Grand Rapids Summer Activities

Summer Festivals & Events 

Don’t miss CHIHULY at Meijer Gardens, America’s only 2026 exhibition showcasing the dazzling glass creations of legendary artist Dale Chihuly. His colorful works are on display in indoor galleries and across outdoor gardens from May 2-Nov 1.

Enjoy authentic global music, dance, food, art and more at cultural festivals and celebrations including the Grand Rapids Asian-Pacific Festival (June 12-13), Homecoming of the Three Fires Pow Wow (June 13-14), West Michigan Italian Festival (July 24-25), Grand Rapids Hispanic Festival (Aug 7-8), Sparta Celtic Festival (Aug 7-8), A Glimpse of Africa Festival (Aug 15-16), Greenville Danish Festival (Aug 21-23) and Dozynki Polish Festival (Aug 28-30).

Celebrate your place in the LGBTQIA+ community at Saugatuck/Douglas Pride Week (May 31-June 6), Lowell Pride Festival (June 6), Muskegon Pride Festival (June 6), Grand Haven Pride Festival (June 13), Grand Rapids Pride Festival (June 20-21), Hastings Pride Festival (June 27) and Holland Pride Festival (June 27). Also: West Michigan Whitecaps Pride Night (June 4), SILVA Big Ol Rainbow Party Theme Night (June 13), Grand Rapids Pride Bar Crawl (June 20) and “The Gay Agenda” Comedy Show at The Pyramid Scheme (June 26).

Join in the magic of America’s 250th Anniversary: See The Spirit of Independence: Artists’ Reflections on Freedom at Grand Rapids Art Museum through Aug 2, and Waltzing with the Queen: President Ford and the Anglo-American Special Relationship at Gerald R. Ford Presidential Museum, May 23-Oct 25. They’re both part of our A250 celebration.

Gather at multiple locations along the downtown riverfront for the annual Return to the River Festival featuring live music, eye-popping art, food trucks and more. Aug 22-23.

Spend the summer holidays in Grand Rapids: attend our annual Memorial Day parade honoring those who’ve given their lives for the country (May 25); meet dad on the golf course or at a craft brewery for Father’s Day (June 21); join in our Juneteenth (June 19) and Fourth of July celebrations; and say goodbye to summer during a fun-filled Labor Day weekend (Sept 4-7).

See 45+ superstar concerts in a scenic riverside setting at the new Acrisure Amphitheater and 30+ national and international acts in beautiful Meijer Gardens. Enjoy a day (or days) full of sun, fun and live music at 25+ outdoor music festivals.

Stretch your summer budget with FREE music events, including the Tuesday Evening Music Club at Meijer Gardens, Relax at Rosa lunchtime entertainment every Thursday and weekly community concerts in parks across West Michigan. 

Summer Things To Do

See the awesome new river otter exhibit at John Ball Zoo, opening Memorial Day weekend – and stick around to greet 2,000+ additional animals, including baby hippo Hugo. There’s still a little time to catch the Grand Rapids Lantern Festival at the Zoo – the breathtaking display of handcrafted and illuminated Asian Lanterns is open through June 14.

In addition to its Dale Chihuly exhibit, Frederik Meijer Gardens & Sculpture Park is unveiling a major refresh of the Lena Meijer Children’s Garden this season, featuring fun new interactive play elements, an ice cream parlor and updates to the treehouse village, rock quarry and log cabin. Your kids will love it!

Kids ages 5-12 will also love Backyard Adventures at the Grand Rapids Public Museum, offering a bee’s-eye view of a garden, a food web pond, a giant pumpkin bonanza and much more. Older kids and adults will want to check out the newly expanded Streets of Old Grand Rapids exhibit, the newly wheelchair-accessible 1928 Spillman Carousel and the newly renovated outdoor riverfront.

Another one for the kids: the Grand Rapids Children’s Museum offers two floors of interactive play developed for children ages 2-10, plus a new temporary exhibit – AIM HIGH: American Dreams of Flight – exploring multiple aspects of aviation, from the rich history of the Tuskegee Airmen to 21st century STEM concepts. It runs May 23-Sept 5.

The Grand Rapids Art Museum’s Decadent Spirit: French Art at the Turn of the Century charts a period of extraordinary aesthetic experimentation through more than 130 works of art across diverse media.

The newly relocated Grand Rapids African American Museum and Archives – 15 times the size of its previous space – is delivering new depths of insight into the local Black experience.

Refuel between your adventures at 1,000+ local restaurants – including more than 130 with great outdoor dining & drinking spaces.

Take advantage of the Downtown Refreshment Area to stroll the city center while enjoying delectable food and alcoholic beverages. There are plenty of places to sit and relax along your journey. Similar outdoor refreshment areas are available outside downtown and along the lakeshore.

Visit the Grand Rapids Downtown Market – one of Tasting Table’s 13 Must-Visit U.S. Food Halls – to shop butcheries, bakeries, patisseries, fishmongers, coffee roasters, chocolatiers and other artisan vendors, all under one roof. The Market also hosts American, Asian, Hispanic and Mediterranean eateries, and you can dine indoors or out.

Attend a food & drink festival: The Grand Rapids Taco & Tequila Fest comes to Riverside Park June 27, the Grand Rapids Foodie Fest is a downtown street festival from July 3-5 and Taste of East Grand Rapids offers attendees a sampling of cuisine from local eateries Aug. 19.

Summer’s the perfect time to discover why Grand Rapids is a six-time winner of USA Today’s Best Beer City title and become a Beer City® Brewsader – download the app and visit eight of our 40+ breweries to earn a FREE t-shirt. You can take a guided beer tour and let someone else do the driving.

Do you ever look at a menu and think, “I can’t decide, everything looks good”? Then you’ll want to get the Flights of Flavor digital pass to find the area’s best food + drink flights, allowing you to sample multiple dishes and/or beverages in one sitting. You can even earn free merchandise for doing it.

Outdoor Things To Do

Grand Rapids is an outdoor paradise in every season – but summer is especially near and dear to our hearts. One great reason: perfect weather for golfing at 30+ local courses.

Speaking of golf, get your tickets now for the Meijer LPGA Classic for Simply Give, a championship tournament featuring the best players in women’s golf. At Blythefield Country Club June 18-21.

If frisbees are more your thing, check out these 15 disc golf courses – all free to play.

Pickleball players from around the country come to Grand Rapids every year to compete in the Beer City Open Pickleball Championship. This year’s event also features Major League Pickleball’s Midseason Tournament. Cheer on the athletes in downtown’s Belknap Park, July 7-12.

Grand Rapids is actually a Midwest hub for pickleball – check out the list of 100+ outdoor courts at the end of the article.

Hundreds of miles of paved trails in and around Grand Rapids give bikers and hikers ample opportunity for scenic exercise. These trails are particularly accessible for people with disabilities – and these trails are dog-friendly. Opening this summer: the area’s first adaptive mountain bike trail, at Johnson Park.

Warmer water means this is also prime season for boating, paddling and tubing. Bring your own gear or rent everything you need here.

Feel like a beach day? The six-acre beach and boat rental facility at Millennium Park are just a five-minute drive from downtown Grand Rapids, while 20+ sugar-sand Lake Michigan beaches are 30-45 minutes away. Pack plenty of sunscreen!