Our guide to events, goings-on and happenings in Grand Rapids and all around West Michigan for the month of May.
5/4
Nature Makers Market
Blandford Nature Center
1715 Hillburn Ave. NW, Grand Rapids
May 4, 9 a.m.-3 p.m.
blandfordnaturecenter.org
Join Blandford Nature Center for the annual Spring Nature Makers Market! This market features gifts and goods inspired by nature and created with natural materials. More than 25 vendors will be selling a variety of handcrafted goods including jewelry, textiles, prints and illustrations, stickers, ceramics, and more! Admission is free and open to all ages.
95th Tulip Time Festival
Holland
May 4-12
tuliptime.com
Come visit the longest-running tulip festival in the world to see millions of tulips bloom in Holland. Visit the Tulip Immersion Garden for stunningly colorful floral creations and memorable photos, experience historic walking tours, and hear amazing live music from top talent like Grand Ole Opry star Scott McCreery.
The Mitten Vintage Market
Calder Plaza
387 Ottawa Ave. NW, Grand Rapids
May 4, 12-6 p.m.
mittenvintage.com
The Mitten Vintage market is a collective of vintage vendors from all over the country that travel to various cities in Michigan. Head to the Calder Plaza this month to explore 70+ vendors offering vintage clothes, sneakers, accessories, and more—all in the heart of the city!
5/5
Merchants and Makers
Spring Fulton Market
Fulton Street Farmers Market
1144 E. Fulton St., Grand Rapids
May 5, 10 a.m.-3 p.m.
merchantsandmakers.com
Merchants and Makers is a collective of West Michigan creatives and shops coming together to feature their products in a fun, relaxed event space. Like Etsy in person! This market will have more than 100 makers alongside live music and food trucks. Shop for Mother’s Day, for your Gemini friend’s birthday, or for yourself!
5/10
The People’s Joker
Wealthy Theatre
1130 Wealthy St. SE, Grand Rapids
May 10, 8 p.m.
grcmc.org
This is not your typical Batman movie. The People’s Joker is part parody, part comedy, part trans coming-of-age story, all done on a crowdsourced budget with threatened legal action limiting the film’s release. Now, you can see this indie masterpiece at Wealthy Theatre thanks to the Grand Rapids Film Society.
5/11
Katt Williams: The Dark Matter Tour
Van Andel Arena
130 W. Fulton St., Grand Rapids
May 11, 8 p.m.
vanandelarena.com
With a career spanning over 20 years, Katt Williams has earned a worldwide reputation as one of today’s top entertainers, having developed a career seeded with thousands of sold-out arenas, an expansive list of starring roles on the small screen and memorable performances in major box office hits. Williams has a unique style with sharp dialogue rooted in conversations reflecting the American political landscape.
Springtime Gift Fair
Grand Rapids Downtown Market
435 Ionia Ave. SW, Grand Rapids
May 11, 10 a.m.-4 p.m.
downtownmarketgr.com
Spend the day with Mom (or any nurturing member of your family) finding the perfect Mother’s Day gift at the Springtime Gift Fair, held under the Market Shed and throughout the Downtown Market parking lot. Shop for unique, hand-made gifts and artisan items including jewelry, candles, decor, kitchen items, books, knick knacks, knitted textiles, and more! Don’t forget to head inside and pick up a special treat or meal from the Market Hall merchants.
5/18
2024 Kite Festival
Grand Haven State Park
1001 S. Harbor Dr., Grand Haven
May 18, 10 a.m.-5 p.m.
facebook.com/KiteFestatGH
Enjoy a day at the beach as the sky is filled with colorful kites of all types and sizes. World-famous stunt kite fliers perform to music on the center flying field while kites larger than a school bus hover just to the south. Bring your kite to fly on the open flying field at the north end of the event, or even test fly the year’s newest kites at this FREE festival!
Barley, BBQ & Beats
DeVos Place
303 Monroe Ave. NW, Grand Rapids
May 18, 5-9 p.m.
devosplace.org
This unique fundraiser to benefit Hospice of Michigan and Arbor Hospice features craft cocktails from Michigan distilleries, mouthwatering barbeque, great music, fun yard games and more. Plus, a special appearance made by GRAMMY Award-nominated multiplatinum singer & songwriter Gavin DeGraw!
Local Spins Fest
Studio Park Piazza
123 Ionia Ave. SW, Grand Rapids
May 18, 4 p.m.
themidtowngr.com
Local Spins Fest returns for the third year to Studio Park to kick off the summer festival season—and this time, it’s all about emerging stars and youth bands. Michigan’s No. 1 music website will present headlining sets by attention-getting soulful rock band Nathan Walton & The Remedy, multi-genre all-star group the Elijah Russ Collective, plus award-winning funk-rock outfit Short Panic, and more.
5/19
Greta Van Fleet
Van Andel Arena
130 W. Fulton St., Grand Rapids
May 19, 7 p.m.
vanandelarena.com
Forming in Frankenmuth in 2012, Greta Van Fleet has rapidly gained acclaim for their revival of classic rock music with a modern twist. Composed of the Kiszka brothers and drummer Danny Wagner, the band’s sound is heavily inspired by the raw, powerful rock of the 1970s, often drawing comparisons to Led Zeppelin—captivating a new generation of listeners while resonating with longtime rock enthusiasts.
Roll’n Out Food Truck Fest
Calder Plaza
May 19, 11 a.m.-8 p.m.
facebook.com/GRFoodTrucks
Brought to you by the Grand Rapids Food Truck Association, this tasty annual event showcases the some of the area’s best local food trucks (more than 30 slated to attend!), plus a local merchant village, beer tent and live music. And the proceeds all aid the association’s ongoing mission to support food trucks across the city!
5/22
X Ambassadors
The Intersection
133 Cesar E. Chavez Ave. SW,
Grand Rapids
May 22, 6:30 p.m.
sectionlive.com
X Ambassadors burst onto the music scene with their rich blend of alternative and indie rock flavored with electronic elements. The band achieved mainstream success with their platinum single “Renegades” in 2015, celebrated for its empowering message and catchy melody, which propelled debut album “VHS” to critical and commercial acclaim. See them in GR supporting their brand-new album, Townie.
