Grand Rapids has so many fun things to do for the winter season! Everything from fun events, to outdoor activities- our great city has it all. We have put together this exclusive list for you of all the fun winter things to do in Grand Rapids!
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Frederik Meijer Gardens and Sculpture Park
Want more Christmas lights? Frederik Meier Gardens & sculpture park begin their spectacular light display on November 23rd and runs through January 2nd. Over 300,000 lights illuminate the park fill the exhibits with holiday cheer. Another must-see display is the international trees adorned with decorations and symbols that celebrate those nations. Tree lighting starts at 6 pm on November 22nd- more details here. Admission for adults is $14.50. For more information on the exhibit, hours head on over to their website.
Winterfest
The GR Bucket List is excited to partner with Downtown GR Inc to bring you Winterfest! The event will be an interactive community art installation that will include outdoor geometric dome art experiences with hands-on creation options available and potential live music. These domes will serve dual purposes as spaces for potential collaboration and fellowship as a functional space, as well as art themselves with visual images displayed across the forms.
Event dates: Feburary 3- 6
Carriage rides
Take in all of the holiday wonders in downtown Grand Rapids with a horse-drawn carriage ride through the city. With your choice of ½ hour or hour rides, you can enjoy the downtown in a new way. Bring your significant other for a romantic stroll or bring your children and watch their eyes light up as they enjoy this unique experience. Rides are available on Friday and Saturday evenings beginning at 7 pm for reservation or walk-up. Per their website, walk-up rides only with availability. Looking to ride another evening? Other days and times are available by appointment only
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Photo provided by Farmers Fotos
Wine, Food, & Culture Tour of Grand Rapids
Settle in, as we take you and your date on a VIP wine tour to some of the hottest wine and food spots around our great city!
Our upscale wine tour experience is designed for wine lovers, foodies, or those who are new to both but want to learn more. So whether you’re brand new to wine or you’re a wine connoisseur, we have something special for you! Raise A Glass has partnered with some of the best wine and food venues around to create our own unique experience around wine, food, and culture for our guests.
You’ll receive multiple wines and food pairings at each stop, a friendly food and/or wine guide, and of course our very own designated driver. Our Grand Rapids wine tour is truly an event you don’t want to miss. At Raise A Glass we’ve cultivated deep relationships with all our valued partners and trust the unique experience they’ll provide our guests.
This is our most popular wine tour with limited inventory, and certainly the best Grand Rapids Wine tour you’ll find!
Three Stops to be selected for Wine Tasting stops include; Fourty Pearl, 40 Acres, Bistro Bella Vida, Brass Ring Brewing, GR Noir, and House Of Wine
Grand Rapids Public Museum
The Grand Rapids Public Museum offers a couple of fun holiday events for your whole family to enjoy. Delight your ears with the Holiday Classics Organ Concert with Dave Wickerham. Listen to cheerful holiday songs on the GRPM’s Mighty Wurlitzer Theater Organ. Dave, the California native, and internationally recognized organist enjoy concertizing to various audiences statewide and overseas. To purchase your tickets, take a look at the GRPM website.
While getting your tickets a make sure to get information on their Snowflake Break. An all-day event on December 18th. Take part in a variety of family-friendly programs, including making your own themed snowflakes and taking home ornaments, playing a variety of games, and enjoying a “Let it Snow” planetarium show.
Photo provided by WanderMoore Travel 
Photo provided by the Grand Rapids Public Museum
Himalayan Salt Winter Experience
After the last year, it’s safe to say we all deserve a little rest and relaxation. Whether you’re looking for a self-care treat or the perfect gift for someone special, Salt Beds and a scratch-made meal made with love from The Candied Yam is the answer.
Lay in a private specially designed dry salt bed. Halogenerators grind the salt into microscopic particles that are leased into the air that are mood enhancing and stress reducing. Our microclimate salt room is free of toxins and allergens which allows the body to rest and start to naturally heal. Breathe in the microscopic salt particles which provide many health and wellness benefits.
Exclusive Bonus!
Before or After your Pink Lounge Experience, venture into a delicious Food Coma with a scratch-made Delightful Southern meal at The Candied Yam located at 2305 44th Street SE, Grand Rapids MI 49508. Present this certificate and receive a meal, with your choice of meat, 2 sides, and a drink.
Rosa Park Circle Ice Skating
One of the local’s favorite holiday activities in Grand Rapids is ice skating in Rosa Park Circle. All skate hours are weather dependent and the pricing/schedule for the 2021/2022 season has not yet been released. Keep an eye on their Facebook and website for updates. This is a classic Grand Rapids Christmas tradition!
Cannonsburg Ski Area
The best skiing in Grand Rapids can be found at Cannonsburg, 15 minutes northwest of the city. This ski area is the perfect place for winter family fun, offering skiing, snowboarding, winter trails, and the largest tubing facility in the state.
The hills at Cannonsburg feature nine lifts for you to ski or snowboard down. Carve your way down 21 runs that go from beginner to expert, giving you plenty of variety. Private and group lessons are available and you can rent skis, snowboards, and helmets.
There are also several Cannonsburg trails that are open in the winter months for fat tire biking, cross-country skiing, and snowshoeing. The trails wind around the skill hills and through the nearby woods, letting you take in the beauty of Michigan winters while getting some exercise in. Trail tickets must be purchased and are $5 for the day or $35 for a season pass.
Cannonsburg’s tubing lanes are a great way to spend a wintery day with family or friends, sliding down the slopes and easily going back up with the “magic carpet” beltline. You can buy tubing tickets online and tickets are good for two-hour increments.
When you need a break from skiing or tubing, there’s a full-service bar, snack bar, and the Cedar Lounge restaurant to grab a hot bite or an ice-cold drink. This is a must-do winter activity in West Michigan!
Grand Rapids World of Winter Festival
Taking place between the beginning of January and the beginning of March, The Grand Rapids World of Winter festival is a free celebration of what makes Grand Rapids the unique place it is. DJs, ice sculptures, concerts, food, and more all make up the festival.
Six different art exhibitions are part of the 2022 festival. This includes Massimals Polar Bears by Scroggin Studio, a line of large abstract polar bear sculptures, and Wave by Squidsoup, an immersive walkthrough experience consisting of 500 orbs suspended above you, lighting up in waves. There are all kinds of creativity to explore as the snow falls on downtown.
Many of the downtown Grand Rapids restaurants and bars have set up outdoor spaces for winter dining during World of Winter Fest. These outdoor heated domes provide a great way to enjoy the cozy wintery charm while enjoying some of the best food around. When you’re done, head to a Refreshment Area where you can purchase marked containers and enjoy a cocktail or a brew as you walk around parts of the city.
Cross-Country Skiing
Grab (or rent) your skis and head out onto some beautiful cross-country skiing trails around Grand Rapids!
Reeds Lake
Although it can sound intimidating, one of the best places for beginners to cross-country ski is a flat frozen body of water. Reeds Lake in East Grand Rapids usually completely freezes over in January and can be a great place to get started.
Pickerel Lake Park
Part of the Fred Meijer Nature Preserve, Pickerel Lake Park is northeast of Grand Rapids and has plenty of cross-country skiing trails to enjoy. Great for beginners, the trails take you around the lake in about an hour.
Palmer Park
Palmer Park and the adjacent Kaufman Golf Course offer some of the only groomed cross-country skiing trails in Kent County. There are three loops, each about two miles long, some with flatter areas and others with hills and more difficult terrain for more experienced skiers. Trail fees are $2 per person or $25 for a season pass, and skis can be rented at the Kaufman clubhouse.
Fowling Warehouse Winter Experience
The Fowling Warehouse Grand Rapids is the home of the original football bowling pin game called Fowling! Rain or shine, it’s a great entertainment venue perfect for individuals, families, groups and large teams to gather, play, have a few drinks, and have a blast! Never been a quarterback? No worries – ANYONE can do it! You’ll enjoy the teamwork, competition, and all the high fives. To win you just have to knock all of your pins down before your opponent knocks down theirs! The 45,000 sq.ft venue features two 45 foot-fully stocked-bars, the $2 Mystery Beer Machine, and 30 lanes of Fowling fun and the Bonk Honk!
Sledding Hills
Sometimes the best thing you can do as a winter activity in West Michigan is to throw some sleds n in the back of your vehicle and head to one of the best sledding hills around! Here is a list of free sledding hills in and around Grand Rapids and the lakeshore to spend a classic snowy day. Don’t forget to wax your sleds!
- Richmond Park in Grand Rapids, MI
- Cascade Township Park in Cascade, MI
- Rosewood Park’s Charlie’s Dump in Jenison, MI
- Johnson Park in Walker, MI
