Frederik Meijer Gardens & Sculpture Park, one of the world’s most significant sculpture and botanic experiences, presents the 2024 calendar of major events. Additional programming and events are added throughout the year and current information is available at MeijerGardens.org/calendar. Meijer Gardens incorporates its mission of exploring the duality of art and nature in the upcoming year’s events. Internationally acclaimed annual exhibitions, exciting horticulture shows, seasonal indoor and outdoor displays, sculpture, concerts, and educational programming are enjoyed by nearly 750,000 visitors annually.
NOTE:
Event details may change and additional events are added throughout the year.
Unless otherwise noted, all events are complementary for members of Meijer Gardens and included in general admission for other guests.
Please check MeijerGardens.org/calendar for a full listing of current events.
EVENTS & EXHIBITIONS
Forest of Dreams: Contemporary Tree Sculpture
Through February 25
Forest of Dreams: Contemporary Tree Sculpture features the work of 15 international artists: Louise Bourgeois, Emilie Brzezinski, Nick Cave, Kim Cridler, Tom Czarnopys, Michele Oka Doner, Peter Frie, Hugh Hayden, Jim Hodges, Patrick Jacobs, Maya Lin, Robert Lobe, Roxy Paine, Rona Pondick and Ai Weiwei. This exhibition offers unexpected visions of these remarkable organisms, showcasing trees in all their power, beauty, strangeness and glory.
Cozy Tales for Chilly Days Preschool Story Time in the Peter M. Wege Library
(Best for ages 2–5)
Tuesdays: January 2—February 27, 10:30 am
Join us this winter for Cozy Tales for Chilly Days! Our popular preschool story time is back for a 14th season of inspiring young readers with fun stories about art, plants, animals, the natural environment and more.
Animal Adventures: Surviving in the Wild!
Saturday, January 20, 10—11:30 am and
Sunday, January 21, 1—2:30 pm
Registration required at: MeijerGardens.org/calendar
John Ball Zoo members register at: jbzoo.org
Fee: $8 members | $13 nonmembers | 2 and younger free
In collaboration with John Ball Zoo
Explore the survival techniques of opossums, African bullfrogs, turtles and tenrecs at this family-friendly event! Enjoy watching live animal presentations, listening to animal stories, completing art projects, and trying your luck at animal challenges. Ideal for ages 3–6, with all ages welcome. Come in from the cold and have fun!
Winter Nights at Meijer Gardens
Tuesdays, January 23—February 27, 5:30—8 pm
Enjoy experimental nights featuring unique food, drinks and entertainment on Tuesday evenings this winter in the Garden Pavilion. More info at: MeijerGardens.org/winter
January 23: String quartet music surrounded by candle lights and curated by Haijin Choi from Grand Rapids Symphony. “Sculpted Sound” combines the quintessential classical music from Mozart, Caroline Shaw’s subtle yet pervasive voice, and Czech composer Leoš Janáček’s piece inspired by Leo Tolstoy’s shocking novella and infused with his own scandalous personal life. Also featuring intervals of classical guitarist Thom Jayne.
January 30: Americana theme featuring Brian Oberlin with Full Cord, 2022 Telluride Bluegrass Band Competition winner. Full Cord is one of Michigan’s premiere bluegrass bands, technically proficient without sparing a fun lightheartedness in their performances.
February 6: Movement theme featuring the Grand Rapids Ballet. James Sofranko, Grand Rapids Ballet Artistic Director, crafts two provocative vignettes accompanied by electric cellist Jordan Hamilton.
February 13: Blues theme featuring The Remedy. Nathan Walton & The Remedy fuse rock, blues, funk and other styles into a rich explosion of sound. A former American Idol contestant, Walton leads the band with his signature blazing vocals.
February 20: Opera Grand Rapids presents Hip Opera, exploring the convergence of opera and hip-hop.
February 27: Tropical theme featuring The Moonrays, who specialize in astonishingly authentic ‘60s-style surf rock that transports the audience to a beach party in a bygone era.
Winter Family Day in the Lena Meijer Children’s Garden
Saturday, February 10, 1—4 pm
Outdoor adventure awaits in the Lena Meijer Children’s Garden. Join us for an afternoon of wintry fun for all ages! We’ll have plenty of hot chocolate to keep you warm and loads of activities to keep you busy. Observe a live sculpture demonstration, add your touch to a Children’s Garden collaborative ice sculpture display, create a unique eco-friendly, winter-inspired craft, join in on a guided winter-themed Naturalist Walk, and more!
Who Am I? A Butterfly Ballet (All Ages)
Saturday, February 17, 10 am or 12:30 pm and
Sunday, February 18, 12 or 2:30 pm
Registration required at: MeijerGardens.org/calendar
Fee: $5 members | $10 nonmembers | 2 and younger free
Note: Event ticket price does not include admission to Meijer Gardens
In collaboration with Grand Rapids Ballet
Mark your calendars for a thoroughly delightful butterfly ballet! Told through the eyes of a newly emerged butterfly, the Who Am I? story captivates young and old alike. With colorful costumes, spectacular music, and exquisite choreography, this enchanting performance—choreographed by Attila Mosolygo and performed by members of the Grand Rapid Ballet Junior Company—provides a unique and memorable experience.
Utopia: A Music and Dance Ambient Experience
Sunday, February 25, 11 am—4 pm
Garden Pavilion
Inspired by the commissioned sculpture “Utopia” by Spanish artist Jaume Plensa, GVSU faculty members Hannah Seidel (dance) and Bill Ryan (music) have created a new performance work that is a direct outgrowth of the sculpture. The human face is the subject of “Utopia”, which encompasses the Garden Pavilion in the Welcome Center. A different face fills each wall of the expansive room. The faces of the diverse figures, wearing a calm, meditative expression, are universal symbols of the beauty inherent in humanity. GVSU’s acclaimed New Music Ensemble and Dance Company will perform this new work within the Garden Pavilion surrounded by “Utopia”, offering multiple performances throughout the day.
Fred & Dorothy Fichter Butterflies Are Blooming
March 1—April 30
A guest favorite, Fred & Dorothy Fichter Butterflies Are Blooming is the largest temporary tropical butterfly exhibition in the United States featuring butterflies from three tropical zones: Asia, Central and South America, and Africa. More than 60 species of butterflies and moths take flight in the 15,000-square-foot Lena Meijer Tropical Conservatory. Throughout the exhibition, butterflies can be viewed drinking nectar from flowering plants and feeding stations, flying freely within the five-story tropical conservatory. The blue common morpho, clearwing and Atlas moth—with its impressive 6-to-12-inch wingspan—are expected to make appearances.
Approximately 1,000 chrysalides are delivered to Meijer Gardens weekly. Visitors may watch delicate chrysalides and cocoons being placed in the Observation Station, where the unique creatures transform and take their first flight.
Spring Programming in the Lena Meijer Children’s Garden
Wednesday March 1—Sunday April 30 | Daylight hours only
Butterflies are blooming for all ages in the Lena Meijer Children’s Garden. Whether for guided or self-guided play, check the Children’s Garden Information Center to discover which engaging outdoor activities await you. Activities vary daily.
Paul Villinski: Flight Patterns and
Jennifer Angus: Flying Jewels & Other Lofty Insects
March 29—August 18, 2024
Photos are available HERE
This spring, as temperatures and hopes begin to rise, our featured sculpture exhibitions also reach upward. Meijer Gardens’ Sculpture Galleries will be transformed with installations by two individual artists—Jennifer Angus and Paul Villinski—who both explore the lofty realms of flight. Together their works transport visitors to new heights of sensory experience and imagination.
Paul Villinski: Flight Patterns
The art of Paul Villinski explores the dynamic aerial realm and various notions of “flight”—literal and metaphorical. A licensed pilot, Villinski gives form to assorted airborne bodies, including butterflies, birds, airplanes and aspiring humans. To create his sculptural work, Villinski enlists a range of found materials: aluminum cans become flocks of patterned butterflies; used knives transform into feathered wings; old vinyl LPs morph into songbirds. These discarded objects are reborn in works that honor their past lives while compounding their identity to address serious subjects such as addiction and environmentalism. A highlight of the exhibition is a scaled-down World War II B25 bomber airplane suspended from the ceiling. In Villinski’s hands, this vessel of destruction is transformed into a vehicle of hope: Instead of bombs it drops food and brings attention to the widespread condition of food scarcity.
Jennifer Angus: Flying Jewels & Other Lofty Insects
Insects are the prime medium of internationally exhibited artist Jennifer Angus. Composing the small creatures into kaleidoscopic room installations, Angus highlights our mixed relationship with these ubiquitous beings. With insects pinned directly to walls in repeating patterns that reference both textiles and wallpaper, Angus’ installations speak to ideas of domestic comfort and the unseen world of dust mites, germs, and bacteria. The jewel-like quality of insects is showcased in shimmering bell jar tableaux and in glowing jelly jars set in windows with the effect of stained glass. Through such reverent—even holy—presentations, the vital and threatened insect population is given its proper due. Angus’ recent work has drawn inspiration from the Victorian era and is fueled by her fascination with the multifaceted nature of insects that are at once exotic, grotesque, and enchanting. Her original installation for Meijer Gardens takes the iridescent green wings of the “Jewel Beetle” as her aesthetic departure point.
Exhibition Programming:
Butterflies, Birds & Other Winged Things: Flight in Art History
Sunday, April 7, 2—3 pm
Suzanne Eberle, PhD, Professor Emerita, Kendall College of Art and Design
Inspired by insects and birds, artists have long used the theme of flight both to investigate the natural world and to articulate deep human fears, needs, and aspirations. Come explore how and why being airborne has so fascinated artists throughout history.
Insect Gurl: An Overview
Wednesday, May 15, 11 am—12 pm
Jennifer Angus, Professor of Design Studies, University of Wisconsin
Join exhibition artist Jennifer Angus as she gives an overview of her oeuvre and explains some of the inspirations for her work. Learn how her work explores issues related to the environment and the important role insects play.
Master Lecture Series: Secchia Garden Lecture Series
This annual lecture is made possible by the Secchia Family.
Jennifer Jewell: What We Sow in Cultivating our Places
Tuesday, March 26, 7 pm
We are excited to welcome Jennifer Jewell for the 2024 Secchia Garden Lecture. Jewell is an interviewer, writer, regular keynote speaker at national gardening conventions, and the creator and host of the national award-winning weekly public radio program and podcast Cultivating Place: Conversations on Natural History and the Human Impulse to Garden. In her presentation, Jewell will explore the philosophy of Cultivating Place and walk you through the power of gardens and gardeners as exemplified by the subjects of her podcast. Together, her books—The Earth in Her Hands: 75 Extraordinary Women Working in the World of Plants, Under the Western Skies: Visionary Gardens from the Rocky Mountains to the Pacific Coast, and What We Sow: On the Personal Ecological and Cultural Significance of Seeds—and the inspiring Midwestern gardens and gardeners she has collaborated with throughout her career are blueprints, guiding us in ways we can all grow our world better: more beautiful and brave.
The Earth in Her Hands and What We Sow will be available for sale in the DeVos-Keeler Gift Shop. A book signing with the author will take place immediately following the lecture.
Captioning and Spanish translation services will be provided. This lecture will also be livestreamed via Meijer Gardens’ YouTube channel and a recording will be available on YouTube for two weeks following the lecture.
SAVE THE DATE:
Onsite attendance to the Secchia Garden Lecture is complimentary, but registration is required. Registration for onsite attendance open February 1, online.
Please direct questions to Eve Boyer at eboyer@meijergardens.org or 616-975-3145.
Farm Garden Springtime Walks
Wednesdays | April 10–24 | 10:30 am
Michigan’s Farm Garden is the focus for these wonderful springtime walks for preschoolers and their families. Each week families will explore the farm, participate in kid-friendly activities and listen to fun farm stories—all focusing on spring!
Earth Day—Every Day! In the Lena Meijer Children’s Garden
Saturday, April 20, 1—4 pm
Celebrate Earth awareness, the Lena Meijer Children’s Garden way. Activities include observing a fiber art demonstration, then weave with recycled fabrics. Listen and play along to Earth Day-themed music. Prepare and sow seeds in an eco-friendly planter. Go on an earth-themed Naturalist Walk. Learn about the earth with interactive stories—and more!
Great Gardens Party Presented by Northern Trust
Wednesday, May 8
Advance tickets required for guests ages 21+
Great Gardens Party Presented by Northern Trust is Frederik Meijer Gardens & Sculpture Park’s signature spring fundraising event. It features live and silent auctions for exclusive and one-of-a-kind experiences and other fun ways to support the Meijer Gardens mission. Join us for an artfully curated evening complete with delicious cocktails and gourmet dinner. Proceeds from this event fund the Meijer Gardens mission of promoting the enjoyment, understanding, and appreciation of gardens, sculpture, the natural environment, and the arts. Event tickets and information on silent and live auctions and sponsorship opportunities will be available soon at: MeijerGardens.org/ggp
Inside the Japanese Teahouse
Sundays: May 19, June 16, July 21, August 18, September 22, October 20 | 1—4 pm
Experience the tranquil ambience and exquisite architecture of our authentic Japanese Teahouse located within The Richard & Helen DeVos Japanese Garden. Note the master carpentry, contrasting woods, patterns, textures and numerous distinctive details. This weather-dependent opportunity is available on a first-come, first-served basis. Guests will be asked to remove their shoes before entering.
Summer Camps at Meijer Gardens
Various dates and times, June through August. Registration begins March 15 at: MeijerGardens.org/calendar
Fifth Third Bank Summer Concerts at Meijer Gardens
June through September
Please check MeijerGardens.org/concerts for lineup and current information.
The Fifth Third Bank Summer Concerts at Meijer Gardens series brings the finest national and international musicians to West Michigan, thrilling music lovers across all genres and generations. Concerts take place in the Frederik Meijer Gardens Amphitheater, featuring beautiful, terraced lawn seating and food, beverage, and merchandise concessions—amid spectacular views of gardens and sculpture. The full lineup is announced in April.
Ayers Basement Systems Tuesday Evening Music Club
Tuesdays in June, July and August
Please check MeijerGardens.org/music for lineup and current information.
The Ayers Basement Systems Tuesday Evening Music Club returns to the Frederik Meijer Gardens Amphitheater stage every Tuesday evening in June, July and August, featuring the region’s finest performers. Guests are encouraged to enjoy the entire facility until 9 pm in addition to concerts on Tuesday evenings. Bring a picnic, dance and enjoy the beautiful summer weather.
Sunday Strings
Sundays: July 7, July 14, July 21, July 28, August 4, August 11 | 2—3 pm
Please check MeijerGardens.org/music for lineup and additional information.
West Michigan musicians will gather at Meijer Gardens this summer to present the Sunday Strings live classical chamber music concert series. Sunday Strings was conceived and created by Haijin Choi, Grand Rapids Symphony section violinist, to provide an opportunity in summer months for chamber music fans to experience unique and compelling musical selections—from classical to contemporary—performed by local musicians.
Summer Programming in the Lena Meijer Children’s Garden
June 9—August 17
Whether it’s engaging with pop-up story times, investigating Discovery Cart materials, exploring self-guided activities, or joining in with a guest performer, Lena Meijer Children’s Garden is the place to be—all summer long! Check the Children’s Garden Information Center for what’s happening daily.
Lena Meijer Children’s Garden 20th Anniversary Celebration
June 15
Mark your calendars for a special celebration in honor of the 20th anniversary of the Lena Meijer Children’s Garden! Stay tuned for more details.
Fridays at the Farm at Michigan’s Farm Garden
Fridays, June 14—August 16, 10:30 am—1:30 pm
Have bushels of family fun this summer in Michigan’s Farm Garden! Children of all ages will enjoy some farm-time fun by participating in a variety of down-home activities, special farm-inspired stories, games, music and more.
Special Family Weekends at Michigan’s Farm Garden
Monthly, June through September
Join us for special monthly themed weekends at Michigan’s Farm Garden. Everything from Focus on Flowers to Meet Me at the Fair to Heirloom Tomatoes and Amazing Honeybees will be highlighted this summer. Visit MeijerGardens.org/calendar for dates and times.
Farm Garden Fall Walks
Wednesdays | September 11–25 | 10:30 am
Michigan’s Farm Garden is the focus for these wonderful fall walks for preschoolers and their families. Explore the farm, participate in kid-friendly activities and listen to fun farm stories.
Chrysanthemums & More!
October 1—31
This annual celebration of the autumn season features an extensive chrysanthemum display with hundreds of flowering plants in interior and exterior areas. Indoor exhibition highlights include varieties on display along the winding BISSELL Corridor and in the Grace Jarecki Seasonal Display Greenhouse. Outdoor plantings are featured in the Lena Meijer Children’s Garden, Michigan’s Farm Garden and Volunteer Tribute Garden. Tram rides and seasonal activities are available.
David Smith: The Nature of Sculpture
September 20, 2024—March 2, 2025
David Smith: The Nature of Sculpture is the first exhibition to explore the artist’s deep engagement with the natural world as source, subject and site for his art. Working in multiple media, formats, and scales, David Smith’s adventurous approach to three-dimensional form has permanently expanded the vocabulary and range of sculptural practice. Celebrated as the first American artist to make welded metal sculptures, and to incorporate industrial means in his work, Smith’s early enlistment of nature as a material and prime setting for his art was equally innovative. Spanning Smith’s full career, the exhibition will feature some 50 sculptures, along with related paintings, reliefs and works on paper to reclaim the primacy of nature within the artist’s richly inventive oeuvre. This exploration of sculpture and nature will have particularly strong resonance at Meijer Gardens, where Smith’s work will be in direct dialogue with the natural environs, including larger pieces situated outdoors to commune with the elements as the artist intended.
Fall Family Day in the Lena Meijer Children’s Garden
Saturday, October 5, 1—4 pm
Visit the Lena Meijer Children’s Garden for fabulous fall family fun! Activities include something for all your senses—listen to fall-inspired tunes and autumn-themed stories, view a fiber arts demonstration, and take a naturalist walk highlighting this beautiful season.
University of Michigan Health–West: Christmas & Holiday Traditions
November 26, 2024—January 5, 2025
Fee: Included with admission.
Experience the most magical time of the year as Meijer Gardens transforms into a world of winter magic—with the glow of nearly 400,000 lights, over 40 captivating international trees and displays, strolling carolers, Santa visits, and more surprises than can fit under the tree. The beloved holiday favorite Railway Garden winds its way through three indoor gardens.
Sparkle!
Thursday, December 5
Advance tickets required for guests ages 21+
Back for a 27th year, this hot holiday soirée is a must-experience to kick off the holiday season. We can’t think of a more fitting name than Sparkle! to capture the spirit and community of Frederik Meijer Gardens & Sculpture Park.
Our signature blend of festive fellowship is a highlight of every season: We hope you’ll include us in your holiday plans. This exuberant evening dazzles with a strolling dinner and drink selections from our stellar Culinary Arts & Events team, topped off by a variety of music performances. AB is Adrian Butler will be the featured DJ, bringing rhythm and radiance to the evening. Trust us: Yule be sorry if you miss this party!
2024 PLANT SHOW SCHEDULE
Orchid Show
January 27 and 28
Saturday: Sales 10 am–5 pm | Displays 12–5 pm
Sunday: Sales and Displays 11 am–4:30 pm
Fee: Complimentary
The Huizenga Grand Room will be filled with beautiful orchids, competing for ribbons and the coveted American Orchid Society Awards. Purchase an orchid to take home as well as hard-to-find orchid growing supplies.
Meijer Gardens Michigan All-State Bonsai Show
May 10–12
Friday: Sales and Displays 9 am–5 pm
Saturday: Sales and Displays 9 am–5 pm
Sunday: Sales and Displays 11 am–5 pm
Fee: Complimentary
This year’s Bonsai Show will be larger and more inspiring and exciting than ever before. The American Bonsai Society will join us to present Bonsai in the Garden learning seminars during our show. This national gathering will attract bonsai artists, enthusiasts and some of the nation’s top presenters. Enjoy stunning bonsai trees on display in the Huizenga Grand Room. Shop for bonsai, specialty pots and growing supplies from a great selection of vendors. Attend free demonstrations and watch bonsai artists at work. A variety of Meijer Gardens workshops will be offered on Sunday. For more information and to register for the Friday and Saturday Bonsai in the Garden seminars, visit: AmericanBonsaiSociety.org
Daylily Show
July 13
Saturday 10 am–5 pm
Fee: Complimentary
Daylily flowers last just one day—and so does this show! See an amazing variety of daylily flowers that vary in size from less than 1 inch across to almost 10 inches.
Dahlia Show
August 24 and 25
Saturday 12–5 pm
Sunday 11 am–4:30 pm
Fee: Complimentary
Hundreds of dahlias will be on display. Flower sizes will vary from the size of a golf ball to that of a dinner plate. Many unusual forms and a rainbow of colors will be displayed.
Fall Bonsai Show
October 5 and 6
Saturday 10 am-5 pm
Sunday 11 am-5 pm
Fee: Complimentary
See a variety of bonsai on display, from trees in early stages of training to lovely older trees. Watch bonsai artists at work and shop for bonsai trees as well as bonsai tools and supplies.
PLEASE NOTE:
All dates and titles are subject
To confirm details or to
HOURS:
Sunday 11 am—5 pm, Monday 9 am—5 pm, Tuesday 9 am—9 pm, Wednesday through Saturday 9 am—5 pm, unless otherwise noted.
Check MeijerGardens.org for extended spring break and holiday hours.
Meijer Gardens is closed on Thanksgiving, December 24, 25, 31, and January 1.
ADMISSION RATES:
Adults (14—64) $20 | Seniors (65 and older) and Students (with student ID) $15 | Children (3—13) $10 | Children (2 and younger) free
VOLUNTEERS
Wanted. Needed. Appreciated! Various jobs and shifts.
Contact Tony England at aengland@meijergardens.org or 616-974-5221.
MEMBERSHIP
Members of Frederik Meijer Gardens & Sculpture Park enjoy unique members-only events and exhibition openings, valuable discounts, and reciprocal benefits to 300-plus gardens nationwide. Meijer Gardens is open early the first full weekend of each month, exclusively for members: Saturdays from 8 am–9 am and Sundays from 9 am–11 am.
CULINARY ARTS & EVENTS
Whether you’re celebrating life’s special moments in a tranquil garden setting or simply looking for a unique location for a party, business meeting, retreat, or special occasion, Meijer Gardens is the ideal location for an elegant, unique event.
With a 158-acre main campus showcasing internationally acclaimed sculptures and themed gardens, Meijer Gardens has multiple event spaces that provide you with diverse options for any event—indoors and out. Free parking and admissions to garden areas during your event, audiovisual and certified technical specialists, creative catering choices from award-winning chefs, and professional event coordinators will make every event a memorable, one-of-a-kind experience. Learn more at: MeijerGardens.org/host
