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Good morning, Grand Rapids; welcome to October.

AI jobs are on the rise, and ArtPrize's closing ceremony, an attempt at the world's largest fashion show, the 2026 Beer City Brewing Festival, and Dan and Shay are all in town this weekend.

What's your pick for weekend plans?

Let me know in the poll within today’s issue.

~Sara B.

COMMUNITY BLOCK PARTY

Together with: Independent Bank

Click Image for details | Independent Bank

SIX DAYS!

Independent Bank’s community block party is happening next Thursday, October 8!

From 1- 4 pm, come down to Fountain Street at 98 Ottawa Ave for food, games, giveaways, and fun for the whole family (or friends!)

Come celebrate their newest branch in downtown Grand Rapids!

You won’t want to miss it!

RSVP TODAY

Business News

✅ New

Recently opened in Grandville, The Wiggly Chair offers a private, sensory-friendly experience for any children who aren't fans of Sharkey's or other kid-focused places.

Chipotle has filed a request to bring a new location into a currently vacant space at Then Village near Knapp’s Corner.

After closing, K-Pocha is marking a full-circle return and opening a new restaurant in the same plaza where it started. While they haven't opened yet, they are planning to take over the old Zoup at 5783 Byron Center!

❌ Closing

After years of feeding the Westside, Fu Garden at 2030 Lake Michigan Dr NW has closed its doors for good. There’s a sign in the window promoting a new Chinese spot that’ll take over the space.

Talk Of The Town

🏛️ Homage to History

This one is a bit out of our coverage zone, but I’ve seen enough people around town bring it up - so the Jim Crow Museum of Racist Imagery on the Ferris State University campus is open to visitors, housing over 30,000 historic artifacts. The $22M project was made to ‘Witness, understand, heal.”. Could be an interesting visit on the lakeshore.

🖼️ An End to ArtPrize

Drum roll please… ArtPrize's Award Celebration and Fashion Show is this Saturday, October 3rd. This year’s ending is a joint commemoration of the widely loved art festival and the inaugural season of Acrisure Amphitheatre.

Plus, you could have a front-row ticket to history for free as ArtPrize is aiming to break the record for the largest fashion show ever attended.

Tech on Top

Tech jobs in Grand Rapids are up 84% in the past year.

That's what The Right Place reported: job postings requiring at least one AI-related skill skyrocketed from 2025 to 2026.

Since the tech was released in 2022, online, in-person, and in-class discussions have often raised one question: what about AI?

This impact on the job market is one clear indicator that it's here to stay; for now, at least.

Speaking of jobs, if you're on the hunt, check out our job board.

Featured Events

Click the flyer for tickets!

LAST CHANCE: Click the flyer for event details

What’s Happening?

Friday, October 2nd

Saturday, October 3rd

Monday, October 5th

Submit Your Event

Live Music

Friday, October 2nd

  • El Ten Eleven | The Pyramid Scheme | 8 PM - 11 PM | ?

  • San Holo | The Intersection | 8 PM | $35 ADV / $40 DOS

  • Electric Flower Company | The Score | 6 PM - 10 PM | Free

  • Tall Tall Trees | The Pyramid Scheme | 7 PM | $27

  • Modest Mouse WSG Caroline Rose | GLC Live at 20 Monroe | 7 PM - 11 PM | $66.50

  • Dan + Shay: The Young Tour | Acrisure Amphitheatre | 7 PM - 11 PM | $36

  • Grand Rapids Symphony: The Music of Star Trek | DeVos Performance Hall | 7:30 PM - 8:30 PM | $20+

  • Jennifer Knapp | Tip Top Deluxe Bar & Grille | 8 PM | $28

  • MOODS (Jazz/Psych) | Speciation Cellars | 9 PM - 11 PM | Free

Saturday, October 3rd

  • Joe Russo’s Almost Dead | GLC Live at 20 Monroe | 6:30 PM - 11:30 PM | $64

  • Azz-Izz | The Score | 6 PM | Free

  • The Red Clay Strays/ Haley Reinhart | Van Andel Arena | 6:30 PM - 9 PM | ?

  • The Craguns | Conference Grounds | 7 PM | ?

  • Rebekah Rhys | Vander Mill | 7 PM - 9:30 PM | Free

  • Lee Emi - Record Release Show + Cal In Red | The Pyramid Scheme | 8 PM - 11 PM | $33

  • Trixy Tang | Eastern Avenue Hall (2nd Floor) | 8 PM - 11:59 PM | Free

  • JP & The Energy | Log Cabin | 8 PM | Free

  • Matt Pless wsg Johnny Stash | Tip Top Deluxe Bar & Grille | 8 PM | $12

  • Nuke and the Nightshift- Reckless Rhythms-Garden Effect | Mulligan's Pub | (10/3 - 10/4) 10 PM | Free

  • Lindsay Lou | The Big Room | 7 PM | $27

Sunday, October 4th

  • Sound Journey: An Evening of Sound, Movement, & Connection | Four Star Theater | 3 PM - 6 PM | $25

  • Kennedy Affair | The Score | 6 PM | Free

  • Candi Carpenter + Moselle + McWeakerton + Violet Scum | The Pyramid Scheme | 7:30 PM - 11 PM | $24

Monday, October 5th

  • Messa + Mothertomb + Rip VanRipper + Aksumite | The Pyramid Scheme | 8 PM - 11 PM | $27

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

Calder Catch Up

A quick digest of local news that matters

  • 🗑 Talking about Trash. Kent County is looking for your feedback on a new waste management and recycling plan; the feedback collection period will remain open until Monday, Nov. 30.

  • 🧥 A Warm Coat. Big Joe's Winter Warmup is aiming for a 1,000-item collection for this year's coat drive, benefiting the Grand Rapids organization Neighbors for Neighbors. The drive will end Nov. 12.

  • 🤝 Celebrating Public Servants: The city is holding a luncheon on Friday, Oct. 9, from 11 AM to 2 PM at Riverside Park to recognize volunteers, board and commission members, and employees alike.

  • 🏞 Greenway on Grand River: Alongside the Grand River corridor, a network of public parks, multi-use trails, and other areas is emerging to support social health and economic opportunities in the area, with the Northland Trail currently under construction.

  • 🏘 Apartments coming to Ionia: Above the Grand Rapids HopCat location, Lee Shore Enterprises has invested $4 million into converting the top of the 143-year-old building into 27 new apartments.

  • 🛝 Creativity at Canal: Canal Park is set to open very soon. And DGRI has released some neat pictures of the park’s details.

  • 🧑‍🎨 Art in the Alleyway: Last weekend, the City of GR celebrated the opening of Entertainment Alleyway, a mural created by Michi Farias and Rhiannan Sibbald. It illustrates the people, places, and stories that have shaped the city's entertainment scene.

  • 🖼 Library Legacy: The new library opening in Walker on Oct. 19 will receive a $1M donation from Meijer, in homage to a shared story that started in the same area.

Have news to report? Click here.

That’s All…

But before you go, three things worth knowing about:

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