GR|MAG’s Top Weekend Picks

Grand Rapids should be thawing out this weekend after last weekend’s ice storm, so it’s the perfect time to unfold yourself from the couch and change out of your sweats. A Beatle’s Tribute Band will be in town playing tunes from 1964 at DeVos Performance Hall, while Akeelah & the Bee opens at Grand Rapids Civic Theatre.

1964 The Tribute @ DeVos Performance Hall
(Thursday)

You may not be able to buy me love, but you can buy tickets for 1964 The Tribute. Recreating an entire Beatles concert, 1964 The Tribute will be the ultimate throwback for your Thursday. Performing at the DeVos Performance Hall, the show will begin at 7:30 pm. Tickets are available at Ticketmaster or by calling 1-800-745-3000.

Akeelah and the Bee @ Grand Rapids Civic Theatre
(Friday – Sunday)

Opening Friday, Akeelah and the Bee runs through April 29 at Grand Rapids Civic Theatre. Based on the 2006 film starring Keke Palmer, this heartwarming journey follows Akeelah Anderson on her way to the Scripps National Spelling Bee. With lessons about bravery and determination, this captivating story is a great way for the whole family to have fun.

Alternative Prom @ Fountain Street Church
(Saturday)

Get ready to dress up and hit the dance floor! Fountain Street Church is hosting an Alternative Prom for West Michigan area high school students on April 21 from 7 p.m. to 10 p.m.

The theme for this year’s event is “Decades Disco Dance,” and all attendees are encouraged to wear decade-appropriate outfits and get their groove on.

Alternative Prom is free with a $10 suggested donation at the door. All students must bring a valid high school ID to be admitted.

Runway on the Rapids @ JW Marriott
(Friday)

If you have a passion for fashion, be sure to mark your calendars for Runway on the Rapids at JW Marriott on Friday, April 20 from 7 p.m. to midnight.

This high-energy fashion show will give an up-close look at the latest trends from area boutiques and salons such as JB and Me, Slate, Lee & Birch, Lennon & Willow, 15 East, Chasing Vanity, and more – all while benefiting the Multiple Sclerosis Program at Mercy Health Hauenstein Neurosciences.

The event will also include silent and live auctions as well as a dance party featuring music from DJ AB, Adrian Butler. Doors open at 7 p.m. Tickets are $40.

Hear from Legal Marijuana Advocate Bruce Barcott
(Friday)

For those of you wishing you could celebrate 420 legally on Friday, “Weed the People” author Bruce Barcott will be in town to discuss lessons from marijuana businesses operating in states across the country.

The event starts at 4 p.m., with Barcott’s talk, “Everyday Wisdom from an Extraordinary Industry: Ten Hard-Learned Business Lessons from the First Year of Legal Marijuana,” beginning at 5 p.m. The event takes place at Gallery Divani, 15 Ionia SW, and includes drinks, appetizers and networking. Tickets are $50.

Barcott has served as deputy editor of Leafly, a resource for cannabis information, since 2015. At Leafly he oversees the site’s news and cultural coverage and chronicles the global evolution of cannabis legalization. Barcott’s journalism work has appeared in TIME, National Geographic, Rolling Stone, Outside, The New York Times Magazine, The Atlantic, Harper’s, Mother Jones, and other publications.