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World of Winter Festival

January 10 to March 2, 2025

Downtown Grand Rapids transforms into a dazzling winter wonderland every winter. Our World of Winter Festival is the largest winter festival in the Midwest – and one of the 10 Most Epic U.S. Winter Festivals Worth Braving the Cold For, according to TheTravel website.

Now in its fifth year, the two-month festival features more than 100 art installations, 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!

When to Visit

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World of Winter 2025 starts Friday, January 10 at 6pm and runs through Sunday, March 2 at 11pm. Art installations are open daily from 8am-11pm. Many of the installations are light-based and night-based, so it gets busier after dark and on weekends, when most events and performances are scheduled. There’s still plenty to enjoy during the day, so visit before 5pm Mondays-Thursdays to avoid the heaviest crowds.

What to See

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More than 20 large-scale, interactive and Instagram-worthy art installations from local and international artists will be on display throughout the event. You can easily walk from one to the other – but you might want to plan for several days of sightseeing just to take it all in.

Where: 555 Monroe Skate Park

  • Bon{d}fire is a bonfire-like LED structure inviting visitors to share their stories into surrounding microphones. As participants share their stories, their voices are transformed into vibrant rhythms and colors that illuminate the LED bonfire.
  • The WoW Selfie Spot is the perfect place to snap a photo to remember your World of Winter experience.

Where: Ah-Nab-Awen Park

  • Soloveiko Songbirds are inflatable songbirds from different regions of Ukraine that share their distinctive melodies at the press of a button. A celebration of the beauty and resilience of Ukraine.
  • The Hive is an immersive light installation featuring a towering honeycomb structure made of custom high-density LEDs that pulse with color and movement, perfectly synced to an original 10-minute music competition.
  • The Singing Tree is an interactive lighting installation that transforms singing, clapping, yelling and speaking into vibrant visual experiences. The tree lights up in colorful patterns based on the sounds you make.

Where: The Blue Bridge

  • Kinetic Perspective is a row of 18 illusions, each composed of two circles spinning in sync, which gives the impression of a vanishing point at the eye level of visitors. The audience must move around to uncover the patterns, glimmers and distortion, in which a hidden geometry will be revealed.
  • Snail Trail is a group of over-size snails made of steel and sound-activated light.
  • Sturgeon is a colorful, illuminated sculpture raising awareness for a threatened species in our watersheds – the Lake Sturgeon. Located just east off the Blue Bridge.

Where: Calder Plaza

  • Chronoharp is an intricate, triangular form of light and color that responds to human touch, cascading with luminous animations that dance through its structure.

Where: Canal Park

  • Apogee is a 23 ft. wide x 12 ft. tall aluminum structure that comes to life with dynamic, space-themed visuals mapped onto its surface. Two swings and integrated benches invite visitors to relax and engage with the art.
  • Doodle Benches are a series of playful, robot-inspired benches that come to life with simple lines, vibrant colors and creative lighting.
  • Messie the Grand River Monster is a purple monster whose 14-ft. tentacles emerge from the Grand River to explore the city.
  • Rainbow Willow Tree is a vibrant display of lights around a willow tree.
  • Stargaze is a an astral-inspired steel sculpture that bathes visitors in light and as they walk around it. 

Where: Celebration Cinema Studio Park

  • Arctic Friends is a large-scale papier-mâché sculpture depicting four animals ice fishing, drinking hot cocoa with marshmallows and warming up over a bonfire.
  • Disco Heart is adorned with golden ornaments that resemble shimmering disco balls.

Where: DeVos Place

  • Frosty Fotos is a large panorama of cutout figures – two people standing by a light post, three on a sled and two snow persons – that provide a fascinating frosty photo op.
  • Life is But a Dream is a set of three oversized steel sculptures resembling folded paper boats, lit from within to create a playful atmosphere. Located at the rear of the building along the Grand River.

Where: Downtown Grand Rapids, Inc. (29 Pearl St. NW)

  • Mabuhay Philippines is a window-art exhibition of Filipino culture, showcasing colorful lanterns, traditional attire, rich history, and local heritage. 

Where: Gerald R. Ford Presidential Museum

  • Waves captures the abstract beauty of ocean waves through fluid, intertwining shapes and dramatic lighting.

Where: Gillett Bridge

  • Alarum, meaning “wing” in Latin, is an immersive light and sound installation shaped like the wingspan of a Bald Eagle. An Attraction Mode and Performance Mode present two different levels of interaction.
  • Grand Legacy honors the rich history of the Grand River through vibrant projections, stunning artwork and interactive elements.

Where: Grand Rapids Art Museum

  • Land of the Living consist of everyday objects collected from local residents arranged into an altar-like throne that invites visitors to sit.

Where: Lyon Square

  • Fireflies features lights moving  within a vibrant yellow structure topped with a grass roof to evoke a magical atmosphere.
  • Starlight is a gorgeous steel structure with cut-outs of celestial patterns that glow from within.

Where: Sixth Street Park

  • Birdhouse comes to life with lighted birds and bird sounds when cranked.
  • Manidoo Bawating, which means “Spirit of the Rapids” in indigenous Anishinaabemowin language, is an 11-ft. tall sculpture representing and honoring important symbols and unique traditions of the Native American community that thrived along the Grand River and throughout the Great Lakes region.
  • Skeleton Lighting Crew is a ragtag group of holiday-hearted skeletons attempting to create a lighting display (and encountering a few tangles along the way).
  • STORM is an abstract geometric lightning bolt that crackles, sparkles and pulsates in a synthesized display of static electrical discharge.

What to Do

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World of Winter brings the fun with events for both families and adults, starting with an exciting opening kickoff event January 11. The Starry Night Drone Show features two breathtaking light shows, live entertainment, DJs for dancing and food trucks at 555 Monroe Skatepark.

Additional events include:

Valentine's Day

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Celebrate love – romantic, familial and otherwise – at two special WoW events on Feb. 14 in Rosa Parks Circle:

  • Luv’N Lunch offers free roses pop-up performances, food trucks and 2-for-1 skating ($2-$4)
  • Love on Ice is an evening of ice skating, free photos, sweet treats and 2-for-1 skating

Where to Stay

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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.

Where to Park

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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.

What to Wear

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Michigan winters generally call for heavy coats, hats, gloves and boots. But Grand Rapids can experience fairly substantial swings in temperature and snow cover, so you should check the weather reports and dress accordingly.

Other Events Happening

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Consider timing your World of Winter to coincide with other downtown GR events, including:

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