By Joel Grimsley, Arts Editor
World of Winter Selfie spot – Photo by Joel Grimsley
Grand Rapids seasonal festival World of Winter began on Jan. 10, revealing over 100 art instalments and a series of free activities and events open to the public.
2025 marks the 6th year of the festival, and promises two months of interactive exhibits, free live performances and winter themed activities. The 100 seasonally thematic art installments range from glowing sculptures to window displays.
Grand Rapid’s World of Winter is the largest winter festival in the U.S., and offers the public and onlookers an opportunity to embrace winter and celebrate events outdoors despite the weather.
The silent disco at Calder Plaza – Photo by Joel Grimsley
Hundreds braved the cold on Saturday, Jan. 18 to gather for a silent disco in Calder Plaza. Whilst the temperatures were below freezing it did not stop residents dancing and singing along while wearing headsets that played club music whilst the surrounding glowing art installations illuminated the plaza.
Attendees could buy drinks and food from a series of street vendors lined up along Ottawa Ave, and eat in igloo tents or take a respite on glowing chairs beside fire pits, all whilst listening to the disco.
Nearly all events are free for all, and are not limited to only silent discos. They include art installations, tours, a winter circus, cultural festivals, ice sculptures, fire performers much other activities that offer entertainment for both family and friends.
The event offers a unique way to embrace the season and enjoy the beauty of winter despite the chill of the season during the coldest months of the year.
Shoppers browsing through downtown may also notice winter themed window displays that brightly shine at night and offer some visually engaging walkers with a series of sculptures, window paintings and lights. These are a less prominent but still present aspect of World of Winter that transforms the entire downtown area.
The Hive: LEDs that are synced to an original 10 minute composition by Mike Midnight – Photo by Joel Grimsley
Some of the highlights of World of Winter shine brighter in the night, particularly their series of glowing sculptures. This year they have more than 20 large scale, interactive glowing art instalments from local and international artists that are open to the public for the duration of the event.
“World of winter is a lovely way to spend an evening,” sophomore Henry Vredevelt said after visiting with a group of friends. “The sculptures are beautiful and fun, and a walk through the winter air can be delightfully refreshing.”
In between attending one of the many daily winter themed activities people are encouraged to walk around and participate in a scavenger hunt with clues leading to each art installation as well as other downtown attractions.
Visitors can walk to and from sculptures such as Calder Plaza’s Chronoharp, designed by Kate Moloney. The instalment is a massive interactive triangular sculpture that transforms the beauty of the harp into a visual symphony. Visitors can then venture across the Grand River, where in front of the Gerald Ford Museum the Soloveiko songbirds can be found, giant glowing birds that were designed for Eurovision 2023.
“The songbirds are my favorite exhibition, each bird has a different song to sing,” said sophomore Kerrigan Smedley, who has been to World of Winter twice. “I definitely recommend for people to go as a group and to go after 8 p.m. there’s less crowds and in the evening the lights really shine.”
Soloveioko Songbird interactive sculptures in front of the Gerald Ford Museum – Photo by Joel Grimsley
The festival is entering its third week, and is scheduled to have many more events coming not exclusive to a “Disco on Ice” on Jan. 31 at Rosa Parks Circle, the “Jalsa Festival” celebration of food and culture at Calder Plaza and a Ice piano performance at Canal Park on Feb. 8. Not all events are free to the public. For example, the hungry hungry hippo tournament at Rosa Parks Circle on Feb. 23 costs $60 for groups of six, however it is a highly anticipated event, despite the cost.
The entire schedule and further information can be found on their website found at https://worldofwintergr.com/.
World of Winter brings light into the darkest days of the year and gives events for locals to look forward to downtown and a way for residents to enjoy the outside despite the freezing temperatures.
The Saint 