Good morning, Grand Rapids. I’m LeQwane and this is Calder News — Last week, our newsletter didn’t land in the inbox for a bunch of our readers.
Why? I don’t know. But I do have a solution to prevent it in the future.
If you’re on a PC or phone, make sure to drag our email into your inbox (especially if it’s in promotions, social, or updates). The other thing you can do is save our email as a contact.
This will ensure your email provider shows our emails in your inbox vs any other category you may or may not see. 🫡
~LeQwane L.
Loving Local
Love is in the air, folks.
Valentine’s Day usually sneaks up on me, but thanks to you (the Calder Crew), I was on top of it this year.
Outside of the main to-dos like dinner, a move, staying in, here are a few local activities you can get into with your Valentine’s:
Crafting - Acrylic Heart Painting, Valentine Charcuterie, Painting with a Twist
Entertainment - Heart Beat, Matteo Lane/ Brad Williams (comedy), Broads Burlesque: Heart U
Shopping - Skip the chain stores and hit up a local store!
I’d like to say that these to-dos are spread out over the week/weekend, so make sure to check the dates!
For a larger list, check out Experience GR’s full guide.
The Digest
A briefing of local news that matters
Community
John Ball Zoo’s Aquarium Plans Move Forward
John Ball Zoo has hired Jon Nunn from Grand Action (the team behind the Van Andel Arena + other developments downtown) to help move its aquarium project into a new planning phase, including stakeholder outreach and due diligence. The zoo has been studying an aquarium since 2021 and is aiming for a 2031 opening. | Read more
City
GR’s New (Interim) Police Chief
Grand Rapids Deputy Chief Joseph Trigg will serve as interim police chief as the city searches for its next permanent head cop. He will take over the roughly 300-person department when current Chief Eric Winstrom leaves for a job in Pensacola, Florida. | Read more
Short-Term Rental Rules Update?
Grand Rapids is considering changes to its short-term rental rules as the city updates zoning, with leaders pointing to more than 1,000 listings online despite a 200-license cap. Current rules require owner occupancy and limit rentals to small groups, and illegal operators can face fines. Any changes would run through the public zoning update process, with the new rules expected in summer 2027. | Read more
Have news to report? Click here.
Talk Of The Town
🪙 Acrisure Ampitheater’s Golden Ticket
This one is straight out of Charlie and the Chocolate Factory. Last Friday, the Acrisure Ampitheater announced its giveaway of a “Golden Ticket” that will allow one person to attend every show during the theater’s opening year. Here are the details.
🗿 New Statues Downtown
The GR Community Legends Project is bringing 4 new monuments to downtown. The program has a goal to memorialize local history with the help of 25 statues of community legends. Learn who’s getting a statue next.
Talking Shop
Roll’N Out Food Trucks → The annual food truck Roll’N Out is celebrating its 10th anniversary, and it’s looking for vendors
Crow’s Hold → The new community market downtown is seeking applications for new vendors
Want to share good news with 5,300+ other GR locals?
What’s Happening?
Tuesday, February 10th
Silent Book Club | Orchard House Books | 5 PM | Free
Big Time Boxing | GLC Live | 6 PM | $61
Wednesday, February 11th
Grand Rapids Boat Show | DeVos Place | (Wed - Sun) Various times | $12
Thursday, February 12th
Galentine's at Vintage + More | Vintage + More | 5 PM | Free
Data Center: The Good, The Bad, and Ugly | Bamboo | 5 PM | Free
Poetry Night | The LIT | 5:30 PM | Free
Find Your Valentine: Lock & Key Singles Party | Atwater Brewery | 7 PM | $32
Grand Rapids Rise vs. San Diego Mojo | Van Andel Arena | 7 PM | $23+
Comedy: Matteo Lane | DeVos Performance | 7:30 PM | $50
Friday, February 13th
Luv'N Lunch | Rosa Parks Circle | 12 PM | $3+
SILVA’s Big Ol’ Birthday | BIG Room | 4 PM | Free
Friday Night Food Trucks | 555 Monroe North Lot | 6 PM | Free
Comedy: Brad Williams | DeVos Performance Hall | 7 PM | $49
Broads Burlesque: Heart U | Kusterer Brauhaus | 7 PM | $15
My Bloody Valentine's A Silent Disco | JW Marriott | 9 PM | $23
Live Music
Thursday, February 12th
Edye and Mike | Horrocks Market | 5 PM | Free
Ward Davis | The Stache | 6:30 PM | $20+
Opiuo | Elevation | 7 PM | $41
Anime Night | The Pyramid Scheme | 7 PM | $27
Concerts Under the Stars: How to live together | GRPM | 7:30 PM | $24
Dave Simonett | Wealthy Theatre | 7:30 PM | $38
Friday, February 13th
Descendents & Frank Turner & The Sleeping Souls | GLC Live | 6 PM | $58+
King Biscuit Blues Band | Horrocks Market | 6 PM | Free
Smells Like Nirvana | The Stache | 7 PM | $18
Thomas Tran Quartet | The Stray | 7 PM | Free
The Fukushima Daisies + Supergrudge + Epcya | Pyramid Scheme | 7 PM | $13+
BUNT. | The Intersection | 8 PM | $48
Heart String Circus | Four Star Theatre | 8 PM | $30
A Proper Axe and O'Dell Weaver and Jonas Edge | Tip Top | 8 PM | $17
Coldplay & Imagine Dragons | Wealthy Theatre | 8:45 PM | $24
Erin Monroe: Sierra Ferrell Trail of Flowers | Speciation Cellars | 9 PM | Free
Dolly Dagger | Twisted Bull | 9:30 PM | Free
*Shows are subject to change, but that’s show biz.
Outside The Plaza
Quick hits of news from cities around Grand Rapids
That’s All For Today…
⭐ If you enjoyed today’s newsletter, copy the link to the post and share it with a friend. Every new reader that joins our email helps.
📧 Get your business in an upcoming issue of Calder News. Let’s talk about how we can put your business in front of thousands of GR locals.
Connect: Linkedin
Made with ❤ in Grand Rapids