WEST MICHIGAN HOLIDAY HAPPENINGS! Enjoy an iconic Christmas in Grand Rapids, Michigan! Here are six holiday activities in the area to get you started.
I was so excited to see my hometown listed as one of the Best Christmas Towns of the country recently. I have to agree. Grand Rapids is a fantastic place to celebrate the winter holidays.
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Here is a quick list of six seasonal things to do in (and around) Grand Rapids, Michigan at Christmastime.
Christmas in Grand Rapids
Enjoy an iconic Christmas in Grand Rapids with these fun activities!
Experience Christmas Around the World at Meijer Gardens
Our family loves to visit Frederik Meijer Gardens every year during the holidays. It features 46 trees throughout their main hallways, and each tree represents the décor and traditions of a different nation. Additionally, stop into the Railway Garden to see a small model train running through miniature buildings artfully crafted from natural materials.
Meijer Gardens holds several special holiday events each year as well. Catch a glimpse of rooftop reindeer, see Santa and listen to carolers! Visit their website for full details.
Ice Skating at Rosa Parks Circle
What is more iconic than ice skating at Rockefeller Center in New York during the holidays? Well, Grand Rapids has its own smaller version of this famous holiday activity. Every year, Rosa Parks Circle is turned into an ice skating rink. The trees that encircle the rink are lit up. It creates an enchanting experience for a holiday season evening. Like the famous rink in New York City, Rosa Parks Circle even features a tree lighting ceremony!
Rosa Parks Circle Ice Rink also hosts other fun events during the winter. Want to join in on a game of Human Hungry Hungry Hippos? How about playing on a Broomball league? Visit the Rosa Parks Circle Ice Rink website for more information.
Watch the Miniature Trains at the Gerald R Ford Museum
Visiting the Breton Village Train had been a longstanding tradition in Grand Rapids for many West Michigan families. We were sad when this massive model train setup did not return after the Breton Village Mall was remodeled several years ago.
But, GOOD NEWS, the train came back in a new location – the Gerald R Ford Presidential Museum – in recent years!
Visit the Gerald F Ford Presidential Museum website to find out if the iconic model train is on display again this year. In recent years, the museum has even offered free admission on certain days during the month of December.
Experience an Old-Timey Christmas at the GR Public Museum
One of my favorite family traditions is a visit to the GR Public Museum. We especially enjoy a walk through the Old Town Exhibit when it is decked out for the holidays with old-timey Santas, snowmen, historic storefronts decorated for Christmas, holiday lights and more. It really does feel like you have stepped back in time.
The GR Public Museum adds some holiday fun throughout the rest of the museum as well. You might discover elves hidden throughout the other exhibits or red noses added to deer in the wildlife displays. You can snap a photo in front of a large child-sized gingerbread house or driving a wreath-laden horse-driven trolley. Also, don’t forget to look up to admire the shiny festive décor hanging from the ceilings. (While you are there, please tell Finny the Whale that I said “Happy Holidays.”)
And, of course, no visit to the GR Public Museum is complete without a ride on the old-fashioned carousel! That is fun in any season.
Visit the GR Public Museum website for full details about their holiday happenings.
Take in the Wonder of the Christmas Lite Show
Experience the magic of driving through the largest light show display in West Michigan – nearly 2 miles of Christmas lights! In case you are wondering, it features over 1 million lights including about 50 animated displays and several drive-thru light tunnels!
This family-run seasonal business also features Santa nights and various special events. Learn more about this amazing Grand Rapids Christmas lights display on the Christmas Lite Show website.
Our family loves to drive through this holiday light show as part of our Polar Express Holiday Tradition.
Wander Downtown Rockford
Enjoy a small town Christmas! Take a walk through nearby Rockford’s downtown area. Listen to the Christmas music playing overhead, admire the decorated shop windows, walk through light tunnels along the river trails, and admire the holiday lights in the evenings.
Each year, Rockford plans a variety of iconic holiday activities as well – Santa visits, Christmas caroling, horse-drawn carriage rides and more. It’s big holiday fun with a small town feel!
In 2020, Rockford added a new fun holiday activity – an elf hunt. There were over 20 elves hidden throughout the downtown. With some hints (a printable available on the Rockford Chamber website), visitors were encouraged to look for these adorable little guests from the North Pole.
Find details about this year’s holiday happenings in Downtown Rockford by visiting the Rockford Chamber website.
Happy Holidays (in West Michigan)!
Whether you are in West Michigan or somewhere else, we hope you have a merry Christmas. If you happen to find yourself in the Grand Rapids area this holiday season, be sure to check out a couple of the fun holiday activities we featured.
HAPPY HOLIDAYS!
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Grand Rapids has so many fun things to do for Christmas! I’d love to see the GR Public Museum. The nostalgia would be fun. And I love all things gingerbread. The elf hunt sounds fun, too!