Nov 19 Wednesday
Get ready to be amazed at our newest interactive exhibit! From the smallest bees to fluttering butterflies and beyond, this immersive experience brings you face-to-face with larger-than-life animatronic pollinators that reveal the secrets of nature’s hardest-working heroes. Explore the critical role these creatures play in sustaining ecosystems, supporting biodiversity, and ensuring that plants, flowers, and crops thrive. Join us to celebrate their incredible impact! Over 20 animatronic pollinators will be on display, including butterflies, beetles, bees, and the very important Poweshiek Skipperling, which is the star of one of the Zoo's most successful conservation programs.
Could the key to better treatments for chronic conditions such as diabetes and inflammatory bowel disease be found in our own backyards? In this enlightening presentation, Van Andel Institute’s Dr. Nick Burton will share how studying microbes harvested from soil, leaf litter and riverbanks may help us develop new therapies for a host of diseases.
Nov 20 Thursday
Praised for their “virtuosity, visceral expression, and rare unity of intention” (Boston Globe), the Viano Quartet are one of the most sought-after young ensembles today and current members of CMS’s Bowers Program. Since soaring to international acclaim as winners of the 13th Banff International String Quartet Competition, they have performed at major venues across the globe.
SCHEDULE6:30 PM | Doors Open7:00 PM | Royce Auditorium Doors Open7:30 PM | Concert Begins9:00 PM | Post Concert Reception
Nov 21 Friday
Nov 22 Saturday
Nov 23 Sunday
Dec 04 Thursday
Yonder Mountain String Band, a driving force in roots music for nearly three decades and a key player in the progressive jamgrass movement, kicks off a new chapter with Nowhere Next. Featuring original songs inspired by lived experiences, people, and places that have shaped them, the album is a mix of bluegrass, indie rock, and country with soulful, funky grooves that call for a good time. Their 11th studio album follows the Grammy-nominated Get Yourself Outside (2022), adding depth and momentum to Yonder’s rich musical legacy.
Dec 17 Wednesday
For fans of science fiction, the term “gene editing” might be a familiar term. Now, thanks to technological advances, gene editing has become a powerful real-world tool for studying — and potentially treating — disease. Join Van Andel Institute’s Dr. Hong Li, an expert in CRISPR-Cas gene editing technology, for a crash course in what gene editing is (and isn’t) and how it is changing the game in health research.
Dec 27 Saturday
This Saturday, take a step back in time. Visit Pears Mill, an 1857 water-powered mill. Located in Buchanan, Michigan’s downtown Historic District. The mill is adjacent to Buchanan Farmers Market. Pears Mill is open 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. each Saturday through Labor Day. There is no charge.