Grab your camera for a walking photography lesson with local professional photographer Dianne Carroll Burdick. Learn tips and tricks for shooting in an urban setting and discover interesting vantage points and framing techniques. All skill levels welcome. Wear comfortable shoes and don’t forget your camera! Rain date July 29. Meet on the front steps of the Main Library.

Every year, the Mutual UFO Network, the world’s largest civilian UFO research organization, compiles the best cases it receives. Join State Director Bill Konkolesky as he shares stunning recent accounts of unidentified aerial phenomena. Learn about accounts of amazing maneuvers that startled people and animals, engaging with military aircraft, and much more.

Inspired by Ayoola’s fashion sense in the GR Reads’ selection My Sister, the Serial Killer, the library is hosting a pop up market. Come shop and support small local businesses that offer clothing, organic bath and beauty products, delicious food, and more. Full list of vendors at www.grpl.org/grreads.

Opa! Fresh, local fruits and veggies abound in West Michigan during the summer months. Why not try a new, fun take on all our local produce? Join Esther Koukios, owner of Greek to Go, to learn to make tourlou. Tourlou is a vegetable medley that can showcase the bright flavors of your garden with a Grecian touch. You will also learn to make tzatziki, a tasty cucumber yogurt dip that goes far beyond a gyro sandwich. You’ll end your time…

Join herbalist, forager, and author Lisa Rose on a wild journey to learn about local plants that can be used for food and herbal medicine. Come away with tips on how to locate the wild edibles of summer and learn the safe harvesting rules of urban foraging. Proper identification, harvesting ethics, traditional uses and recipes will be discussed. Meet on the front steps of the Main Library.

Do you know the difference between spare ribs and baby back ribs? Even wonder where pork chops come from or what is the difference between bacon and pork belly? The butchers from E.A. Brady’s will offer a unique demonstration of the process of butchering a half hog. As they work, they will share their experiences and knowledge about preparing, cooking, and serving quality meat products that are sourced in West Michigan. They will also discuss running a socially conscious small…

The GR Reads pick Grocery is an in-depth look at a shared American experience—shopping for food. The way we buy groceries has a colorful past and a future filled with change. Local grocer Hank Meijer looks at the evolving supermarket landscape through the over-lapping perspectives of Ruhlman’s book and his own experience.

Recently declared a national public health emergency, opioid-related deaths kill more people in Michigan than car accidents or firearms. Local responses range from providing police with tools that counteract overdoses to opening safe injection sites. Join the library, along with Dirt City Sanctuary, the Kent County Opioid Task Force, and The Red Project for an important community conversation. Learn how the opioid epidemic has taken shape locally and how we can work to tackle the growing epidemic in our community.