GRAND RAPIDS, MI--Downtown is a little brighter this winter courtesy of some colorful art installations on display from around the world.
The largest winter festival in the U.S. kicked off Jan. 10, featuring over 100 art installations spread throughout downtown. The free outdoor festival also has live performances and activities and events for all ages -- all designed to bring people outside for fun during the cold-weather months.
The annual event, presented by Downtown Grand Rapids Inc., runs through March 2.
For the sixth year, there are more light-based pieces for visitors to explore at World of Winter than prior years.
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Pieces have arrived from all over the world. A cluster of four large art installations can be found around Ah-Nab-Awen Park.
A towering honeycomb structure, 'The Hive' by Beamhacker features custom high-density LEDs. The LEDs pulse with color and movement, perfectly synced to an original 10-minute composition by Perth electronic musician Mike Midnight.
The piece was originally commissioned for Vivid Sydney 2023, an annual festival of light, music and ideas, held in Sydney, Australia.
Another hard to miss installation is a collection of a dozen inflatable 'Soloveiko Songbirds'. Known as the Nightingale in English, the Soloveiko is the national bird of Ukraine and seen as a symbol of song and happiness. Each songbird represents different regions of Ukraine and with the push of an interactive push button, a unique soloveiko song can be heard.
One of the most impressive installations this year is 30-foot tall 'ChronoHarp' at Calder Plaza. According to artist Amigo & Amigo the installation "interprets, and extends the beauty of the traditional harp into a visual experience,"
Visitors can activate sensors playing the harp and thus changing the color of the large prism of light in the middle.
There are also several light-based installations along the Grand River at the Blue Bridge, 555 Monroe, Sixth Street and Canal Parks.
Visitors can see an interactive map on the World of Winter website, including the best time to see each piece of art.
A majority of the art has been installed. However, the Alarum, Bon{d}fire and Skeleton Lighting Crew pieces were delayed and set to arrive the week of Jan. 20 according to World of Winter.
On Friday, Jan. 17, the Winter Fashion Reworks Fashion Show will showcase reimagined winter wear designed by the team at Second Vibess on Friday night, Jan. 17 on the Gillett Bridge. The first show starts at 7 p.m.