Grand Rapids International Wine Festival by farlane

Shannon writes:

From my perspective, the show was a huge success. We had a blast tasting not only Michigan wines, but comparing them to their worldwide counterparts. I am happy to say that the local wine held up very well. I was particularly blown away by the number of young people at the show. This really excites me, as I am a huge advocate of getting the 21-30 something crowd more involved with wine.

I was really impressed that at every Michigan booth, there was representation from the winery -- most of the time it was the actual owner or winemaker.

They'll almost certainly be back in 2010 - stay tuned at  grwinefestival.com!

This photo by photofrenzy2000 seemed perfect for the day before Halloween. See it bigger in his slideshow and check out his sets including Robinette's Photowalk 09, Holland Flickr Photo Walk, 2008 Hessell Antique Wooden Boat Show and Michigan Waterfalls (slideshow).

You can also explore his Flickriver.

Just learned that this motel was used as a set in the movie, "Road to Perdition" starring Tom Hanks.

Click here to view the embedded video.

Cribbage Pegs by the photoshoparama

The American Cribbage Congress will be holding the Grand National 28 in Grand Rapids on September 25–27, 2009. In addition, the Grass Roots Tournament of Champions will be held on Friday, September 25. Entrants who want to play Grass Roots cribbage on Monday–Thursday nights will have plenty of opportunity, for Michigan boasts thirteen Grass Roots clubs.

All events will be held at the same location: Crowne Plaza Hotel, located near the airport on the southeast side of town (5700 28th Street SE, Grand Rapids MI 49546). A special cribbage rate is available for all GN players (make reservations by calling 800.227.6963).

The event received a nice writeup in the Grand Rapids Press on mlive.com titled - Cribbage tournament brings nation's best players to Grand Rapids in battle for cash

It’s the first time this Who’s Who battle of card sharks has visited the state. For cribbage groupies, it’s a chance to see De Lynn Colvert, of Missoula, Mont., who is billed as the greatest player in the cribbage universe.

Ace cribbage players are sticklers for the rules, but the state’s mightiest wooden board warrior said all is fair in friendly banter.

While game code is sacred and “timber haulers” are despicable, that doesn’t stop experts from serving up a tall tales and trash talk.

These human calculators “love to drink, play cards and tell lies,” said Jeff Shimp, 70, of Grand Haven, who holds the imposing title of Life Master One Star in cribbage circles.

The tournament is expected to draw about 350 cribbage players from across the country. They will battle for bragging rights and a top prize of about $1,500, depending on the event’s take. Other tournaments, including more than a dozen satellite tournaments, kicked off Friday at the hotel.

mlive.com also has another feature with Muskegon cribbage board collector Dan Betz who 450 boards many of which were crafted by the Drueke Co., founded in Grand Rapids in 1914 and now is located in Ludington.

Nomade" by the pentax hammer (gary syrba)

This annual celebration of autumn at Frederik Meijer Gardens & Sculpture Park highlights thousands of flowering chrysanthemums in both interior and exterior venues. ColorFall tours of the gardens, trees and sculpture collection are a visual delight. Harvest at Michigan's Farm Garden includes heiloom vegetables, herbs, maize, gourds and giant pumpkins. Floral displays by leading area florists and a variety of seasonal demonstrations round out this botanic gala of color.

ColorFall Events Schedule

Ottawa Ave by numstead

2009 marks the 40th festival of the arts, making it one of the longest-running festivals in the state. Always held the first full weekend in June in downtown Grand Rapids, festival of the arts is a community celebration featuring arts, entertainment, food and fun activities for the entire family. All performances, exhibits and activities are free, thanks to generous donations by local organizations, companies and individuals.

During festival weekend, stop by any one of their indoor or outdoor stages and enjoy listening to music ranging from classical, rock, jazz, blues and more. Or be entertained by poetry, films, dancing, theatre and a variety of other activities.

Make sure you come hungry! Throughout festival grounds, you’ll find dozens of food booths offering delicious ethnic specialties, desserts and more.

And if you like art, prepare to be visually impressed. Start by checking out the Regional Art Exhibition, a juried show featuring West Michigan’s finest artists. Right next door, you’ll discover their Youth Art Exhibit displaying artwork from students of all ages. If you’d like to buy art, you’ll find plenty of choices in our two art sales tents on the Calder Plaza. Maybe you’re interested in creating your own art? They’ll provide you with the supplies – you bring the creativity!

inducement by powerbooktrance

Yesterday the city of Grand Rapids announced the ArtPrize, a competition open to artists of all kinds from around the world that will award nearly one-half million dollars to prize winners, including $250,000 to the artist who receives the most public votes. The display and voting will run from September 23 - October 10, 2009:

“It’s time to reboot the conversation between artists and the public. ArtPrize will be a celebration of art, design, and innovation that will bring artists and the public together like never before,” said ArtPrize creator Rick DeVos.

The city of Grand Rapids will become art gallery. ArtPrize art works and performances, professional and amateur, will be exhibited at hundreds of venues, all within a three-square mile area in Grand Rapids’ downtown riverfront district. The city has offered up parks and bridges for outdoor venue displays. Scores of businesses will convert lobbies and public space for displays.

They are holding a town hall meeting on Monday (Apr 27) to explain the ArtPrize and you can view the press conference with Rick DeVos announcing the competition from mLive.

Click this photo from Brooke Pennington for the Spring slideshow from our Absolute Michigan pool on Flickr!

Here's the link to Brooke's photo (which you can see bigger in his Spring photo gallery) and here is some Spring wallpaper from Michigan in Pictures.

In Rob Bliss calls artists of all ages to downtown Grand Rapids, Rapid Growth reports that social networking maven Bliss (who Facebooked up a giant pillow fight and a the world record zombie walk in Grand Rapids last year) is at it again:

Bliss plans to hand out 10,000 30,000 pieces of sidewalk chalk at Rosa Parks Circle on Saturday, April 18, to see what collective creative energy will bring to the core city. He hopes the Sidewalk Chalk Flood will bring the most age diverse crowd to downtown Grand Rapids of all his prior social experiments, such as the pillow fight that received national television coverage on CBS News last fall.

"The chalk flood is really meant to appeal to the child in us all," says Bliss, a sophomore at Grand Rapids Community College studying vocal and piano performance. "We hope everyone from experienced artists to families with kids will let their creative side come through that Saturday."

Chalk will be distributed free of charge from noon to 5 p.m., primarily funded by the Downtown Alliance, with support from the Urban Institute for Contemporary Arts and Grand Rapids Community College. Artwork on public pavement only; anything on buildings is strictly verboten.

Click through for the Grand Rapids Sidewalk Chalk Facebook group and if you get photos, definitely add them to the Absolute Michigan pool on Flickr!

In cooperation with ShowSpan, Absolute Michigan is giving away 10 pair of tickets to the Ultimate Sport Show on March 19-22, 2009 at Devos Place in Grand Rapids, MI. Check out all of the Features & Attractions and Speakers & Events that await you!

About the Ultimate Sport Show
Michigan's finest tradition for the avid fisherman, hunter or outdoor loving family! Over 350 exhibitors will be at the show with the latest outdoor gear, travel information and fishing boats.

The Features are Famous
World Class Taxidermy, Antique Lures, Trout Pond, Woodcarvers, Pellet Range, Fishing Simulator, Rock Wall and Fly Casting Instruction. Nearly 100 fishing and hunting seminars will be held on 4 stages, including "Lake Ultimate," the 110,000 gallon indoor lake. Michigan sportsmen never miss it!

The 4th Annual Michigan Brewers Guild Winter Beer Festival is scheduled for Saturday, February 28th, 2009 from noon to 5 PM. It will once again take place at the Fifth Third Ballpark in Comstock Park, just north of Grand Rapids. The Winter Festival is a unique opportunity to sample some of the best beers in the world, all brewed in Michigan. They are expecting more than 35 Michigan microbreweries and brewpubs to participate and there will be nearly 200 different beers available to sample!

The list of Michigan breweries who will be in attendance is pretty impressive and they recommend hats, boots, gloves and long johns! You you can learn much more and order tickets at the link above.

Check out Got Beer? by Keasha Palmer in Rapid Growth (from last year) and visit the Michigan Brewer's Guild web site.

***The contest is now over*** Even if you were not one of the winners we strongly encourage you to go check out the show and start thinking summer!

About the Grand Rapids Boat Show
More than 300 new power boats, pontoons, ski boats, deck boats, runabouts and other family-fun boats from 16 to 50 feet long are coming to DeVos Place in downtown Grand Rapids. Over 35 dealers will unveil the newest and best watercraft from more than 100 manufacturers at Michigan's longest running boat show, now in its 64th year. Also, many brokers, ships stores, marinas and other boating services will be at the show. Current boat owners will find a broad selection of accessories, including new advances in lifts, hoists and docks. It is one of the finest watersports expos in the country!

Enjoy this slideshow of the Grand Rapids Boat Show from years past courtesy of flickr.

The Corez Wine Bar

Andy Dragt of Rapid Growth TV has produced a cool introduction to the new Corez Wine Bar in Grand Rapids' East Hills neighborhood with owner/sommelier Mike Dombrowski. If you haven't been following Andy's videos, you really should be!

In addition to the fact that this is the debut of Andy's new DIY camera dolly, I thought this video was interesting for Mike's handmade ethic and for his thoughts on how we don't need to dumb things down and make our businesses less to succeed in tough times.

Check out more Michigan wine bars from Absolute Michigan.

About the Michigan International Auto Show
This is the greatest annual opportunity to view your "next new car!" More than 35 car manufacturers from around the world will bring their finest traveling displays with 300 + new vehicles - including sedans, vans, SUV's, trucks, hybrids and sports cars. Not only is the Auto Show the BEST place to shop and compare options for every day vehicles, it is also the first opportunity for West Michigan residents to see many of the most recently released or "soon to be released" models!

Check out all the Features & Attractions that await you at the show including the 'Million Dollar Motorway' featured in the video below. Also, take a look at Absolute Michigan's multimedia production from the 2007 event.

James took this picture in Ada last Friday when the temperature was 17 degrees below zero. He says that he's been involved in photography since he was 12 years old saw his first b/w print develop in a tray.

The above photo is part of his Scenics set (slideshow). Some of his other sets are Lighthouses, Favorites and Signs, and you can see and purchase his work at James Korringa Photography.

Here's his Flickriver.

The contest is now over and the winners have been posted below.

About the Grand Rapids Camper, Travel & RV Show show:

A dozen West Michigan RV dealers representing more than 125 RV lines will pack DeVos Place in downtown Grand Rapids with more motor homes, travel trailers, fifth wheels, and folding camping trailers than have ever been exhibited before under one roof in Michigan. All 200,000+ square feet has been reserved for the biggest RV Show in the state. RV accessories, campgrounds and travel destinations will share exhibit space with the fleet of new RVs.

Where Most Of The Snow Went by Patrick T Power

While Michigan is still reeling from a punishing series of economic body blows, it appears that the weather has decided to lend an unwelcome hand. As the Muskegon Chronicle, Detroit Free Press and WMMT relate, folks all across the state are turning their attention from the plummeting economy to rising waters. West Michigan was particularly hard hit by flooding:

The jams and floods are all part of an unusual weather pattern that brought record high temperatures to Michigan in the wake of one of the state's snowiest Decembers, engorging rivers with rain and melted snow. The fronts also carried high winds Sunday that knocked down trees and wires, leaving as many as 183,000 customers statewide without power. Almost all had been restored by today.

Folks in the center and east side of the state haven't been so fortunate. The Michigan Messenger and Detroit Free Press note that some 60,000 households remain without power in the Detroit metro area and more in other areas:

High winds have been a constant problem throughout the weekend and into the beginning of the new week with 45,000 DTE Energy customers still without power, including 15,000 in Wayne County, 11,000 in Oakland County and 3,000 in Macomb County, spokeswoman Eileen Dixon said.

Consumers Energy also had 20,000 Michigan customers without power this morning, the majority in Genesee and Midland counties in central Michigan, and Alcona and Iosco counties up north, spokeswoman Debra Dodd said.

All around the state we are now seeing weather advisories for another storm rolling through tonight packing a few more inches of snow and more wind ... maybe we should go back to talking about the economy now? Either that, or let's get into a pickup truck and survey the flooding!

We've decided to feature the latest CD from Grand Rapids based Brian Vander Ark, Brian Vander Ark (2008). It features 12 great tracks that showcase Brian's songwriting skills and you can get a signed copy as well. If you have a fan of Brian's on your list, consider the companion DVD Brian Vander Ark: Live at Aquinas College. We have a little excerpt below - enjoy!

Have a suggestion for a lover of Michigan music? The comments are open!

Grand Rapids photographer Chris DeBoer has some great work. Check it out in sets including  in At Night, Landscapes and My Personal Best (At least I think so) (view slideshow)

Check out Chris's Flickriver and have a great weekend!

Kevin writes:

The twilight sky and its reflection over the reservoir in Ada Michigan, on a late August evening.

The strange colors of the twilights recently are due to volcanic eruptions in the Aleutian islands, and the dust, smoke, and other stuff high up in the atmosphere traveling around the planet.

This photo is part of his excellent Weather set (definitely view the slideshow). You might also enjoy Astronomy and Hummingbirds.

Here's his Flickriver.

PumpkinHeads! by ShaneWyatt

We at Absolute Michigan hope that your candy is sweet, your costumes are cool and that you have a safe and fun evening tonight! Here's a few Halloween highlights:

• The Rowdy Ghosts of the Fenton Hotel - in our very first "Weird Wednesday" Linda S. Godfrey takes us on a tour of this 1856  hotel where some of the guests have yet to check out. If you like these, you can check out many more right here.
• The spookiest story I know is the Legend of the Nain Rouge, the red dwarf that some say still haunts Detroit.
• That said, I'm not going to be tempting the Ada Witch (cool video!) with any moonlight strolls by the Ada cemetery or touring Michigan's haunted lighthouses.
• There's some spooky things to do tonight that you can learn about in our Halloween edition of The Week and many haunted houses and attractions open tonight.
• Check out the Halloween slideshow from the Absolute Michigan pool on Flickr
• Share anything we missed in the comments and Happy Halloween to you all!
• Something we (nearly) missed was the World Record Devouring Grand Rapids Zombie Walk. The video is from Spout (where they have more pictures) and you can get the ghastly details from the Grand Rapids Press and see photos in the Grand Rapids Zombie Walk pool or in this Grand Rapids Zombie Walk search!

Mama's gunna knock you out by Kcjacoby

Last night at the Creative Cities Summit, author and MacArthur Fellow Bill Strickland delivered one of the boldest and bluntest talks about what can and should be done to re-energize our cities and nation. The video below offers a little taste of Bill - you can get more at his web site.

As the video implies, he is helping to get a project going in Grand Rapids (can't find anything about it online - if you have information, please share it in the comments!). There's a great feature on Bill in Pop City and another from Pittsburgh Magazine that talks about Strickland and his book Making the Impossible Possible:

His "how-to" book on achieving success is no ordinary 10-steps-to-your-Mercedes and summering in Mykonos. It's a definition of success that anyone can achieve. It requires "owning up to our responsibilities as citizens of the planet, even in modest ways, [which] generates a sense of purpose and power in our life that is the real engine behind genuine success."

For Strickland "true success" comes from "the point where your passions, values, talents and dreams fall into alignment with the genuine desire to make the world a better place to live for all of its inhabitants."

As founder and head of Manchester Bidwell Corp., Strickland describes himself as "a guy who never forgot where he came from, and who knows first-hand how the realities of race and circumstance, and poverty and lowered expectations, can crush human dreams." His job is to rekindle those dreams and allow people to lead successful lives.

Van Andel Museum by DarrinW

As an autumn evening descends, WGVU and D&W present Food, Wine & All That Jazz, West Michigan’s premier wine tasting event at the Grand Rapids Public Museum. Enjoy more than 35 tables filled with over 300 domestic wine selections from Michigan, Washington, Oregon, California, New York and other North American wine producing areas. In addition, tempt your tastes with over 25 tables of select gourmet foods provided by D&W foods.

Enjoy these tastes with a backdrop of live jazz by Sheila Landis Trio and The Jim Cooper Trio.

Visitors may make a night of it and reserve a Food, Wine & All That Jazz hotel package at the new JW Marriott or the Amway Grand Plaza Hotel.

A Trap is Set by Rudy Malmquist

From RGTV: Park(ing) Day on Rapid Growth:

Leaders of the Green Grand Rapids initiative are spearheading West Michigan’s first celebration of National Park(ing) Day as part of an effort to challenge citizens to re-think the way streets are used and reinforce the need for urban open space.

Tomorrow, Friday, Sept. 19, citizens, organizations and businesses will transform metered parking spaces in downtown Grand Rapids into parks, playgrounds, social spaces and other creative places. The cost is $10 per space and spots are still available. Participants must register with the City of Grand Rapids Planning Department at 616-456-3031.

“It’s a chance for citizens to take our everyday parking spaces and turn them into green space,” says City of Grand Rapids Planning Director Suzanne Schultz. “There is a civil disobedience aspect to it, this is a chance to do something creative and reinvent the public space.”

Rolling Photos (Adam Vander Ark) writes that he is wheelchair bound with a passion for photography and sports.

You can see another view of this cool sculpture from Meijer Gardens in The Letter People. Some of his sets include Candids, Michigan's Lakeshore, Greater West Michigan Area and Mackinac Island (slideshow).

Shot by powerbooktrance this photo was taken during Scott Kelby's Worldwide Photo Walk, Saturday, August 23rd 2008 held from 7-9pm in Grand Rapids, Michigan. Over 6,000 people from 43 countries (44 states in the U.S.) in 241 cities registered to participate in Scott Kelby's the first-ever worldwide Photo Walk.

The photo walk was lead by Matt Stangis and began at the Fish Ladder and ended at Calder Plaza in downtown Grand Rapids.

powerbooktrance is a photographer out of Grand Rapids and you can check out many more of his incredible shots on flickr.

In keeping with Absolute Michigan's 'Weird Wednesday', we present 'White Pine Trail Mascot' as captured by photoshoparama. His flickr page adds:

Or is it an idol?
I don't see any sacrifices or burnt candles so I think it is more like a trail mascot.

Between southern trail head and West Michigan Whitecaps Baseball Stadium.

Want to see the details?
This defintely belongs in my "Between the Streets" pool.

Taken a while back, just cleaning off my laptop. Yes, it looks different this week.

The mascot is quite the Blair Witch meets skate punk mashup...

Click here to view the embedded video.

Dancing Water by curlyson

On Saturday June 28, 2008, the Grand Rapids Water Festival will be held at Riverside Park in Grand Rapids.
The daylong concert (11 AM - 10 PM) highlights the finest acoustic music Michigan has to offer including Troll for Trout, Breathe Owl Breathe, Hawks and Owls Stringband, Andy Willey, Seth Bernard & Daisy May and Robin Lee Berry.

Includes brief talks between musical performances about water issues including diversion, pollution and privatization. Presenters will include Mayor George Heartwell, and representatives from West Michigan Environmental Action Council, Clean Water Action, and Michigan Citizens for Water Conservation.

The concert is part of The Water Festival series of concerts being held across Michigan. Concerts are planned for Marquette (date TBA) and for Traverse City (December 12-14, 2008).

Rain is Good by photoshoparama

Walk the outdoor nature trails and boardwalk, study world-class sculpture within the outdoor Sculpture Park, enjoy endless hours of fun with the kids in the Children's Garden. Visit the indoor areas including a special sculpture exhibitions in the lovely indoor galleries, see the largest tropical conservatory in the state of Michigan and gaze at exquisite arid and carnivorous plants in the Arid Garden and Carnivorous Plant House. Or, consider a special concert in their outdoor terraced Amphitheater Garden, shop in the Meijer Gardens Gift Shop and relax in the Taste of the Gardens Café. Don't miss Michigan's Farm Garden.

Visitors that wish to experience Meijer Gardens are encouraged to plan at least four hours and up to eight hours to enjoy all that there is to offer.

Checkout this Meijer Garden slideshow from the Absolute Michigan pool over at flickr.com. Here is a great aerial shot of the gardens, be sure to view it at it's largest size for full effect.

View Larger Map

One way we're going to help you get local is with our Absolute Michigan Map. As one of our first projects, we've dug up some of Michigan's best local farmer's markets and laid them down on our Google map of Michigan. Just look for the jug of milk and apple icon (well, at least until we change it to something else).

You can also zoom in on the photo above - assortment by yodraws, check out the farmer's market slideshow in the Absolute Michigan pool or jump straight to Fulton Street Market on the Absolute Michigan Map.

Have a suggestion for a farmers market to add? Post it in the comments!