GRAND HAVEN, Mich. — The Coast Guard Festival Carnival is a beloved tradition, but it's not always easy for people with physical or intellectual disabilities to have the same experience when crowds are in full force.
That's why on Thursday morning, the carnival opened up just for them.
"I think it's beautiful," said Katie Riter, who went Thursday morning, "I mean to have people come out when sometimes they don't get to do these kinds of events."
From 11 to 1 p.m. the carnival was open early only to those with special needs or physical disabilities. And it was free of charge.
"I've never had anything like this to have a free event at the carnival," Riters said.
It's an experience that is often challenging for these families, but this event gave them the time and space they needed to make the carnival accessible to everyone.
"This is such a beautiful event because they can experience it with their families and it's free so there's no disadvantage," said Krystal Jacobi, Katie's sister.
"People with physical special needs and things that we can't see they're beautiful people to learn from, it's just a different perspective of life," Jacobi added.
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