SKILLET TO LEAD ALL-STAR LINE-UP FOR WINTER JAM 2012 TOUR SPECTACULAR

The Winter Jam Tour Spectacular, Christian music's largest annual tour and Pollstar's #1 tour in attendance for the first quarter this year, announced its highly anticipated 2012 artist and city line-up during a special launch event held in Nashville. Founded and hosted by Grammy-nominated Christian music mainstay NewSong and produced by Premier Productions, the Winter Jam 2012 Tour Spectacular will be headlined by Grammy-nominated alternative rockers Skillet. The 47-city tour will also feature Sanctus Real, former Newsboys front man Peter Furler, Kari Jobe, Building 429, Group 1 Crew, illusionist Brock Gill, and national speaker Nick Hall. In addition, the OneVerse Pre-Jam Party will include performances from Dara Maclean, For King & Country, and We As Human. Veggie Tales' Bob and Larry will also make a special appearance.

The Winter Jam will be in Grand Rapids, MI at Van Andel Arena on April 1. Winter Jam admission is $10 at the door, with no ticket required.

"With one of the most powerful line-ups of Christian music's top artists in Winter Jam history, we are thrilled to announce what promises to be our biggest tour yet," said NewSong founding member and Winter Jam creator Eddie Carswell. "After seeing more than 90,000 people make decisions for Christ during last year's tour, we enter Winter Jam's 17th year of ministry excited to begin the adventure of what God has in store for us - and audiences around the country."

Presented by Holt International, additional Winter Jam 2012 Tour Spectacular sponsors include E. Bailey Produce, Texas TransEastern, Premier Christian Cruises, Xtreme Conferences, and Camp Electric. Additionally, 2012 marks the continuations of the popular Jam Nation fan program, which will offer individual and group memberships guaranteeing free and early concert admission. Members also receive a limited-edition Jam Nation t-shirt, a collectible Jam Nation Platinum Access Pass, and can participate in a Jam Nation Q & A with select tour artists, among numerous exclusive benefits.

Since its formation by NewSong in 1995, Winter Jam has featured many of the top names in Christian music, including TobyMac, Third Day, Newsboys, Steven Curtis Chapman, and Jeremy Camp, among others. The Winter Jam 2011 Tour Spectacular outpaced attendance for all tours in the first quarter, including Bon Jovi, U2, Lady Gaga and Justin Bieber, according to Pollstar's 2011 Worldwide First Quarter Ticket Sales "Top 100 Tours" chart. In addition, for the first time in its history, the tour will hit 11 cities in the western United States this fall.

Advance Auto Parts® Monster Jam Thunder Nationals® Ripping Through Van Andel Arena

Advanced Auto Parts Monster Jam Thunder Nationals features the same massive superstars from Monster Jam, but in a more intimate arena setting. Staged on purpose-built concrete courses, all the action that these monsters are famous for is fully intact, and even heightened by the smaller size of the tracks. Expect to see outrageous jumps, crushed cars, plenty of concrete-streaking action, and some of the most incredible donuts ever all inside Van Andel Arena.

Featured Monster Trucks: Grave Digger, Hot Wheels, AAP Grinder, Superman, High Maintenance, Bad News, and Full Boar. *Lineup subject to change.

Pit Party: Saturday, March 10 from 11:30AM to 11PM. Free entry to pit party with valid 2PM event ticket for Saturday, March 10 show. Must have a valid 2PM ticket to enter.

Dates and times are as followed:

-Friday, March 9: 7PM
-Saturday, March 10: 2PM, 7PM
-Sunday, March 11: 2PM
*Doors open 1 hour prior to each performance.

Tickets are on sale now and may be purchased at the Van Andel Arena and DeVos Place box offices, Ticketmaster outlets, by phone at 1-800-745-3000 or online at ticketmaster.com.

There is an opening night discount of $10 for March 9th only - not valid for Gold Circle and Front Row Seats.

Disney On Ice Presents Mickey & Minnie's Magical Journey Coming to Van Andel Arena

Due to a change in our routing, Disney On Ice Presents Mickey and Minnie's Magical Journey will now be playing in Grand Rapids, MI on March 22-25, 2012 instead of Disney On Ice celebrates 100 Years of Magic.

Ticket holders for Disney On Ice celebrates 100 Years of Magic can keep their existing tickets to see Disney On Ice presents Mickey and Minnie's Magical Journey as they will be honored at the door, or they can request a refund by returning their tickets at the Van Andel Arena box office or Ticketmaster outlet they were originally purchased from. Tickets purchased over the phone on the Ticketmaster National Sales Line or online at ticketmaster.com can be refunded by calling 1-800-653-8000.

About Disney On Ice Presents Mickey and Minnie's Magical Journey

Make imagination your destination! Join Mickey Mouse and Minnie Mouse on a journey into the magical worlds of Disney's The Little Mermaid, The Lion King, Peter Pan and Lilo & Stitch. Discover Ariel and Sebastian's enchanting undersea kingdom; visit the Pride Lands with Dimba and Nala; soar through starry skies with Peter Pan and his sassy fairy friend Tinker Bell; and say "aloha" to fun with Lilo and Stitch. You'll be captivated by the music, beauty and laughter in a journey so magical, you'll never want to go home.

Tickets can be purchased at the Van Andel Arena and DeVos Place box offices, Ticketmaster outlets, by phone at 1-800-745-3000 or online at ticketmaster.com.

Dates and show times are as followed:

-Thursday, March 22: 7PM
-Friday, March 23: 7PM
-Saturday, March 24: 11AM, 3PM, and 7PM
-Sunday, March 25: 2PM

Rock & Bus Offers Shuttles to Van Andel Arena & DeVos Place Shows

Need a ride to a show at Van Andel Arena or DeVos Place? The Rock & Bus is now an option of transportation for people who are attending selected events at both venues. The bus will offer a ride from several locations to the venues for upcoming shows, including the Rock & Worship Roadshow, Reba McEntire, Katy Perry, The Gaither Christmas Homecoming and The Grand Rapids International Wine, Beer & Food Festival.

The Rock & Bus offers a shuttle service for patrons to get to the concert and back safely from various cities in the West Michigan region. Patrons need not worry about parking or gas, because the bus drops them off right at the door. This opportunity allows event-goers to have fun with their friends on the way to a concert and on the way back, all with the comfort of knowing that they will have a completely safe ride that drops them off right where they need to be. The buses are outfitted with many luxuries including TVs, comfortable seating, and more.

Rock & Bus prices are as low as $35 per round trip, depending on departure location, and reservations for the bus can be made at rockandbus.com. For more information on Rock & Bus, contact them at info@rockandbus.com or visit rockandbus.com.

For most show, patrons will need to purchase tickets for the event separately from the Rock & Bus service. However, the ticket price has been bundled into the Rock & Bus price for The Grand Rapids International Wine, Beer & Food Festival at DeVos Place November 17-19, 2011. Tickets for all other shows are available at the Van Andel Arena and DeVos Place box offices, Ticketmaster outlets, charge by phone at 1-800-745-3000 or online at ticketmaster.com.

Harlem Globetrotters to Play World's Largest Game of H.O.R.S.E.

The Harlem Globetrotters, who have continued to surprise and delight fans with their talents and showmanship for more than 85 years, announced that the team is challenging the nation to the "World's Largest Game of H.O.R.S.E." The Globetrotters launched the team's Globetrotter Nation H.O.R.S.E. challenge to a national audience online via Facebook on October 13th.

Fans will be encouraged to submit their best trick shots on a weekly basis to be performed by a Harlem Globetrotter attempting to beat them at their own game. True to game tradition, "letters" and prizes will be awarded weekly, based on fan voting.

Each week, the winning shot will earn a Spalding BEAST portable basketball system for themsleves or to donate to their favorite youth group/non-profit. As presenting sponsor of the event, Spalding has generously provided nine BEAST portable basketball systems to be shipped to the destination of the weekly winner's choosing. Fans who don't submit videos can still win Globetrotter tickets, autographed basketballs, and other merchandise just for voting.

Tickets for shows on the North American portion of the Globetrotters' 2012 World Tour are available now. For complete event and ticket information, visit www.harlemglobetrotters.com.

Official Globetrotter Nation H.O.R.S.E. Contest Rules:

The Basket:

• A regulation 10' basketball hoop and regulation size rim (18 inches in diameter)

The Basketball:

• A regulation size basketball (9 inches in diameter)

The Court:

• Must be considered an everyday place to play basketball (driveway, street).


• Automatic disqualification will occur if the court used in the entry is a location that a basketball game would not normally occur (the woods, in a pool, etc...).

The Shot:

• "The Basketball" must be made into "The Basket" from anywhere on "The Court" or within a 15' perimeter of "The Court".

Modifiers:

• Shot type modifiers - shooting(Hook shot, backwards, granny style) are accepted, but must be called on "The Video" before the shot was made.


• Shot type modifiers - making(bank/glass, swish/nothing but net, off the wall) are accepted, but must be called on "The Video" before the shot was made.

Automatic Disqualification will occure if a prop is used in any way at any time before the shot, during the shot, or after the shot. Using a wall to redirect the basketball, but it must be a non-movable wall, is allowed.

The Video:

1. Must be one continuous video and the ball must remain in frame the entire video.


2. Must be specifically created for this contest.


3. Must be intended for family audience viewing and contain content that, in the sole and unfettered discretion of Harlem Globetrotters International entry review panel, is consistent with the standards for a G, PG or PG-13 rating as such ratings are determined by the Motion Picture Association of America for feature films.


4. Must not, in the sole discretion of Harlem Globetrotters International, contain any painful, injurious, deadly, sexually explicit, disparaging, libelous or other inappropriate content or content that favors one religion, any political party over another, or has any nudity; and


5. Must not, in the sole discretion of Harlem Globetrotters International, contain any commercial content that promotes any product or service.

To enter, please visit the Harlem Globetrotters' Facebook page at www.facebook.com/harlemglobetrotters.

Harlem Globetrotters' 2012 World Tour Coming to Van Andel Arena

On the heels of signing one of the most extraordinary rookie classes in team history, the Harlem Globetrotters will bring their 2012 World Tour to Van Andel Arena on Sunday, January 22, 2012, at 2:00PM.

Tickets to see the world's most famous basketball team will go on sale on Monday, October 17 at 10:00AM. Tickets start at $18.50 and are available at the Van Andel Arena box office, http://www.ticketmaster.com/, or by phone at 1-800-745-3000. Information on group and scout tickets can also be found at http://www.harlemglobetrotters.com/ or by contacting the SMG group sales department by phone at 616-742-6185, or by email at groupsales@smggr.com.

The outstanding rookies include Paul "Tiny" Sturgess, the world's tallest pro basketball player at 7-8, Jonte "Too Tall" Hall, the shortest Globetrotter ever at 5-2, and Fatima "TNT" Maddox of Temple University, the team's first female player since 1993 and ninth female in team history. The new Globetrotters also feature the top three finishers from the 2011 College Slam Dunk Contest, including the reigning champ Jacob "Hops" Tucker. At 5-10, Tucker sports a 50-inch vertical leap, and his YouTube videos have garnered well over four million views. Tucker joins slam dunk runner-up John "Jet" Williams of UNC-Asheville and semifinalist Darnell "Spider" Wilks of the University of Cincinnati.

The 2012 rookie class has a total of three seven-footers including 7-4 Jermaine "Stretch" Middleton, the third-tallest player in team history, and 7-foot Anthony "Biggie" McClain. At 7-8, Sturgess becomes the tallest Globetrotter ever after a career at Mountain State University (W.Va). He is the 19th internationally born player in team history, hailing from Loughborough, England.

"The Globetrotters are excited to welcome a new generation of stars to carry on the storied tradition of the world's most entertaining basketball team," said Globetrotter CEO Kurt Schneider. "This year's rookie class features some of the most talented and promising players from across the world."

Current Globetrotters stars Special K Daley, Big Easy Lofton, Flight Time Lang, Dizzy Grant, Scooter Christensen, and many others will team up with the world class rookies for nearly 270 games on the North American portion of the World Tour, bringing the Globetrotter magic to over 230 cities in 46 states, the District of Columbia, and five Canadian provinces.

Player rosters in each city will vary and are subject to change.

Sponsored by Howard Johnson Hotels, Greyhound Lines, Spalding, and Russel Athletic, the Original Harlem Globetrotters will celebrate their 86th consecutive year in 2012, continuing a world famous tradition of ball handling wizardry, basketball artistry and one-of-a-kind family entertainment that continues to thrill fans of all ages. Throughout their history, the Globetrotters have showcased their iconic talents in 120 countries and territories on six continents, often breaking down cultural and societal barriers while providing fans with their first ever basketball experience. Proud inductees of the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame, the Globetrotters have entertained hundreds of millions of fans-among them popes, kings, queens, and presidents-over more than eight thrilling decades. For the latest news and information about the Harlem Globetrotters, and to purchase tickets and team merchandise, visit the Globetrotters' official website: http://www.harlemglobetrotters.com/.

Ticket Hunt for Reba Tomorrow at Noon

After such great participation in our previous ticket hunt giveaways, SMG Grand Rapids has decided to do it again by having a ticket hunt for tickets to see the legendary Reba McEntire at Van Andel Arena on November 10th. The ticket hunt will coincide with the last day of voting for ArtPrize, Wednesday, October 5th, and will give everyone a chance to check out some cool art and make last minute voting decisions, all while trying to find tickets for Reba.

Two pairs of tickets will be hidden in different locations downtown, and the search will begin at noon on Wednesday. The tickets will be hidden outside and will be near some of the amazing art that is spread throughout the downtown area. The search area is defined by borders at the river going east to Division Ave. and Oakes St. north to Michigan St.

After receiving great feedback about past ticket hunts for Keith Urban and the Red Wings Red & White Game, this is a great opportunity for ticket hunt enthusiasts that want to win Reba tickets to redeem themselves for coming up empty in the other searches. The same rules from previous hunts will also apply here, as participants will need to check out the Van Andel Arena Facebook fan page shortly before noon tomorrow for clues on where the tickets are hidden (facebook.com/VanAndelArenaFanPage). It is supposed to be a beautiful day, so we hope that everyone can find time out of their busy schedules to join the ticket hunt!

Winners are encouraged to post their success on the Van Andel Arena Facebook fan page to keep their fellow ticket hunters informed of the progress of the hunt. We wish everyone the best of luck!

Tickets for Reba McEntire with The Band Perry, Steel Magnolia and Eden's Edge at Van Andel Arena November 10th are still available at Van Andel Arena and DeVos Place box offices, Ticketmaster ticket centers, by phone at 1-800-745-3000 and on-line at ticketmaster.com