Finally, after three decades of organizing an event that was only surpassed in attendance by the Coast Guard Festival, the shop decided to take a well-earned break and retire the Great Lakes Kite Festival. It was an amazing trip whose destination could not have been guessed at thirty years before, and an incredible accomplishment by a small company of kite enthusiasts and the fliers who filled the sky above the beach.





On June 18, 2018, just one month after the final festival, Steve and Lynn were presented with a certificate recognizing their efforts at a Grand Haven City Council meeting. They had not been expecting such an honor, but it summed up their gift to the community eloquently and was the perfect endcap to the event.





If you were one of the many who came from out-of-town to watch the kites, the beach is still there, just waiting for you to visit and launch your own kite. And the shop's doors are open downtown, with so much more to offer than could fit into the tent on the beach.





Want to reminisce? Check out some photos of the event or take a virtual stroll around the kite-filled beach.