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SHOPPING & DINING Shopping doesn’t get much better than in the lovely streets of Ionia. Ionia’s ideal location in the Mid-Michigan Heartland gives residents a wide variety of shopping options. The city’s Main Street business district offers residents a variety of products and services, such as one-of-a-kind boutiques and specialty shops. National chain stores such as Meijer, K-Mart and Radio Shack enhance the shoppers’ experience. Vegetable and fruit markets, craft stores and many antique dealers add to the local color of this vibrant city. |
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After a long day of shopping, satisfy your appetite at any of our delectable restaurants. Ionia is home to a wide variety of eating establishments designed to suit any taste or budget. Whether you crave a quick meal at a fast food chain or prefer a relaxed, home-cooked meal at a family-style restaurant, Ionia has it all. Menus range from classic American dishes to mouth-watering ethnic cuisine.
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ACCOMMODATIONS
Weary travelers are sure to appreciate a good night’s rest in one of Ionia’s comfortable motels or a cozy bed and breakfast. National-chain motels provide friendly service and amenities such as complimentary continental breakfasts, meeting rooms, cable television, pools and spas, and exercise rooms. Whatever your travel needs, Ionia promises to make your stay a comfortable one.
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| ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT | ||
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The Ionia Fair Grounds host a variety of attractions throughout the year including concerts, auto shows, conventions, antique markets, and an annual Home, Sport and Garden Show. Perhaps the most popular attraction is the Ionia Free Fair, the largest free fair in the world, conceived in 1914 and dating all the way back to Ionia’s first “District Agricultural Fair” in 1853. Over 500,000 people flock to Ionia to enjoy internationally known performers, horse and tractor pulls, agricultural and home arts exhibits, commercial displays and mouth-watering food! Special events include Ladies’ Day, Kid’s Day, and the Governor’s Luncheon. | |
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The Ionia Theatre is another piece of history that continues to entertain and enrich the lives of Ionia residents. The 900-seat Art Deco theatre was built in the 1930’s and is now used for movies and live entertainment. The theatre’s rich wooden seats with velvet-covered cushions will leave you feeling as if you’ve stepped into a vaudeville show house, after which it was originally patterned. The 132-seat annex shows a second movie most nights. The Theatre hosts live performances, from monthly bluegrass jams to visits from the Grand Rapids Symphony and nationally known recording artists. Be sure to check our Events Calendar for the latest entertainment activities in Ionia. Community theater, band, and choirs perform often, and the local school plays and concerts are a joy to behold.
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| RECREATION | ||
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Michigan is famous as a recreation state, and Ionia’s ideal location— surrounded by six inland lakes and within a short drive from Lake Michigan— makes it the perfect place to relax and enjoy yourself. Ionia’s Recreation Department offers a variety of programs and activities for people of all ages on a year-round basis, including tennis, hockey, bowling, softball, and basketball. You can even race go-karts (in season!). There are more golf courses in Ionia County per capita than any other county in Michigan, and the city of Ionia maintains many public tennis courts, basketball courts, ball fields, and more. You can walk or bike along the River Trail, jog the many sidewalks, or take on the off-road bike challenge. Add to this archery clubs, shooting sports, fishing, horse-back riding, and boating…well, there is plenty to do in the Ionia area! |
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The 4,500 acre State Recreation Area features rolling hills, babbling brooks, open meadows, forested ridges, a lake nestled in the hills and a river winding its way through woods and fields. Three campgrounds, two rustic and one modern, provide facilities organizations, families, and individuals; the modern campground includes electricity, a modern toilet/shower building, and a sanitation system. There are 1,600 feet of beach circling Sessions Lake within the park. The lake is stocked with bluegill, walleye, largemouth bass, smallmouth bass, channel fish, and crappie. The Grand River, which winds through the park, offers fishing as well. Have lunch at one of three picnic areas which offer everything from play equipment and covered picnic shelters to mountain bike and hiking trails. Bertha Brock Park, just west of Ionia on M-21, is a picturesque park first established in the 1930s. It’s rustic Palmer Lodge was built by the WPA in 1933 and still serves today for parties and social gatherings. The beautiful Bellamy Creek windsthrough the park under arching stone bridges, and the park offers nearly 4 miles of trails, a ball field, picnic areas and pavilions, 23 rustic camp sites, horseshoe courts, tennis courts, playgrounds…and peacocks!
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