1. Downtown Wayland is hosting a sandwich/handheld competition called Between the Buns. The goal is to bring business to local restaurants and help to fight childhood hunger.
The competition will be from January 1-31. Voting will be open to the public for the month and the top 5 locations will undergo a judging section to select the winner. Each location has punch cards to help guide the consumers around the area and a QR code for quick voting at each table.
The public can sample the various entries and vote at the Downtown Wayland website, downtownwayland.com/betweenthebuns for their selection. The top 5 finalists will be announced on January 31 and a final vote by judges will take place soon after.
Each business will donate $1 for each handheld to the Hand2Hand program.
2. The W.K. Kellogg Bird Sanctuary is kicking off winter with a carnival day in January.
In playful recognition of National Rubber Ducky Day, the sanctuary will hold a Rubber Ducky Carnival from noon to 2:30 p.m. on Saturday, January 13.
You'll be able to try some duck-themed games for a chance to win prizes.
Additionally, sanctuary staff will be sharing some facts about ducks in Michigan and how they stay warm.
Carnival activities are free at the price of admission.
3. An event for Lego lovers is coming to Grand Rapids in March.
It's called Brick Fest Live and it'll be at DeVos Place on March 30 and 31.
The festival will feature a giant brick pit full of 200,000 bricks, life-size Lego models, a glow zone, a floor mural, and many ways to make your creations.
To get notified when tickets go on sale head to brickfestlive.com.
4. You'll now have to pay a little bit more for year-round access to Michigan's State Parks, recreation areas, and more.
The new cost of a recreation passport for a vehicle will be $14 – an increase of $1. This is the second price jump in less than a year – it went up by a dollar in March 2023.
The price increase is based on a law that ensures the recreation passport funding keeps pace with the economy.
The DNR hopes Michiganders will realize that our recreation passport is an undeniable bargain compared to the cost of annual state park passes in other states, such as $50 in Indiana, $35 in Minnesota, and $80 in New York.
5. Holland Hospital delivered a ranking of the most popular names of the over 1200 babies delivered at Boven Birth Center in 2023.
For girls, the top names are Olivia, Nora and Eleanor. Olivia also took the number one spot nationwide according to a recent poll by BabyCenter.
For boys, the most popular boy names were Theodore, Levi, and Oliver. Noah takes first place for boys nationally.
The names exude tradition, elegance, and timeless charm, making them favorites among many families.
Congratulations to all the proud parents who welcomed these beautiful bundles of joy into the world throughout the year.
