Things to Do in Grandville

Boasting more than 60 midway games in stock, Fun Services of Grand Rapids proffers traditional fairground entertainment for festivals, picnics, and school events. Games such as a bean-bag toss and duck pond thrill young competitors, and bottle ring tosses and shooting games challenge older players' coordination and distract them from the latest fad of underwater tweeting.

On a larger scale, Fun Services' staffers inflate obstacle courses, slides, and bounce houses, and set up sports-related games of skill such as dunk tanks and putting. They also organize pony rides, elephant rides, and trackless train rides to let guests experience the way people traveled before railroad tracks were invented. Staffers can hand-deliver the games and help helm concession stands such as cotton candy wheels and sno-cone makers.

In the curtained-off confines of a photo booth, revelers adjust a digital screen’s controls, then mug for the camera wrapped in feather boas, eyes obscured behind sunglasses. The props and the booth come courtesy of Switek Entertainment, whose photo booths and chief disc jockey—who spins under the name DJ Switek—energize crowds at Michigan wedding receptions and parties. The company also draws on connections to Comfort Limo, Tramontana Photography, and other area businesses, matching hosts with party essentials, such as guests who can put their hands in the air for the entire duration of an event.

Wood Menders' staff of furniture specialists refurbishes the woodworked gems of homes and offices through enhancement, refinishing, and restoration services. The crew of wood rehabilitators performs furniture fixes on location or in the shop, applying darker sealants to chairs or removing gouges in conference tables caused by too much jostling for free bagels. Wood Menders’ technicians have compiled an online repository of care tips that detail what to do when furniture begins to warp or sealant begins to peel; these tips offer a taste of the expertise the specialists dole out during wood-refurnishing workshops.

At Segway Tours of Grand Rapids, guides perch customers atop gyroscopic locomotors and teach them to tame the machines during fun tours. After giving a brief safety training, the experts lead the way along sidewalks amid the downtown shops and dining venues, pausing at local attractions such as the Grand Rapids Art Museum, the Calder sculpture, and the Sixth Street dam. Guides cap sessions at eight riders, ensuring personal instruction, information, and even routes for parties who know the city. Tours set off throughout the week, barring deterrent external conditions such as lighting storms or the rebellion of local crossing guards.

Internationally trained and Pilates Method Alliance–certified instructor Ahmé Bovée channels more than 15 years of experience as a fitness instructor into her core-strengthening workouts. After ending her five-year career as the host of Canada's popular Pilates in Guelph television series in 2007, she founded her open, sun-kissed studio. At Pilates in East, she helps students of all ages and abilities boost flexibility and endurance with resistance bands, weights, and reformer machines during group Pilates classes and private training sessions. This busy instructor deftly divides her time between these Pilates classes. She hosts teacher training certification programs and—like that dollar bill with the online tracking URL—travels the country to present at Pilates on Tour conferences.