Hamilton Inn Select July's Best Ideas
Les Miserables
July 8 - 20
The Barn Theatre
Kalamazoo
www.barntheatre.com
The world’s greatest love story takes to the Barn Theatre stage in the ground-breaking Broadway musical WEST SIDE STORY.
COMING SOON: STEEL MAGNOLIAS plays July 22-August 3!
Building Our World
Grand Rapids Children's Museum
Grand Rapids
www.grcm.org
Grab your toolbelts and hard hats for GRCM's hands-on construction exhibit. Children can wear construction gear while they dig into more than 2,000 pounds of play gravel, load and transport wheelbarrows, sort and stack hundreds of safe foram rocks, and so much more!
Grand Haven Coast Guard Festival
July 25-August 2
Coast Guard Festival
Grand Haven
616-846-5940
www.coastguardfest.org
The Grand Haven Coast Guard Festival is a nationally recognized festival celebrating and honoring the men and women of the U.S. Coast Guard. This is done through a 10-day, family-focused festival.
Picnic Pops at Cannonsburg Ski Area
July 10 - August 1
Grand Rapids Symphony's Chase Picnic Pops
Cannonsburg Ski Area
Grand Rapids
www.grsymphony.org
Ahhh Summer! Unwind and be social in the great outdoors with your Grand Rapids Symphony. Uncorked and casual, just pack a picnic, round up friends and head to Cannonsburg Ski Area for summer fun! Hear Classical Fireworks, Mariachi, New Orleans Jazz, and ABBA-The Hits. July 10-Aug 1. Visit the symphony's site for more concert information Today! www.grsymphony.org. LAWN TICKETS Adults $14; Student/Senior (62+) $12; Children (2-15) $5; Children under 2 FREE
Castle Farms in Charlevoix
Looking for something unique to do on vacation? Castle Farms invites you to take a tour of our beautiful Castle and gardens! A Renaissance castle with magnificent stone towers, fragrant gardens and cobblestone courtyards is the perfect place to get a taste of European charm! On your tour, you will discover the rich history and learn about the restoration. You can choose to explore at your own pace on a self-guided tour, or your group can be immersed in the experience with one of our expert tour guides. No matter what kind of tour you take, it is sure to be a memorable experience for all ages!
Self-Guided tours are fun for the whole family! Bring a picnic and enjoy it on the grounds. You can also take time to play a game of giant chess, croquet or bocce ball in the picturesque gardens. Feed the fish in the reflection pond, watch trains running through the Garden Railway and try your luck in the hedge maze. Bring your camera as there are a lot of photo opportunities! Special children's tours are also available that are set up as a treasure hunt with a prize at the end.
Available Sunday- Friday, 10am - 4pm & Saturday 10am - 2pm.
Admission is $6 per person
Daily Challenges in the Children’s Garden at Frederik Meijer Gardens & Sculpture Park
Frederik Meijer Gardens & Sculpture Park
Grand Rapids
www.meijergardens.org
Bring your kids to the Lena Meijer Children’s Garden this July for daily challenges! All daily challenges are free with price of admission. There’s plenty of fun every day of the week.
Host a Special Event
Bay Pointe Inn
Shelbyville
888-GUN-LAKE
www.baypointeinn.com
This unique custom-built special events pavilion is ideal for weddings, family reunions, private parties, beach barbeques, company picnics, corporate retreats, anniversaries, graduations and birthdays for up to 200 guests.
- Complete food and beverage service in the comfort of this 2500 sq ft. lakefront pavilion
- Furnished with casual event chairs or new wedding chairs and tables for your special day
- Custom granite bar for an extraordinary outdoor lakefront experience
- Six peaked gables to compliment Bay Pointe Inn’s coastal architectur
- White vinyl ceiling with ceiling fans and recessed lighting on dimmer controls
- Solid floor, white columns, white railing and no center poles
- Three entrances with a walkway and landscaping surrounding the complete structure
- Handicap accessible with paved walkway from our parking area
- Fabulous panoramic views of Gun Lake for your special guests
For more information or to reserve your next social event please contact
Mariesa Colavincenzo at 888-GUN-LAKE
Ideas while in River Country
Stumble upon Wood Fire for a treat of fine Italian cuisine with more than half the menu baked in a traditional wood fired oven. But it’s not just the food! Music is important for the heart and soul at the Wood Fire! Enjoy the line-up of musicians with performances Wednesday, Friday and Sunday nights.
134 S. Front St. Dowagiac, MI 269-782-2559. www.woodfiredining.com
It’s July! And that means BBQ! Stop by Yoder’s Country Market in Centreville on any Thursday or Friday for some fantastic BBQ chicken or baby back ribs smoked to perfection. While there check out the market; meats, cheeses, home made salads subs made to order. Pick up some bulk snacks for the picnic basket before heading to the park, 375 Eleanor Dr. Centreville, MI 269-467-4856.
Summer fun? What’s more summer than baseball? Bring the family and enjoy an afternoon of great baseball and fun with the newest member of the Northwood’s Summer Collegiate Baseball League. General admission seats are only $5.00. Visit the website for the complete schedule and more information www.battlecreekbombers.com
New Location-Cascade Winery
Grand Rapids
616-656-4665
www.cascadecellars.com
Here at Cascade Winery you will discover over 20 Michigan fruit wines, red, white and dessert wines. This month you should stop by to taste our 2007 vintage wines. Also, it is the time of the year for Michigan fruits. Whether you are looking for strawberry or pear you will find that our winemaker has preserved all of the fruit flavors and aromas in every bottle.
If you are thinking about visiting us, you should think about having your next event here. Cascade winery is the perfect place to have your engagement party, bachelorette party, or neighborhood get together. You can taste award winning wines, choose your favorite, and customize your own labels for your wine gifts. Even if you are going to be a guest at an event, you can personalize a gift of wine for the host to remember for years. We hope to see you soon!! Check out our map to come see the larger facility at our new location!
Major Exhibition: Sunlight in a Paintbrush
Now through August 31
Muskegon Museum of Art
Muskegon
www.muskegonmuseumofart.com
The MMA’s rich holdings in American Impressionism—paintings by Metcalf, Prendergast, Isham, Reid, Melchers, and Robinson among them—form the foundation for this significant group of works celebrating American Impressionism. More than 40 paintings from public and private collections in Michigan, Ohio, and Indiana will complement the MMA works to explore the varied personalities that American artists gave to this classic French style at the turn of the 20th century. The exhibition also highlights European predecessors and American counterparts to American Impressionism from the MMA's collections. This is the first major loan exhibition, with publication, organized by the Muskegon Museum of Art in over a decade.
Muskegon County Fair
July 22-26Muskegon County Fairgrounds
231-724-6361
www.visitmuskegon.org
Join us at the Muskegon County Fair 2008. There will be activities for people of all ages. There will be auctions, food, music, animal judging, blueberry pie eating contest, tractor and truck pulls, and much more!
Reptile Weekend
Binder Park Zoo
Battle Creek
269-979-1351
www.binderparkzoo.org
Binder Park Zoo and the Michigan Society of Herpetologists (MSH) are proud to once again feature Michigan’s largest Reptile Weekend event held at Binder Park Zoo! On Saturday, August 2, 9:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. and Sunday, August 3, 11:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. members from the Michigan Society of Herpetologists will share insight on the many misconceptions that plague reptiles and amphibians. This fascinating event, geared towards both kids and adults, will allow reptile enthusiasts to see and touch over 100 different reptiles and amphibians from around the world!