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Posters ➔ Poster, Celebration on the Grand
Identifier:
2023.76.1Description:
This green poster is from the Celebration on the Grand that took place September 14-19th, 1981 and includes a schedule of events at the bottom.Celebration on the Grand was a free music festival in downtown Grand Rapids, Michigan that was held annually from 1980 to 2014. The festival usually spanned the weekend following Memorial Day weekend, culminating in a fireworks display on the last night.
Date:
September 14 – 19 1981Materials:
PaperDimensions:
22.5"" h 15"" wCurrent Location Status:
In StorageCollection Tier:
Tier 2Source:
Gift of James & Barbara HavemanRelated Entities:
James Haveman (donor)Alternate names: Jim Haveman
James 'Jim' Haveman has been a board member of the Grand Rapids Public Museum since 2015 and is an avid collector of historical material. In early 2003 after being asked by the White House to be the senior advisor for health in Iraq, he traveled to Iraq as the Acting Minister of Health. For the next year, Haveman worked to rebuild the healthcare system for the entire country consisting of 240 hospitals, 1,200 clinics, and 100,000 employees. In May of 2004, it was turned over to the Iraqis. He later served on the Defense Business Board for the Department of Defense for 4-5 years. Barbara Haveman (donor) Celebration On The Grand (creator)
Celebration on the Grand was a free music festival held in Grand Rapids, Michigan to celebrate the quality of life in the Grand River valley and to act as an unofficial end to the summer for Grand Rapids and included a fireworks display. The event was held annually on the weekend following Labor Day weekend.
The first Celebration on the Grand took place in 1980 as a part of the events that opened the Gerald R. Ford Presidential Museum, the Amway Grand Plaza Hotel, and the Grand Rapids Art Museum's move to the old Federal Building. Funding was provided by corporate sponsorships, private donations and fund raising activities held by COTG volunteers during.
Celebration’s mission was to celebrate the city and encourage others to celebrate the city. For a number of year’s Celebration accomplished this goal through the September Celebration event. Celebration had the opportunity to impact the city more by taking over the 4th of July festivities which fit neatly with its mission. So beginning July 4, 2014, Celebration will be putting on 4th of July festivities, in conjunction with the city, Townsquare and Amway. Celebration on the Grand was normally in September, but with the unique opportunity to put on the 4th of July, the committee jumped at the idea and is proud to be a part of the new improved partnership.
In May 2015 Celebration on the Grand announced the dissolution of the organization. The reason was that for over 30 years they worked to celebrate the people and the spirit of Grand Rapids, and they believed that they had fulfilled that mission. In the last decade the region has flourished and Celebration on the Grand was a catalyst for that growth. They chose to step aside and let other organizations find new ways to keep that momentum going.