Good morning, lakeshore. Bike Time's in the rearview and downtown Muskegon can finally hear itself think again, but don't get too comfortable, because Grand Haven's about to take over. The Coast Guard Festival kicks off Thursday, and this issue is your full rundown of what's coming before the crowds show up. We've also got a county fair already underway, a new refillery worth a stop, and a Muskegon story you've probably walked past a hundred times without knowing it.

In this week’s Lowdown:

Let’s get into it.

- Sam Johnson, The Lakeshore Lowdown

Grand Haven's biggest week of the summer starts Thursday, and this year marks 102 years of the Coast Guard Festival. Ten days, one downtown, and enough going on to fill an entire vacation.

Thursday opens quietly with the Lighthouse Quilt Guild show at Second Christian Reformed Church, then things pick up fast. Friday brings the Mega 80's concert at Lynne Sherwood Waterfront Stadium, and Saturday is stacked: the Kids Parade rolls through downtown at 10:30, the Cardboard Boat Race Competition follows at the marina, and The Kings of Queen close out the night. Sunday slows the pace with a Cruise-In Car Show, a Pancake Breakfast, and the Flea on Seventh market.

The real spectacle starts the following week. Coast Guard cutters sail into the channel on July 27 for Ship Arrivals, and ship tours run daily after that. The big finish lands July 31, with the National Coast Guard Memorial Service, the Silent Drill Team, and a headlining Legends of New Country: Wallen & Wilson show followed by a drone show over the water. The Grand Parade caps it all off August 1.

Parking fills up fast and Washington Avenue gets packed, so plan your week around the festival, not the other way around.

Tuesday's mild and mostly cloudy, with highs sitting around 78 and just a 15 percent chance of a passing shower. It's comfortable, easy weather, the kind where you don't need to think twice about being outside all day.

Lake Michigan is holding around 70 degrees off Muskegon, refreshing on the first step in and easy after that. Waves look to run 1 to 2 feet, though that's an estimate since the marine buoy data was running behind at publish time, so give it a glance before you head out.

The verdict: A solid beach day with nothing to work around. Get out there while the water's warm and the crowds are still manageable.

7 Day Glance: Temps dip into the low 70s Wednesday and Thursday before climbing back to the upper 70s by Friday, right as the Coast Guard Festival starts pulling everyone toward Grand Haven. Rain chances stay low and scattered all week.

Weather sourced from the National Weather Service the day prior to this issue.

The Muskegon County Fair is already underway out at the fairgrounds in Fruitport, and it's the full county fair experience: livestock judging, a mechanical bull, rides, and enough fair food to make the drive worth it on its own.

Tuesday evening downtown Grand Haven turns into a kids' takeover, with NORA's weekly Kid's Night running activities for all ages in the first block social area from 6 to 8.

If you're looking for a grown-up evening instead, NORA's Summer Fundraiser at The Unicorn Tavern runs the same night, with a buffet dinner, a 50/50 raffle, and a silent auction, all going toward local recreation programs.

Tuesday's a two-city night. Over at The Deck on Pere Marquette Beach, Brena brings its six-piece lineup to the sand at 6, a full band built for a night of dancing.

Across the water in Grand Haven, Bolt Park's Sounds of Summer series wraps up its pre-festival run with The Carl Webb Band at 7, the last Tuesday show before the series pauses for Coast Guard Fest.

Wednesday brings The Cheap Dates back to The Deck at 6, Eric Aartema and Simon Panter running through a mix of genres for a laid-back beach evening.

Boat traffic in the channel is about to pick up ahead of next week's Coast Guard Fest ship arrivals, so if you're out on Muskegon Lake or the channel, expect more company than usual as the week goes on. Kayakers and paddleboarders still have calm mornings to work with before any wind picks up in the afternoon.

Get out early, get out often, and enjoy the water while it's still this calm before the festival crowds arrive.

For the anglers: Salmon are building numbers in the harbor as they stage ahead of their run up the Muskegon River. It's a good stretch to be out chasing them before the bigger runs hit in August.

Heads up if you had The Lucky Bucket on your summer list: the seafood spot has announced it won't be opening for the 2026 season, so cross it off for now.

In Muskegon, Unruly Brewing's Sassy Pants DIPA has become the one regulars keep asking for, and it pairs well with the Adult Grilled Cheese if you want something more than a snack.

Over in Grand Haven, SoulShine Juice is worth a stop if you want something lighter. Each cold-pressed bottle uses local, ethically sourced produce, a good way to fuel up before a beach day.

The Clippers are in the middle of a real playoff push. Muskegon sits 18-16 on the season, tied for second in the North Division with Flag City and chasing the first-place Lima Locos, who hold a comfortable lead at 26-8. Muskegon closes out its home slate Friday at Marsh Field for the final regular season game before the postseason picture sets.

Margaux DeConcini opened Rosewood Provisions on North Seventh Street in Grand Haven back in March, and it's built around one idea: bring your own containers and refill them instead of buying new. Shampoo, conditioners, soaps, facial serums, and household cleaners all come in bulk, most with four ingredients or fewer. DeConcini calls it a low-waste swap refillery, a place where the community comes to refill. It's a small shift, not a lifestyle overhaul, and that's exactly the point.

Long before he was a silent film legend, Buster Keaton spent his childhood summers right here. His family's vaudeville act wintered on the road, but every summer from 1908 on, the Keatons decamped to Bluffton, a stretch of Muskegon between the two lakes that turned into an unofficial colony for vaudeville performers. Young Buster ran wild along the water and rolled down the dunes at Pigeon Hill, the same hills that show up again and again in the physical comedy that made him famous. A bronze statue of him now stands outside the Frauenthal Theater downtown, camera in hand, a quiet nod to a kid who learned to fall without getting hurt on our sand before he ever did it on camera.

That's the lakeshore this week. Enjoy the calm before Grand Haven gets loud, and get your festival week planned out now while the crowds are still a few days out.

We’ll see you Friday.

-The Lakeshore Lowdown
Email: [email protected]