Admission to a popular downtown festival: $0.

Food selections to entice your palate: $1 to $5.

Great sights to see and fireworks: $0.

Celebration on the Grand festival: a winning cost.

Downtown Grand Rapids will take center stage next Thursday through Saturday for the return of the uber-popular Celebration on the Grand festival. With free admission and low, fixed prices for food, the Grand Valley State University student-on-a-budget can afford to attend this event, which takes place annually during Labor Day weekend.

“One of the great parts about coming to GVSU is that there’s always something to do downtown,” said GVSU student Danielle Dekoski. “This will be the third year I’ve been to Celebration on the Grand, and it’s really fun!”

Fireworks will light up the Ah-Nab-Awen Park and Rosa Parks Circle in downtown Grand Rapids at dusk on Sept. 10, but there is a full schedule of events starting Sept. 9 to fill up the whole weekend.

For those over 21, beer and malt beverages will be available for purchase in Rosa Parks Circle in a designated alcohol boundary. The Ah-Nab-Awen Park will be alcohol-free.

The Taste of Downtown offers food from popular downtown locations, all from $1 to $5. Some participating restaurants include The B.O.B., San Chez and the Electric Cheetah. The Taste will run for all three days.

“The Taste will be awesome, because I’ve been wanting to try San Chez,” Dekoski said.

Up-and-coming country music standout and Nashville Star winner Chris Young will be the headlining act for Country Night to kick off the festival on Thursday. Young’s most recent hit single, “Gettin’ You Home,” is a romantic song that has made a big splash.

He also released the single “The Man I Want To Be” from his 2009 album of the same name, which magazine “Country Weekly” gave 3.5 stars. All of his songs, as well as both albums, can be purchased on iTunes so people can prepare to sing along.

Saturday night will close the festival with a dusk showing of the recent animation, “Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs,” to which guests are recommended to bring a big blanket to lie on while enjoying the movie.

According to the festival’s Web site, “Celebration on the Grand originally was started to ‘Celebrate’ all of the great developments that occurred in Grand Rapids.”

Although everyone can attend the event for free each year, it does cost more than $120,000 to put on, which is funded by sponsors and gifts. Some sponsors include Amway, Star 105.7 and Celebration! Cinema.

To learn more about Celebration on the Grand, visit http://www.celebrationonthegrand.org for complete schedules, FAQs, previous event photos and a poster advertisement designed by 2009 ArtPrize winner Ran Ortner.

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