Coast Guard Festival is a festival in

Grand Haven, Michigan Grand Haven is a city within the U.S. state of Michigan and the county seat of Ottawa County. Grand Haven is located on the eastern shore of Lake Michigan at the mouth of the Grand River, for which it is named. As of the 2010 census, Grand H ...

. Founded in 1924, the festival is a ten-day event that starts in the last weekend in July, and ends in early August. Over 350,000 people attend the festival, including the nation's highest-ranking

United States Coast Guard The United States Coast Guard (USCG) is the maritime security, search and rescue, and law enforcement service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the country's eight uniformed services. The service is a maritime, military, m ...

dignitaries from

Washington, DC ) , image_skyline = , image_caption = Clockwise from top left: the Washington Monument and Lincoln Memorial on the National Mall, United States Capitol, Logan Circle, Jefferson Memorial, White House, Adams Morg ...

. The focus of the annual festival is to honor the Coast Guard and those who sacrificed their lives in the service of their country.

History

The Festival unofficially began in 1924 as a Coast Guard personnel only picnic when the local Coast Guard station held rowing competitions for those service members stationed in Grand Haven. The first festival began in 1937. In August 1971 it was officially recognized as Grand Haven Coast Guard Festival, Inc. as a 501(c)3 charitable organization. Grand Haven was named "Coast Guard City, USA" by an Act of Congress and signed by the President of the United States on November 13, 1998.http://www.hollandsentineal.com/x-17104-Holland-Family-Examiner~y2009m7d21-Coast-Guard-Festival-Grand-Haven-MI-2009

References

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External links

Coast Guard Festival Official Webpage

Coast Guard Festival Facebook Page
Festivals in Michigan Tourist attractions in Ottawa County, Michigan