1. Festival season is nearly here, and you can help support them with your time.
The Grand Rapids' Festival of the Arts is looking for volunteers now to help at the event that runs from June 7-9.
We're talking about anything from running craft booths like chalk walk or rubber stamps, but the festival also needs help in the form of stage emcees, stage crew, and the check-in table.
Festival of the Arts showcases West Michigan artists, performers, food vendors and so much more.
To register to volunteer and to learn more just head to festivalgr.org.
2. The Community Spay Neuter Initiative Partnership, better known as C-SNIP, is building a centralized veterinary clinic in Walker.
It needs help raising more than half a million dollars to finish funding the project.
C-snip is a nonprofit that offers reduced-cost services for pet owners who may be struggling financially.
The new facility -- on Walker Village Drive near 'Remembrance' and 'Leonard' will serve as a clinic, merging three small existing clinics in Grand Rapids and Fruitport into one. Plus, it'll serve as the organization's headquarters.
Construction is set to begin in July, and leaders expect it to be finished by the first quarter of 2025.
3. Art prize registration is open. General artist registration is now open as well.
Businesses and other organizations interested in being a venue can register until April 17.
This year's ArtPrize will run from September 13-28.
The annual competition attracted more than 700,000 visitors in 2023 and had an economic impact of around $54.7 million.
4. Don't know what to do with those eclipse glasses now that the eclipse is over? You can now bring them to your nearest Kent District Library.
They're accepting donations of eclipse glasses in good condition through Earth Day, which is April 22. After that, they'll be recycling them through "Eclipse Glasses USA", which is an organization that'll connect the glasses with other countries with upcoming eclipse events.
5. A new Lego store is coming to West Michigan!
The Woodland Mall in Kentwood posted on social media that the new store is scheduled to open sometime this summer, but they're not releasing an exact date.
It's exciting news for Lego fans because the next closest locations are in Detroit or Chicago.
Mall officials say they will release more details soon.
