Nominate West Michigan Children Making a Difference for THE BARNUM AWARD!

In honor of one of the founders of The Greatest Show On Earth®, Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey® announces the call for West Michigan Area nominations for The Barnum Award.

The award honors the spirit of P.T. Barnum and his inspirational contributions to society by identifying and celebrating children age six to 14 who give back to their own communities in creative, fun, and innovative ways. Nominations now being accepted for West Michigan area children can be submitted online at http://www.thebarnumaward.com/ through Sept. 3.

Three local award recipients will be chosen by a panel of distinguished local luminaries, and will receive award medals and grants to fund future local service projects. The Gold Barnum Award Recipient will receive a $1,000 grant, the Silver Barnum Award Recipient will receive a $750 grant, and the Bronze Barnum Award Recipient will receive a $500 grant to fund future community service endeavors.

Nominees will be judged on the impact of their accomplishments, creativity and innovation, and their inspiration to others relating to their cause. Nominators are required to be over the age of 21, and must fill out a short questionnaire about the child they feel is making a difference in the community.

The West Michigan recipients will be recognized at an award ceremony prior to the start of the opening night performance of Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey® Presents ZING, ZANG, ZOOM® on Friday, Sept. 17, at 7 p.m. at Van Andel Arena®, where the show will perform through Sunday, Sept. 19.

The Barnum Award is a national program presented by Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey in conjunction with a two-year celebration of the 200th anniversary of P.T. Barnum’s birth. Nationally, more than $150,000 in grants will be awarded.

Buy 1, Get 1 FREE 'Best of The Best' MMA Tickets-Today and Tomorrow ONLY!

Come check out amatuer competitors fighting their way into the professional ranks—right here in Grand Rapids. See tomorrow's MMA icons today!

Tickets available at http://www.ticketmaster.com/, the DeVos Place Box Office, Forever Ink Tattoos, Grand Rapids Harley Davidson or at any of the gyms involved.General Admission tickets are $27.50 in advance or $32.50 at the door. VIP tickets are $52.50 in advance or $57.50 at the door.

Doors open at 6:00pm. Fights are from 7:30pm - 11:00pm. Click here for more information.

Broadway Grand Rapids to Offer Individual Ticket Sales for Five Shows Beginning Monday, September 20th

Broadway Grand Rapids will begin offering individual tickets sales for five shows beginning Monday, September 20th at 10AM on Ticketmaster.com. Pre-sales begin September 13th for EClub members. The Broadway Grand Rapids EClub is open to the public by signing up at www.broadwaygrandrapids.com/eclub.

Shows to be on-sale include LEGALLY BLONDE THE MUSICAL ~ November 23-28, 2010, NEW SHANGHAI CIRCUS ~ February 15, 2011, THE ALUMINUM SHOW ~ February 20, 2011, CHICAGO ~ May 10th-11th, 2011 and STOMP ~ May 20-22, 2011.

Individual tickets to GREASE ~ March 1-6, 2011 and SHREK THE MUSICAL ~ June 21-26, 2011 will not be included in this on-sale event, but are currently available as part of a series subscription package. Subscription packages are still available and may be purchased by calling 616-235-6285.

Broadway Grand Rapids tickets are available at the DeVos Performance Hall box office, all Ticketmaster locations, http://www.ticketmaster.com/ or via phone at 1-800-745-3000. Group discounts for 10 or more are available by calling 616-742-6185. For more information on the Fifth Third Bank Broadway Grand Rapids series visit http://www.broadwaygrandrapids.com/.

ArtPrize, Art Fair Coming Soon: The First Art Installation in DeVos Place is Up!

The first art installation at DeVos Place for ArtPrize 2010 happened yesterday! Helen Gotlib is the first of 53 artists to showcase their art at DeVos Place. Good luck, Helen!

Click here to visit our Facebook Fan Page for a brief bio on Helen and her work.

ArtPrize 2010, an international art contest decided solely by public vote, officially begins Wednesday, September 22 and runs to Sunday, October 10.

Don't miss Art Fair 2010!
During ArtPrize, thousands of people will be in Grand Rapids for one reason: to see, experience and discuss art. And thanks to Art Fair, every one of them can browse or buy artwork* from over 50 registered ArtPrize artists. Held in centrally-located DeVos Place, at the heart of the ArtPrize district, Art Fair 2010 provides another exciting way for artists and the public to connect. Wander through our booths at DeVos Place to find a one-of-a-kind piece of art that speaks to you.

*Artwork entered in ArtPrize is not available for purchase.

"Lottery Ticket"- In Theatres Tomorrow

Comedian Mike Epps’ highly anticipated new movie, “Lottery Ticket,” is coming to the big screens this Friday, August 20, 2010.

The film follows Kevin Carson (Bow Wow), an ordinary, young man, whose luck quickly changes after winning $370 million in the lottery. Epps plays ‘Reverend Taylor,’ a loan-shark that tries fervently, among Carson’s other neighbors, to take possession of the winning ticket.

The comic/actor can also currently be seen starring in his own one-hour standup special, “Mike Epps: Under-rated and Never Faded” airing on Comedy Central and Showtime.

Epps earned a large portion of his fame from his appearances in numerous feature films, including “Next Friday,” “Guess Who,” and “The Fighting Temptations,” as well as his hilarious cameo appearance in the 2009 mega-hit, “The Hangover.”

Epps can be seen live in Grand Rapids on Saturday, September 25th at 8:00 P.M for his on-stage performance at DeVos Performance Hall. Ticket prices for this event are $42 and $50. Tickets are available at the Van Andel Arena box office, by calling Ticketmaster at 1.800.745.3000 or order online at http://www.ticketmaster.com/. Tickets are also available at all Ticketmaster outlets.

For more information about Epps' Grand Rapids appearance, visit http://www.devosperformancehall.com/. To learn more about "Lottery Ticket", visit the movie website at http://www.lotteryticketmovie.com/#/home.

Food Network Celebrity Chef Coming to Grand Rapids!!

Celebrity chef Duff Goldman will be visiting Grand Rapids this fall!! The expert cake-creator will appear at DeVos Performance Hall on Wednesday, September 15 at 7PM to share stories about his rise to fame and his hit show.

Those in attendance will be served cake, baked by Duff and his team, in celebration of Hospice of Michigan's 30th Birthday.The cake design will be kept secret until the night of the event. You can, however, check out Charm City Cakes' website to see some other designs Duff has come up with in the past!

For more information about the event, please visit the DeVos Performance Hall website or Hospice of Michigan's website. Tickets can be purchased at the Van Andel Arena box office, through Ticketmaster at www.ticketmaster.com or by calling 1.800.745.3000.

Tickets On Sale NOW for "The Best of the Best" MMA at DeVos Place

Tickets for "The Best of the Best" went on sale this morning (August 18) at 10:00 AM! Get yours now by calling Ticketmaster at 1.800.745.3000, visiting www.ticketmaster.com, or by stopping in to the Van Andel Arena box office. Tickets will also be on sale at the DeVos Place box office when it re-opens on August 23rd.