MUSKEGON, MI — Taste of Muskegon will be honoring former festival chair Ellen Berends after she passed away unexpectedly this week.
Berends, who recently moved from Muskegon with her family, is being remembered for her passion for the Muskegon community and her work on several festivals.
Berends served as the Taste of Muskegon director from 2013 to 2017 and helped establish the popular festival at Hackley Park. She also worked for Downtown Muskegon Now and the Coopersville Downtown Development Authority.
“Ellen had a passion for Muskegon and it was impossible for those around her to not get swept up in the excitement. She leaves a legacy of impacting the growth of downtown Muskegon and nurturing its culinary excellence,” Lisa Kraus, Taste of Muskegon marketing director, said in a statement.
Berends was the force behind many events in downtown Muskegon including the family-friendly First Fridays during the summer.
“Ellen was known for thinking outside the box, her skills as an event planner, and even more so, the special friends she made along the way,” Taste of Muskegon organizers said in a news release.
Berends, married to longtime North Muskegon soccer coach Ryan Berends, was a mother to four children.
A Facebook post written by Ryan Berends said his wife died while the couple was hiking at the Grand Teton National Park on Monday, Sept. 20.
The couple enjoyed outdoor activities like hiking, camping, skiing and fly fishing.
Kraus said the timing of Berends’ death is “bittersweet” with the 15th annual Taste of Muskegon starting on Friday afternoon, but “there’s no better place to honor her.”
The festival committee will pay tribute to Berends on Friday at 7 p.m. at Hackley Park with a memorial that will also be livestreamed on Facebook.
“She was a great friend to so many, and a mentor to me. Words cannot express how greatly she is missed already,” Kraus said.
More on MLive:
Guide to Taste of Muskegon 2021, including what’s on the menu
Huge Muskegon Lake development plans get $2.3M jump start in state budget
Construction underway on first public stargazing observatory in West Michigan
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