Name: An Evening with Thomas Jefferson
Start: 2026-11-16
End: 2026-11-16

We are an economic generator through sports tourism for Greater Grand Rapids and Kent County in the West Michigan area.

We own and operate an award winning baseball/softball complex; the Meijer Sports Complex [www.MeijerSportsComplex.com](https://www.MeijerSportsComplex.com) featuring eight fields, including a championship field that seats 1,000.

Our signature event, the Meijer State Games of Michigan (Olympic-style sporting event), draws 10,000 athletes through 60+ sports in its Winter and Summer Games.  We work with many of our local sports clubs and organizations to host various regional and national tournaments.

Why Grand Rapids? We have:
•	12,000 + hotel rooms (2,500 downtown)
•	234,000 square foot downtown convention center (fits 40 volleyball courts)
•	12,000 seat Van Andel Arena
•	5 facilities that feature 4+ courts and multiple grass or turf fields
•	Grant program for new events
•	and more!

West Michigan Sports Commission

Thomas Jefferson Comes to Life with Bill Barker  
  
Experience history in a remarkable new way as acclaimed historical actor Bill Barker brings Thomas Jefferson to life in a first-person presentation at the Gerald R. Ford Presidential Museum.  
  
Widely recognized as the nation's foremost interpreter of Jefferson, Barker combines decades of theatrical experience with rigorous historical scholarship to explore the life, ideas, and enduring legacy of one of America's most influential—and complex—Founding Fathers.   
  
Barker will be joined by Milt Nieuwsma, author of Miracle on Chestnut Street, who will moderate the conversation and reflect on Jefferson's enduring significance in American history.  
  
Join us for this unforgettable opportunity to encounter Thomas Jefferson as if you were meeting him in person and explore how his ideas continue to shape America today.

An Evening with Thomas Jefferson

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