes will be given away this year-- from rounds of golf to merchandise and equipment.
43 - 43% of patrons say their average score for 18 holes is between 80-89.* (Not much of a slogan but how about: These golfers are decent!)
4 & 1 - One (1) lucky golfer will earn a grand prize drawing for a foursome (4) winter getaway to Don Shula’s Hotel & Golf Club in Miami Lakes, FL—air, golf and rooms! Courtesy of AirTran Airways, Florida Golf, and WZZM-TV.
* 2010 Golf Show attendee survey and results
Produced by ShowSpan Inc., the West Michigan Golf Show’s hours are 4:00 pm-9:00 pm, Friday; 10:00 am-7:00 pm, Saturday; and 10:00 am-5:00 pm, Sunday. Tickets are $9 for adults, $4 for children ages 6-14, and children 5 and under are free. Sponsors currently include Treetops Resort, Golf Association of Michigan, Shanty Creek Resort, Srixon, Boyne Resorts and the Michigan PGA. Tickets will be available through www.westmichigangolfshow.com and at the door.
For more information, call 1-800-328-6550 or visit the website.
Grand Rapids Symphony Presents an Evening of Passion and Romance
Music lovers will be able to hear the musical passion when the Grand Rapids Symphony presents a special evening of romantic works close to Valentine’s on Friday, Feb. 18 and Saturday, Feb 19, at 8 p.m., in DeVos Performance Hall.
Tickets start at $18 and are available at the Symphony office, weekdays 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., 300 Ottawa NW, Suite 100, (located across from the Calder), or by calling 616/454-9451, Ext. 4. (Phone orders will be charged a $2 per ticket service fee, with a $12 maximum.) Tickets are available at the DeVos Place and Van Andel Arena Box Offices, weekdays 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., or on the day of the concert two hours prior to the performance. Tickets may also be purchased through Ticketmaster, at ticketmaster.com, 1-800-982-2787, online at www.grsymphony.org, or in person at Ticketmaster outlets: select D&W Fresh Market, Family Fare Stores and Walmart. Student Passport tickets are available for this concert.
Guest conductor Christoph Campestrini will lead the Grand Rapids Symphony in the concerts, which will feature a performance of Tchaikovsky’s Piano Concerto No. 1 by accomplished Slovenian pianist Dubravka Tomsic. Other musical highlights will include selections from two of the most romantic love stories ever told: “Tristan and Isolde” and “Daphnis and Chloe.” These concerts are part of the Richard and Helen DeVos Classical Series.
The first half of the program will feature Dimitri Shostakovich’s “Festive Overture” and Tchaikovsky’s Piano Concerto No 1. After being condemned for the second time by the Soviet regime in 1948, Shostakovich had all but given up composing. But a year later the Bolshoi Theater found itself without a new composition celebrating the 37th anniversary of the Bolshevik Revolution, so it turned to Shostakovich. He penned the triumphant “Festive Overture” in just three days, and it has since become one of the most popular orchestral and symphonic wind overtures ever written.
Written around 1874, Tchaikovsky’s Piano Concerto No. 1 was initially dedicated to pianist Nikolay Rubinstein, but it was not well received and even rejected by Rubinstein. Scratching out Rubinstein’s name from the score, Tchaikovsky rededicated it to Hans von Bülow, who commented that “the ideas are so original, so noble, so powerful, and the details so interesting.” To this day its thundering presence is one of the most loved and popular of any work.
The concert’s second half will feature two romantic pieces loved the world over: the magical musical stories of legendary lovers Tristan and Isolde, and Daphnis and Chloe.
Richard Wagner’s “Prelude and Liebestod,” from his opera “Tristan and Isolde,” is the opening to a tale of intense romantic yearning written while the composer was in the throes of an affair. It tells the story of Tristan, who retrieves Isolde for his king but inevitably ends up falling in love with her. The Prelude consists of never-resolving harmonies that echo the beautiful longing of the lovers, which is taken over by Liebestod (Love-death) that contains the melodic material from the famous second act duet between Tristan and Isolde.
Maurice Ravel’s Suite No. 2 from “Daphnis and Chloe” will complete the program. Originally commissioned by Sergy Dyagilev and written as a ballet, “Daphnis and Chloe” tells the story of two lovers who mime the ancient story of “Pan and Syrinx,” in which Syrinx rejects the declared love of Pan. The story ends happily with Chloe falling into her lover’s arms, and a joyous tumult and wild dance ensues. Although the ballet was not originally considered great success, the music remains some of the most beautiful and evocative of the 20th century and is a mainstay of the virtuoso orchestral repertoire.
Slovenian pianist Dubravka Tomsic gave her first public recital at age five and has since given more than 4,000 performances worldwide. She moved to New York when she was 12 and enrolled at the Juilliard School. Although considered a pianist of legendary stature in many countries, it was not until 1989, after a hiatus of almost 30 years, that she was reintroduced to American audiences. She has been performing and teaching to great acclaim ever since.
Monday, February 7, 2011
32 Annual West MI Home & Garden Show: A Guide To Features and Highlights
You’ll find hundreds of products and services, dozens of free seminars and demonstrations, contests and attractions, and, of course, plenty of gorgeous indoor gardens to delight your eyes and your nose. With over 350 exhibitors filling the exhibition halls and the Grand Gallery, everything you need for your home, inside and outside, is here!
Here’s a guide to features and highlights that will help you get the most out of this year’s Show:
- Keeping It Local - We’re proud that over 300 of our exhibitors are local businesspeople and companies who care about and support our community, and who really care about doing an outstanding job for their customers. Come meet them, and feel good knowing they’ll be around to take care of you after the Show is over. The West Michigan Home and Garden Show is a proud member of Local First.
- The Amazing Joey Green - The New York Daily News calls him a “hyperactive, testosterone-charged version of Heloise.” He polishes furniture with SPAM, cleans jewelry with Efferdent, scrubs toilets with cola, and has thousands of other quick and easy household solutions! Join the best-selling author of dozens of books for his fantastic and fun presentation Wacky Uses for Brand Name Products: Crazy About Cleaning! on the Home Stage.
- HBA Pro Pavilion - NEW to the Show! The Home and Building Association of Greater Grand Rapids hosts an information packed walk-thru exhibit space that takes each visitor through the steps of building a new home while connecting them with the Pros – HBA Members! The HBA Pro Pavilion will also feature a resource center, member listings, and seminars, including Kitchen Remodeling, Bath Remodeling, Green Projects for Energy Efficiency, Protecting Your Home, and many more. Check it out!
- Garden and Art Market - A show within the Show! Come browse 45 booths of unique and inspired garden accessories, plants, decor, art and gifts from the area’s best artists and finest local nurseries and garden shops. It’s shopping at its best, and you could win a $25 gift card to use at one of the participating local Garden Centers!
- Family Day - Saturday is Family Day, with loads of special features and attractions for kids, parents, and grandparents, including:
- Free Children’s Admission until Noon on Saturday!
- Pancake Breakfast (9am till 11am) Get fueled up for your busy day with all-you-can-eat pancakes, sausage, coffee, and orange drink for $5 (Please note that main exhibit halls open at 10am)
- Brownie “Sand Art” (10:30 till 11:15am) Kids create an artful jar filled with all the dry ingredients to bake up a batch of brownies at home!
- Blandford Nature Center “Birds of Prey Show” (10:30am – 11:30am and 1:30pm – 2:30pm) See cool, live owls and raptors, on the Garden Stage
- Make a Bouquet with the MI Floral Association (11am - Noon) First 250 kids will create a beautiful child sized bouquet with fresh flowers to give to that someone special.
- Home Depot Kids’ Workshops (Noon – 2pm), first 500 kids can participate in a building or painting project – birdhouses, toolboxes, and more!
- Make a Centerpiece with Grace Adventures (2pm – 3pm) Create a beautiful centerpiece – a work of art to take home and display on your dining table!
- Plant a Flower, Scavenger Hunt and more with the MSU Junior Master Gardeners
- Grand Rapids Youth Symphony performances in the Grand Gallery - CANstruction! - The West Michigan Home & Garden Show is proud to host the 2011 CANstruction competition right in the Grand Gallery! 10 Teams of Architects, Designers and Students will build amazing sculptures using only canned goods. The competition benefits the Salvation Army’s Booth Family Services, a member of the ACCESS Pantry Network. Finished sculptures will be on display throughout the Show, and for a $1 donation, visitors can vote for the People’s Choice Award Winner!
- Felder Rushing - Our Garden Stage headliner is the leader of a movement he calls Slow Gardening, which is also the title of his new book, scheduled for publication this spring. Felder Rushing, a Mississippian with some transplanted roots in England, is a writer, radio host, television personality, lecturer, and, of course, a devoted gardener. Felder’s goal is to de-mystify horticulture and to remind folks of what he calls the “right-brain” garden: fun, pretty, and productive with “as little effort as possible!” Don’t miss Felder’s seminar Getting Green in the Garden on Friday at 6pm.
- The Grilling Buddies - Mad Dog and Merrill are known to millions as “The Grilling Buddies” from their regular appearances on national television. No matter how accomplished, every Backyard Chef will learn plenty as these guys teach you to get more out of your grill – everything from appetizers to desserts – all while making you laugh. Don’t miss their fun-filled seminars!
- AGRLP Feature Garden The Grand Garden Party - Dan Rose, owner of Rose Landscape Services has designed a backyard living space that’s both beautiful and perfect for gatherings and good times. Get inspired and enjoy the colors and perfumes of Spring, with thousands of blooming flowers, live trees, and shrubs. As always, this central part of the Show is created by members of the Association of Grand Rapids Landscape Professionals with help from students in Kent Career & Technical Center’s Agriscience Program.
- Ten Indoor Gardens - Spring is definitely in the air this weekend at DeVos Place! In addition to the gorgeous central garden, you’ll find nine more magnificent indoor landscapes scattered throughout the show. Our area’s premier landscapers are here to show off their best work, and the results will wow you. Whether you have acres or just a window box to work with for your own landscaping, you’re sure to pick up plenty of ideas to take home.
- Hands-On/Do-It-Yourself Stage - This is where you can “do it yourself” right at the Show -- visitors have a unique opportunity to roll up their sleeves and learn by doing! Experts teach ceramic and stone tiling, decorating techniques, basic electrical and plumbing projects, raised bed gardening, and more.
- Garden Stage - The Garden Stage is thriving with everything you want to know about mole control, lawns, containers, trees, eco-friendly techniques, landscaping, and more! Join Meijer Gardens staff members, Flowerland’s Rick Vuyst, columnist Rebecca Finneran, and a host of other local authorities. It’s all here, at the Garden Stage!
- Home Stage - This is the stage for ways to make your home as beautiful and comfortable as it can be! Get great interior design ideas, watch a Flower Shop Design Show, get money saving tips from DTE’s Bob Fegan on Keeping Your Home Energy Efficient and don’t miss the return of Fun With Flowers and J! on Saturday.
- Standard Kitchens Cooking Stage - Popular chef Angus Campbell from GRCC’s Secchia Institute for Culinary Education is back with live cooking demonstrations. Master the secrets of luscious homemade desserts including Lemon Cream Cheesecake topped with Berry Bourbon Mash, Napoleon of Puff Pastry Filled with Vanilla Cream and Fruit Preserves, and more.
- Kent Career Technical Center Agriscience Program - In addition to assisting in construction of the Show’s spectacular central garden, the hard-working students of KCTC get to showcase their talents with a fantastic garden space that greets visitors in the Grand Gallery. Come appreciate the impressive knowledge and remarkable skills used to seamlessly blend the program’s three divisions – greenhouse operations, landscaping, and floral design – into a single indoor landscape. Browse the beautiful plants for sale, all grown by students. Sale proceeds go back into the agriscience program to buy supplies and equipment for next year.
- Standard Flower Show - The theme of this year’s show is “Weather Forecast.” Come enjoy stunning entries in the horticulture and design competitions, located at the back of the Grand Gallery. Sponsored by District IV of the Michigan Garden Clubs.
- Prizes and Giveaways - Finally, don’t miss your chance to win terrific prizes! Enter for a chance to win the Take the Home and Garden Show Home package, valued at over $10,000. You could also win a riding mower from Sparta Farm & Lawn, and a $2000 WoodPlay redwood playscape!
Discounted tickets are available at all participating area Home Depot locations. Discount weekday adult admission coupons are available online at http://www.grhomeshow.com/ and at Wendy's.
Dates and Times
Thursday, March 3
3 pm - 9:30pm
Friday, March 4
Noon - 9:30pm
Saturday, March 5
10 am - 9:30pm
Sunday, March 6
11 am - 6pm
Admission
Adults: $9.00
Children (6-14): $4.00
5 & Under: Free