Labor Day

Take the kids to see 20+ life-size animatronic dinosaurs at John Ball Zoo – their Dino Adventures exhibit also includes a fossil dig pit and T-Rex photo op. Open all weekend.

Head to LCMU Ballpark for a different kind of doubleheader – Family Fare Flix on the Field presents baseball films “A League of Their Own” and “Field of Dreams” on a giant outdoor screen.

Fridays and Saturdays are Glow Nights at TreeRunner Adventure Park. Climb through the park’s aerial forest while surrounded by vibrant colors and a festive atmosphere.

Time is running out to explore Emotions at Play with Pixar’s Inside Out, the interactive exhibit inspired by the hit film. It’s at the Grand Rapids Children’s Museum through Sept. 8.

Friday is day one of the GrandCon Gaming Convention, which fills DeVos Place with all manner of gaming, cosplaying, merchandise and more. It extends through Sunday.

A longer weekend means more time to earn some cool swag:

• Check in to eight breweries on the Beer City Ale Trail to become a Beer City Brewsader and get a FREE t-shirt.
• Order from the Flights of Flavor menu at participating restaurants to earn points toward fun merchandise or charitable giving.

Enjoy your favorite warm-weather foods at the End of Summer Cookout and Showcase in Rosa Park Circle. There will be food trucks, merchants, entertainment and more. Free entry!

Calling all KPop fans! KWave Summer Fest in Garfield Park presents live music, dancers, interactive games, photocard trading, giveaways and more celebrating the popular music genre.

The first crop of apples is just starting to show up at local family farm markets – get your pick of them and the late summer harvest of other fruits and vegetables.

This is a great weekend to visit the city’s cultural attractions. Get CulturePass GR for three days of discount admissions to five museums, John Ball Zoo and The Comedy Project comedy-and-cocktail theater. Highlights include:

• American Glass Now: 2024 and The Outwin: American Portraiture Today at the Grand Rapids Art Museum, open Fri-Sun.
• The Robot Zoo at the Grand Rapids Public Museum, featuring eight robot animals. Open Fri-Mon.
• Dino Adventures in the Forest Realm at John Ball Zoo, open all weekend.
• Summer Weather Comedy Double Header at The Comedy Project, Fri & Sat.

See “Back to the Future” on an outdoor screen at downtown’s Studio Park, starting at 8pm.

Laugh along with comedy legend (and “Bad Boys” star) Martin Lawrence as he brings his “Y’all Know What it is” Tour to Van Andel Arena.

Immerse yourself in a two-hour production of AVATAR: The Last Airbender in Concert, featuring highlights from the animated series accompanied by music from a live orchestra. At DeVos Performance Hall.

It’s a great day for a self-guided mural tour – check out these Center City, Heartside, Southtown, Uptown, and West Side routes. See how GR artists turn mundane objects into objects of beauty on the Rad Women Electrical Box and Painted Ticket Booths tours.

Revisit past ArtPrize entries permanently installed around downtown GR before the advent of ArtPrize 2024 (Sept.13-28).

If art’s not your thing, check out Tours Around Michigan for guided city, ghost, riverfront, distillery and historic home tours on Sunday.

Take one more bite (or at least, lick) out of summer – check out locals’ favorite ice cream parlors and frozen yogurt shops

Let someone else labor over your Labor Day weekend meals – search 1,000+ restaurants by cuisine and neighborhood to plan your breakfast, lunch and dinner. Want to dine al fresco? Check out this list of outdoor dining spaces.

Like every Sunday, Mulligan’s Pub in Uptown GR hosts Sunday Night Heat Stand Up Comedy hosted by a local comedian and offering mic time to others who wants to make people laugh. 21+, no cover charge.

Go ahead, get in another beach (or golf or biking or hiking) day. Millennium Park offers a six-acre beach, boat rental, 18 miles of paved trails and a splashpad named one of America’s 10 best – and it’s just five minutes from downtown GR. Dozens of other trails, 30+ golf courses and 20+ Lake Michigan beaches are a short drive away.

Raise a glass to the end of summer at a local brewery, cidery, cocktail lounge, distillery or wine bar.

Shop end-of-summer sales and browse new fall merchandise – Breton Village Shopping Center, Rivertown Crossings Mall, Woodland Mall, Tanger Outlet Mall and hundreds of individual stores are open today.

The Gerald R. Ford Presidential Museum, Frederik Meijer Gardens & Sculpture Park and John Ball Zoo are open today, as are these family fun spots: A.J.’s Family Fun Center, Altitude Trampoline Park, Amped Virtual Reality, Celebration Cinema! Studio Park, Craig’s Cruisers, Grand Rapids Escape Room, The Great Escape Room, Rebounderz and Sky Zone Trampoline Park.