Good morning, Grand Rapids.
It'll be seventy degrees this weekend (and early next week)! That would be great, except it's nearly mid-October. Get your sweet sunny pumpkin patch photos in now, before the weather turns (whenever that happens).
In this issue...
🏙 How locals are liking GR
🏒 Griffins take the ice for season opener
🍺 EGR Harvest + Beer Festival in Eastown
and more!
Enjoy the sun!
~Sara B.
Who Loves GR?
City of GR released the results of its National Community Survey.
Essentially, the city ran a public poll to understand what locals had to say about the city.
And here’s what “we” all had to say:
91% recommend living in GR
83% plan to see themselves staying for 5 years
71% rate city employee customer service positively.
6% satisfaction increase reported on recreation centers
6% increase in feelings of connection and engagement with community
By the numbers, residents love it here, even though there's acknowledged room for improvement.
What do you think about these numbers? 🤔
Business News
✅ New
New locally owned sandwich shop DANG NICE DELI will be coming soon to Alpine with soups, salads, subs, and Midwest charm. (And the chicken leg guy, if you've seen him.)
Dave's Hot Chicken Grandville location opens Oct. 9th, beating the 28th Street spot following rumors about which would open first.
Independent Bank moved its headquarters and 60 employees to downtown Grand Rapids after an $8 million renovation.
❗ Updates
Westside Mexican staple Maggie's Kitchen has reopened on Oct. 7 after a temporary closure.
Months after a kitchen fire, First Wok in Cascade has reopened its doors after months of renovation.
Van Andel Arena is celebrating 30 years with a brand-new mural showing off its specialties.
Talk Of The Town
🎸 Heavy Metal Heaven
This Saturday, The Pyramid Scheme will bring back Doomfest, a one-day heavy metal music festival.
🏒 The Griffins Return
The Griffins are hitting the ice at Van Andel for their season opener later today. The game will kick off (if that’s een the right term) at 7 PM
🚀 From NASA to GRPM
The Public Museum received an autographed photo donated straight from NASA, courtesy of GR-born Artemis II Astronaut Christina Koch.
🎪 Free Circus Show (sort of)
Rivertown Crossings will host a special event with Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey for free before the circus main shows later this month. The event will be held in the lower courtyard area.
Home of the Week: History in Heritage Hill
Skyview Experts
Built in 1908 for Arthur Vandenberg, former editor and publisher of the Grand Rapids Herald and four-term U.S. Senator, this beautiful home was once renovated into apartments, then back to a single-family home.
4 beds, 2.5 baths, and 2,900 sq. ft. altogether
Expansive brick front porch and stucco upper exterior
Spacious study with in-wall library shelving and a window bench built in
Brick-detailed covered front porch and a brick-patio backyard
The price recently dropped from its original asking price. What would you guess this house is worth?
Check here for the answer!
Are you a realtor interested in sharing one of your listings with 8,300+ locals? Email us for information.
Featured Events
Click the flyer to get more details (tickets are moviing)!
What’s Happening?
Friday, October 9th
Grand Rapids Griffins at Van Andel | Grand Rapids Griffins | (10/9 - 3/26) | ?
Between Worlds: Where Memory Lives | DeVos Place | All day | ?
MiVetCon 2026 | DeVos Place | All day | ?
Wildlife Photography | Blandford Nature Center | 10 AM - 12 PM | $40
Saturday, October 10th
Grand Rapids Cyclocross | Richmond Park | 10 AM - 4 PM | ?
Pumpkin Fest | Hancock | All day | Free to Attend
Yoga at Blandford | Blandford Nature Center | 9:30 AM - 10:30 AM | $15
Stope the Hate Walk | Rosa Parks Circle | 11 AM - 2 PM | Free
Thriller & Chiller Book Fair | Underground Lounge + Patio | 5 PM - 8 PM | Free
Community Climb | Highland Park | 4 PM - 7 PM | Free
Comedian: Joe DeRosa | The Big Room at Silva | 8 PM | $38+
EGR Harvest + Beer Festival | Gaslight Village | 12 PM - 6 PM | Free
Sunday, October 11th
ART! at the Market | Fulton Street Market | 11 AM - 4 PM
Grand Rapids Griffins | Van Andel Arena | 4 PM - 10 PM | $30+
Monday, October 12th
Boo Bash | Grand Rapids Children's Museum | 9 AM - 12 PM
Live Music
Friday, October 9th
Blue Jam City | Horrocks Market | 5 PM - 8 PM | Free
The Moonrays (cosmic surf rock) | Speciation Cellars | 7 PM | Free
Chokesetter | Mulligan's Pub | 7 PM | Free
Thompson Dawson | The Stray | 7 PM | Free
An Evening with John Cusack | GLC Live at 20 Monroe | 7 PM - 8:50 PM | $50+
The Fat Animals (Jam/Psych/Rock) | Speciation Cellars | 9 PM - 11 PM | Free
Grand Rapids Symphony: America at 250 | DeVos Performance Hall | (Fri - Sat) 7:30 PM | $22+
Left Lane Cruiser | Tip Top Deluxe Bar & Grille | 8 PM | $12
Tyler Gitchel | Rapid River Stillhouse | 9 PM | $5
Corey B | Wealthy Theatre | 8 PM | $38
Los Gamma | Agave Sports Lounge | 9 PM | Free
Saturday, October 10th
Simply In Time | Legacy Park | 3 PM - 7 PM | ?
For your Soul Entertainment | Horrocks Market | 5 PM - 8 PM | Free
Skillet: Comatose 20 Years, Still Screaming Tour | GLC Live at 20 Monroe | 6 PM - 11 PM | $64
Dieselboy | The Mint | 9 PM | $20+
Neon Crows | The Back Forty Saloon | 9 PM | Free
Itz Namo | Mulligan's Pub | 10 PM - 11:30 PM | Free
Sunday, October 11th
Deerhoof + Clawfoot | The Pyramid Scheme | 8 PM - 11 PM | $30
Sophia McIntosh | Dunneback Farm Market | 1 PM - 4 PM | Free
Monday, October 12th
Julia Wolf | Elevation | 8 PM | ?
Heart to Gold | The Pyramid Scheme | 7 PM | $21+
*Shows are subject to change, but that’s show biz.
Calder Catch Up
A quick digest of local news that matters
🛝 City Park on Chavez: On Wed., Oct. 14, from 4- 5 p.m., an opening ceremony will celebrate the new $2.23 million park at 680 Cesar E. Chavez Avenue SW, part of larger collaborative Roosevelt Park neighborhood transformation efforts.
👀 Eyes on River North: Three parcels of land on Monroe Ave NW and Coldbrook St NW are teed up to transform from commercial spaces to mixed-use, mixed-income development.
📚 S is for Students: M-STEP, SAT, and PSAT scores were released to the public in September. You can see how our schools around GR scored.
🦝 Classes Cancelled for... Raccoon? Ferris State cancelled morning classes at KCAD and GRCC on Wednesday morning, reportedly due to raccoon trouble at the Consumer Energy substation.
🏛️ Court Made Convenient: 61st District Court has launched Night Court, a 5 p.m. and later Zoom video conference option to help solve small-claims disputes without budding into the workday.
Have news to report? Click here.
That’s All…
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