Good morning, Grand Rapids.

On Thursday, Consumers Energy reported an outage that left about 2,510 Eastown customers without power along Michigan St NE to MLK JR St SE and from Diamond Ave to Wealthy St SE—service was expected to be restored by 9:45 a.m.

A car hit a Consumers Energy transmission pole at Fuller and Innes early Thursday morning and knocked out power and traffic lights on Fuller Ave from Bradford to 28th and on Eastern Ave from Wealthy to 28th affecting about 2,500 customers—repair crews expect to restore power by 9:45 a.m.

Downtown Grand Rapids Inc. and the Arts Marketplace at Studio Park are launching a retail incubation program that gives aspiring business owners subsidized space and business coaching at 121 Ionia Ave. SW, with applications accepted until Nov.

26 (the program is designed to foster a thriving downtown retail community).

Jungseok Oh will perform a live demonstration using a drone to paint a portrait of Stevie Wonder at ArtPrize today at 5 p.m. at The Arts Marketplace in Grand Rapids—local violinist Noori Han will provide musical accompaniment.

Over the next two weeks, Grand Rapids venues are hosting ArtPrize meet-and-greet events where visitors can speak with local and international artists.

City Built Brewing hosts Aaron McCall today at 5 p.m. and Morning Ritual Coffee Bar runs a session from 1 to 5 p.m.—other sessions are set at Rapid River Stillhouse, Sugar Bar, Cellar Bird Books, Harmonic Egg & Wellness GR, and Popnotch Goods.

Machine Gun Kelly will perform at Acrisure Amphitheater in Grand Rapids on June 17, 2026 as part of his Lost Americana tour—tickets go on sale on Sept.

25 and the new venue is set to open by May 1.

ArtPrize returns this week in Grand Rapids with more than 1,100 artworks displayed at 155 venues as the international competition begins; its storied history since 2009 includes winners like Ray Ortner’s Open Water no.

24 and Abdoulaye Conde’s Raining Wisdom—visitors will vote to choose this year’s $100,000 grand prize winner.

Kent and Ottawa counties were under severe drought as of September 18 and most of West Michigan faced moderate drought—stress on crops, trees, and streamflow has been noted.

The Climate Prediction Center predicts below-average rainfall for the next 8-14 days and Grand Rapids received only 19.35 inches of rain compared to the usual 28.34 inches by mid-September.

Since 2015, downtown’s population grew from about 5,000 to 8,000 residents as Grand Rapids made progress on riverfront parks, trails, and cultural events — but key projects such as restoring the rapids and transforming major streets remain in planning.

Downtown Grand Rapids Inc. will update the GR Forward plan to set future goals.

Kent County Health Department announced on Thursday that a bat tested positive for rabies—its first rabies-positive animal of 2025—and urged residents to avoid handling wild bats by following safety guidelines.

Luke Severeid: Stand-Up Comedy Show

7-9 p.m. — Ambrosia Theater — Ticketed event — Experience a night of laughter with the metal-loving stand-up comedian Luke Severeid.

Northlane Live Concert

7-9 p.m. — Elevation — Varying prices — Experience the dynamic heavy music of award-winning Australian band Northlane at their Grand Rapids show.

Leo Kottke Concert

7:30-9 p.m. — St. Cecilia Music Center — Tickets starting at $71 — Experience an unforgettable performance by guitar legend Leo Kottke.

Rock of Ages

7:30-9 p.m. — Grand Rapids Civic Theatre And School Of Theatre Arts — Ticket prices vary — Experience the high-energy rock musical featuring iconic anthems from the 80s.

Jack Van Cleaf Live Performance

6:30-9:00 p.m. — The Stache — Tickets available — Experience the viral sensation Jack Van Cleaf as he performs tracks from his introspective new album 'JVC'.

Austin Snell Live Performance

8-9:30 p.m. — The Stache — $ — Experience the raw emotional sound of rising country star Austin Snell with hits and heartfelt storytelling.

Starcrawler Live in Concert

7-9:30 p.m. — The Pyramid Scheme — Ticket prices vary — Experience the explosive energy of Starcrawler's live rock performance with their electrifying frontwoman and talented band.

Lecrae Live in Concert

7-9 p.m. — Elevation — Ticket prices vary — Experience Lecrae's unique blend of faith and hip-hop as he performs from his latest project, Church Clothes 4.

Rock of Ages Musical Performance

7:30-9:00 p.m. — Grand Rapids Civic Theatre And School Of Theatre Arts — VIP tickets available — Experience the electric atmosphere of the iconic Rock of Ages musical featuring classic rock hits.

Ben Folds with Grand Rapids Symphony

7:30-9 p.m. — DeVos Performance Hall — Ticket info TBA — Experience the influential sounds of Ben Folds in a grand orchestral setting.