World of Winter Returns to Grand Rapids With Unique Art Installations and Exciting Events

The largest outdoor winter festival in the country has returned for a seventh year, adding dozens of art installations throughout downtown Grand Rapids. The World of Winter Festival has become a beloved Grand Rapids event each year as it lights up downtown with colorful art displays and plenty of special events. The festival continues to succeed in its mission of bringing visitors downtown during what had traditionally been slower months of the year. We look forward to checking out the new art installations each year and recently had a chance to visit on a cold and snowy Saturday. Here’s a look at some of the art and special events you can find in Grand Rapids through the end of February:

Anooki: Les Timides – This installation in front of DeVos Place features two shy inflatable figures representing an important message about climate change. This work from Moetu Batlle and David Passegand is one of two at this year’s event, with the other pictured below.

Anooki: Les Turbulents – Unlike the two figures hiding behind poles at DeVos Place, the two Anooki at Ah-Nab-Awen Park are doing somersaults on the large lawn by the Grand River.

Connection – Unlike previous years when we found the 555 Monroe Lot to be a hub of activity with multiple installations, this year Connection was the only thing lighting up the night. This piece comes from frequent World of Winter collaborator Two Eagles Marcus and invites you to “experience a striking light and sound display that draws inspiration from the patterns of nature and everyday life. Watch color and sound move together in a dynamic performance designed to engage your senses and invite a moment of pause.”

Emergence – This installation at Calder Plaza was fun to see from both outside and inside. “Step inside this stunning pavilion, completely covered in reflective mirror units. The structure creates new ways of seeing the space around you while reflecting on the balance between order and chaos.” It was pretty busy here with the silent disco event and hard to hear the music that accompanies this piece, so we hope to be able to return again to really experience it better.

Magical Tree of Light – Sixth Street Park always has some great art installations, and this year is no exception. The Magical Tree of Light by Bill Pringle has choreographed lights illuminating a tree and bringing some color to the night alongside the Grand River.

Penguins in the Snow – The first art piece we stopped at was this fun installation in front of the Gerald R. Ford Presidential Museum. Penguins in the Snow includes an adult and baby emperor penguin standing in the snow, and is a fiberglass/wood sculpture by artist Craig Merchant.

Polymery – Artist Taylor Dean Harrison has transformed the Gillett Bridge into a colorful mosaic at night with Polymery, an installation of five sculptures that cast light and shadow over the bridge as colors constantly change. You’ll want to walk through this one a couple times!

Seasonal Wonders Show – the facade of Civic Auditorium in Lyon Square is illuminated with a projection show that highlights Grand Rapids history and the changing seasons. The show runs at 6:00 PM, 7:00 PM, and 8:00 PM Sunday through Thursday, with an additional 9:00 PM show on Friday and Saturday. We happened to time this one right and were able to catch a little bit of the show.

Somnius – Located in Ah-Nab-Awen Park next to the Grand River, Somnius is one of the most interactive pieces at this year’s festival. “This huge, glowing hexagonal structure, made of over half a million lights, floats just above the crowd. The real magic? It watches you dance, jump, and wave, and then immediately plays a unique concert and light show based on what everyone is doing.”

T-Mobile Fiber Gigabit Grove – This installation lights up Sixth Street Park with colorful connected poles “inspired by the shared network of natural root systems.” When we visited, the lights did not seem to be working. As longtime T-Mobile customers, this was not a surprise to us.

WAZAAKONE Deer – Also located at Sixth Street Park, the WAZAAKONE Deer is an aluminum and LED sculpture highlighting one of our favorite woodland animals. Artists Adam Monture & Jeremy Freiburger are the brains behind this installation.

Some exhibits from past years have also returned:

Grand Legacy – This series of paintings by Edwin Anderson on the walls of the pedestrian tunnel between Ah-Nab-Awen Park and the Grand Rapids Public Museum is once again part of World of Winter.

Life Is But A Dream – Valerie Wahna’s steel and LED “paper boats” are back again and you can find them on the back side of the DeVos Place Convention Center.

Manidoo Bawating – Part of World of Winter since 2021, the Manidoo Bawating sculptures can still be found at Sixth Street Park.

Singing Tree – The Singing Tree is back and is located on the north side of Ah-Nab-Awen Park by The Button. Sing loud and proud and watch the colors change on this interactive display.

Slow Motion – The snails on the Blue Bridge are back again!

Starlight – located in Lyon Square.

WoW Selfie Spot – You’ll find this great spot for photos ops right by Rosa Parks Circle.

There is also a full schedule of events throughout January and February. When we visited, Silent Disco was taking place at Calder Plaza. You can find a full event calendar on the World of Winter website.

The World of Winter Festival has become something we look forward to every year and we love seeing the different art that comes each year. This year’s visit had the bonus of taking place during an active snowfall, which made for some great pictures and a magical experience. If you’re looking for a fun, free, family-friendly winter trip, head to downtown Grand Rapids and check all of this out for yourself!