The 25th Annual Great Lakes Kite Festival, the largest of its kind in the Midwest, will take place this weekend at Grand Haven State Park.

GRAND HAVEN, MI – Grand Haven State Park visitors might want
to turn their attention to the sky this weekend.

The 25^th Annual Great Lakes Kite Festival, the
largest of its kind in the Midwest, will take place this weekend, said Lynn
Negen, co-owner of the Mackinaw Kite Co., which organizes the festival each
year.

Festivities kick off Friday night with an “indoor fly” at 7
p.m. at the White Pines Middle School gym, located at 1400 South Griffin St.

“Using only the movement of their bodies,” demonstrators
will fly their kites indoors, following routines that are choreographed to
music, Negen said.

“Think Blue Angels with a kite, but they’re doing it to
music,” she said.

Saturday’s and Sunday’s festivities will take place on the
beach at the state park, rain or shine, Negen said. Weather permitting, the
festival will include the flying of giant kites the size of school buses as
well as performances by kite flyers from around the country, she said.

“Literally all day long, we have something to see in the
fields,” Negen said.

Other festival attractions include Mackinaw Kite Co.’s
pop-up kite store on the beach; a candy drop for kids 12 years old and younger;
a “night fly,” featuring illuminated kites; and weather permitting,
kiteboarding demonstrations.

The festival will also include a children’s inflatable
obstacle course and an open flying field where visitors can fly their own
kites.

Negen described the festival as a family-friendly event that
draws about 40,000 in any given year.

“And those figures don’t include anybody who walks on,” she
said. “It’s big.”

The event has become a yearly tradition for many of its
attendees.

“We have people who have come here for all 25 years,” she
said, adding that festival-goers who first went as children are now bringing
their own kids.

“That’s a fun part of the festival,” Negen said.

Festival admission is free but a recreation passport is required
to enter the state park. For more information about the Great Lakes Kite
Festival, visit www.mackite.com/glskc.htm.

You can also check out scenes from last year’s festival below:

– Email Lisha Arino
at larino@mlive.com, and follow her on Facebook, Twitter or Google+.

Lakeshore-area art lovers are invited to come to attend the Lakeland Artists reception for their spring show.

GRAND HAVEN, MI – Lakeshore-area art lovers are invited to att…

Just one day before their prom, students from Grand Haven High School Interact Club attended a different kind of prom — a “senior” prom held specifically for the residents of the Christian Haven Home, an assisted living facility located at 704 Pennoyer Ave.

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GRAND HAVEN, MI – Just one day before their prom, students
from Grand Haven High School Interact Club attended a different kind of prom –
a “senior” prom held specifically for the residents of the Christian Haven
Home, an assisted living facility located at 704 Pennoyer Ave.

Big band music played over the speakers. About 50 seniors
took to the dance floor or listened to the music at their tables, tapping their
fingers to the beat.

The students, who organized the 1920s-themed event and
decorated the room with string lights and red, white and black streamers,
danced with the seniors, conversed with them at their tables and helped them
pose for prom portraits in front of a lighted arch in the back of the room Friday.

The April 26 prom was part of club’s major volunteer project
for the year and a way for the group to commemorate Global Service Youth Day,
which celebrates young people who give back to their communities, said Jessica
Eskridge, a Grand Haven High School and Interact Club alumna and the coordinator of the project.

“The elderly are often ignored and neglected by young people
unfortunately, so for our project we wanted to kind of address that issue by
hosting an event that would be fun for both our young people and our older
people to do together,” she said.

According to John Mauro, the group’s director and a Grand Haven High School math teacher, the students have worked with Christian Haven before. The
students bowl with residents on Fridays and do manicures every other week.

RELATED: Send us your prom photos! MLive/Muskegon Chronicle continues its prom season coverage

The evening began with dinner, featuring Papa Murphy’s
pizza, which was purchased at a special discounted price for the event by
private donors, Eskridge said. Christian Haven’s food services department also
served salad, bread sticks and cantaloupe with the pizza.

In addition to music and prom photos, the group also asked
1930s and 1940s pop culture trivia questions.

 ”What movie ends with the lines ‘Oh no, it wasn’t the
airplanes. It was beauty killed the beast?’” Mauro asked the group during
trivia.

As soon as he said the line, the seniors murmured with
recognition.

“King Kong!” one called out.

Both the residents and students said they enjoyed the event.
Many of students said they liked chatting with the residents.

“They’re all so nice and you can have a conversation with
them,” said Samantha Striegle, a freshman.

Christian Haven’s residents also said they had fun.

“I think it’s neat,” said 93-year-old Kaye Schuling after
she got off the dance floor. “You don’t get to do this often with all these
young people.”

Joan Paul, 91, called the prom “absolutely wonderful” and
said she recognized many of the songs they played that evening. The students
were also polite and friendly, she said.

“It’s real treat,” Paul said.

– Email Lisha Arino
at larino@mlive.com, and follow her on Facebook, Twitter or Google+.

Blues star Larry McCray will headline the 21st Annual Chilly Blues weekend, which will take place from April 19 through 21 in Grand Haven.

GRAND HAVEN, MI – Blues star Larry McCray will headline the
21^st Annual Chilly Blues weekend, which will take place this weekend in Grand Haven.

Blues artist Larry McCray will perform twice at the 21st Annual Chilly Blues event in Grand Haven this weekend.
Courtesy

 

The yearly event will take place from April 19 to 21 in
downtown Grand Haven. It will feature warm chili and cool blues music in a
number of venues, said Mike Coleman, the event’s coordinator.

McCray’s performances on Friday and Saturday nights are one
of this year’s highlights, he said. The nationally-renowned blues musician will
perform at the intimate Dee-Lite Bar and Grill, 24 Washington Ave., with
special guest Rick Hicks at 7:30 p.m. on April 19.

Tickets for that evening’s concert at $12 at the door,
although seating is limited because the venue only fits about 80 people,
Coleman said.

McCray will also perform at the Chilly Blues’ entertainment
and beer tent, which is back after a 10-year absence, Coleman said. The tent
will be located at the municipal marina parking lot.

Tickets for the April 20 show are $10 in advance or $12 at
the door. Advance tickets can be purchased at the Dee-Lite, Theatre Bar, the
Grand or Snug Harbor.

Other highlights include the event’s chili cook-off at Snug
Harbor, 311 S. Harbor Dr., on Saturday.

“We’ve got over 20 contestants from all over the state,”
Coleman said.

Contestants will begin setting up at 10 a.m., but the
cooking will start at noon. Visitors can come to cheer on their favorite team
or sample their chili, all while listening to live blues music. Each team’s
entry will also be evaluated by judges.

On Sunday, participants can recover from the weekend with a
Bloody Mary bar that will take place from noon to 3 p.m. at the Theatre Bar,
located at 24 Washington Ave.

Check out the Chilly Blues schedule below:

April 19

• 7:30 to 8:30 p.m. – Rick Hicks, opening for Larry McCray, at
  the Dee-Lite Bar and Grill

• 8 p.m. to midnight – Delilah DeWylde at Odd Side Ales

• 8:30 p.m. to 12:30 a.m. – Larry McCray at the Dee-Lite Bar
  and Grill

• 9 p.m. to 1 a.m. – Big Daddy Fox at the Theatre Bar

• 9:30 p.m. to 1:30 a.m. – Bosco-Gee Blues Band at the Kirby
  House

• 9:30 p.m. to 1:30 a.m. – Dick Nixon at the Rosebud

April 20

• Noon to 6 p.m. – Chili Cook-off at Snug Harbor

• 2 to 6 p.m. – Big Daddy Fox and the Krewe at Snug Harbor

• 2 to 6 p.m. – Crossroads at the Kirby House

• 5 to 7:30 p.m. – Local blues jam at the entertainment and
  beer tent

• 7:30 to 11:30 p.m. – Larry McCray at the entertainment and
  beer tent.

• 8 p.m. to midnight – Them Two Guys at Odd Side Ales

• 9 p.m. to 1 a.m. – Chris Wiser Trio at the Theatre Bar

• 9 p.m. to 1 a.m. – Steve Hilger Band at the Dee-Lite Bar and
  Grill

• 9:30 p.m. to 1:30 a.m. – Brian Michael Fischer at the Kirby
  House

• 9:30 p.m. to 1:30 a.m. – Vincent Hayes at Rosebud

April 21

• 4 to 8 p.m. – Blues jam with The Vincent Hayes Project at
  the Dee-Lite Bar and Grill

Coleman said the event is usually a good time and a chance for
the community come together.

“People look forward to it and are excited,” he said. “There
are so many different venues (and) a lot of different styles of blues.”

For more information about the event, visit www.harborrestaurants.com, Coleman
said.

– Email Lisha Arino
at larino@mlive.com, and follow her on Facebook, Twitter or Google+.

The body of an adult white male was found floating in the swollen Grand River on Thursday morning, according to Grand Haven Director of Public Safety Jeff Hawke.

Grand Valley Marina employees brought the body of an unidentified white male to these docks behind Rycenga Lumber in the 1200 block of Jackson Street in Grand Haven on April 18.
Lisha Arino | MLive.com

 

GRAND HAVEN, MI – The body of an adult white male was found
floating in the swollen Grand River on Thursday morning, according to Grand Haven Director
of Public Safety Jeff Hawke.

Officers from the department were dispatched at 10:58 a.m.
on April 18 to an area of the river behind Rycenga Lumber, located in the
1200 block of Jackson Street, after workers from the neighboring Grand Valley Marina spotted the body in the middle of the
river, he said.

Hawke said authorities have completed a preliminary identification
of the man, but will not release his name until his identity has been confirmed
and his family notified.

The man was already deceased when workers spotted him, Hawke
said. The marina employees retrieved the body and brought it to the docks behind Rycenga Lumber.

Hawke said police believe that case is not related to activity
originating in Grand Haven, although an investigation is under way to find out
the cause of death and to determine if foul play was involved.

The Ottawa County
Medical Examiner is planning to conduct an autopsy on the body, according to a press release.

– Email Lisha Arino
at larino@mlive.com, and follow her on Facebook, Twitter or Google+.

Nine Grand Haven High School choir alumni from 1982 to 2007 are looking for other former choir members to perform with them at the Frauenthal Center for the Performing Arts at 7 p.m. May 25.

GRAND HAVEN, MI –
Nine Grand Haven High School choir alumni from 1982 to 2007 are looking for
other former choir members to perform with them at the Frauenthal Center for the
Performing Arts at 7 p.m. May 25.

View full size

Grand Haven choir teacher Shirley Lemon
Courtesy

 

The concert, “An
Evening with Shirley,” is part of a series of events organized by the alumni to
celebrate the career of the school’s beloved choir teacher, Shirley Lemon, who
will retire after 35 years of teaching.

The events are a
way for alumni to show their appreciation, said Alex Montgomery, one of the
nine choir alumni who are planning the retirement events. He described her as a
thoughtful and approachable teacher who cared about her students.

“She is very,
very passionate about her students,” Montgomery said. “She loves working with
her students.”

He said Lemon
is a popular teacher and that students turn to her for advice. Often, he
said, she also inspires students to live up to their potential.

Montgomery said
he and the other eight alumni decided to organize the concert and other events “to
give back, even if just in a small way, simply because she gave us so much.”

The concert will
mark the first time choir alumni from 1981 to 2012 will perform together, he
said.

“The concert
itself has been a longtime dream of hers,” Montgomery said.

So far, there
are 133 members in the choir, he said, but the planning team is hoping to
include as many alumni as possible.

Interested
alumni can sign up to join the choir by visiting www.lemonretirementcelebration.com by 11:59 p.m.
on April 25. That way, the planning committee can figure out how much music it
will need and what pieces to perform, Montgomery said.

The group will
sing songs from its past repertoire, so it will be familiar to many former
students, he said.

Of course,
alumni are also welcome to attend the concert instead of sing. The event will
also be open to the public.

Those who wish
to attend can purchase tickets at the Frauenthal’s box office, which is open
Monday through Friday from 11 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Tickets are also available at www.startickets.com.
Ticket prices range from $5 to $25.

Following the
concert, the group will host “Shirley’s Gala Reception” at 9 p.m. at the
Holiday Inn in Spring Lake.

Tickets to attend the post-concert gala are $20
each. The event will feature musical entertainment, food and a cash bar.
Cocktail attire is suggested and space is limited.

Proceeds from
the two events will benefit the Grand Haven High School Choir Endowment Fund,
which provides support in perpetuity to the various financial needs of the
school’s choral program, Montgomery said.

Former students
can find out more information about Lemon’s retirement festivities at www.lemonretirementcelebration.com. Updates about
the events will also be posted at www.facebook.com/LemonRetirementCelebration,
Montgomery said.

– Email Lisha Arino at larino@mlive.com, and follow her on Facebook and Twitter (@lishaarino).

Get ready to savor your pizza taste buds at the second annual Grand Pizza Fest this weekend at the Grand Haven Community Center.

GRAND HAVEN, MI — Get ready to treat your pizza taste buds this weekend at the second annual Grand Pizza Fest in Grand Haven.

The event is hosted by the Grand Haven, Spring Lake, Ferrysburg Chamber of Commerce.

Seven local pizzerias from northwest Ottawa County are participating in the event on Saturday, March 23, including returning competitors Clover Bar, Fricano’s Pizza Tavern, Jet’s Pizza, Mr. Scrib’s, and Old Boy’s Brewhouse. New competitors are 22 Below and Marco’s Pizza.

Courtesy photo

 

“We participated last year to see how we could size up with the rest of the local pizza community in the Grand Haven area and were pleasantly surprised to have won in our category with the competition we were up against,” said Matt George, co-owner of Jet’s Pizza. “We think [the Grand Pizza Fest is] a great opportunity for the community to sample each of the area’s local pizzerias.”

After sampling pizzas, attendees will have a chance to vote for their favorite pizzerias, naming the winning pizzeria the “Grand Pizza Fest Grandest Pizza Champ of 2013.”

Barefoot Sunday, a popular local band, will be playing live throughout the event.

“The feedback we received last year about Barefoot Sunday was so great we had to have them back,” said Courtney Geurink, Grand Pizza Fest director.

There will also be a “Pizza Pie Eating Contest,” which will take place at 1:45 p.m. Contestants can sign up by calling the chamber of commerce or by downloading the waiver from the chamber’s Facebook page. Contestants must be registered by March 22.

Participants will be competing to finish one of Jet’s Pizza small deep dish pizzas at the contest. The winner will receive bragging rights, a medal and $20 in Dune Dollars, a local gift certificate program.

New this year, attendees will also have a chance to enjoy local breweries, including New Holland Brewing, Odd Side Ales and Vander Mill. Sample sizes will be 3 ounces and two flavors from each brewery will be available.

“We wanted to showcase not only our pizzerias, but their companion beverage in most cases — beer — and by keeping that component of the event local by using the breweries right in our neighborhoods,” Geurink said.

The Grand Pizza Fest will be held at the Grand Haven Community Center located at 421 Columbus Dr. in Grand Haven from 12:30 to 4 p.m.

Tickets are $10 for a sample from each of the seven pizzerias and a voting ballot, $15 for pizza samples, voting ballot and three beer samples. The $15 tickets are limited to adults age 21 and older.

The first 100 attendees to purchase tickets will receive a commemorative Grand Pizza Fest apron. Tickets are available prior to the event and at the door.

For more information, contact the Chamber at (616) 842-4910 or visit the event’s Facebook page and website.

Reb Roberts, a well-known Grand Rapids-based folk artist, debuted a painted portrait series at the Fire Barn Gallery in Grand Haven on Thursday night.

GRAND HAVEN, MI — Reb Roberts, a well-known Grand Rapids-based folk artist, debuted a painted portrait series at the Fire Barn Gallery in Grand Haven on Thursday night.

Reb Roberts transformed the Fire Barn Galley space by creating huge paintings on the windows of the gallery.
Courtesy

For the show, Roberts created 13 portraits of friends and family that were a combination of two panels placed side-by-side. The first panel was a depiction of the person and the second was an assortment of images that represented the spirit or personality of the subject.

Roberts also utilized the three large windows in the gallery space to create gigantic paintings to go along with the portraits.

The folk artist has been a fixture in the West Michigan art scene with his artwork being displayed along city streets and gallery walls in his hometown and neighboring cities.

“I think Reb is a grandfather in the area of outsider folk art,” said Chris Protas, a fellow painter and curator of the Fire Barn Gallery. “He is kind of the soul representative of it, too from what I’ve seen.”

The portrait project began with a question that had been percolating in Protas’ mind: “What would a Reb Roberts portrait look like?”

Protas posed the question to his friend to see if he would be interested in trying something different from the work that he is most known for creating and displaying at his Sanctuary Folk Art gallery in downtown Grand Rapids.

“He can switch genres and he is extremely open to it, to trying something unique, and the results are pretty fantastic,” Protas said.

He was curious to see how Roberts would approach making portraits since it was something he had never done before.

“I was challenged basically because Chris wanted me to do portraits, which I don’t normally do, so it’s outside my normal realm,” Roberts said.

Typically, the artist paints animals, specifically chickens and cows, and human figures with vibrant colors in an expressionistic style. The idea was for Roberts to do a series of portraits of friends and family in his own signature style.

“I love to paint so for me that part wasn’t a chore,” Roberts said.

According to the artist, it was an enjoyable process to picture the people he was drawing and “think about how to represent them symbolically.” He said there is a story behind every piece and the reasons why he painted them the way that he did.

In keeping with the spirit of outsider folk art, which emphasizes unfiltered self-expression, Roberts didn’t overthink things too much and let the portraits evolve as he applied his brush to the blank canvases.

“It’s something that’s intuitive and not really thought out or planned,” Roberts said. “That’s why I like painting because the medium itself, the paint does something for you too.”

Roberts summed up his creative process as a way to “squeeze everything in that I can without thinking about whether it’s supposed to be there.”

This is the first time in his career that he has attached the name of a real person to one of his pieces and he is hoping that no one is disappointed that his or her portrait is not an exact representation of what he or she really looks like.

Regardless of what family and friends think of their portraits, Protas felt Roberts’ portrait series “showed a real mastery over his medium” and was impressed with Roberts versatility in being able to switch genres so effortlessly.

“I’d say that there’s a directness to the work. There’s nothing in between the thought and the action, it’s not filtered through any language,” Protas said. “He really deserves the recognition, he’s earned that reputation very much.”

More information about Reb Roberts and his outsider art studio can be found at the Sanctuary Folk Art Gallery Facebook page.