Good Afternoon, Grand Rapids. I’m LeQwane, and this is Calder News — and we’re back with your mid-week update on what’s happening around town.

After taking a long weekend break, I’m back in the lab researching and keeping my ear to the ground to provide you with the top news about GR.

In today’s issue, I’ll cover upgrades to the Airport, a dog park, and share opportunities for local artists.

I appreciate you taking the time to read and engage with this newsletter.

Have a great day!

~LeQwane L.

The Digest

A briefing of local news that matters

Charity

Volunteers Pack Disaster Relief Meals

Earlier this week, over 850 local volunteers packed meals and hygiene kits at DeVos Place for SpartanNash’s annual Helping Hands Day. There were $1.7 million in donated food and supplies packed up and set to go out to organizations supporting global disaster relief efforts. | Read more about the event

Community

Whistlestop Dog Park Lives Another Day

The Byron Township Board reversed its recent decision to close Whistlestop Dog Park following strong community pushback. On Monday night, dozens of locals met at the board meeting and advocated to keep the dog park open to the community — highlighting its social benefits, and questioning complaints from a small number of residents about noise. The park will remain open while the township considers future improvements or alternative locations. | Review the results of the board meeting

GR Sister Cities Hosts Global Celebration

Grand Rapids Sister Cities International, the nonprofit that manages GR’s six sister city partnerships, is hosting its annual gala on June 12. The event will highlight our city’s global connections, honor former Mayor Rosalynn Bliss, and celebrate the city’s international relationships with partners in Poland, Ghana, Japan, Italy, Mexico, and South Korea. | Read more about GR’s Sister Cities

Travel

The Airport’s New Rental Car Facility

Construction at Gerald R. Ford International Airport reached a major milestone this week for Michigan’s first-ever consolidated rental car facility. Opening in spring 2026, the $156 million project will combine rental operations from Hertz, National, Enterprise, and every other service at the Airport into a single building connected by a heated skybridge, streamlining traffic and reducing emissions. The project will also add 1,000 new parking spots. | Learn more about the progress

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Where Wednesday

Know all the cool spots around Grand Rapids? Let me know where we took this picture.

Talk Of The Town

Interesting happenings around town

🎡 Wyoming Spring Carnival Re-Opens

After a brief closure, the Wyoming Spring Carnival is open again at Lamar Park. The event runs through Sunday and has discounted prices on weekdays. Learn more here.

💰 ArtPrize Seeks Artists

ArtPrize is looking for artists. The annual art festival is giving away $600,000 in grants and awards to fund artists’ projects that will be displayed throughout the city. The submission deadline is May 1st.

🏗️ WoW Is Looking For Creatives

World of Winter is looking for industrial designers, electrical engineers, and creatives of all kinds to provide large-scale installations for its next event. Proposals opened last week and are open through May 11th.

Want to have your business featured here? Contact me.

What’s Happening?

Preview: Events —> Live Music

Wednesday, April 16th

• The Great Downtown GR Egg Hunt | All Across Downtown GR | April 16th - 21st | Free

• Confluence Thought Series | Kendall College | 8:30 AM - 1:30 PM | $40

• Sidewalk Social | Gaslight Village | 4 PM - 8 PM | Free | Live music, food trucks, performances, and special business district offerings

• City of Wyoming's Spring Carnival | Lamar Park | 4 PM - 8:30 PM | Bring the whole family for thrilling rides, delicious food, games, and entertainment for all ages from

• Garden Magic | Grand Rapids Pottery | 6:30 PM - 8:30 PM | $60 | Make your own creative stakes to label your garden and be soothed while gardening by your hand-built wind chime

• Game Show Experience | Rapid River Stillhouse | 6:30 PM - 9:30 PM | $10 | This isn’t just trivia… it’s a REAL game show experience.

• Comedy Night | River City Saloon | 9 PM | Free | Hundreds of innovators from across the region for two days of conversation, networking and takeaways

Thursday, April 17th

• St Gianna's No Cost Baby Boutique | 1400 Plainfield Ave NE | 10 AM - 1 PM | Free

• Flames of Hope | Magnify Church | 7 PM - 9 PM | $10 | Family caught in a tangle of modern struggles find hope in the Easter story

• Nature Night Bingo | Speciation Cellars | 7 PM - 9 PM | Free | The City Nature Challenge is here! Join Speciation and John Ball Zoo for a night of Nature Bingo

• The Found Footage Festival: 20th Anniversary Show | Wealthy Theatre | 7:30 PM | $18 | Joe Pickett (The Onion) and Nick Prueher (Late Show) have over 13,000 VHS tapes in their collection and have been taking viewers on a guided tour through their latest and greatest finds since 2004

• Karaoke | General Wood Shop | 8 PM - 11 PM | Free

Friday, April 18th

• Easter Eggstravaganza | We Rock The Spectrum | All Day | $20 per child/ $15 per sibling | a fun filled Easter Celebration

• The Color Purple | The Civic Theatre | (Fri - Sun) Various times | Starting at $20

• Photos with the Bunny | Woodland Mall | 10 AM - 8 PM | Starting at $37

• Big Fitting Event | Maplehill Golf | 3 PM - 7 PM | This event is by appointment only

• The Music of Austin Powers | Circle Theatre | 7 PM | Starting at $30

• Comedy Hour | Founders Brewery | 8:30 PM - 11 PM | $20

Easter specific events around Grand Rapids

Live Music

Wednesday, April 16th

• Stein Night | New Holland | 5 PM - 12 AM | Free to attend

• Bluegrass Jam | Chicago Beef Joint | 6 PM - 9 PM | Free | A community based jam session where guests and welcome to come in and play, enjoy drinks, food, and an awesome patio atmosphere

• Jazz Band Concert | Calvin University | 7:30 PM - 9 PM | Free

Thursday, April 17th

Artifakts | The Stache | 7 PM | $20

Friday, April 18th

• Zach Rushing Live | Wealthy Theatre | 6 PM - 8 PM | $35

• VKTM – The Veil Of The Hunter Tour | The Stache | 8 PM | Starting at $18

• Stan Society Presents Best Song Ever | GLC Live | 8:30 PM | $28

• The Return of Henry Brooks | The Mint | 10 PM | $20

*Shows are subject to change, but that’s show biz.

Outside The Plaza

3 quick hits of news from cities around Grand Rapids

Big Rapids:  Ferris State University to offer 2 days of free healthcare services

Michigan:  Michigan Gas Utilities crews wrapping up service restoration after major outage

That’s All For Today…

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