Hockey... With Your Dog? 🐶🏒
Griffins opening weekend, a free cosplay expo, a museum PowWow, Skillet, chili for charity & more for Oct 9–11.
Hockey... With Your Dog? 🐶🏒
Griffins opening weekend, a free cosplay expo, a museum PowWow, Skillet, chili for charity & more for Oct 9–11.
Listen Up Grand Rapids Daily
October 08, 2026
Hey ,
This is the weekend Grand Rapids switches into full fall mode. Hockey is back downtown (and on Sunday your dog is invited), the Public Museum is throwing a PowWow to open a brand-new exhibit, and there are enough cider-and-donut festivals to keep you in flannel through Monday. Here's your Tune in Grand Rapids shortlist for Friday–Sunday (Oct 9–11).
Family Friendly
Sun Oct 11, 4:00 PM · Van Andel Arena
Venue Location: Grand Rapids
Yes, really. Grab a seat in the designated dog sections (dog tickets are $5), bring your leashed pup, and collect pup cups and photo ops outside section 120 while the Griffins take on the Chicago Wolves. Sunday games also mean $1 ice cream cups from 3–5 PM.
Sat Oct 10, 10 AM–3 PM · Harvey Street, downtown
Venue Location: Hudsonville
A free fall street party with Highland cows (10 AM–noon), pony rides, a petting zoo, hayrides, a rock wall, an inflatable corn maze, pumpkin candy drops every half hour, and free cider and donuts while they last.
Fri 6–9 PM; Sat & Sun noon–6 PM · Courtyard by Marriott Downtown
Venue Location: Grand Rapids
Anime, Disney, Star Wars, horror, and superhero art all weekend, a free cosplay contest Saturday, and voice actor Nicolas Roye (Toji in Jujutsu Kaisen, Shisui in Naruto Shippuden) signing all three days. Admission is free; grab your ticket online and it's good for every day.
Kids Events
Fri & Sat 6:00 PM; Sat & Sun 2:00 PM · Grand Rapids Civic Theatre
Venue Location: Grand Rapids
The bestselling picture book comes to life as a dance-filled, G-rated taco party gone gloriously wrong (blame the spicy salsa). Every performance is pick-your-price, and Saturday's 6 PM show is a relaxed-environment performance.
Sat Oct 10, 10 AM–noon · Koetsier's Greenhouse
Venue Location: Grand Rapids
Roast s'mores around a fall bonfire, then make a dried flower lantern to take home. It's $10 per family, which might be the best deal of the weekend.
Sat Oct 10, 11 AM–3 PM · Grand Rapids Art Museum
Venue Location: Grand Rapids
Clay, watercolor, collage, textile wall hangings: all the materials are out and the kids set the pace. Included with museum admission.
Arts & Culture
Fri & Sat 7:30 PM · DeVos Performance Hall
Venue Location: Grand Rapids
Cosette Justo Valdés conducts an all-American program: Joan Tower's bold Made in America, Stroope's Franklin with the Grand Rapids Symphony Chorus, and Amy Beach's sweeping "Gaelic" Symphony.
Sat Oct 10, doors 6:00 PM · GLC Live at 20 Monroe
Venue Location: Grand Rapids
Twenty years of Comatose, played loud, with Escape the Fate and Autumn Kings warming up the room.
Fri Oct 9 · Doors 6:30 PM / Show 7:30 PM · Elevation at The Intersection
Venue Location: Grand Rapids
Heart-on-sleeve country songwriting in a room small enough to catch every lyric, with Kyle Schuesler opening. All ages.
Sun Oct 11, 11 AM–4 PM · Fulton Street Market
Venue Location: Grand Rapids
More than 100 local artists under the market canopy: pottery, prints, jewelry, candles, textiles, woodwork, plus artist-led workshops and food vendors. Early holiday shopping, sorted.
Sat Oct 10 · Doors 7 PM / Show 8 PM · The Intersection
Venue Location: Grand Rapids
The "comic's comic" with a billion-plus social views brings her high-energy characters and self-roasting honesty to town, with Jordan Garnett. 18+.
Food & Drink
Sat Oct 10, noon–6 PM · Gaslight Village
Venue Location: East Grand Rapids
Free admission, 15+ breweries, food trucks, kids' games, and live music from The Yetis (90s hits), DJ AB, and funk headliners Melophobix. Proceeds support the East Grand Rapids Community Foundation. (Drink tickets are 21+.)
Sat Oct 10 · Downtown & Riverwalk
Venue Location: Lowell
Start with the FFA pancake breakfast and apple tasting, wander the Autumn Marketplace (10 AM–4 PM), decorate a pumpkin on the Showboat, then grab a $10 wristband to taste and vote in the chili cook-off from 1–3 PM. Every pot is cooking for a local nonprofit.
Sports & Fitness
Fri Oct 9, 7:00 PM (doors 6 PM) · Van Andel Arena
Venue Location: Grand Rapids
Opening night means full roster intros, $3 beers and hot dogs from 6–8 PM, a magnet schedule on the way out, and a postgame open skate, so bring your skates. Show your ticket for a free ride on The Rapid.
Sat Oct 10, 9:00 AM · Caledonia High School
Venue Location: Caledonia
Pick a 5K, 10K, half marathon, or 1-mile, and the little ones get a free kids' dash. Every finisher gets a designer shirt, a custom medal, and snacks at the finish.
Sat Oct 10, 9:00 AM · Millennium Park
Venue Location: Walker
A timed 3.1-mile loop through Millennium Park supporting addiction recovery programs. Every runner is entered to win one of two Pedego electric scooters.
Sat Oct 10, 9:00 AM · Kentwood Community Center
Venue Location: Kentwood
Run, walk, roll, or stroll an accessible trail course while My Team Triumph athletes push kids through to the finish. Proceeds help families of kids with neuromuscular diseases, and there's cider and donuts after.
Community
Sat Oct 10, 6–9 PM (doors 5:30) · Grand Rapids Public Museum
Venue Location: Grand Rapids
The museum celebrates its redesigned Anishinaabek: The Original People of This Place exhibit, built with Michigan's Anishinaabe community around the theme "We Are Still Here," with a free, public PowWow. RSVP online so they can plan for the crowd.
Sat Oct 10, 10 AM–2 PM · New Growth Project farm
Venue Location: Rockford
The farm turns five with a vendor village of local health and wellness providers, farm tours, yard games, anniversary deals in the farm store, and crepes from Crepes by the Lake.
Adult 21+
Fri Oct 9 · VIP 6:30 PM / GA 7:30–10:30 PM · BattleGR
Venue Location: Comstock Park
25+ Michigan distilleries, breweries, wineries, and cideries under one roof: 10 tastings, Michigan-inspired apps, live music, People's Choice voting… and axe throwing. There's a non-alcoholic tasting ticket too. 21+.
Thu–Sat Oct 8–10 · Dr. Grins Comedy Club at The B.O.B.
Venue Location: Grand Rapids
Stand-up Stewart Huff headlines three nights downtown, with The B.O.B.'s restaurants in the same building for a pre-show bite. Early shows are 18+; the 9:45 PM late shows are 21+ only.
Sat Oct 10 · Doors 8:30 PM / Show 9 PM · The Mint at The Intersection
Venue Location: Grand Rapids
A drum & bass legend in an intimate room, with Tocsin, MattB, and Ascella. 18+, so plan on a late one.
Little tip: if your kiddo falls for the show at the Civic, the original Dragons Love Tacos picture book makes a pretty great bedtime encore.
That's the weekend. Pick one cozy thing, one loud thing, and one thing you'll be telling people about on Monday. (If it involves a dog at a hockey game, even better.)
This issue contains an affiliate link. If you buy through it, Tune in Grand Rapids may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you.
Until next time, stay connected!
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