What's On This Weekend: Sept 23-25

Whether you prefer to welcome the arrival of fall with a visit to a local farm, apple orchard or pumpkin patch, or a more urban celebration -- the annual ArtPrize, during which the city of Grand Rapids is transformed into a sprawling art gallery, or St Joseph's Fall Festival -- we've got all the Southwest Michigan weekend happenings right here.

FRIDAY

• Stroll through downtown Grand Rapids and check out the world-class ArtPrize (through Oct 9)

• Catch a "bed race," Great Pumpkin festival, wine sampling and more in downtown St Joseph (through Saturday)

SATURDAY

• Meet princesses and superheroes and spend the day at Gull Meadow's Pumpkin Lane in Kalamazoo

• Get your hands on fresh donuts and cider at VerHage Fruit Farm & Cider Mill in Kalamazoo

• Celebrate the arrival of autumn at Earth First Farms with a delectable dinner, live music and hayrides

• Take your curious kid to learn all about animals and make a craft at the children's museum's Super Saturday in St Joseph

SUNDAY

• Embark on a leisurely, one-day cycling tour of picturesque orchards, forests and vineyards near Three Oaks

• Get a taste of old-fashioned farm life at Stokes Homestead in Grand Junction, with a lineup of farm animals, country music, a pie-baking contest, pulled pork barbecue and U-pick apples

• Relax with a session of yoga for the whole family at Fernwood Botanical Garden

• Head to the Kids' ArtFest in Grand Rapids, where budding artists can try their hands at painting, sculpting, drawing, jewelry making and more

Head to the Southwest Michigan Kids calendar for all the fabulous details. For more fun ideas, check out our Ultimate Southwest Michigan Fall Bucket List and our guide to local U-picks.