Plan Your Visit
Travel & Accommodation
Travel to Grand Rapids
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The Gerald R. Ford International Airport is about 15 minutes from the Calvin University campus. A variety of ground transportation options are available at the Ford Airport.
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By car, Grand Rapids is roughly 2.5 hours from Detroit, 3 hours from Chicago, 5.5 hours from Columbus, 5 hours from Indianapolis, and 6.5 hours from Toronto.
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Greyhound and Indian Trails buses provide long-distance and interstate service. The Rapid offers local bus transportation, with a stop conveniently located right at the entrance to Calvin's campus.
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The Amtrak Pere Marquette line operates between Grand Rapids and Chicago, running round-trip daily.
Local Transportation
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A variety of ground transportation options are available at the Ford Airport.
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Metro Cab Grand Rapids (616) 827-6500. If you wish to call a taxi, you may encounter a wait of 30 to 45 minutes. The Prince Conference Center is located at 1800 East Beltline Avenue SE.
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The Rapid offers local bus transportation, with a stop conveniently located at the entrance to Calvin's campus. Please visit their website for route planning and additional information.
On-Campus Transportation Options
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Limited parking will be available on campus, with overflow parking options also available.
We encourage Festivalgoers to check with their hotel and other attendees to see if group rides to campus are available. Along with Lyft, Uber, public transit, and local taxi services, rides can also be arranged by visiting our Festival app to connect with others. If you are driving to the Festival, please consider offering rides to other Festivalgoers.
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On-campus shuttles will provide transportation throughout the campus during the Festival.
Accommodation
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There are several hotels within three miles of Calvin University’s campus, particularly along the 28th Street corridor. Below, we provide some suggestions to help you get started with your search. Alternatively, consider staying downtown for a city experience.
Disclaimer: Amenities and hotel policies vary by hotel and should be confirmed by attendees before making a reservation. The CCFW is not responsible in any way for your stay/experience at any hotel.
Note: Several hotels located on the East Beltline or near the intersection of 28th Street and the East Beltline appear on maps to be just a short walk from campus. However, these are not pedestrian-friendly roadways, so we do not recommend walking from them to campus.
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Food at the Festival
Off Campus
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Grand Rapids boasts a wealth of local restaurants. You’ll find some suggested favorites in the Festival app.
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A variety of chain restaurants are located within a mile of Calvin’s campus for those looking for convenient and inexpensive options.
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Please check with your hotel for available dining options.
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You are welcome to bring your own food to the Festival.
On Campus
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Boxed Lunches (pre-order at registration):
Boxed lunches are the quickest, most convenient way for Festival attendees to eat lunch on campus. A variety of options will be available to pre-order for each day of the Festival. Lunch seating will be available in the Hoogenboom Health & Recreation Center, located inside the Fieldhouse.Bring Your Own:
You are welcome to bring your own food to the Festival. Lunch seating will be available in the Hoogenboom Health & Recreation Center, located inside the Fieldhouse.
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Due to the size of the Festival, Calvin is not able to offer breakfast and dinner to attendees. We encourage you to check the options at your hotel and/or take advantage of the vibrant local restaurant scene.
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Festival Coffee Breaks - Free coffee (and small snacks) will be provided at major Festival venues.
Peet's Coffee - A branch of this national chain is located on the first floor of the Hekman Library.
Bring Your Own - You are welcome to bring your own food to the Festival.
Campus Directions
Accessibility
The Center for Faith & Writing is committed to making all reasonable arrangements to allow attendees to participate in every event at the Festival of Faith & Writing.
Calvin University’s campus complies with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), and we work to make the Festival comfortable and accessible for all participants. We recognize that not all disabilities require accommodations, and some are invisible to the naked eye.
The Festival offers accommodations such as accessible parking and doors, American Sign Language (ASL) interpretation during the evening plenary sessions, a Loop hearing aid audio system in our larger venues, on-campus shuttles, a detailed accessibility map, quiet spaces for reflection and regrouping, and on-site contacts when help is needed.
We want Festivalgoers to come as they are, and we aim to be as inclusive as possible. If you have individual needs or concerns or have a question about accessibility, please don't hesitate to contact the Center for Faith & Writing at ccfw@calvin.edu.
Explore Grand Rapids
Grand Rapids is the second-largest city in the state of Michigan.
It’s renowned for its friendly culture, diverse range of world-renowned art, gardens, museums, and historic sites, as well as an impressive restaurant scene and numerous family-friendly parks and programs. If you’re new to the Festival, or especially if you’ve been attending for years and haven’t taken the opportunity to step off campus, we hope you’ll consider exploring our city. Learn more about Grand Rapids tourism and events at ExperienceGR.com.