Ada MI Historical Society hosts Music on the Lawn Concert Series Summer 2010

Posted on May 14, 2010 by Terry & Bonnie

It seems there are free summer concerts everywhere this summer.

I have seen banners flying in small towns and villages all over Michigan.

What a great way to get out and enjoy the local parks, people

and scenery. Not to be outdone, Ada Michigan is joining the free

music array this summer.

Ada Historical Society is hosting its 10th Annual

Music on the Lawn Concert Series 2010

All concerts are free of charge, donations accepted.

7144 Headley St Ada Michigan 49301 616-676-9346

Tuesday Evenings 7:00 pm Summer 2010

June 8 – 13th Hour 60’s –70’s classic folk-pop tunes

June 15 – Koul Band Jazz and popular standards

June 22 The Otters Americana, folk and roots music

June 29 Tony Reynolds American classics

July 6 Tiki O’Riley – Celtic Music

July 13 Chris Vallillo Folk music performer

July 20 Voices of Freedom Patriotic Acapella

July 30 Friday, 6:30 The Nowhere Band Beatles Music

August 3 Red Taillights Americana and roots music

August 10 Adams Family Band Folk and minstrel music

August 17 Crossroads Country Band Country and gospel

August 24 Apple Country Dulcimers Acoustic string music

August 31 Java Jive Favorites in a swinging style

Photo of Ada Historical Society Barns by Bonnie Westbrook

____________________________________________________________________________________________________

The authors of the this blog write about Grand Rapids Real Estate,

the Greater Grand Rapids MI area, and what it is like to live in West

Michigan. Grand Rapids Michigan is a vibrant, growing metropolitan

area with a diverse business community, great medical research & services,

numerous universities, plus lively arts and entertainment of all kinds.

We believe: Grand Rapids is a Great Place to Live!

Westbrook Realty Grand Rapids MI Real Estate

Contact Terry 616-292-7263

OUR FLICKR PHOTOSTREAM

Lowell M Riverboat Sizzlin’ Summer Concerts 2010

Posted on May 10, 2010 by Terry & Bonnie

Lowell MI Sizzlin’ Summer Concerts 2010

Lowell is a pretty little city on the Flat River just east of Ada &

Grand Rapids. In fact, it takes us about fifteen minutes to drive there,

which we do quite often.

Lowell ShowBoat Sizzlin’ Summer Concert Series 2010

Thursday night this summer, there is a FREE CONCERT from 7 to 9pm

at the Riverwalk in Lowell on the Showboat stage. The concerts are

wheelchair accessible, free parking, there is bleacher seating or bring

your own chair.

The Flat River Grill is offering food and a cash bar, as well as other

vendors along the Riverwalk plaza.

NOTE: Construction on the Flat River Bridge in the center of Lowell will

complicate parking and traffic as it only goes one way – east – at this point.

The detour takes you out to Grand River Drive and then back to M 42 on

the return trip west to Grand Rapids.

Summer Concert Line Up Thursday Nights June 17th – August 26th

June 17th – Bronk Brothers Band – ( Rockin’ Hillbilly)

June 24th – Kathy Lamar & the Bob Van Stee Trio ( Jazz, R & B, Blues)

July 1st – Boogie Woogie Babies – (a 1940’s Musical Revue)

July 8th – Madcap, Kane and Maxwell Street (Acoustic Blues- American Roots)

July 15th – Alive and Well ( Classic Rock/Pop)

July 23rd – River City Jazz Ensemble – ( Jazz)

July 30th – Lynn Thompson Band (eclectic)

Aug 6 th – Eyde Evans Hyde & MacNaughton Trio (Jazz, Blues. Pop)

Aug 13th- No Show at Riverwalk – 4-H Fair – Performing at the Fair

The Black Canyon Bluegrass Band ; Patchwork Bluegrass Band

Aug 20th – Dewsouth – (Rockin’ Country)

Aug 26th – Argentucky Blues Band – ( Blues)

As you can see by this photo, there is an awesome shade tree to sit

under, over by the river or in the bleachers. A great line up of local talent for

your summer enjoyment. Come on out and enjoy an evening in Lowell, Michigan.

Lowell Area Arts Council and Lowell Area Chamber of Commerce are

joint sponsors. More information on their web sites.

If you would like information about Grand Rapids, Ada or Lowell Homes,

please contact me directly: toll free at 1-888-240-1968 ext 0

or terry@terrywestbrook.com

Photos of Lowell Showboat Concerts by Bonnie Westbrook

_____________________________________________________________________________________________________

The authors of the this blog write about Grand Rapids Real Estate,

the Greater Grand Rapids MI area, and what it is like to live in West

Michigan. Grand Rapids Michigan is a vibrant, growing metropolitan

area with a diverse business community, great medical research & services,

numerous universities, plus lively arts and entertainment of all kinds.

We believe: Grand Rapids is a Great Place to Live!

Westbrook Realty Grand Rapids MI Real Estate

Contact Terry 616-292-7263

OUR FLICKR PHOTOSTREAM

Free Whitecaps Exhibition Game Kicks Off 2010 Season

Posted on April 5, 2010 by Terry & Bonnie

The West Michigan White Caps will kick off their 2010 season

with a FREE exhibition game with Grand Valley State University

on Wednesday , April 7th, at 6 pm at Fifth Third Ballpark.

The official Whitecaps baseball season begins on Thursday,

April 8 at Lake County, OH. The first home game is scheduled

for Sunday April 11th against the 2009 Midwest League Champion

Fort Wayne TinCaps at 2 pm. This is also Family Day

– Kids Eat Free – sponsored by Helen DeVos Children’s Hospital.

They are sponsoring 2 of these events in April.

You can go to the website www.whitecapsbaseball.com for ticket information.

Admission to this event is free.

There is always something happening in Grand Rapids! We try to keep

you up to date with local happenings in our blog. Subscribe today!

____________________________________________________________________________________________________

The authors of the this blog write about Grand Rapids Real Estate,

the Greater Grand Rapids MI area, and what it is like to live in West

Michigan. Grand Rapids Michigan is a vibrant, growing metropolitan

area with a diverse business community, great medical research & services,

numerous universities, plus lively arts and entertainment of all kinds.

We believe: Grand Rapids is a Great Place to Live!

Westbrook Realty Grand Rapids MI Real Estate

Contact Terry 616-292-7263

OUR FLICKR PHOTOSTREAM

Forest Hills Michigan Fine Arts Center Winter-Spring 2010

Posted on February 15, 2010 by Terry & Bonnie

Forest Hills Michigan Fine Arts Center Winter-Spring 2010

We are very fortunate to have such a wonderful entertainment venue

in our Forest Hills Area. The fabulous Fine Arts Centers Shows this

winter-spring season have something for everyone. Not only the

headlining events like Amy Grant, and Whose Live Anyway, the local

high school productions are not exactly the amateur events I remember

from my school days. The musicals we have seen have had seriously

talented young performers from our local high schools.

There are still quite a few shows to catch this season. If you haven’t

been to our fabulous gold star LEED performance center, you should

stop by and take a look.

It is open every day from 8am to 5 pm with a featured artist-in-residence

work displayed in the lobby. This month, fiber artist Jo-Ann Van Reeuwyk

displays vessels that explore the concept of containment.

Fine Arts Center Forest Hills MI

February 22 – Forest Hills Central -Evening of Percussion 7 pm

February 23 – Jazz Night 7 pm

March 11 – Cynthia Hagedorn Artist Reception – 6-7:30 pm

March 12-13 – Grand Rapids Balley Company Interactive 7:30 pm

March 25,26,27 – Forest Hill Central Musical – The Wizard of Oz – 7:30 pm;

+ 3:00 pm matinee Mar 27th

April 17 – An Evening with Amy Grant – 7:30 pm

April 18 – Grand Rapids Symphony – Percussion Explosion – 3:00 pm

April 20 – Forest Hill Public Schools K-12 Student Artists Reception, 6 – 7:30 p.m

Thursday, April 29, 2010 – Whose Live Anyway

May 26 – National Senior Health and Fitness Day , 9 a.m. – 3 p.m

June 3 – International Society of Experimental Artists’ Reception, 6 – 7:30 p.m

Fine Arts Center

We volunteer at the Fine Arts Center and find it a very entertaining and

rewarding way to give back to our community. We have ushered shows,

taken tickets, handed out programs, placed posters and guided people to

their seats. The Fine Arts Center is a part of the Forest Hills School

System but must survive financially on its own, which means volunteers

are vital to the program. Without volunteers, it wouldn’t be possible to

fund the shows and events that take place to enrich the community.

Fine Arts Center GR MI 49546

_____________________________________________________________________________________________________

The authors of the this blog write about Grand Rapids Real Estate,

the Greater Grand Rapids MI area, and what it is like to live in West

Michigan. Grand Rapids Michigan is a vibrant, growing metropolitan

area with a diverse business community, great medical research & services,

numerous universities,plus lively arts and entertainment of all kinds.

We believe: Grand Rapids is a Great Place to Live!

Westbrook Realty Grand Rapids MI Real Estate

Contact Terry 616-292-7263

Promoting Michigan ….Yes, We Can!

Posted on February 10, 2010 by Terry & Bonnie

Promoting Michigan ….Yes, We Can!

We attended an inspiring event sponsored by Rapid Growth Media

and Michigan State Housing Development Authority last night at

the Wealthy Street Theatre. This was the first in a year long series

of events. This premier event was called “Touting Michigan”.

Rapid Growth brought together 5 panelists that are each individually

promoting Michigan, our state economy and image, and doing

something positive about rebuilding our state.

The message was clear – We have to do it ourselves!

Panelists from left to right are:

Sean Mann from Let’s Save Michigan

John Bell from Michigan Awesome

Lisa Diggs from Buy Michigan Now

Kevin Buist from Michigan by Choice

Neil Yaremchuk from Made in Michigan

and Moderator Jennifer Pascua

From Neil Yaremchuk: If we buy just $10 worth of Michigan made

products every week, we would pump $37 million back into our

local economies. This means JOBS!!

Think Michigan First, Buy Local, and support your local

businesses and farmers. It is actually cheaper and greener.

Why send our hard earned Michigan money elsewhere?

_____________________________________________________________________________________________________

The authors of the this blog write about Grand Rapids Real Estate,

the Greater Grand Rapids MI area, and what it is like to live in West

Michigan. Grand Rapids Michigan is a vibrant, growing metropolitan

area with a diverse business community, great medical research & services,

numerous universities,plus lively arts and entertainment of all kinds.

We believe: Grand Rapids is a Great Place to Live!

Westbrook Realty Grand Rapids MI Real Estate

Contact Terry 616-292-7263

Grand Rapids Michigan Holiday Traditions

Posted on December 21, 2009 by Terry & Bonnie

Grand Rapids Michigan Holiday Traditions

Holiday traditions to celebrate the winter solstice are common

to every culture around the world. The transition from the shortest,

darkest day in mid-winter to the longest day of light at the beginning

of summer are a common theme to our world.

Frederick Meijer Gardens & Sculpture Park in Grand Rapids

celebrates the light by showing the traditions of many countries

and cultures around the world. Besides the forty one gorgeous

Christmas Trees that are decorated as they would be in their native

regions, they also display Kwanza, Jewish, and Buddhist traditional

decorations. New this year is Tet Nguyen Dan, the Vietnamese

celebration of the lunar New Year; pronounced day wen don,

it literally means, “the first morning of the first day.”

Meijer Gardens is celebrating the completion of a $7.6 million

renovation and expansion that was awarded a silver level LEED

certificate in energy and environmental design. The renovation

and expansion was centered around the cafe, visitor areas, office

and storage spaces. The new cafe has a stunning Dale Chihuly

blown glass sculpture of colored glass flowers hanging from

the ceiling.

We have put together a few photos we took at the gardens

recently, so you can see some of the holiday decorations from

near and far. The gorgeous Christmas trees are all 12-15 feet tall

and loaded with beautiful ornaments. This is just a sampling of the

Christmas Traditions displayed here:

[slideshow id=2594073385393193256&w=500&h=375]

Our Holiday Wishes for Peace & Goodwill to all of you!

_____________________________________________________________________________

The authors of the this blog write about Grand Rapids Real Estate,

the Greater Grand Rapids MI area, and what it is like to live in West

Michigan. Grand Rapids Michigan is a vibrant, growing metropolitan

area with a diverse business community, great medical research & services,

numerous universities, plus lively arts and entertainment of all kinds.

We believe: Grand Rapids is a Great Place to Live!

Westbrook Realty Grand Rapids MI Real Estate

Contact Terry 616-292-7263

OUR FLICKR PHOTOSTREAM

Winter at Frederick Meijer Gardens Sculpture Park Grand Rapids Michigan

Posted on December 14, 2009 by Terry & Bonnie

Winter at Frederick Meijer Gardens Sculpture Park Grand Rapids Michigan

We invite you to visit our world famous Frederick Meijer Gardens and Sculpture Park in Grand Rapids, Michigan. We will share our recent snowy winter scenes with you. It usually doesn’t look like this until January or February, but it certainly is getting us in the Holiday mood. This is just a sampling of the 200+ sculptures that are here at the park permanently.

If you get a chance to visit Grand Rapids, don’t miss the Frederick Meijer Gardens and Sculpture Park. Former President Jimmy Carter called it a “National Treasure.” We would love to have you come for a visit and see for yourself.

More photos of Meijer Gardens

___________________________________________________________________________________________________

The authors of the this blog write about Grand Rapids Real Estate,

the Greater Grand Rapids MI area, and what it is like to live in West

Michigan. Grand Rapids Michigan is a vibrant, growing metropolitan

area with a diverse business community, great medical research & services,

numerous universities, plus lively arts and entertainment of all kinds.

We believe: Grand Rapids is a Great Place to Live!

Westbrook Realty Grand Rapids MI Real Estate

Contact Terry 616-292-7263

OUR FLICKR PHOTOSTREAM

Roselle Park Ada Michigan Grand River Natural Habitat Refuge

Posted on November 6, 2009 by Terry & Bonnie

Roselle Park Ada Michigan Grand River Natural Habitat Refuge

Roselle Park in Ada Michigan along the Grand River is 247 acre park

that is a dedicated Natural Habitat Refuge. On a rainy Saturday a few weeks

ago, we stopped and took a few photos. It was cold and windy but

the fall colors were great. We walked on one of the trails along the Grand

River. A very peaceful place to visit. Dogs on leashes are welcome.

These silos were left from the previous owner of the property. The one with

the stars on top has been made into a 9 story observation tower.

View from the observation tower toward the Grand River

On the walking trail along the river.

The Grand River is the longest river in Michigan. It starts near Hillsdale MI and

winds it’s way north then west, eventually emptying into Lake Michigan.

This photo above is just north of the confluence of the Thornapple River at Ada MI.

Additional Articles on Roselle Park:

Roselle Park Nature Preserve on the Grand River

Roselle Park Flood Stage Spring 2009 Video

Roselle Park Photos

_____________________________________________________________________________________________________

The authors of the this blog write about Grand Rapids Real Estate,

the Greater Grand Rapids MI area, and what it is like to live in

West Michigan. Grand Rapids Michigan is a vibrant, growing

metropolitan area with a diverse business community, great medical

research & services, numerous universities, plus lively arts and

entertainment of all kinds.

We believe: Grand Rapids is a Great Place to Live!

Westbrook Realty Grand Rapids MI Real Estate

Contact Terry 616-292-7263

OUR FLICKR PHOTOSTREAM

Autumn on the Thornapple River Grand Rapids Michigan

Posted on November 3, 2009 by Terry & Bonnie

Autumn is a picturesque time of year here in West Michigan. We

have lots of rivers, lakes, fall color, and lots of wildlife. This series

of photos lets you see a few residents of the Thornapple River at

their daily routine. The Thornapple River flows into the Grand River,

the longest in the state at Ada Michigan. Needless to say, a haven for wildlife year round. This gaggle of geese was just off the

Thornapple Pointe Golf Club in southeastern Kent County a few

weekends ago.

If you are looking for a home in the Grand Rapids Area, we service the following areas: Metro Grand Rapids, Ada-Cascade, East Grand Rapids, Caledonia, Kentwood, Lowell, and Rockford. We have assisted Grand Rapids buy & sell homes for the last 35+ years. Call 1-616-292-7263 to talk with Terry or email him at: terry@terrywestbrook.com.

For MLS access to the homes for sale in the West Michigan Area,visit: Westbrook Realty ~ Grand Rapids Real Estate for a free search. Your search can be saved and modified as you view homes, with no obligation.

Thinking of selling your home? We offer one of the most extensive marketing campaigns in Grand Rapids with a major online presence for your home. With over 85% of buyers looking for homes online, this is where we concentrate our efforts. Click here to view Terry’s Realtor profile.

Subscribe to our Grand Rapids Michigan Real Estate Blog

Westbrook Realty – Giving You Our Personal Best

Share this post :

Meeting People Behind ArtPrize 2009

Posted on October 2, 2009 by Terry & Bonnie

Meeting People Behind ArtPrize 2009

With the Grand Rapids Art Prize voting finally totaled last night, we know that

most of 1262 entries didn’t win, any money, that is. The Top Ten will now

compete for:

1st Place – $250K
2nd Place – $100K
3rd Place – $ 50K
4th-10th – $ 7K

Not exactly small change when it comes to art. I imagine most of us don’t

have anything close to a $7000 piece of artwork in our homes.

The Top Ten Entries are all worthy and I will have to check them all out

before I cast my final vote for the winner. I really enjoyed the thumbs up,

thumbs down voting for all the artists. It was really great to be included in

something this big and this important to our community.

But I digress, I want to talk about one of the Art Prize entries that didn’t win:

The Red Ball Project:Grand Rapids. We have friends in Heritage Hill who have

served as hosts for 2 artists in this event. They provide housing and a home

base while the artist puts up, installs, paints, or whatever they have to do to

enter their art work. We were fortunate enough to meet the young artist of

the Red Ball Project, Kurt Perschke and his wife Kate, while we were touring

Art Prize.

This Art Prize entry is a large (15 ft diameter) red inflatable ball that is placed

in strategic and well known places to tickle the senses and make you look again.

Did I just see a large red ball there? Kids love to punch it and jump into it…..have

fun with it. The Red Ball has been all over the world since 2001, Sydney Australia,

Portland OR, Chicago IL, Korea, Rome Italy and Barcelona Spain, just to name

a few of the spots it has visited.

Kurt and Kate are newlyweds and they are experiencing the Grand Rapids Art Prize together.

They have been in Grand Rapids for at least 12 days and yet I doubt they have had time to see

much beyond the venues of their Red Ball placement in major downtown venues.

They noted that the citizens of Grand Rapids seemed to take their voting responsibilities quite

seriously, carrying notebooks and colored markers to note their reactions to different

Art Prize entries.

So even though Red Ball didn’t win the art prize Grand Rapids was a winner. We got exposure

to art work that never would have found our city without sponsors or a paid venue.

So, thanks Kurt and Kate. It was a fun experience for all of us in Grand Rapids!

____________________________________________________________________________________________

The authors of the this blog write about Grand Rapids Real Estate,

the Greater Grand Rapids MI area, and what it is like to live in West

Michigan. Grand Rapids Michigan is a vibrant, growing metropolitan

area with a diverse business community, great medical research & services,

numerous universities, plus lively arts and entertainment of all kinds.

We believe: Grand Rapids is a Great Place to Live!

Westbrook Realty Grand Rapids MI Real Estate

Contact Terry 616-292-7263

OUR FLICKR PHOTOSTREAM

Grand Rapids Real Estate

Grand Rapids Real Estate Information

Category Archives: Grand Rapids Michigan Attractions

Ada MI Historical Society hosts Music on the Lawn Concert Series Summer 2010

Lowell M Riverboat Sizzlin’ Summer Concerts 2010

Lowell MI Sizzlin’ Summer Concerts 2010

Lowell ShowBoat Sizzlin’ Summer Concert Series 2010

Free Whitecaps Exhibition Game Kicks Off 2010 Season

Forest Hills Michigan Fine Arts Center Winter-Spring 2010

Forest Hills Michigan Fine Arts Center Winter-Spring 2010

Promoting Michigan ….Yes, We Can!

Promoting Michigan ….Yes, We Can!

Grand Rapids Michigan Holiday Traditions

Grand Rapids Michigan Holiday Traditions

Winter at Frederick Meijer Gardens Sculpture Park Grand Rapids Michigan

Roselle Park Ada Michigan Grand River Natural Habitat Refuge

Roselle Park Ada Michigan Grand River Natural Habitat Refuge

Additional Articles on Roselle Park:

Autumn on the Thornapple River Grand Rapids Michigan

Meeting People Behind ArtPrize 2009

Meeting People Behind ArtPrize 2009