Grand Rapids Spring Activities

Spring is a time of rebirth and renewal, in nature and around Grand Rapids, as some of our favorite attractions and activities return with the advent of warmer weather. From the reopening of John Ball Zoo and a new season of West Michigan Whitecaps baseball to our annual LaughFest week of hilarity and the mega-popular Butterflies are Blooming exhibit at Meijer Gardens, spring in Grand Rapids is full of fun and discovery!

Spring Festivals & Events

Grand Rapids pulls out all the stops to celebrate spring. Join us as we kick off the season with five days of stand-up comedy and fun interactive events at LaughFest (March 5-9). Get your green on at St. Patrick’s Day celebrations, including the massive Irish Off Ionia outdoor festival (March 15). Wander a tropical conservatory filled with hundreds of colorful winged wonders during Butterflies are Blooming at Meijer Gardens (March 1 - April 30). Explore the intersecting stories of wildlife and Asian culture at John Ball Zoo’s Grand Rapids Lantern Festival (April 9 - June 15). See millions of tulips in bloom at the Holland Tulip Time Festival (May 2-11), just 30 minutes from downtown GR . Head to DeVos Place for the annual Home & Garden Show (Feb. 27 - March 2), Ultimate Sport Show (March 13-16), Cottage & Lakefront Living Show (March 28-30),  GR Whiskey Festival (March 29) and GR Tequila Festival (May 10).

Spring Things to Do

There are lots of Grand Rapids, Michigan attractions worth a trip to the area. Family favorite John Ball Zoo opens for the season March 21, with 2,000 different animals and more animal-touching exhibits than any other zoo in Michigan, all five minutes from downtown GR. Blandford Nature Center offers its own wildlife experiences along with a series of popular events organized around the spring tapping of its maple trees for syrup (Feb. 24 – March 22, with the 55^th Annual Sugarbush Festival on March 15).

Four downtown museums offer a cavalcade of new spring exhibits just steps away from hotels and restaurants. Downtown’s Van Andel Arena hosts up to 12,000 spectators for Grand Rapids Griffins hockey, Grand Rapids Gold basketball and Grand Rapids Rise female volleyball games throughout the spring, plus big-name concerts and family shows. Travel by skywalk from Van Andel Arena to DeVos Performance Hall to attend touring Broadway productions Clue (March 4-9), A Beautiful Noise: The Neil Diamond Musical (April 1-6) and Pretty Woman the Musical (April 29 – May 4), plus symphony concerts and more. Check venue schedules to see what’s on stage during your visit. 

Just 15 minutes from downtown, Frederik Meijer Gardens & Sculpture Park offers what Travel+Leisure Magazine calls one of the best spring cherry blossom displays in the U.S. Check out other popular Grand Rapids, Michigan attractions along with local things to do with kids, things to do with teens and things to do inside when spring weather is less than ideal – all full of great suggestions for Spring Break.

Outdoor Spring Activities

If outdoor recreation is your favorite spring thing, you’ll want to explore the endless trails, waterways and parks in and around the city. You’ll get some exercise and an up-close look at spring wildflowers and newly active wildlife. Local golf courses start to open as early as March, depending on the weather, and there are more than 30 courses to play within 30 minutes of Grand Rapids. The West Michigan Whitecaps baseball team opens the 2025 season at home on April 4. The spring steelhead run on downtown GR’s Grand River draws anglers from around the state. Craig’s Cruisers Family Fun Park and Game Time Fun Park open their outdoor attractions, which include go-kart tracks and mini golf courses, as the weather warms up. See what else awaits you in the Grand Outdoors.