World of Winter Festival
January 9 - Mar 1, 2026
Downtown Grand Rapids transforms into a dazzling winter wonderland every winter. Our World of Winter Festival is America’s largest free winter festival – and one of the 10 Most Epic U.S. Winter Festivals Worth Braving the Cold For, according to TheTravel website.
Now in its seventh year, the two-month festival features stunning light-based art from around the world, live performances and activities for all ages, all designed to bring people outside for fun and community during the cold-weather months. Everything takes place in our easily walkable downtown, and all events and activities are FREE to attend. World of Winter is the perfect cure for cabin fever – so plan your family outings, friend meetups and romantic getaways today!
World of Winter 2026 starts Friday, January 9, and runs through Sunday, March 1. Art installations are usually open daily from 8 am to 11 pm, though some light-based pieces are only illuminated after dark. The festival tends to be busier after 5 pm and on weekends, when most events and performances are scheduled. There’s still plenty to enjoy during the day, so visit before 5 pm Mondays-Thursdays to avoid the heaviest crowds.
World of Winter features large-scale, interactive and Instagram-worthy art installations from international creators plus a variety of sculptures, murals, window exhibits and more from talented local artists. All 60+ artworks are within an easy walk of each other – but you might want to plan for several days of sightseeing just to take it all in. Get a peek at this year’s lineup.
World of Winter offers a wealth of events and activities in addition to art experiences, including an interactive scavenger hunt, walking tours, artist lectures and these:
- Fire & Ice performances and street party, Jan 10
- Ice Breaker carving demonstration, Jan 10
- This is Loop Artist Talk, Jan 10
- Art Installation Walking Tours, Jan 10 & 23 and Feb 6, 14 & 26
- Abby’s Hand Drawn Photo Booth, every Fri & Sat
- Jalsa: Festivity of Indian Food & Culture, Jan 11
- Luminary Bike Ride, Jan 15
- Sound Bath and Meditation, Jan 16
- Silent Disco, Jan 17
- Ice Piano Performance, Jan 23
- Circus Wonderland, Jan 24
- Snowga, Jan 25
- Rapid Art Movement mobile art tour, Jan 30 & 31
- Winter’s a DRAG!, Jan 31
- Sound Bath and Meditation, Feb 1
- Brett Bolton: Live Audiovisual Performance, Feb 6
- DJs Monrroe & Buunshin @ Sominus, Feb. 7
- Luv’n Lunch and Love on Ice Valentine’s Day celebrations, Feb 14
- Drag Storybook Hour, Feb 15
- Paint the Park, Feb 21
- Great Lakes Snow Snake Competition, Feb 28
- Human Hungry Hippo Tournament, Feb. 28
- Noodle Fest, March 1
Also: Download the GooseChase app to join the WoW Scavenger Hunt and complete missions, discover hidden gems and earn points for a chance to win prizes every week. View the daily events calendar.
What Else to Do
Downtown Grand Rapids is filled with fun for the whole family. Browse 100+ stores, explore five museums, see a movie, attend a concert, ice skate under the stars, watch a pro hockey, basketball or women’s volleyball game, and much more. Within a 15-minute drive of downtown, you can visit Frederik Meijer Gardens & Sculpture Park, America’s #1 Sculpture Park, shop seven malls, and participate in all manner of winter sports. Consider timing your visit to coincide with another special event, such as:
You’ll discover all sorts of reasons CNN ranked Grand Rapids a Top 10 Best American Town to Visit!
Enjoy fantastic street food from a rotating lineup of local food trucks every Friday night during World of Winter. Food trucks will also be available during Fire & Ice (Jan 10), Silent Disco (Jan 17), Circus Wonderland (Jan 24), Winter’s a DRAG! (Jan 31), Monrroe & Buunshin @ Sominus (Feb 7), Luv’n Lunch (Feb 14), Love on Ice (Feb 14), Paint the Park (Feb 21) and the Human Hungry Hippo Tournament (Feb 28). Noodle Fest (March 1) closes out the festival with $6 noodle dishes – vote for your favorite to win the Best Noodle Dish in West Michigan title.
Downtown Grand Rapids is also home to 170+ restaurants of all kinds, all just steps from World of Winter art installations. The Grand Rapids Downtown Market, named a Top 13 Must-Visit U.S. Food Hall, hosts 19 food merchants and restaurants under one roof. Our Downtown Refreshment Area lets you purchase adult beverages from 60+ businesses and enjoy them as you stroll the World of Winter grounds. Download the Beer City Brewsader® passport app to earn a free t-shirt by visiting eight local breweries (eight of our 35+ breweries are located right downtown). Get the Flights of Flavor® digital pass to discover awesome food and/or drink flights around downtown and throughout the city – and earn points toward free merchandise.
With so much to see and do at World of Winter, you may want to stay a few days to experience it all. Choose from 13 downtown hotels to be steps from the action, or find your ideal mix of budget, amenities and location at 100+ outlying hotels.
If you’re coming to Grand Rapids by car, check the City of Grand Rapids Parking Map for locations and rates. You can park at Area 9 Parking Lot (250 Seward NW) for just $3 a day and use the DASH Shuttle to get around – this FREE service circulates around downtown, hitting every stop every 15 minutes. If you’d prefer not to drive into downtown, consider riding The Rapid, our award-winning bus system. Download the Transit app to plan your trip.
Michigan winters typically require heavy coats, hats, gloves, and boots. However, Grand Rapids can experience fairly substantial swings in temperature and snow cover, so it's best to check the weather reports and dress accordingly.
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