Our guide to events, goings-on and happenings all around West Michigan for the month of March.
Experience the Magical World of Winter
Downtown Grand Rapids
Through March 10
worldofwintergr.com
The World of Winter is Grand Rapids’ way of making life not just bearable, but incredibly fun in the heart of winter. Over 100 FREE events, a ton of unique interactive art installations, astonishing performances, more than 50 ice sculptures, activities, programs and more will take over Downtown Grand Rapids. Here are a few highlights this month:
Circus Wonderland
Calder Plaza | March 2
Experience stilt walkers, LED performers, fire performers and aerialists from the Grand Rapids Entertainment Group, all happening near our featured international installation, ‘Dandelion’. It’s an event you can’t afford to miss, complete with food trucks, games, and more. Join the circus and come on down!
Noodle Fest
|Calder Plaza | March 9
Get ready for Noodle Fest – where chefs battle it out to whip up the tastiest noodle dishes! Picture awesome food, live entertainment and vendors dishing out $6 bowls of noodle goodness. You decide the winner by throwing in your votes with your donations. Think of it like a chili cookoff, but arguably even cooler.
Luminary Light Night Parade
Ah-Nab-Awen Park | March 10
March into spring with us at the 2024 World of Winter Festival Closing Celebration. Enjoy live DJ’s, a complimentary s’mores station, a parade led by a drumline and our 2024 World of Winter Art Installations! Help light the night by bringing your own lantern!
3/2
4th Annual Grand Rapids Bourbon Fest
Studio D2D Event Center
1157 Century Ave. SW, Grand Rapids
March 2, 4 p.m.
grandrapidsbourbonfest.com
Grand Rapids Bourbon Fest is an indoor bourbon festival hosted with more than 200 whiskeys and bourbons, store picks, classic cocktails and high-end bottle section. Most of the list is bourbon but there will be a few non-bourbon options such as beer, wine & non-alcoholic options—plus food trucks, live music, vendors and more!
3/5
Tuesday Night Movie: Legally Blonde
Wealthy Theatre
1130 Wealthy St., Grand Rapids
March 5, 8 p.m.
grcmc.org
Every Tuesday Night, Wealthy Theatre hosts a classic film like The Big Lebowski, Pulp Fiction, and more. This week’s is Legally Blonde, the incredibly iconic comedy (with a touch of romance) starring Reese Witherspoon as a bright (in every sense of the word) young sorority girl.
3/9
Maple Sugar Festival
Kalamazoo Nature Center
7000 N. Westnedge Ave., Kalamazoo
March 9
naturecenter.org
If the frigid temps of winter have you craving spring already, head out to the Kalamazoo Nature Center for the Maple Sugar Festival on March 9. Tours, pancakes, coffee, animal ambassadors, live music, art activities and more! Savor the sweetness of the coming season with the fresh flavors directly from the forest, and leave with some bottles of pure Michigan magic to make your pancakes perfection all year long.
3/15
The Surfrajettes
Bell’s Eccentric Café
355 E. Kalamazoo Ave., Kalamazoo
March 15, 7 p.m.
bellsbeer.com
The Surfrajettes are a four-piece instrumental combo from Toronto. Since forming in late 2015, the band has charmed audiences with their clever mix of psychedelic rock and reverb-drenched surf music, sky-high beehives, go-go boots, and eyeliner as thick as their guitar strings.
Nikki Glaser
GLC Live at 20 Monroe
11 Ottawa Ave. NW, Grand Rapids
March 15, 7:30 p.m.
livenation.com
Known for her sharp wit, fearless humor, and unapologetic honesty, Nikki Glaser brings her unique perspective on relationships, pop culture, and everyday life to the stage. With a blend of observational comedy and personal anecdotes, the Good Girl Tour promises an evening of laughter and entertainment that’s both relatable and boundary-pushing.
3/16
Irish On Ionia
Ionia Avenue
March 16
irishonionia.com
The all-day St. Patrick’s Day festival is back once again for its 11th year! Stretching on Ionia St. from Fulton to Oakes and on Weston from Ionia to Commerce, enjoy two entertainment stages, Irish bands, DJs, food trucks, heated tents, Irish & local beers, seasonal cocktails, bag pipes, Irish dance troops, and so much more!
3/17
Joe Gatto’s Night of Comedy
DeVos Performance Hall
303 Monroe Ave. NW, Grand Rapids
March 17, 7 p.m.
devosperformancehall.com
Joe Gatto is a comedian best known from the hit TV shows “Impractical Jokers” and “The Misery Index.” Gatto’s quick wit, infectious laughter, affable personality—and… motherly advice?—have endeared him to audiences worldwide, making him a beloved figure in the world of comedy.
3/21
Bianca Del Rio: Dead Inside Comedy Tour
Kalamazoo State Theatre
404 S. Burdick St., Kalamazoo
March 21, 7 p.m.
kazoostate.com
As the seasoned comic’s sixth large-scale stand-up tour, “Dead Inside” will cover politics, pop culture, political correctness, current events, cancel culture, and everyday life through the eyes of someone who’s “dead inside,” finding humor in everything.
Concerts Under the Stars: Sarena Rae
Grand Rapids Public Museum
160 Front Ave. NW, Grand Rapids
March 21, 6:30 p.m.
grpm.org/concerts-under-the-stars
With the ability for pretty much infinite variety in visuals, the Grand Rapids Public Museum’s planetarium makes for a magical, spectral stage. Thanks to spiffy modern technology, artists are able to shift the mind-blowing visuals in real-time with the music. This show features singer/songwriter Sarena Rae, vocalist for local band Brena.
3/23
Sugarbush Festival
Blandford Nature Center
1799 Hillburn Ave. NW, Grand Rapids
March 23, 10 a.m.-2 p.m.
blandfordnaturecenter.org
Join us for our 54th year of celebrating the sweet arrival of Spring! Learn the maple sugaring process through Sugarbush demonstrations & techniques including a taste test in our Sugarhouse. Activities include wildlife encounters, maple cotton candy, games/crafts, and more. Lazy Dazy Coffee Camper will be on-site selling concessions. Blandford School 6th graders will be performing songs and a puppet show!
3/26
Less Than Jake - Return To Rockview Tour
The Intersection
133 Cesar E. Chavez Ave. SW, Grand Rapids
March 26, 7:30 p.m.
sectionlive.com
Less Than Jake is an American ska punk band formed in Gainesville, Florida, in 1992. Known for their energetic performances and catchy tunes, they’ve become a staple in the punk rock and ska scenes. With a distinctive blend of horn-driven melodies, upbeat rhythms, and witty lyrics, the band has released numerous albums and EPs, including fan favorite “Hello Rockview,” which they’ll be performing on this tour!
Fall Out Boy: So Much For (2our) Dust
Van Andel Arena
18 Ottawa Ave. SW, Grand Rapids
March 26, 6:30 p.m.
vanandelarena.com
Fall Out Boy is on tour with Jimmy Eat World for an amazing night of both nostalgia and new music. Each show includes the use of a Magic 8 Ball to surprise fans with a performance of a Fall Out Boy song that has never played live before, which has become one of the most buzzed about topics for the So Much For (2OUR) Dust Tour.
3/29
The PERAs Tour
Kalamazoo State Theatre
404 S. Burdick St., Kalamazoo
March 29
kazoostate.com
Come get cozy with Joe Pera as he performs from all 10 of his studio albums in a 3-hour long show—just kidding, but you won’t want to miss this show regardless. There’s no comedian out there like Joe Pera. The soft-spoken man delivers jokes in such a subtle way, some people have a hard time even telling what’s a joke, and that’s what makes him so great. Come, laugh, go home and put on an episode of “Drifting Off with Joe Pera.”
