It's so cool to live in a city with some fun sports teams. Griffins hockey is a favorite and I've…read morebeen going to games since I moved to Grand Rapids over 10 years ago. Friday nights are a big draw as they have $2 beer and $2 hot dogs for part of the game. I recently went to the opening weekend on a Saturday and had a bit of sticker shock at the regular drink prices... I'm talking $16 for a White Claw, which was bonkers. Tallboy cans of Bud Light were $12 and a cup of Bud Light was $11. And that's just domestic beer - if you want anything craft, expect to pay even more. Whoa! I guess I'll be sticking to Friday nights. There are plenty of food options at the arena and tons of restaurants within walking distance from Van Andel if you want to grab dinner before a game. That said, games are super fun and tickets themselves are typically pretty reasonable, $17-$30 or $50 for VIP glass right up by the action. You can get discounts for large groups and they offer suites and other upgraded seating options. The seats themselves are a bit of a squeeze, but the view is pretty good no matter where you sit. Each season there are fun promotions on different nights, like Star Wars night, giveaways for the first [x] number of fans, post-game skate events, and more. The entertainment between periods is always entertaining (bubble soccer on ice is my favorite), and the vibe at games is fun and the crowd usually has great energy. Here's to a great season, let's #GoGRG!

I love the Griffins! It is such an inexpensive thing to go do that is fun for the whole family!…read moreFrom the announcer to the mascots it's a blast! The fans are electric and the energy is impressive for being a minor league (AHL) team. A lot of pride when it comes to Grand Rapids and this team and you can feel it. They keep you entertained the whole time and plenty of T-shirts and hotdogs being launched In the air! The announcer (Eric Zane) keeps the place electric and is one of the best announcers I've seen going to live sporting events! This truly is a special place! The only down side is the expensive food and beer so look out for $2 hotdogs and $2 beer nights!! GO GRIFFINS!

It has been years since we came to a game as a family and not part of a large group in the Pepsi…read moreStadium Suite. We came on a Tuesday night, and it happened to be a night they were passing out bobbleheads to the first 1,000 people - our kids thought they were the coolest! There was a line of people waiting to get in at gate opening (5:15pm) but it moved quickly. Once inside we found our seats and we grabbed some food from one of the main concessions stands. They have a fairly big menu, so not just hot dogs. We got a corn dog, three hot dogs, a large fries and two sodas and it came to 61.80 with tip. The food was your standard stadium food - no complaints. We did also get two popcorns, a large cotton candy, and two bottles of water for 41.93 with tax. Here are my main reason for 5 stars: CUSTOMER SERVICE & HOSPITALITY. I was literally so impressed! When we got to our seats with our food, our 5-year-old knocked over our full (not even a sip out of it yet) soda. An employee, no idea his job title, saw what happened and asked us what it was so he could replace it for us, and he did. Totally unexpected and very much appreciated! Also, when my kiddos were standing near where the players were practicing before the game, there was a group of older kids and adults huddled around trying to get autographs. My kids were a little intimidated, so they stayed to the side. Another WC employee noticed this and was able to get a ball and toss it over to my boys. They were elated! A small act that made a huge impact. They were so excited. Our seats happened to be the first row to the left of the WC dug out (awesome seats!) and during the game a player stuck his head around the corner and saw my kids and tossed them another ball. They were on cloud nine! The whole experience at the game was impressive. Lots of fun things to keep us and the kids entertained during lulls in the game. Playground and inflatables for the kids, we took advantage before the game started. Lots of food options, although, we didn't get a chance to try out any of the other options. Lots of local beer options, too! Overall, just a fun night that my kids won't soon forget. We are looking forward to another family outing!

We love visiting the smaller baseball stadiums, especially in Michigan. The LCMU is definitely on…read moreour list of best ballparks in that category. First, easy to order our tickets and parking pass online, especially since I have the MLB app on my phone, that was a bit of luck. We even got a small discount, $22 instead of $24.50, per ticket (we sat in the section right behind home plate). And no surcharge!!! The ballpark is cashless, so be prepared to use your phone or plastic for everything. I am currently experiencing issues with my knees, so what a nice surprise to see they have a place to drop off the mobility challenged very close to the elevator side entrance. Otherwise, lots of steps or a very long ramp are the other options. There was also special parking for us, not handicapped, I don't have a sticker, so that was a huge plus. The ballpark is beautifully designed, with thick cushioned seats! What a lovely surprise. I usually travel with a portable cushion or a thick blanket I can fold up to use as a cushion. Very comfy seats. The concessions offered some unique items, like a Dubai chocolate and strawberry sundae, which was yummy, though a bit pricey at $12.50, but you get that cute thick plastic baseball cap bowl (which we threw away, so I do wish they had a paper option). Burgers, dogs, soft pretzels, corndogs, and fries, are some of the regular fare we see at most of these parks though. Boozy smoothies were also a unique item, though we didn't try one this time. Offered sans booze as well. Also, they have a roving concessions person with the basics, like cotton candy, peanuts, popcorn, bottled water, beer and other na beverages. So while the sundae was excellent, my foot long corndog was lukewarm. But hubby loved his soft pretzel. So a mix of feelings about the food we had. Microbrewery beer was very good though. So while I loved almost everything about this park, there was one big negative. The scoreboard. They have a big fancy digital board that displays each players' stats, which we love, but they use an old school scoreboard to display the score, balls, strikes and outs. No biggie normally, but the lights indicating the balls, strikes and outs, were not working! Someone manually changed the runs, but that was it. If you turned away for anything, you missed where things stood. I had to pull up the game on my phone to be able to tell where things stood, it was annoying. Still, if that doesn't bother you, ha-ha, you can disregard this part of my review. Also, no pitch speed display, something we like to see. Friendly staffers everywhere, another huge plus. It's really a great stadium, except for the food inconsistency (but it is ballpark food, so my expectations were on the low end anyway), and the scoreboard issues. Great for families and the mobility impaired. Fireworks after Saturday night games too, so cool. Worth the two hour drive, easily, in my opinion.

Attending a Kalamazoo Growlers game is one of my favorite things to do in the summer!…read more pro tip - if you want any condiments other than ketchup, mustard, or relish - bring them.

Wonderful family and friend place, so upbeat and active. The "shake it off" team dance was so…read moreentertaining. Not a bad seat anywhere making the experience a good fit for all. Many fun kids friendly activities including the 7th inning run followed by otter pops. The post game fire works were seem less and really great. Fun place. Parking a jam.

Amazing pre football performance, halftime and game. If you want a team to follow or go check out;…read moreyou won't be disappointed with their events. We drove to Arizona for this game and it was worth every penny. Sky divers, the marching band, drill team all put on a good show. I recommend sitting in the adult section away from the college crowd if you go to a game other wise good luck telling the 20 year Olds to sit down during a game.lol Exciting and fun. Definitely a rating of 10 for Fun. We'll see you in Michigan baby!

Grand Rapids Gold is our local NBA G League team, affiliated with the Denver Nuggets. I honestly…read moredon't really understand how these affiliations work, but I like going to sporting events because they usually have a fun atmosphere and are something interesting to do. Nate and I recently attended our first ever Gold game and had a blast. I'm really glad they're playing at the Van Andel Arena now. We opted to buy tickets at the arena right before the game, which saved a bit on fees but still had to pay at least one "processing" fee. The line also took quite a bit of time to get through. We got two lower bowl seats for $35 total. The crowd was a little sparse but we were seated by some families that were having a good time. Only a handful of the concession stands were open during the game, so the lines were a little long, but I didn't mind. The game itself was great even though the Gold lost. The energy was fun and I really liked the drum line. It was Star Wars night, so it was fun to see all the kids with lightsabers and some characters walking around. I think they are really trying to get attendance up at these games, and I'm interested in going more often. Their home games are usually on Thursdays or other weekdays. They have a Sunday deal where you can get four tickets and a $20 concessions voucher for $50, so it could be a fun outing for friends or family. Thursday evening games they do $2 beer and $2 hot dogs.

The Grand Rapids Gold begin their first season as the "Grand Rapids Gold" this coming season,…read more2021-22. However, this franchise has been around since the 2006-07 season. Then, the Gold were known as the Anaheim Arsenal of Anaheim, California. The Arsenal were part of the NBA G League (then known as the D-League) expansion in 2006 that saw the first season where teams were split into divisions. Since then, the Arsenal (2006-2009) have moved to Springfield, Massachusetts (Springfield Armor, 2009-2014), and Grand Rapids, Michigan (Grand Rapids Drive, 2014-2021). Last month (July 2021), it was announced that the Grand Rapids team was changing its name from Drive to Gold to align with the Denver Nuggets. The Gold are now the Nuggets' NBA G League affiliate after the Detroit Pistons' acquisition of the Northern Arizona Suns from the Phoenix Suns. The Pistons moved the Northern Arizona Suns to Detroit and renamed the team the "Motor City Cruise." Like the Gold, the Cruise's first season will be this coming season, 2021-22. The Drive were previously the Pistons' affiliate. Big news to come out in recent days is the hiring of 2011 NBA champion and 2009 NBA Sixth Man of the Year Jason Terry to be the Gold's new head coach beginning with the 2021-22 season. I remember Terry from his days on the Arizona college basketball team that won the 1997 NCAA championship and when he played for the Atlanta Hawks (1999-2004). He retired as a player from the NBA after the 2017-18 season and worked as an assistant general manager for the Texas Legends in the G League in 2019. Some notable players who have played for this franchise include former North Carolina Tar Heel and NBA veteran Reggie Bullock, pro basketball journeyman Jordan Crawford, former 20-PPG Brooklyn Nets guard Spencer Dinwiddie, Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets legend Kammeon Holsey, nine-year NBA vet Brandon Jennings, former Duke Blue Devil and 2016 NBA champion with the Cleveland Cavaliers Dahntay Jones, another former Dukie and 2017 ACC Tournament MVP Luke Kennard, and 2009 SEC Player of the Year and eight-year NBA vet Marcus Thornton. The Gold currently play in the 5,000-seat DeltaPlex Arena in Walker, a suburb of Grand Rapids. Convenient on-site paid parking is available at the DeltaPlex. For a map and more info, visit https://deltaplex.com/hotels-parking/.

Super family friendly, great in game commentary and specials. All seats have a great view! Lots of…read moredifferent food and drink options.

This visit marks our twenty-eighth visit to a Minor or Major League Baseball team. So, we have seen…read morea lot of positives, as well as things we would change about them. I will say that the staff is really friendly, and everything is still kind of new, since they have only been around since 2007. They have a fireplace for those cold days, and an unobstructed view of the field, while you are standing in line for food which reminded us of Indianapolis, Columbus, Charlotte, and several other stadiums. The Great Lake Loons charge major league prices for minor league apparel. Seriously, $34.99 for an on field hat? I can only recall two other minor league teams being this overpriced: Staten Island Yankees and the Frisco Rough Riders. Also, the men's apparel is downstairs, while the women's and children's are upstairs. For someone that has Parkinson's disease, this is a pain especially late in the day when I am tired, steps ain't happening; I had to search for the elevator. Next, the food had to be Aramark, since it was the stuff the Lexington Legends had before bringing in Dickey's BBQ, Donatos, and local food like a Beer-Cheese Burger. Also, when we travel to see different teams play, we like checking out their food specialties, or what is known in the region. For example, the Greeneville Astros had the Astro dog, which was a deep fried hot dog wrapped in bacon, and served with a dill pickle and fried onIons. With the Twins, it's deep fried Oreos, the Rough Riders had legendary Texas BBQ, and the Legends have the above-mentioned, Beer-cheese Burger. The Loons had a promotion during our visit called Wednesday Hump Day in which selected beers are $2.50 for an hour after the start of the first inning. Typically, other parks have something similar called, Thirst Thursday, but the price varies between $1 up to $2.00. Okay, I know it's only fifty cents, but still, try to follow suit with other minor league teams in regards to pricing, especially when you're trying to generate traffic at the ballpark. For example, the Asheville Tourists have had this promotion since the mid-80s. Currently, at each Thursday home game, regular domestic draft beer is $1, and craft beer on draft is $2.00. In the end, it was not a bad experience in regards to the effort the team displayed on the field, as well as the beautiful stadium with the exception of the steps, see photo. Their total Yochanan score is 74, which gives them 2 stars. Yochanan Score: 4 Stars - 90+ 3 Stars 80 - 90 2 Stars 70 - 80 1 Star 55 - 70