GRAND HAVEN, Mich. — If you plan to drive around Grand Haven on Saturday, the Department of Public Safety is asking you to pack your patience.
The Grand Haven Coast Guard Festival will be coming to a close this weekend, but not before Saturday's parade and the fireworks extravaganza.
Along with lots of visitors creating congestion on Grand Haven's main arteries, public officials plan to close and restrict several streets on Saturday.
Here's what you need to know:
Grand Parade: Saturday, Aug. 5 at 11:45 a.m.
More than 100 entries will take part in the parade saluting the men & women of the United States Coast Guard in downtown Grand Haven.
Parade participants will be staging near Lakeshore Middle School at 900 S. Cutler starting around 9 a.m. Saturday.
All streets within a two-block radius will be closed to accommodate.
No traffic will be allowed west of Eighth Street and Davis Street on Washington, Franklin, Clinton, Pennoyer and Grant Streets.
At 10:30 a.m., the entire parade route will be closed and traffic will not be allowed in the parade route or along roadways immediately adjacent to the route.
Public Safety officials ask folks who live along the route to have any expected guests arrive before 9 a.m.
Once police close the route at 10:30 a.m., no vehicles (besides parade participants and emergency crews) will be allowed.
Fireworks extravaganza: Saturday, Aug. 5 after dark
At 6:30 p.m. on Saturday, Aug. 6, the following streets will be closed until about 1:30 a.m. Sunday, Aug. 6:
- Harbor Drive between Sherman and N. First
- Columbus from Harbor to First
- Washington from Harbor to First
- Clinton from Harbor to First
- Lafayette from Harbor to First
- Howard from Harbor to First
Franklin Street will become a one-way eastbound to accommodate traffic flow following the fireworks show. Officers will be at each intersection on Franklin from Harbor to Beacon Boulevard to assist eastbound traffic. This change in traffic direction will happen around 10 p.m.
Seventh Street from Franklin north to US 31 will be closed from 10 p.m. through 1:30 a.m. to help create a safe traffic flow following the fireworks.
No parking will be allowed on Franklin from Beacon Boulevard to Harbor Drive to allow an "emergency vehicle only" lane from the downtown area from Aug. 5 at 6 p.m. to Aug. 6 at 2 a.m.
Left-hand turns aren't allowed for northbound and southbound traffic on US 31 between Jackson and Robbins Road to prevent traffic backups.
Authorities said there will also be many temporary "No Parking Tow Away" zones in place. They will be marked and enforced, police said.
The drawbridge will not be raised from 10 p.m. on Aug. 5 through 2 a.m. on Aug. 6.
You can text "COASTGUARD23" to 888777 to get festival event information and emergency messages from the Grand Haven Department of Public Safety.
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