1. It's the 21st Annual Mayors' Grand River Cleanup. It'll be taking place on Saturday September 7 at Canal Street Park from 8:30am to 2pm. The cleanup site is suitable for children 12 and younger, so plan on bringing your entire family. Just a reminder lunch and drinks are available for volunteers. Also, new this year, join the cleanup challenge by asking your workplace, civic group, or friends and family to donate $5, $10, or $20, or more per bag of trash that volunteer groups pick up. learn more at wmawma.org.
2. Love flying GRR? Turns out a lot of people do. Grand rapids Gerald R. Ford International Airport is in the running for best small airport in the U.S. In a USA today 10Best Readers Poll. While giant airports like JFK, LAX, and ATL get a lot of attention, USA today wants to highlight smaller airports that excel with commercial flight offerings, easy access, and amenities.
The publication praises the airport's dedicated military welcome center, plane-themed playrooms for kids, and the bar and restaurant offerings.
You can vote for Gerald R. Ford International Airport once per day through September 23 HERE.
3. The National Donut and Beer Festival is returning to Kalamazoo after a five-year tour across the Midwest. This year's festival promises to be a family-friendly affair, featuring over 200 unique and local vendors serving one-of-a-kind donuts, alongside 150+ beer, cider, and seltzer selections. The event will also include entertainment for all ages, with a live performance by Matt Scannell, lead singer of Vertical Horizon, as well as captivating acts like Alex the Fire Breather, face painting, caricature artists, inflatables, college football watch party and more. It's all happening on October 19 at Homer Stryker field. Grab your tickets at donutandbeerfest.com.
4. It's the largest celebration of high-performance vehicles in the region, with vintage Indy cars, historic stock cars, and modern-day supercars.
The 4th annual American Speed Festival will be at the M1 Concourse in Pontiac, October 3 through October 6. Legendary race car driver, Richard petty, will be this year's Master of Motorsports.
Also, the 1952 Hudson hornet, widely known from its appearance in the movie cars, will be on-site to see up close. For the full four day schedule head to m1concourse.com.
