1. Festival of the Arts is planning an event in downtown Grand Rapids this summer, and another one this fall.
Plein Air, which is french for "outdoors", runs from June 4-6. The three-day event will feature musicians and landscape artists showcasing their work within designated social zones throughout downtown Grand Rapids.
The Regional Arts Exhibition will be held virtually this year, and the festival is planning additional performances during the first week of ArtPrize.
On Monday during the Morning Mix, we'll be talking with the executive director for the Festival of the Arts to learn more about everything taking place during the event.
2. The countdown to Opening Day for the West Michigan Whitecaps has officially started.
The MLB released all schedules for minor league baseball this week. The Whitecaps, who was recently promoted to a High-A Affiliate of the Detroit Tigers will start their season on the road.
Their first game is scheduled on May 4 against the Fort Wayne Tincaps in Indiana.
The Caps' home opener is slated for May 11 at the newly renamed LMCU Ballpark.
Find the team's full schedule at whitecapsbaseball.com.
3. Cedar Point is trying it again. On Thursday they announced their plans for the 2021 season during which the amusement park plans to celebrate its 150th anniversary after special events scheduled for 2020 were postponed due to the pandemic.
The anniversary celebration is set for the heart of summer while a nighttime parade and party, a new family river adventure ride, and chances to win the unprecedented ticket of a lifetime will also return.
To learn more, head to cedarpoint.com.
4. What an out-of-this-world site to see! NASA's Perseverance Rover is sending images from Mars after a successful landing on Thursday.
After a six-month journey, the spacecraft will now look into whether life once existed on the red planet.
The perseverance mission will also involve a number of things never done before including the first helicopter flight on another planet, and the first recording of sound from Mars.
5. Apple's mixing it up with its latest batch of new emojis. The tech company recently updated its operating system, adding a slew of new icons.
The new emojis include a face with spiral eyes, a face hiding in the clouds, and different genders with beards.
For those in love, there's also a new heart-on-fire emoji. Those out of love can use the new mending heart emoji.
More than 200 emojis are slated to be released this year.
