GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. - It's a major milestone for the Grand Rapids Downtown Market. This week the market celebrates its fifth anniversary. The market opened on Labor Day 2013 to a huge crowd of people waiting to get in. Those people have kept on coming making the market a success story and pretty much turning it into a downtown landmark.
"We have become a destination for food entrepreneurship and food distribution here in Grand Rapids," says Amanda Gielczyk, the vice president of marketing and operations. "People love to come to the market not only to eat and see all of our amazing merchants, but to have meetings here. We have a meeting space upstairs. We do over 400 meetings a year. So, we are always trying to keep everything fresh and new for our guests and people have really embraced us."
Although there have been some comings and goings, the market has roughly the same amount of merchants it had when it opened in 2013. Gielczyk says the staples have remained the same and two full-service restaurants have opened inside - Slows Bar B Q and Social Kitchen & Bar.
The mission of the market, which is working with small business owners, allows us to continue to keep changing things and evolving," she said. "We are very excited about this week. We have something planned every day. We have a promotion every day."
The "four days-of deals" runs Tuesday, September 4th through Friday, September 7th. That is to be followed up by a big birthday bash on Saturday.
"It will take place in our parking lot where we are going to have inflatables, crafts, activities for kids and adults. As we do with every event we will have our market bar and then live music from 5 to 8 p.m.
The list of deals are as follows:
Tuesday, Sept. 4: Celebrate five years of food and fun with Market Hall deals based on the number “5,” such as $5 beer wine and cheese, waffles, medium waffle cones and more, $5 off fresh flowers and two for $5 cookies and croissants.
Wednesday, Sept. 5: $5 Happy Hour at 5 p.m. on Sept. 5. Join us at 5 p.m. on 9/5 for $5 drink deals and food specials, like $5 ice cream cocktails, loaves of bread, cheeseburgers, smoothies, juices and margaritas and an oyster and champagne combo.
Thursday, Sept. 6: Pop for a Prize sweepstakes (11 a.m. – 1 p.m.) Choose a balloon to pop and keep the prize inside! Gifts, merchandise, candy and more!
Friday, Sept. 7: $5 gift card to first 100 people in the door. Get here early to receive a $5 gift card when the doors open. Valid while supplies last.
Saturday, Sept. 8: Downtown Market’s 5th birthday party!
This will be a party like no other from noon – 8 p.m., with activities for kids and adults:
- Noon - 5 p.m.: Kids crafts
- Noon - 4 p.m.: Kent District Library reading station
- Noon - 8 p.m.: Giant Inflatables and yard games
- Noon - 8 p.m.: Market Bar
- Noon -2 p.m.: Face Painter
- Noon: Maciek the Magician
- 1 p.m. - 7 p.m.: Interactive photo booth
- 1 p.m.: Cake Eating Contest
- 2 p.m.: Silly Songs with Randy
- 2:30 p.m. - 4 p.m.: Hula Hooper
- 3 p.m.: Balloon Twisting
Live Music:
- 5 p.m.: Project 90
- 6:30 p.m.: KJ and the Good Time Family Band
Giveaways:
All day long, guests can register to win amazing prizes, including:
- A year of fries from Social Kitchen and Bar
- A birthday pie or cake from Sweetie-licious
- Five months of the Cheese of the Month Club from Aperitivo
- A year of pints from Love's Ice Cream
- Cooking class for a group of five
- A year of bubble tea from Rak Thai
- A free wedding at the Downtown Market
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