GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. — Confluence has announced the return of its art, music, science, and technology festival. The festival will be held between September 23-24 at Studio Park in downtown Grand Rapids.
The festival will feature five distinct elements. One will be the Music Showcase, which will feature leading-edge musicians. Another will be the Maker Expo, which focuses on the DIY community and digital artists. The Innovation Showcase will have gaming and esports exhibitions. Art@ will be a multisensory takeover of Oakes St. Park. It will also include Future Innovators Zone, a STEAM-based adventure land for kids. This will be the festival’s second year.
The festival will also include Western Michigan University’s AMP Lab, as well as surrounding streets and parks. Western Michigan University will also be a sponsor for the Maker Expo. “WMU is proud to be the presenting sponsor of the Maker Expo,” said Joanne Roehm, Director of Western Michigan University-Grand Rapids. “It’s a great opportunity to showcase our state-of-the-art manufacturing space and the work we’re doing to not only inspire the next generation of makers but also develop a talented workforce to serve our local manufacturing industry.”
The festival’s Future Innovators Zone, which will have a significant focus on robotics and drones, will be sponsored by Consumers Energy. “Consumers Energy understands the value of supporting and investing in the next generation of highly-skilled talent, which is why we are excited to be the Presenting Sponsor of the Future Innovators Zone,” said Carolyn Bloodworth, Executive Director of Corporate Giving at Consumers Energy. “Here we’ll be able to share with students examples of the technology we use every day in our mission to provide reliable energy to Michiganders, and we hope it can inspire them to pursue more high-skilled learning opportunities.”
The Confluence Festival will be held between September 23-24. More information about the festival can be found on the event’s website.
