Slaydon Style: Look What Kent County Can Do

I had the opportunity to witness another Kent County milestone: the ribbon cutting for the new Acrisure Amphitheater in downtown Grand Rapids.

And wow.

Sometimes you walk into a place and immediately realize, “This is going to become part of people’s lives.”

The new amphitheater sits right along the river at 201 Market Ave. SW and holds 12,000 people with both permanent seating and lawn space. But honestly, the stats are not what stuck with me most.

What stuck with me was the energy.

The media was there. Community leaders were there. Familiar West Michigan faces were everywhere. 

Sidebar: I arrived only about 15 minutes early and had no trouble finding parking.

After remarks from local leaders who helped bring the vision to life, the crowd was graced by Lionel Richie himself, who would later perform the opening concert that evening. It was one of those moments where you kind of look around and think, “Wait… this is Grand Rapids?”

A fun unofficial fact from the day: my colleagues Mark Secchia, Nate Blury, and I proudly became the first people to purchase an adult beverage at the new venue. Ha

One of my favorite moments came from Carol Van Andel, who asked everyone to think back to their very first concert. She shared a memory of seeing Journey and specifically remembered Steve Perry wearing leopard print pants, which made the whole room laugh.

It got me thinking too.

It was not my first concert, but one of my most memorable concerts was seeing Doyle Dykes perform when I was a little girl with my dad. Funny how music can instantly transport you back to a moment in time, a feeling, or a person. Oh, I still love his song, “Jesus and my old guitar!” 

That is what spaces like this are really about. Memory making with first concerts, first dates and bringing people together.

It reminded me so much of conversations happening around Kent County right now surrounding the soccer stadium, parks, trails, and even our own Cannon Township Community Center project.

People sometimes ask why these projects matter.

Thriving communities do not happen by accident. They happen because people are willing to dream a little bigger about what their city or township could become. They happen because people invest in quality-of-life projects that bring people together instead of pushing them apart.

Sure, projects like this take vision. They take patience. They take collaboration. They also take criticism along the way.

The event felt like proof that when Kent County comes together, we can create something pretty remarkable.

And honestly, I left feeling proud and excited for what comes next.

Now I want to hear from you: are you planning to attend a show there this summer? And what was your very first concert? jes@swiftprinting.com