Festival of the Arts, the largest volunteer-run festival in the U.S., returned to Calder Plaza last weekend to celebrate art, food, music and the diverse community of Grand Rapids for its 55th annual event.
“It’s a great way to kick off the summer,” said Bob Crump, 26, of Grand Rapids, who said he attends the local arts festival every year.
The mood of the community volunteers, performers and artists was very accepting. Many of them engaged their visitors with conversation and let others play around with their instruments.
“I like how [Festival of the Arts] blends different parts of food, vendors, cultures, art and music styles. It brings people [to Grand Rapids] and makes them want to stay here,” said Mckenna Peariso, 26, of Grand Rapids.
The three-day event, which stretched across four stages throughout downtown, wasn’t just about the performers on stage or the artists selling their fares under vendor tents—street performers, also known as buskers, were also part of the action.
One group of buskers, Street Busker Corner, stated that they have performed locally at the Festival of the Arts for the past 16 years.
“The kids come here and we try to [teach] them for the next generation of music. I let them pound drumsticks and symbols. All the kids and people inspireus. Without them, we wouldnt be here,” said Street Busker Corner member, DJ Ponthabeat, 39, of Grand Rapids.
Ponthabeat was very optimistic when asked about the prevalence of art-centered events in Grand Rapids, saying that art is “taking over the city.” He also believes that Grand Rapids has always been an “accepting city of culture and business.”
Another performer, Sophia Morris, 28, of Grand Rapids, regularly allowed kids attending the festival to play their cello. Morris taught interested passersby how to rub the bow across the strings, how to fluctuate the pitch of the instrument and how to strike below the bridge with the bow to produce a different sound.
Morris said that they visited Grand Rapids with a friend for a trip that was supposed to only last a couple of weeks, but ended up staying because of the “vibe” of the city.
“It’s a good place to create moments,” Morris said of Grand Rapids’ art festivals. “Especially families with young children, they’re always curious. I feel the absence of [community events] in between events. I genuinely get really pumped about it.”
Non-profit organizations, like the Chinese Association of West Michigan which has been around for almost thirty years, also attended the event.
Sue Chen, the president of the organization, stated that community events are a “good way to celebrate and promote Chinese culture to the community.”
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