West Michigan Salsa Showdown

HOLLAND FARMERS MARKET GETTING SET FOR THE SALSA SHOWDOWN!

Contestants are entering the Salsa Showdown at the Holland Farmers Market from all over Michigan! Along with many Holland locals, teams from Grand Rapids, West Olive and even Lansing will be competing in the second ever salsa making competition at the Market this Saturday, August 15. The Salsa Showdown, sponsored by City Vu Bistro, is open to the public for tasting! The teams will have two hours to make their salsa using fresh Market produce along with their own secret ingredients starting at 9am.

The judging will happen at 1pm by a panel of three judges: W-Lite morning radio show host, Gerry Barnaby, City Vu Bisto Chef, Steve Quintero and Tulipanes Latino Art and Film Festival board member, Carolina Contreras. The teams are classified into Amateur Division or a Restaurant Division. Cash and prizes will be awarded to the top three teams in the Amateur Division and the winner of the Restaurant Division will receive a traveling trophy and bragging rights. The salsa tasting, which begins at 11am, is open to the public and each person is encouraged to vote for their favorite salsa. The winning team of the “People’s Choice” award will win a trophy.

The public is welcome to come to the event and cheer on their favorite team! The cost of admission to try the salsas is $3, which includes unlimited tortilla chips and the opportunity to vote for the “People’s Choice” awards. The public is also encouraged to sign up for the Jalapeno Eating Contest, which will take place at noon on Saturday. You can find the registration for this event at www.hollandfarmersmarket.com/salsashowdown.

Reptile Weekend at Binder Park Zoo this weekend!

This weekend, gather up your little naturalist and slither out to Binder Park Zoo in Battle Creek to help welcome back over 100 different reptiles and amphibians from around the world for the 26th annual Reptile Weekend event.

Reptiles and amphibians are often shunned for their sliminess and scales, but contrary to what most people think, reptiles and amphibians play a vital role in our environment. Visit Binder Park Zoo for Reptile Weekend and take part in exposing these misconceptions. This year’s event will feature three of the world’s largest snakes: the anaconda, Burmese python and the reticulated python. Guests will also see animals like the alligator snapping turtle, monitor lizards and various species of frogs!

“Our focus for Reptile Weekend is on the conservation and preservation of reptiles and amphibians,” states Jenny Barnett, Binder Park Zoo Director of Wildlife and Conservation. “These are greatly misunderstood creatures and with this event we are able to connect people with these unique animals to help make a difference in the way reptiles are viewed.”

Reptile Weekend is Saturday, August 1 from 9 am through 6 pm and Sunday, August 2 from 11 am through 6 pm. Reptile Weekend is included in the price of a regular Binder Park Zoo admission.

For all the great events happening in West Michigan this weekend, visit wmta.org!

Win the Ultimate Fishing Adventure!

Do you dream of the "big catch"? WMTA is giving away a complimentary trip for two for a fishing vacation of a lifetime, including a full day guide trip with a night's lodging at Baldwin Creek Lodge! Come fish with Captain Mike Batcke and Baldwin Creek Lodge for some of Northern Michigan's best fishing on the famous Pere Marquette, Manistee and Pine Rivers.

The great thing about Baldwin is its right in the center of what is called the Century Circle -- the best trout, steelhead and salmon fishing in the world. Baldwin Creek Lodge focuses on being clean, comfortable and affordable with plenty of room to move and stretch out. The 40 riverfront acres allow guests to enjoy fishing (on the Baldwin River), horse shoes and volleyball. Three big fire pits are strategically placed around the property for bon fires as well as picnic tables for guests to enjoy lunch and dinner.

Go to www.wmta.org to enter today! Winners will be drawn October 1, 2009.

December Michigan Event Calendar

December Michigan Event Calendar

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REGISTER TO WIN A FREE WEST MICHIGAN GETAWAY!
Winner Drawn January 1, 2009

Enter to win a Girlfriends Shopping Getaway to Petoskey & Harbor Springs!
New this time- we will pick three lucky winners!

GRAND PRIZE WINNER DETAILS
WMTA is giving away three - day, two-night vacation to one lucky traveler. This
get-away will bring you and a guest to the Petoskey/Harbor Springs area of West Michigan.

• 2 night's stay at the Stafford’s Perry HotelBreakfast Each Morning
• $30 in Stafford's Dining Dollars (Redeemable at any Stafford’s property)
• $30 in Petoskey Merchant Money (redeemable at any participating Gaslight District business)
• $100 to Grandpa Shorter's Gifts - Voted "Northern Michigan's Favorite Gift Shop",
• Free Wine Tasting & Bottle of Wine at Pleasantview Vineyards

2nd Prize Winner Will Receive:
Two Night Stay at the Apple Tree Inn in Petoskey! Each room at Apple Tree Inn offers a private balcony with breathtaking views of Little Traverse Bay

3rd Prize Winner Will Receive:
One Night stay for two at the Water Street Inn in Boyne City! Provided by Holiday Vacation Rental. Conveniently located within walking distance of downtown shops and a variety of dining choices.

Simply enter into the drawing at www.wmta.org and you'll have a chance to win a wonderful getaway to explore the Petoskey & Harbor Springs Area!

A winner will be drawn January 1, 2009

For more information on traveling in West Michigan visit our website at www.wmta.org or call 800-442-2084 to order our new 2008-09 West Michigan Carefree Travel Guide – your guide to all the places to stay and things to do in West Michigan.

Founded in 1917, WMTA is the oldest continually operated regional tourist association in the nation. Representing 41 counties from the Michigan-Indiana state line to Mackinac Island and covering the entire west half of the Lower Peninsula, WMTA is dedicated to proving that “We Know West Michigan!”

WMTA visits Robinette's Apple Haus

Fall is the perfect time to visit an apple orchard and WMTA wanted in on the fun! A perfect solution to our problem: a visit to Robinette's Apple Haus located in Grand Rapids! Upon arrival, the fabulous smells coming from the bakery enticed us to follow our noses inside to check things out!

After exploring the bakery and sampling homemade donuts and fresh apple cider...we decided to take a peek inside the other buildings located on the property at Robinettes. Here we discovered an ice cream parlor and wine tasting bar! A new fun thing this season at Robinettes is the Make - Your - Own Candy Apple. For only $3.50, you receive an apple (already sliced and cored) topped with fudge or caramel and a choice of a variety of other yummy treats such as sprinkles or nuts!

A visit to an orchard is not complete without taking some goodies home to share.
We decided that Fresh Apples (just bagged that morning!)
would provide the perfect gift to share with those who couldn't visit the orchard with us.

Robinettes serves 13 Michigan made wines for visitors to taste. For $3 per person or $5 per couple, you receive a taste of 6 wines and a souvenir glass to take home with you!

Microbrew Color Tour at Timber Ridge Resort, Traverse City

After setting up our campsite, and envying our neighbors much larger tent...it was time for some refreshment!

Friday night at the welcome reception, Joe enjoyed Pumpkin Ale from New Holland Brewery. It was a great start to a fabulous weekend!

Saturday, after a long bike trip on the Old Mission Peninsula, found us back at Timber Ridge Resort for some fun in their Microbrew Tent! Founders Brewery, Right Brain Brewery, Shorts Brewery and Arbor Brewing Company were all featured. The music was pumping, food was being served and everyone was having a great time!

Sunday, we awoke to some rain, but that did not dampen our spirits! We cleaned up in the very clean bathhouses at Timber Ridge, then decided to head to Traverse City for some breakfast and wine tasting!
What a fantastic weekend!

Plans to visit Timber Ridge during their March 2009 Suds N' Snow event are definitely in the works! Suds n' Snow will combine snowshoeing and more Microbrews from Michigan! For more information visit www.TimberRidgeResort.net!

All Things Autumn-West Michigan will Delight Visitors with its Fall Color Show

The West Michigan Tourist Association celebrates “All Things Autumn” by offering visitors a comprehensive way to plan their fall color tour trips.


Autumn is here in Michigan and the West Michigan Tourist Association (WMTA) has created a resource for visitors planning their fall color trips. In a campaign to celebrate this colorful season in West Michigan, WMTA’s “All Things Autumn” is a comprehensive, online portal of color tour routes, fall-season FAQ’s, harvest festivals, and weekly color updates.

“All Things Autumn” can be found by logging onto www.wmta.org and access the Great Ideas section at the top of the homepage.

Keep track of the most current fall color conditions by logging onto “All Things Autumn” at www.wmta.org, or calling the West Michigan Tourist Association conditions hotline at 800-442-2084, ext. 304. The recorded line operates 24 hours a day, seven days a week with AAA Michigan’s statewide fall color updates. Conditions are updated each Thursday starting at the beginning of September.

Color Tours in West Michigan
There is no single best way to enjoy the fall color display. West Michigan travelers have a plethora of ways to enjoy the show, either by car, train, boat, bicycle, horseback, at festivals, hiking, on golf courses and luxury resorts, or historic highways. Many of these “old roads” cut through great forests of hardwood and pines and make perfect color tours, and some are state-designated scenic routes.

Color seekers can find these 26 scenic driving tours on WMTA’s online feature “All Things Autumn” at www.wmta.org and print detailed directions for each route. From 40 miles to 140 miles, there’s a day trip perfect for everyone. To aid in planning their fall color tour adventure, visitors can request a free copy of the West Michigan Carefree Travel Guide by calling 800-442-2084.

We Hope You Enjoyed Your Summer!

The end of summer in West Michigan can be a little disheartening. The summer is always so beautiful and goes by so fast. Luckily, we still have a few months of warmth left before the snow falls. In a way, Autumn is even more beautiful than the summer because of all the fantastic colors we see during this season. Make sure that you keep up with our All things Autumn portal on www.wmta.org. Also, here are a few harvest-related activities to get you started this month.

Grey Hare Inn Grape Harvest Stomps
September 1 - October 25
Traverse City
231-947-2214
www.greyhareinn.com

September 5 – 6
Mackinaw City
800-750-0160
www.mackinawcity.com

Wine & Harvest Festival
September 5-7
Paw Paw
269-655-1111
www.wineandharvestfestival.com

Family Fall Festival
September 12-14
Jackson
517-841-9203
www.jacksonfamilyfallfestival.org

Apple & BBQ Cook-off Festival, Silver Lake AreaApple & BBQ Cook-off Festival
September 12-13
Silver Lake Sand Dunes
800-874-3982
www.thinkdunes.com

2008 Leelanau Harvest Tour
Sept. 21
Leelanau County
www.leelanauharvesttour.org

The Annual Harvest Stompede Vineyard Run & Walk and Wine Tour
Sept. 20 - 21
Leelanau Peninsula
www.lpwines.com

Annual Fall Fest
September 26 - 27
North Mears Parking Lot
800-879-9702
www.whitelake.org

Four Flags Area Apple Festival
September 25-28
Niles
269-683-8870
www.fourflagsapplefestival.org

September 27
Harvest Festival
Friske Orchards
Charlevoix
231-599-2604
www.friske.com

September 27-28
Fallasburg Fall Festival
Lowell
616-897-8545
www.lowellartscouncil.org

September 27-28
Fall Festival
Pentwater
866-869-4150
www.pentwater.org

Niles Haunted House Scream Park
September 19-November 1
269-687-3327
www.haunted.org

West Michigan- the New Hollywood?

NEWLY FORMED WEST MICHIGAN FILM OFFICE EXPECTED TO LEAD REGIONAL ECONOMIC GROWTH IN EMERGING INDUSTRY

A number of film companies are already inquiring about West Michigan

GRAND RAPIDS, MICH. (July 15, 2008) – The West Michigan Tourist Association (WMTA) announced today the official opening of the West Michigan Film Office (WMFO), which will work to bring filiming and production of feature films to communities throughout West Michigan. The announcement was made from the set of the feature film, “Tug,” which will star Sam Huntington and Haylie Duff, being shot by Hopwood DePree at his TicTock Studios in Holland. Three other films are set to be shot in West Michigan pending approval of the state incentives.

The WMFO is led by Rick Hert, executive director of WMTA. Hert has more than 25 years of experience recruiting all size film projects and has put together more than 100 different successful projects in his previous work.

“The new incentives from the state of Michigan have really opened a lot of doors for both filmmakers and Michigan businesses,” said Hert. “With the eyes of many of these filmmakers now on Michigan, we need to be proactive with our efforts and be ready to assist as necessary. The economic impact of a large film project will do great things for the region, and our office plans to be a leader in bringing this business to West Michigan.”

The formation of the WMFO is related to the WMTA’s mission, and the hope is that bringing filmmakers here will benefit West Michigan’s tourism industry. WMFO is already working with 55 different CVBs, Chambers and other economic development organizations from around West Michigan.

As part of the WMTA, the WMFO can also offer a great value to filmmakers through the numerous WMTA members, linking film prospects with the many available locations and resources. West Michigan offers a wide array of locations from the skyscrapers of downtown Grand Rapids to the sand dunes of Silver Lake.

“Having the WMFO and personnel ready on the west side of the state is going to present Michigan as being very film-ready,” said Janet Lockwood, director of the Michigan Film Office. “We look forward to excellent cooperation, communication and sharing of all information as it comes into either office. Production companies will be very happy to work with a regional film office. The bottom line results in more economic impact for West Michigan, more industry jobs and more tourism.”

The WMFO will work closely with the MFO that is based in Lansing, identifying film leads that would work well in a West Michigan setting. The Michigan film incentives legislation, which took effect in April 2008 has already brought in more than $200 million in film revenue to Michigan.

Founded in 1917, WMTA is the oldest continually operated regional tourist association in the nation. Representing 41 counties from the Michigan-Indiana state line to Mackinac Island and covering the entire west half of the Lower Peninsula, WMTA is dedicated to proving that “Nobody Knows West Michigan Like We Do!” For more information, visit www.wmta.org.