Fourteen farms are participating in this fun fall adventure for families to experience!

Each farm offers its unique experience from corn mazes, pumpkin patches, hayrides, harvested home-grown fruits & vegetables and so much more. Families won’t want to miss all the excitement of this colorful season!

Visit www.kentharvesttrails.org for the list of participating farms.

Is there anything more enjoyable than seeing a dog walking or running in the park – tongue hanging out without a care in the world? How about hundreds of dogs (and owners) in Halloween costumes at the park? That’s what participants in Humane Society of West Michigan’s (HSWM) 5th Annual Bark in the Dark extravaganza at Riverside Park will witness on Saturday, October 7 at 6:30 p.m. 

Hosted by HSWM, Bark in the Dark is an annual fundraising 5K & 1 Mile fun run/walk supporting animals awaiting their forever families. This fun-filled event, perfect for the whole family – but especially those furry family members – will feature a photo booth, face painting, and balloon animals before the run/walk from 5:00pm – 6:30pm. The run/walk begins at 6:30pm and will be followed by music, complimentary snacks, and a beer tent!

For the 3rd year, this five-day festival will entertain & delight Montague residents along with the public.

The Book Nook & Java Shop/Best Cellars Wine Bar based festival in downtown Montague takes place at 5:00pm on Thursday, June 29 through 10pm on Tuesday, July 4.

Check out leading solo & group musicians from the state of Michigan, playing concerts at various venues. Bring the family out on July 4th to the Montague Band Shell at 8pm for a fireworks display.

Call: (231)894-5333 or visit www.westmichiganwinejazz.com for information on tickets.

As more people take their dogs outside to enjoy the summer weather, Humane Society of West Michigan (HSWM) is launching its “Always Ask” campaign, sharing safety advice for interacting with dogs. More warm and sunny days means more dogs on the streets, and HSWM believes it’s important that the community knows how to approach dogs to protect themselves and the animals.

“The goal of this campaign is to make a habit of respecting the animal’s needs over our own,” said Trudy Jeffers, Executive Director at HSWM. “Animals, especially dogs, have boundaries just like humans and simply need their space. They will let you know if they don’t want to interact by giving basic cues.”

HSWM provides the following tips when meeting a dog:

 Bring the family out to the Montague Band Shell every Tuesday evening to relax & de-stress under the stars with free Musical entertainment throught August 22!

The entertainment this Tuesday, 6/27/17, beginning at 7pm will feature musical folk - guest, Josh Davis.

If there is inclement weather, the concert will shift to the Montague Area Public Schools Center of the Arts located in the Montague High School at 4900 Stanton Blvd.

Entertainment schedule:

7/4/17 – Lakeshore Big Band

7/11/17 – Ben Bedford

7/18/17 – Scottville Clown Band

7/25/17 – Magic Bus

8/1/17 – The Moxie Strings

8/8/17 – West Michigan Winds

8/15/17 – Soul Syndicate

8/22/17 – Shook Twins

Call: (231)893-2524 or visit www.artswhitelake.org for more information

St. Peter’s by-the-lake invites the community to a FREE Breakfast on the 1st Saturday of the month.

Delight your family with pancakes, sausage, 2 types of eggs and beverages this Saturday, June 3 from 9:00am through 11:00am. Visit St. Peter’s located at 8435 Old Channel Trail in Montague, Michigan 49437.

Call: (231)893-2425 for more information.

Elzinga & Volkers (E&V), a leading provider of construction management services, announced today the firm has completed a $3.2 million renovation of Hope Church located at 77 W 11th St. in Holland. The project included a 10,000-square-foot renovation of the youth area, nursery, gathering area, meeting rooms and administrative offices, and a 3,900-square-foot chapel addition provides an alternate worship area for parishioners.

The project, which began in April 2016, will be revealed to the community on Saturday, April 29 at 2 p.m. The celebration will begin with a dedication and ribbon cutting ceremony and conclude with an open house featuring group tours.

Across the country, enrollment in online learning has increased by 80% the past five years, with more than 2.7 million students currently choosing online learning. In a recent study by Research and Markets, virtual learning is expected to become even more prominent in the future. Across Michigan, schools such as Michigan Connections Academy (MICA) and Great Lakes Cyber Academy (GLCA) – statewide, tuition-free, public online schools – are meeting the growing demand from students and families.

As enrollment in online learning continues to increase across the county – by 80% over the past five years – two statewide, tuition-free, public virtual education schools, Great Lakes Cyber Academy (GLCA) and Michigan Connections Academy (MICA), are inviting the local community to learn more about the benefits of virtual education. Families that attend can expect to meet with staff and/or families from the school and gain valuable insight on the rigor and flexibility of virtual education and how it may be the solution for their child’s individual learning needs..

If interested, RSVP for any of the upcoming information sessions below:

Great Lakes Cyber Academy:

Pizza Party with Great Lakes Cyber Academy

Tuesday, May 9, 6:00 p.m.

Fricano Place

1050 W. Western Ave., Ste. 210

Muskegon, MI 49441

Recently, Humane Society of West Michigan (HSWM) celebrated record breaking attendance at their annual Paws, Claws & Corks fundraiser, an event featuring fine wines and microbrews, tastes of Grand Rapids’ best restaurants and both live and silent auctions. More than 850 animal lovers attended the event at DeVos Place in Downtown Grand Rapids, helping HSWM exceed $200,000 in donations.

Every year, HSWM places thousands of animals into forever homes. The recent donations will enable HSWM to continue to promote the humane treatment and responsible care of animals in the communities the organization is privileged to serve.