Grand Rapids Downtown Market: 9 tastings and board games

Taste nine bites across eight stops, then play board games over comfort food

Taste 9 bites across 8 stops at Grand Rapids Downtown Market, a food hall with over 20 local vendors, guided by someone who knows the stories behind the food. After the tastings, you head across the street to a board game bar where you eat made-from-scratch comfort food and play games with the group. The whole afternoon runs about 3 hours, covers roughly half a mile on foot, and stays mostly indoors.

Step-by-step itinerary

Tasting and board games in Grand Rapids

• Meet guide at Grand Rapids Market
• Taste French quiche with coffee or tea
• Enjoy slow-baked local savory bites
• Try savory pork bao bun
• Sample gourmet olive oils and vinegars
• Taste kettle corn from family recipe
• Discover bold plant-based flavors
• Enjoy soda pop inspired cookies
• Relax at board game bar with food

The experience

Grand Rapids Downtown Market is where you start, meeting your guide by Gaby's Gourmandise at the main doors. From there, you move through the hall sampling French quiche with coffee or tea, slow-baked goods made from local ingredients, a Burmese pork bao bun, gourmet olive oils and vinegars, gourmet kettle corn from a family recipe, plant-based dishes, and soda-pop-flavored cookies. Your guide talks through the stories and craft behind each stop: why the ingredients matter, how the recipes came together, what makes each vendor's work different. The tastings add up to a filling lunch, so you're not just tasting. You're actually eating.

After the market, you cross the street to a board game bar and lounge. This is where the afternoon shifts from tasting to playing. You order made-from-scratch comfort food and creative cocktails (alcohol is available for purchase), then settle in with the group for games. The friendly competition is the point. It's not a lecture or a performance, it's you and the people you came with, or new food lovers you've just met, playing together over food.

The walk is light, about half a mile total, and most of the time you're standing in one spot tasting or sitting at the bar playing games. Groups stay small, capped at 12 people, so you're not herded through with a crowd. The space is wheelchair accessible, strollers are welcome, and service animals can come along. If you don't have a car or you're staying downtown, public transit gets you there, and the venue itself is accessible by wheelchair.

What’s included

• Nine tastings across eight stops featuring savory bites, sweet treats, coffee and tea.
• a local guide who shares the stories behind the food.
• entry to the board game bar and lounge with access to games.

Before you book

Days and timesNext departure: 9 Jan 2027

Book up to2d before

AgesAdult (18 to 64 years) · Senior (65 and older) · Youth (13 to 17 years) · Child (4 to 12 years) · Infant (under 4): free

GroupUp to 12

Live guideEnglish

Meeting point and pickupNo hotel pickup: you go to the meeting point. Ends at a different place from where it starts.

Cancellation and refundsFree cancellation up to 24 h before the start. After that, no refund.

Prices and times updated 2 days ago

Good to know

Low physical effortWheelchair accessibleAccessible transportStroller-friendlyPets welcomePublic transport nearby

Operated by Taste of GR

Is this one for you?The activity starts inside Grand Rapids Downtown Market downtown, so if you're staying in the area or using public transit, you walk straight in without needing a car or figuring out parking. Small groups of up to 12 mean you're not lost in a crowd, and the guide sticks with you through the tastings to explain what you're eating.

Top questions

Can children come?

Yes. Ticket types: Youth (13 to 17 years); Child (4 to 12 years); Infant (under 4): free.

What exactly do I taste at the Grand Rapids Downtown Market stops?

You taste nine bites across eight vendors: French quiche with coffee or tea, slow-baked goods, a Burmese pork bao bun, gourmet olive oils and vinegars, gourmet kettle corn, plant-based dishes, and soda-pop-flavored cookies. Together they make a filling lunch.

How much walking is involved in this activity?

About half a mile of light walking, mostly between the tasting stops inside the market and then across the street to the board game bar. You spend most of the time standing at each stop for the tasting or sitting down to play games.

What happens after the tastings at the market?

You head across the street to a board game bar and lounge, where you order made-from-scratch comfort food and play games with the group. Alcoholic beverages are available for purchase at this stop if you want them.

Is there a guide with the group the whole time?

Yes, a local guide in English leads you through the market tastings, sharing the stories and craft behind each vendor and their food. The guide is with you during the tasting portion of the afternoon.