It’s going to be a colorful weekend at the Grand Rapids Public Museum. This Saturday, Nov. 8, the museum at 272 Pearl St. NW will once again fill with the sights, sounds and flavors of cultures from around the world during its annual Cultural Heritage Festival. The celebration runs from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. and features music, dance, art, food and more from more than 30 local organizations and individuals.
“We’re thrilled to welcome visitors back to the 2025 Cultural Heritage Festival,” said Rob Schuitema, director of public programs at the GRPM. “Every year, this vibrant festival brings us together and showcases the talents, traditions, and stories we each bring to our community. Some organizations have been celebrating with us for many years, but we also have vendors, performers, and exhibitors joining us for the first time. We hope you will join us too!”
The festival highlights the city’s long and diverse cultural story — one that stretches from its Anishinaabek roots and fur trading days to the many communities that now call Grand Rapids home. This daylong event brings together groups from across West Michigan to share their music, dance, food and heritage with the community.
Festival-goers can expect lively performances throughout the day — from K-pop to opera to traditional Mexican dance — filling the museum’s halls with movement and color. Visitors dressed in bright, folkloric costumes and painted faces will bring to life the spirit of cultural celebration that has come to define this annual event.
While there, guests can also explore the museum’s core exhibition Newcomers: The People of This Place, which highlights the cultural groups that have settled in the Grand Rapids area. Although the Anishinabek: The People of This Place exhibit is temporarily closed for renovations, Anishinaabe stories remain visible throughout the museum’s third floor in the Michigan Map, three large murals by Anishinaabe artists and a seasonal display case.
Visitors looking for something prehistoric can also check out GRPM’s latest traveling exhibition, Tyrannosaurs: Meet the Family, from The Australian Museum. The exhibit dives into the latest discoveries about one of history’s most “feared and revered” dinosaurs, complete with large-scale projections and interactive displays.
The Cultural Heritage Festival is included with general admission. Kent County kids receive free general admission, and Kent County adults enjoy discounted admission every day.
The event is sponsored by Downtown Grand Rapids Inc.
For a full list of participants and more information, visit grpm.org/cultural-heritage-festival.
