Grand Rapids Public Museum’s Cultural Heritage Festival is Saturday, Nov. 7: food, music and dance on two stages, and free entry for Kent County kids

GRAND RAPIDS — The Grand Rapids Public Museum fills its three floors with food, music, dance and handmade goods from around the world on Saturday, Nov. 7, for its 19th annual Cultural Heritage Festival.

The festival runs from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the museum, 272 Pearl St. NW, and is included with general admission, according to the museum.

What’s at the festival

Cultural organizations from across West Michigan set up demonstrations, displays and activity tables to share their backgrounds and the countries they represent. WOOD TV8 reported that visitors will find food vendors and live music and dance performances on two stages, and named the Gaelic League, the Auron Dream Foundation and the Grand Rapids Latvian Association among the groups taking part.

“If people want to see in one location the cultural diversity of this community, this festival is the place to be,” Rob Schuitema, the museum’s director of public programs, told the station. He said artists and vendors will also sell handmade goods representing different countries.

A scavenger hunt sends visitors across all three floors to learn about each participating group. The festival grew out of the 2007 opening of the museum’s “Newcomers: The People of This Place” exhibit, which traces the groups that settled the Grand Rapids area, WOOD reported. The museum also runs “Anishinaabek: The Original People of This Place,” on Michigan’s Indigenous culture. The Museum Café sells a selection of cultural foods, according to the museum’s programs page.

What’s new this year. “There are plenty of folks who return year after year to celebrate with us, but we also have some great new partners: Myanmar Meals - Burmese and Cantonese Cuisine; Pochis Premium Colombian Treats; Throw it Back Dirty Soda; Sip 'N Par-Tea (Boba, Milk Tea, etc); The Latvian Association of Grand Rapids (Dancing); Quill and Feather; Redbird Trading Post; White Feathers Daughters; Bear Tracks; Friendship Force International. There will also be more local musicians performing in the cafe,” Delany Lemke, Marketing Manager at the Grand Rapids Public Museum, said in an email to The Mitten Daily. The museum’s Cultural Heritage Festival page has the full schedule.

Why the museum keeps it going. “At the Grand Rapids Public Museum, we want everyone in West Michigan to know that they're welcome, celebrated, and part of our community! This event brings so many amazing local organizations, artists, and performers together to share their culture. It's a great way to meet your neighbors, build connections, and just have fun,” Lemke said. “Personally, I love bringing friends, so that each of us can grab food from a different vendor, and then we share while listening to music in the cafe. Come on down, try something new, enjoy the performances, and explore three floors of exhibits with us. We hope to see you there!”

What it costs

General admission is $15 for adults, $10 for seniors 62 and older, and $5 for students with ID and for children ages 3 to 17. Children 2 and under are free.

Kent County residents pay less: $10 for adults, $8 for seniors and $5 for students, and Kent County children 17 and under get in free. Residents also park free with paid admission. The museum asks for a photo ID with an address. By our math, two adults and two children from Kent County pay $20 at the door, compared with $40 for the same family from outside the county.

First-timer tips and parking. “There is some roadwork happening on Front Street, which makes accessing our parking garage a bit trickier. Guests should turn onto Mt. Vernon NW from Pearl or Fulton and then turn onto Front Street. There will be signage so you'll know you're in the right place. There are also several parking garages around the city, and once you're downtown, it's quite walkable! Kent County residents receive free parking; just validate your ticket at the front desk. Kent County residents also get reduced admission, and Kent County kids 17 and under get in for free every day at the GRPM,” Lemke said.

The museum ties those discounts to the county millage that supports it. Kent County voters renewed the zoo and museum levy on Tuesday, WGVU reported; we explained that question in our preview of the Kent County millages.

Other discounts include $2 per person, up to four people, for visitors with a SNAP EBT card through Museums for All, free admission for Grand Rapids Community College students and staff with ID, and $1 off for active or retired military. Planetarium shows cost $4 more with general admission.

Updated Nov. 6, 2026: Added comments from Delany Lemke, marketing manager at the Grand Rapids Public Museum, received by email Nov. 6.

Sources:
Grand Rapids Public Museum, email to The Mitten Daily from Delany Lemke, marketing manager, Nov. 6, 2026 (new partners, parking tips, community-day comments)
Grand Rapids Public Museum, “Cultural Heritage Festival” (date, hours, participating organizations), https://www.grpm.org/cultural-heritage-festival/
Grand Rapids Public Museum, “Tickets & Pricing” (general and Kent County admission, discounts, planetarium), https://www.grpm.org/admission/
Grand Rapids Public Museum, “Kent County Kids Get FREE Admission Every Day,” https://www.grpm.org/kent-county-kids/
Grand Rapids Public Museum, “Programs” (Museum Café cultural foods), https://www.grpm.org/programs/
Zach Avery, “Grand Rapids Public Museum to host 19th annual Cultural Heritage Festival,” WOOD TV8, Nov. 3, 2026 (stages, groups, scavenger hunt, Schuitema quotes), https://www.woodtv.com/news/grand-rapids/grand-rapids-public-museum-to-host-19th-annual-cultural-heritage-festival/
WGVU News, “West Michigan voters weigh in on local proposals: Zoo & Museum millage passes …,” Nov. 4, 2026, https://www.wgvunews.org/news/2026-11-04/west-michigan-voters-weigh-in-on-local-proposals-zoo-museum-millage-passes-while-parking-structure-and-public-safety-measures-fail
Photo: John Eisenschenk, “Grand Rapids Public Museum.jpg,” June 23, 2012, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 2.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0/), cropped and resized, https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Grand_Rapids_Public_Museum.jpg

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Tags: Grand Rapids · Things to Do · Grand Rapids Public Museum · Cultural Heritage Festival · Family events · Kent County