The largest winterfest in the U.S. is set to return for the eighth time in downtown Grand Rapids starting Friday, Jan. 10. The event will last nearly two months, and consist of a variety of festivities, ending on March 2.
The World of Winter festival is packed full of events, with the official opening celebration scheduled for 6 p.m on Jan. 11 at 555 Monroe Ave NW. This particular event will feature food trucks, a DJ, yard games, live ice carving and a giant interactive Lite Brite board. This event, along with nearly every other one a part of this festival, is free and open to all ages. There are a couple events that do charge, including “Disco On Ice” on Jan. 31.
Bill Kirk, the communications director for Downtown Grand Rapids Inc, said the festival is a great way to bring life to the city during an otherwise slower time of year.
“Our whole goal with the festival has been to try to activate downtown during the winter months, which typically, historically, have been kind of not incredibly busy,” Kirk said.
A couple more events the festival has lined up this month include: The World of Winter scavenger hunt, a fashion show, silent disco and snow yoga (better known as “snowga”). There are many other things planned for the remainder of the festival. A full list of events and where to find them, can be found on the World of Winter website.
Kirk mentioned taking personal enjoyment in the “Paint the Park” event they put on in February, where attendees paint the ice at Rosa Parks circle.
“It’s kind of like a community participatory art installation, real family-friendly,” he said. “So I’m always excited about that one, just to bring my family down.”
Not only does the festival involve interactive events throughout the entirety of its duration, it also provides several art installations. This year, the festival will feature lots of different light-based art, scattered throughout the city. A map on the website allows you to see exactly where each installation will be located.
“It really is just a way to enjoy downtown Grand Rapids during the wintertime,” Kirk said.
