Spend a Day in Sparta Michigan
Twenty minutes north of Grand Rapids off of Route 37 you’ll find Sparta—a beautiful Michigan town known for its delicious restaurants, fun events, and bountiful orchards. There are plenty of things to do in Sparta throughout the year, including Sparta Town and Country Days and the Sparta Celtic Festival.
Keep reading for a guide on how to spend the perfect day in Sparta and enjoy everything this historic west Michigan town has to offer.
Disclaimer: Affiliate links are used which means if you purchase via my link I receive a small commission at no additional cost to you! I only recommend products I use and love!
Pin It!
Eat and Drink
Sparta restaurants offer a lot of variety, from diners and pubs to some of the best Mexican food in the area.
Breakfast at Maxine’s Restaurant
Maxine’s Family Restaurant in Sparta is your quintessential family diner experience, with breakfast specials that fill the plate and big fluffy omelets. Order a stack of pancakes or some corn beef hash to start your morning in Sparta off right.
Maxine’s also serves burgers and sandwiches for lunch.
Lunch at Angela’s Italian Restaurant and Bar
Located in downtown Sparta, wood-fired pizzas, lasagna specials, and strombolis await you at Angela’s Italian Restaurant. It’s the perfect place to unwind and grab a slice of your favorite hand-tossed pizza or enjoy a huge helping of lasagna. Everything is made with fresh ingredients and the portions will definitely leave you stuffed.
Visit Angela’s Italian Restaurant‘s Facebook page for the latest deals and to see what’s on the all-you-can-eat buffet for the day.
Dinner at Downtown Trini’s
If you ask a Spartan which restaurant to check out when you’re in town, nine times out of ten they’ll tell you to get a taco or burrito at Downtown Trini’s. Just down the road from Angela’s, Trini’s has been part of the Sparta community since 1994, serving authentic Mexican cuisine and their house Sangria.
Order the Trini’s Big Nasty burrito, overstuffed with steak, chicken, taco meat, and more. There are all kinds of tacos to try, including Joe’s Tacos—deep-fried with taco meat, chicken, or steak.
Check out the full Trini’s menu if you want to get your mouth watering. If you’re looking for another authentic taco experience, Rositas Taqueria is popular with locals as well.
Ice Cream at Sparta Tasty Treat
Ice cream is the perfect way to cap off a day of fun, and Sparta Tasty Treat has a full menu of cones, shakes, and specialty sundaes to choose from. They often have specials, too, such as red, white, and blue parfaits on Independence Day. Follow them on Facebook for updates on the latest specials.
Evening Entertainment and Drinks
There’s still plenty of things to do in Sparta, Michigan after the sun goes down. It’s time to grab a drink or hit the bowling lanes.
Brick Haus Brews: This downtown Sparta brewpub has a full bar and a full food menu. Stop in and enjoy wood-fired pizza or the signature, Drunken Haus Pasta, paired with your favorite local craft beer.
Sparta Pub: This hometown bar and restaurant has live music and drink specials on the weekends. It also has some great food, including dinners you may not expect—like a bistro steak dinner and a calamari platter.
Sparta Lanes and The Garden Patch: For a fun night with friends, lace up your bowling shoes and go for a turkey at Sparta Lanes Bowling Center. The bowling center also has a restaurant, The Garden Patch, serving up a full menu of pizzas, sandwiches, burgers, and more.
Explore Rogers Park
Sparta’s beautiful and iconic Rogers Park is a cornerstone of downtown Sparta. Its huge playground, splash pad, weekly concerts, and paved trails make it the spot to spend a day in Sparta—no matter your age.
The play structures at Rogers Park are quite impressive and include a wheelchair swing. Kids can spend hours climbing and sliding on the playground. The splash pad shoots jets of water at any child (or adult) who dares to run across it.
Sparta’s Concerts in the Park take place Wednesday nights throughout the summer at the wooden concert pavilion. Come spend an evening with local bands and entertainers. Visit Sparta Today’s Facebook page for more info and to see what concerts are coming up.
You can also enjoy walking the trails along Nash Creek and grab some ice cream at Sundaes at the Park, the ice cream shop right next to Rogers Park.
Other Sparta Parks
It may be the biggest one, but Rogers Park isn’t the only park in Sparta, Michigan. Here are a few you may want to visit:
Sparta Sports Park: The new Sparta Sports Park has 11 sports fields and courts to meet any need, from baseball and soccer fields to a disc golf course. There are also trails to walk around, too. Check the calendar and see what pick-up games you can get in on.
Spartan Park: Spartan Park is Sparta’s skate park. It features ramps and rails for your amateur skateboarder or rollerblader, along with a basketball/street hockey court, and a kid’s play structure.
Long Lake Park: Located northeast of Sparta, this nature park offers a public beach, swimming, fishing, and non-motorized boating at Long Lake.
Pick Apples at Fruit Ridge Orchards and Markets
Grab a bushel of iconic Michigan apples or pick your own at The Ridge, just west of Sparta. The premier spot for orchards in Michigan, fruit and other produce is in abundance at The Ridge no matter the season.
Schwallier’s Country Basket
Schwallier’s Farm has been a family fun destination since 1989. It offers u-pick apples and pumpkins, kids play area, a corn maze, a petting barn, and rides around the farm on a cow train. You can even schedule private bonfires with your family or friends on the weekend evenings in the fall for a unique country experience, right on the farm.
Schwallier’s farm market also has warm donuts and raw honey among the fresh fruits and produce.
Make plans to visit Schwallier’s Country Basket between August and October. For more details, see their website.
Klein Cider Mill and Market
Visiting this family-run Michigan cider mill in the fall for some of the best-unpasteurized apple cider on The Ridge. Klein blends different apples into their cider depending on what’s in season—so the taste is always changing and evolving. Klein Market has plenty of fresh produce throughout the year, including bell peppers, cucumbers, peaches, plums, sweet corn, and more. Pick up a carving pumpkin in the fall so you’re ready for Halloween.
For more information, visit the Klein Cider Mill and Market Facebook.
Bretching Farms
Ten minutes south of Sparta, Michigan is Bretching Farms, offering u-pick on a wide variety of fruits and veggies. Depending on the season, you can pick tomatoes, peppers, beans, pumpkins, plums, blackberries, and more! You can even grab some delicious pickles at Bretching.
Visit Bretching Farms’ Facebook page for details on what’s in season.
Go to an Event
Sparta hosts a bunch of fun events and festivals throughout the year. Sparta Town and Country Days and its Celtic Festival are huge draws. Here are a few Sparta events you won’t want to miss:
Sparta Town and Country Days: This annual festival brings bands, food trucks, and market stalls to downtown Sparta for four days of fun and celebration. There are plenty of crafts and events for kids to check out as well. Bring the family to the parade and fireworks that really put an exclamation mark at the end of the celebration.
Sparta Celtic Festival: Sparta Celtic Fest is a family-friendly annual festival that happens on the second Saturday in August. The day is filled with Celtic music and traditional dances, as well as highland games and historical encampments. Admission to the Celtic Festival is free, so there’s no reason not to check it out!
Michigan Apple Fest: Celebrate everything apples on this sweet weekend in September. Sparta’s Michigan Apple Fest has a bunch of apple-filled contests including apple pie baking, apple peeling, apple eating, and even apple sling-shotting! There’s also live music and artisans selling their crafts and hand-made goods.
Pin It!
Find Out Other Fun Things To Do in West Michigan by Clicking Here!
Get Your Apple Picking Gear:
Find a Hotel Near Sparta:
Booking.com
Skyler Latshaw
Skyler has called West Michigan home for over a decade. He loves to spend his mornings hiking local trails, afternoons taking his son to a playground, and evenings around a campfire or playing games with friends.
-
Skyler Latshaw#molongui-disabled-link
-
Skyler Latshaw#molongui-disabled-link
-
Skyler Latshaw#molongui-disabled-link
-
Skyler Latshaw#molongui-disabled-link
[…] Michigan Apple Festival […]