🌱 Winter Bridal Show + Tidal Waves Donate Toys + Skating Season

Happy Friday, Grand Rapids! Here are the most important things happening in Grand Rapids today.

First, today's weather:

Sunny to partly cloudy. High: 40 Low: 26.

Here are the top 3 stories in Grand Rapids today:

1. The Winter Bridal Show of West Michigan is returning to Grand Rapids in Jan. The show will feature wedding gowns, men’s tuxedos and suits, floral arrangements and décor, photography, videography, and a runway fashion show presented by Caela Scott Bridal and Formalwear. The bridal show will take place from 11 a.m.-4 p.m. on Jan. 29, at DeVos Place, located at 303 Monroe Ave. NW in downtown Grand Rapids. (GR|MAG)
2. After approving the plan on Tuesday, the Grand Rapids City Commission has announced that ice skating season at Van Andel Arena begins Monday and reservations are now open. The winter public skating season at the arena includes 10 days of skating over the next month with 29, 90-minute skating sessions. Of the 150 skaters allowed each session, 100 skating spots can be reserved and the remaining 50 are available for walk-up skating on a first-come, first-served basis. (WOODTV.com)
3. Grand Rapids Tidal Waves delivered 500+ toys to patients at the Helen DeVos Children's Hospital to spread holiday cheer. The women’s tackle football team collected 559 donated toys during its fifth annual toy drive this year and delivered the gifts to the hospital on Wednesday. The Tidal Waves have said they hope to grow the event for next year’s toy drive, which is already in the works. (Fox17)

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From my notebook:

• Last week the Grand Rapids Police Explorers held their 2021 awards banquet. The Explorers received recognition for their participation and awards for leadership, marksmanship, and physical fitness were given. (Facebook)
• Smelling smoke in the air? No need to worry. This is due to a wildfire in Kansas. Due to the winds today, the smoke has moved into Michigan. (Facebook)
• Have you visited Grand Rapids Art Museum's latest #MichiganArtistSeries exhibition? On view through Feb. 26, An Interwoven Legacy: The Black Ash Basketry of Kelly Church and Cherish Parrish foregrounds the mother-daughter team's primary motivations: the importance of maintaining the basketmaking tradition within their culture and their advocacy for the black ash tree’s survival, which is being decimated by an invasive insect. (Instagram)

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Now you're in the loop and ready to start this Friday. I'll catch up with you bright and early tomorrow morning with another update!

— Miranda Fraraccio

About me: Miranda Fraraccio is a born and raised Rhode Islander. She works as a freelance copywriter for content creation agency Lightning Media Partners and as an assistant producer for a live-lit storytelling show in Chicago. She holds a degree in Writing & Rhetoric and Communication Studies from The University of Rhode Island. In her free time, you can find her traveling, hiking, or photographing her neighborhood as a street photographer.