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Latest News
Learn More – Watch our Short Promo Video!
A Little Bit of Big Rapids History Video
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Festive Times
The Festival of Lights Christmas Parade takes place each year the Saturday before Thanksgiving
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Paint Big Rapids Pink
October's annual Stiletto Race to raise funds for breast cancer awareness and treatment.
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Refresh Yourself
Have a drink at our old time fountain on the Southwest corner of Michigan Avenue and Maple Street. There are spots for people, horses, and dogs!
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Safety First
Officer Little and his horse Boomer patrole along Michigan Avenue.
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Welcome to Bulldog Country!
Meet Leonard the Lumberjack, the Big Rapids Downtown Business Association's Bulldog. The result of "The Year of the Dawg" Leadership Mecosta project, there are numerous bulldogs displayed all across town. Grab a map from the Mecosta County Convention and Visitor's Bureau and try to find them all!
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Historic Downtown
Discover the past as you walk along Michigan Avenue in Downtown Big Rapids. Several buildings have historical markers, can you find them all? Which buildings look the same? Which have been dramatically altered or completely razed? Which buildings are on the Michigan Historic Register?
Big Rapids is one of best places you could ever find to call 'home.'
–Bob Patterson, Downtown Business Association President
Welcome to Historic Downtown Big Rapids!
As you stroll down the street, the beautiful architecture of the buildings tell you a story of a downtown rich in history. From the site of the humble beginnings of Ferris State University, now a renowned center for higher education, to the beautifully renovated Nesbitt and Fairman buildings, we are proud of our historical heritage and it shows.
Historical Downtown Big Rapids is just 3 short blocks from Ferris State University and 1 block off State Street/Northland Drive. Here you will discover not only the original site of Ferris State (commemorated by a plaque on Fifth Third Bank) but also the award winning Fairman and Nesbitt buildings. In our Historical Downtown you can shop all day, take a break at a beauty salon or yoga studio, or just hang out for some entertainment. You can even find your next house, get a mortgage, get your insurance, and close at the title office - all right downtown!
Don't forget the nightlife! Come downtown after the sun goes down to catch a flick, enjoy fine dining, grab an evening treat, or hit the dancefloor.
Downtown Big Rapids today is a bustling center of exceptional retail shops, fine restaurants, salons and spas, fitness centers and a myriad of professional services. Virtually "at your fingertips" downtown Big Rapids has what you are looking for. Spend a day with us, or better yet, spend a lifetime. Big Rapids is one of best places you could ever find to call "home".
Sincerely,
Bob Patterson, President
Downtown Business Association