Contact
The time has come, once again, to close the Beechtree corridor on Grand Haven’s East Side to all vehicle traffic and let music take over. It’s an afternoon street party, full of music!
The Walk the Beat festival returns Saturday Aug.8th to this lakeshore community, with more than four dozen Michigan bands and solo artists performing at two dozen locations.
The 2026 edition of this free popular event rolls out from 1 p.m. to 5 p.m., with fans strolling dozens of stores, businesses and other “venues” along South Beechtree Street — effectively “walking the beat” to experience a wide variety of music while voting for their favorite bands.
The band competition will split performers’ sets into two time slots, with the first half taking stages from 1 p.m. to 3 p.m. and the second half from 3 p.m. to 5 p.m.
The festival also features a raffle for attendees, with a grand prize of $5,000, as well as door prizes at many venues. Nearby restaurants and food trucks will also be on hand to entice those walking the beat.
The Grand Haven-based nonprofit sponsors lessons for those who may not be able to benefit otherwise, donates musical instruments to students or classrooms around the area and beyond, and helps sponsor various public school music programs. The Walk the Beat festival serves as the main source of funding for the rest of the year’s activities.