Things to Do in Jenison

When Ed Dunneback founded his business in 1925, he didn’t have to rely on anything fancy to attract attention—just his milk cows and freshly harvested apples, strawberries, peaches, and pears. Today, third and fourth generations of Dunneback women carry on Ed's tradition at the same location. Despite the lack of dairy cows arguing about prohibition, not much has changed on the farm since the '20s; the property still produces the same fresh fruits it did some 80 years ago. Located inside a nearly century-old barn, the farm's bustling market slings seasonal produce, as does the bakery, where housemade donuts and pies bake to golden-brown fruition within ovens. Visitors can work up an appetite picking their own pumpkins or while navigating through an autumn corn maze, complete with trivia questions about pop culture, agriculture, and history.

As the sun dips below Coopersville Farm Museum and Event Center’s grain silo, local musicians gather in the high-ceilinged hall against the backdrop of patchwork quilts and antique farm tools. They sing gospel, country, and folk songs that have been passed down for generations. Events such as these are one facet of the museum’s mission to honor and uphold rural traditions. In addition to the monthly jam sessions, the 12,000-square-foot facility hosts quilting circles, line dancing, and other skill-swapping events. Curators spotlight the region’s agrarian past by recruiting antique-farming tools and folk art and freeing hopelessly lost scarecrows from corn mazes. In addition to shining a light on the region’s past, the museum strives to support current culture makers; The hall serves as a gallery space for local artists, and during the youth-led Kids’ Day local teens teach tykes creative skills.

Ascending for nearly 50 feet, the indoor climbing wall—proudly proclaimed as among the tallest in Western Michigan by Aim Fitness' team—presents an array of routes, each patterned with colored grips to indicate the level of difficulty. As climbers scale the vertical expanse, a freestanding boulder sits in the middle of the room, beckoning guests to climb its reduced height sans the support of a rope. This climbing room anchors Aim Fitness' 40,000 square feet of amenities, which encompass a strength-training area, aerobic studios, a five-lane, 25-yard lap pool lifeguarded by Aquaman, and a racquetball court. Instructors also lead an array of classes on these training grounds, such as Aqua Fit, boot camp, and yoga. To make going to the gym as convenient as possible, Aim also provides locker rooms, a children's playroom, and wireless Internet access.

The Grand Rapids Wedding Affair sets brides-to-be and their fiancés loose to explore, meet, and bounce ideas off some of west Michigan's most sought-after wedding experts. Dozens of exhibitors converge to create a buffet of possibilities that range from bridal fashions, cakes, and catering to gift registries and photographers. Couples can also scope out postceremony services, including reception halls and honeymoon destinations.

At Griff's IceHouse, two blank slates invite visitors to trace their favorite shapes on an icy canvass, from giant ovals to compact figure eights. Guests may draw inspiration from Olympic figure skaters and others from the Grand Rapids Griffins, whose blades tattoo this ice while the team dishes out slap-shot sandwiches and body checks to rival teams. Snack-filled concession stands fuel glides, spins, and jumps during open-skate sessions, which welcome skaters of all levels with skate rentals and freshly smoothed ice. In addition to leading skating classes, the facility hosts lessons, camps, and league play for hockey enthusiasts and adventurous actors getting ready to audition for King Lear on Ice.

UICA fills 4,000 square feet of gallery space with innovative exhibitions by contemporary artists, screens films in a 198-seat movie theater, and organizes creative classes for youths and adults. The institute is going into its 35th year of sharing and inspiring innovative, challenging forms of visual arts, and it continues to engage the public with events such as a speaker series.