The Grand Haven Coast Guard Festival is one of West Michigan’s marquee summer events, as thousands head to the lakeshore to tour ships, watch parades, participate in runs, attend concerts, and events, and celebrate all things Coast Guard. The 2024 version of the festival will be extra special as it is a 100th year celebration. This year’s Coast Guard Festival has pulled out all the stops and has a full slate of fun and family-friendly events planned from July 26th – August 4th. If you’ve never been to this event before this is the perfect year for a first time visit! Here’s a look at some of the events you won’t want to miss:

Coast Guard ship tours – This year there will be four vessels coming in to dock for the festival, with a rough arrival time of 1 p.m. on July 29th. You won’t want to miss seeing the USCGC Spar, USCGC Buckthorn, USCGC Morro Bay, and USCGC Bristol Bay arriving, but if you do there will be plenty of chances to see them during the week. Ship tours will be offered Monday July 30 – Saturday August 3rd at various times of day. This is a great chance to learn about today’s Coast Guard, and the many roles these ships serve.

Concerts – There’s an amazing lineup of tribute bands coming to Grand Haven for the festival. You can find more information and tickets on the Coast Guard Festival website, and the lineup includes 21 Gun Salute (AC/Dc tribute, 7/26), Simply Queen (7/27), Silver Stallion (Highwaymen tribute, 7/29), Parrots of the Caribbean (Jimmy Buffett tribute, 7/30), Barracuda (Heart tribute, 7/31), The Van Halen Invasion (8/1), The Modern Gentlemen (8/2), and Yachtley Crew (8/3).

Coast Guard City USA Run (7/27) – Take part in a 5K, 10K, or both as the YMCA hosts races through Grand Haven.

Cardboard Boat Races (7/27) – Head over to Waterfront Park and watch people compete in one of the most fun events at the festival. Adults and kids will compete separately in 150 yard race – “Prize categories include fastest time, Fleet Award, Iceberg Award and People’s Choice. The Fleet Award goes to the best themed boat, while the Iceberg Award is for the best sinking.”

Carnival – Located at the Harbor Front and Covenant Life parking lot, the carnival will run from Tuesday July 30th until Saturday August 3rd. There will be dozens of rides, plenty of games, and lots of great food. Daily wristbands will be available for purchase.

National Memorial Service (8/2) – Escanaba Park is the location for this tribute to those the Coast Guard has lost in the line of service during the past year.

Grand Parade (8/3) – The festival wraps up with a parade that kicks off at 11:45 a.m. on August 3rd. Watch more than 100 entries salute the men and women of the Coast Guard as they pass through downtown Grand Haven. A parade route is available online if you want to plan out a good viewing spot before you go.

We’re sure this will be another memorable year for the Grand Haven Coast Guard Festival, and can’t wait to see everyone there this summer!