My favorite winter outdoor recreation activities to do when I lived in the Upper Peninsula included exploring the ice caves, skiing, fat tire biking, hiking up mountains and through forests. My backyard was one of the most beautiful nature locations in Michigan. Including Lake Superior, which froze over so thick last February, that it turned into a community ice rink. Even the National Hockey League came to skate around the iron ore dock in Marquette with their hockey sticks in hand. It was eerie and exciting to watch everyone come together to skate atop the rare natural occurrence of black ice on the lake.
Another center of winter celebration in Michigan is the city of Grand Rapids (GR). Sure, the rest of the state offers all kinds of outdoor recreation, but GR has some of that and more. I love what Grand Rapids has to offer during the holidays, there are so many festive attractions all around.
If you’re interested in planning some outdoor and indoor activities, I would recommend exploring some days in the city with your friends or family during the yearly winter events in Grand Rapids:
1. Van Andel Arena and Devos Performance Hall
Van Andel Arena is home to the Grand Rapids Griffins hockey team, concerts and shows. They mainly put on lighthearted family-friendly shows such as Lindsey Stirling Christmas Program, Disney On Ice, Stars On Ice, and Winter Jam.
Devos Performance Hall has some more sophisticated options than Van Andel for winter shows. The Nutcracker Ballet, Cirque De Noel Symphony, Hamilton, and Hairspray, are some of the iconic shows playing this winter season at the performance art thearte.
2. World of Winter Festival
The World of Winter Festival is a three month (January to March) seasonal themed event held in the Grand Rapids community. It’s a way to enjoy the creative wonders of winter. Artists come in to install whimsical immersive outdoor art installations, which usually have lights and sounds. There are also ice carvings, music, and other forms of entertainment that bring the city to life as the snow falls.
3. Igloo Dining
As the hospitality industry struggled to cope with the indoor dining ban when the temperatures dropped, igloos, greenhouses, beer gardens, cabins, etc. appeared outside of Grand Rapids (GR) restaurants. Now, winterized al fresco dining in GR is the norm during the cold season.
4. Ice Skating at Rosa Parks Circle
Unfortunately, due to construction delays, the 2021/2022 skating season at Rosa Parks Circle was postponed until further notice. They are exploring other skating locations as alternatives and may complete construction before the end of winter. Normally, Rosa Parks Circle is a circular concrete plaza all year round. In winter, it turns into a magical ice skating rink.
5. The Christmas Light Show Drive Thru
The LMCU Ballpark in Comstock Park will be hosting West Michigan’s largest animated drive thru Christmas light show. Visitors can drive or walk through two miles of Christmas displays that twinkle with more than one million lights.