Grand Haven Coast Guard Festival — Local services in Grand Haven

My favorite parts are the Kids Parade, Cardboard Boat Race, the Parade of Ships, Ship Tours, the Grand Parade, seeing the helicopter flybys and demonstrations throughout, and seeing the recruiters.

All these are free of charge! Other aspects do have a cost like the carnival, concerts, etc.

Kids Parade: Still a rather large and full parade on the first Saturday at 10:30 AM. In 2024, they started at 5th Street and Franklin Avenue, West on Franklin to 1st Street, North on 1st Street to Washington Avenue, East on Washington to 5th Steet. I stood at 5th and Washington for pictures which was nice to get great lighting with the sun behind me, but it was at the end of the parade (some get tired) and the front view can be limiting. They do throw candy and so on.

Cardboard Boat Race: Also on the first Saturday, but at 1:30 PM at the Lynne Sherwood Waterfront Stadium. There are two classes of racers that are age based. There are often some boats that sink, but many make it through the three rounds of races. There are several awards based on time, design, and best sinking. The kids love it!

Parade of Ships: Several Coast Guard Cutters come into port Monday at 1 PM. You can see them well before then in the distance and typically you can track them on several websites that track marine traffic worldwide. You can watch from Grand Haven State Park, many places along the board walk, or the North Pier (which is where I was). The North Pier has limited parking so get there at least two hours early or you will have to walk a long distance (like me).

Ship Tours: After the Parade of Ships, you can tour the inside of the ships that are moored. They allow you into many parts of the ships including the bridge, decks, mess (cafeteria), and you can look into the engine areas and officers quarters (though not go inside).

Grand Parade: It is grand! Lots of floats, cars, Coast Guard displays, boats, and officers. They do throw candy and so on. My son got a T-Shirt from one of the floats last year (2023).

Helicopter flybys and demonstrations: A half hour before the Cardboard Boat Race, there was a water rescue demonstration. This was my favorite part in 2024! Amazing to understand the logistics, safety measures, procedures, and power of the helicopter.

Recruiters: Not just Coast Guard, but also other branches. 2023, they had a punching bag that rated the force of your punch. This year the Army recruiters have chin-up bars and deadlift. If you perform well, you are given US Army accessories. I don’t think they have strict standards, but reward based on how impressed they are.

There is also still other activity with ships coming into harbor, the amazing city culture and architecture, sculptures, beach, and lighthouses that makes it multifaceted. I love visiting Grand Haven! It’s at its best during the Coast Guard Festival.

Honor, support, and celebrate our U.S. Department of Homeland Security United States Coast Guard men and women. They keep us safe from threats at the border, rescue, monitor, patrol, and keep us informed. They are a strong, helpful, and cheerful part of our...

Use to be fun, not so fun any more. Since they brought the carnival down they have taken up all the handicap parking spots. The carnival should be downtown. It's sad if your disabled that you cannot enjoy going because NO PLACE TO PARK. Veterans couldn't even get to veterans vehicle cause every place was full of blankets to blankets. Sad they have grown this to big. Sad that elders, disabled, veterans can't even get there. Closing the streets off further away for games would be a good idea in my opinion so people could get to the restaurants. Way to many people and NOT ENOUGH POLICE presents. Definitely has become more of a safety hazard festival instead of fun. Needs to be spread out more especially the carnival. If there's an emergency there is no way in or out fast enough. I wouldn't recommend going unless they put the carnival downtown. I know they Will say you can park further and shuttle in but that doesn't work for disabled...

I have been attending the Coast Guard festival every year since before I could even walk, and every year I mark it on the calendar so I don't miss it. If you can make it for multiple days, you'll have no lack of fun things to do, but if you can make it for only one, don't miss the final Saturday every year. The parade is best in state of Michigan every year, the ship tours are awesome, the carnival is huge and a ton of fun, the shows are almost always worthy of attendance, and the fireworks extravaganza, lit off during a presentation by the world famous musical fountain, is the best fireworks display of each and every year, always besting any July 4th display I have ever attended. I can't recommend the festival highly enough, and will no doubt...