Noodle Fest Returns to Calder Plaza March 1 Featuring Ramen, Pho, Pasta

Calder Plaza at 320 Ottawa Ave NW hosted Noodle Fest on March 1, bringing 18 competing $6 noodle bowls to the World of Winter crowd from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. Local vendors and food trucks served ramen, pho, Italian-style pasta and regional specialties while attendees sampled and voted in what the World of Winter event page called “Welcome to the ultimate noodle throwdown. Sample, vote and help name West Michigan’s best bowl.”

Attendees bought $6 bowls and received a token that counted as one vote; organizers asked visitors to bring tokens to the voting table to cast their votes. Crowd voting determined the winner, and MLive reported the top prize as $500 plus a guaranteed booth at the Grand Rapids Asian-Pacific Festival 2026. The Grand Rapids Asian-Pacific Foundation presented the event with Downtown Grand Rapids Inc. listed as a partner and Pure Michigan listing Leafguard among sponsors.

The event showcased specific vendor dishes highlighted by MLive: K-Pocha’s Japanese ramen with aji eggs, pork belly, corn, mushrooms and green onion; Angels Thai Cafe’s rice noodles with cabbage, cilantro, green onions, bamboo, red curry, coconut milk, chicken stock and chicken; Mama’s Cafe’s tom yum noodle soup with rice noodles, ground pork, pork meatballs, pork loaf, red onions, green onions, bean sprouts and fried tofu for a vegan option; and Myanmar Meals’ Yu Nan noodles with beef bone broth, rice noodles, chicken curry, meatballs, cilantro and green onions. WGRD captured the festival mood with the line, “There’s nothing like a comforting, warm noodle dish, especially during a cold West Michigan winter.”

The Spicy Noodle Challenge returned as a featured side event, offering competitors a chance to “compete for a chance to win,” according to promotional listings; MLive’s photo gallery referenced scenes from the 2024 Spicy Noodle Challenge with credit to Bryan Esler and Downtown Grand Rapids Inc. Live entertainment, cultural performances and DJs ran through the day as part of the World of Winter schedule, reinforcing the festival’s family-friendly framing on the World of Winter event page and Events GRKIDS listings.

Vendor-side details were posted on the World of Winter event page: a $200 vendor registration fee and a January 1 registration deadline were listed for those seeking to compete. Organizers and promotional outlets encouraged followers to track updates through the Grand Rapids Asian-Pacific Foundation and Downtown Grand Rapids Inc. social channels.

Some listings gave differing street addresses for Calder Plaza; MLive and World of Winter cited 320 Ottawa Ave NW while Events GRKIDS listed 300 Monroe Ave NW. Despite that discrepancy in listings, the March 1 event proceeded with token voting, 18 entrants, the spicy challenge and the announced $500 prize and Grand Rapids Asian-Pacific Festival 2026 booth guarantee for the winning bowl, continuing the festival’s stated goal to “celebrate the diversity of noodles from every corner of the globe.”