Coast Guard Festival
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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, Michigan, Ottawa County. Grand Haven is located on the eastern shore of Lake Michigan at the mouth of the Grand River (Michigan), Grand River, for which ...
. 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 Admiralty law, law enforcement military branch, service branch of the armed forces of the United States. It is one of the country's eight Uniformed services ...
dignitaries from
Washington, DC Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly known as Washington or D.C., is the capital city and Federal district of the United States, federal district of the United States. The city is on the Potomac River, across from ...
. 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