EAST GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. — The third annual Harvest Festival filled Gaslight Village in East Grand Rapids on Saturday, and organizers say this year’s festival was the biggest yet, with an estimated 5,500 to 6,000 patrons.
The one-day event ran from noon to 6 p.m. with food from local vendors, activities for kids and live music. More than 15 breweries were pouring, and wine was available for adults. Brewery booths across the village were numbered 1 through 32.
The festival partners with the East Grand Rapids Community Foundation, and proceeds support local schools, neighborhoods and nonprofits. It also marks the start of the city’s Hearts of Gold Week, which this year supports Ronald McDonald House of West Michigan.
The big crowd put a spotlight on parking, a long-running debate in the city. In November, East Grand Rapids voters will decide whether to approve a $9 million bond to build a new three-story parking deck near Gaslight Village. The proposed deck would replace more than 70 high school parking spaces while adding capacity.
