Taxidermy, Taylor Swift and tons of fun: What to do in West Michigan this weekend

GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. (WOOD) — Get ready, West Michigan, because there are so many different ways to enjoy your weekend no matter where you are.

Here is a look at what you can do the weekend of July 12:

Cannabash 2024

Baldwin, Mich. will be the site for the third annual Cannabash.

The cannabis and music festival will welcome a slew of performers including Juicy J and Soul Asylum as headliners. The festival goes on from Friday through Sunday.

Click here to get your tickets.

Beer City Open Pickleball Championships

The Beer City Open Pickleball Championships are back this year at Belknap Park.

The competition began Wednesday and will continue into the weekend until a winner is crowned in all of the tournaments. The event is also free to spectate.

More information can be found here.

Great American Blueberry Eating Championships

Also at Belknap Park this Saturday will be the Great American Blueberry Eating Championship.

The competition kicks off at noon with some of the top professional eaters attempting to scarf down as many blueberries as possible in eight minutes.

Check out the competition by clicking here.

Griffins host Lids at the Library

The Grand Rapids Griffins are looking to help keep your kids safe this summer with a giveaway at the Kent District Library this Friday.

From 10 to 11 a.m., members of the team will be handing 100 free bike helmets to kids ages 1 through 12 years old.

For more information, click here.

Ceremony for President Ford’s 111th birthday

To celebrate former President Gerald R. Ford’s 111th birthday, a presidential wreath-laying ceremony is set to take place on Sunday.

The event will honor the president and the former First lady at their burial sites near the Gerald R. Ford Presidential Museum. President Joe Biden will send the wreath to Grand Rapids.

Click here for more details.

United Way’s Rock the Boat

Thursday marks the return of the Rock the Boat event held by the United Way of Southwest Michigan.

More than two dozen boats entirely made of cardboard will take to the water in St. Joseph to help raise money for the nonprofit. The event kicks off at 5 p.m. and is free to attend, but a donation is appreciated.

Additional details can be found here.

Growlers host Swiftie Appreciation Night

If you love Taylor Swift and baseball, then you’re not going to want to miss this Friday’s Kalamazoo Growlers’ game.

The team is hosting a Swiftie Appreciation Night at Homer Stryker Field. They also plan to have tons of fans there to attempt to break a world record in her honor.

Get your tickets here.

Storm Team 8 Forecast

Kalamazoo Art Institute’s Centennial Celebration

The Kalamazoo Art Institute is celebrating 100 years of operation with a big celebration planned for this weekend.

The institute will be offering guests free admission this Saturday. You can check out all of the amazing works inside while participating in a few fun events hosted by the staff.

You can find more information by clicking here.

Purple Heart Veterans Whitetail Mounting Seminar

The Hamilton Rod and Gun Club will host an event designed to help teach you how to properly mount a whitetail deer.

Attendees will have the chance to work on their taxidermy skills by mounting eight of the whitetails with the help of instructors.

You can find out more about the event by clicking here.

Macatawa Water Festival

Enjoy all of the fun planned for this year’s Macatawa Water Festival at the Windmill Island Gardens this Saturday.

The festival will showcase so many experiences no matter what mood you’re in. Some of the activities planned include seeing live surgeons up close and kayaking around the island.

Beach and Boating forecast: July 11, 2024

Click here for more details.

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