Articles

Family

Ideas for A Fun Family Winter Weekend

by Sasha Wolff photo by Experience Grand Rapids

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7 min story

It’s winter time here in the Mitten state which means there are new activities to experience…

Experiences

Budget-Friendly Ideas for Date Night

by Madey Lutenski photo by Experience Grand Rapids

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5 min story

When I first moved to West Michigan for college, I never imagined that I’d fall in love with…

Mandy Cano Villalobos with World of Winter Artwork Carnevale

Art & Culture

Local World of Winter Artist: Mandy Cano Villalobos

by Jordoun Eatman photo by Nick Irwin for Experience GR Artwork: Carnevale by Mandy Cano Villalobos

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Read

5 min story

Since it started in 2018, the World of Winter Festival (WOW) has invited all of us to rethink how we…

Amy Busse

Amy is a married mother of two fantastic girls who doesn’t understand why everyone doesn’t live on Michigan’s West Coast. With so many great things to do in the area, she will begrudgingly admit what her friends have known for years – it is hard getting her to leave. However, she will invite you to visit anytime to explore the great outdoors, festivals, fun fitness activities, and of course the breweries.

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Matthew Makowski

Matthew Makowski is a professional storyteller, positivity promoter, and local tourist who loves sharing the awesomeness of Grand Rapids for Experience Grand Rapids. Away from his work, Matthew enjoys burying his nose in a good comic book, cosplaying for charity as Captain America with The League of Enchantment, and exploring West Michigan with his wife, son, and far-out corgi, The Dude.

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Allison Arnold

Allison Arnold is a graduate of the University of Michigan and will be serving as an AmeriCorps Family Literacy & English Language Instructor at the Literacy Center of West Michigan. She is passionate about writing, food and culture, travel, and hiking. She can usually be found enjoying tacos and a beer, or writing for her blog, 4theloveoftacos.com.

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Brian Craig

Brian Craig recently moved to Michigan with his wife and three kids. He photographs and writes stories about parenting, food, history’s oddities, and happenings around Grand Rapids. A former teacher, Brian also tutors students with dyslexia, for the non-profit SLD Read.

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