Looking for an excuse to visit Saugatuck? Look no further than these top seasonal recommendations
TULIP TIME FESTIVAL
Named one of the Top 20 Events in the World by the International Festival and Events Association, Holland’s Tulip Time Festival is not to be missed. Spanning eight days of sun-filled (hopefully!) days in May, events and activities take place in different locations within a 4-mile radius of downtown Holland. Yes, the flowers themselves are amazing, and literally everywhere you look (literally millions of bulbs bloom each year), but there’s more to this fest than flowers.
- Tulip Fest has three parades. Yes, three! The Volksparade, Kinderparade, and Muziekparade. You can find route maps here, updated annually.
- Watch and learn from traditionally-dressed dancers “klomping” around Centennial Park, the Civic Center parking lot, and the Ottawa County Fairgrounds.
- Tour the Tulip Immersion Garden at Beechwood Church, where world-renowned Dutch horticulturist, Ibo Gülsen hosts his incredible display of more than 65,000 tulips. You’ll learn all about how the Dutch found tulips in Turkey, brought them home, and somehow landed in Michigan.
- Visit a Tulip Time Quilt Show or an Artisan Market. Ride a Tall Ship or take your kids to the Carnival Midway.
My favorite place to see the flowers? The city parks, of course. They’re free and wonderfully kept up by Holland’s Parks & Recreation staff and residential volunteers. I’d also recommend Windmill Island Gardens, Nelis’ Dutch Village, and Veldheer’s Tulip Farm.
SAUGATUCK VENETIAN FEST
Typically the last weekend in July, Venetian Fest is a celebration in Coghlin Park of good music, family-friendly games, boating, and food. Here’s the rundown:
- The events kick off on Friday evening with face-painting, carnival games, and hot air balloon rides, and ends with a night of dancing to live music––bar tent included.
- Saturday is all about water sports, beginning with the Rowdy Dinghy Poker Run where boaters use squirt guns to distract drivers as they race to pick up cards at stops along the Kalamazoo River and out into the Kalamazoo Lake.
- Saturday night is the Lighted Boat Parade where boaters decorate their vessels with the year’s theme. First, second, and third place boats win trophies and cash prizes. Fireworks over the water round out the perfect night.
- All weekend long, Coghlin Park hosts a stellar art fair. Tickets are $10, and food trucks arrive on site starting at 6:00pm.
OKTOBERFEST IN DOUGLAS
Mid-October brings beer-loving, polka-dancing, Oktoberfest fun to Main Street, in downtown Douglas. A mid-morning parade kicks off the event Saturday morning, stretching from Blue Star Highway to Beery Field. Costumes are welcome––and always in full effect. Enjoy the Tapping of the Keg opening ceremonies, four stages of live entertainment, Keg Tosses throughout the weekend (with prizes), a 35-piece Ein Prosit German Band, polka dancing instructions and shows, and, most importantly, a craft brew Beer Garden with 90+ vendors in attendance.
A few established favorites? Grab the kids and head to the Second Congregation Church’s front lawn where you’ll find the “Huge Slide,” a moonwalk, train, and obstacle course. The Cash Cube is not to be missed––and full of incredibly generous gifts. And who doesn’t appreciate a good Weiner Dog Race?
As an added bonus, the Oktoberfest celebration, games, children’s activities, and food booths all provide funds for local non-profits. It’s a great way to support the local community.
*Lux tip: Oktoberfest attracts more people to the area than any other event, over 10,000 guests each year. Make your Lakewood Lux reservations early!
THE LAKE MICHIGAN SHORE WINE TRAIL
90% of Michigan’s best wines are produced along the shores of Lake Michigan. This is because our “inland ocean” protects the area’s vineyards from extreme cold, extending the growing season later into the fall, and provides enough natural rainfall necessary for producing the flavorful, award winning grapes we have. To get a taste for these wines, I highly suggest following the Lake Michigan Shore Wine Trail, a collaboration of fifteen quality wineries, from the largest vineyards on the 42nd parallel, to the smallest local grape growers. My top three wineries?
- Modales Winery is a working, vine-to-glass winery with the most gorgeous outdoor tasting room in the area. They really live up to their moto, “Every vine, every guest, treasured.”
- Michigan Wine Co is one of the more modern tasting rooms in the area, and the grounds are beautiful. Started by Mr. and Mrs. K, this vineyard has been their dream in the making, and the wines and ciders their vineyard produces has made the hardwork worth it.
- Fenn Valley Vineyards and Winery: The vineyard is located near Fennville, but we have a wonderful tasting room in downtown Saugatuck. Try one of their educational wine tasting tours––there’s a tractor ride included, along with take-home, branded wine glasses that make the $10 fee as easy to swallow as their wine!
If you plan on visiting a few of these magical wineries, I highly suggest hiring Coastal Tours winery and brewery drivers. They offer vans for small groups, a 14-passenger bus, or “Join In” tours for couples and singles who don’t mind sharing a ride. Trips are fully customizable, pick you up straight from home (or Lakewood Lux property), and if there are any discounts groups should be aware of, their local drivers offer tour assistance.
THE TASTE OF OX-BOW
The Taste of Ox-Bow dinner series run all year long and immerses guests’ palettes in complexly-crafted small plates paired with an educational, historic, environmental, or community-centric theme. Past events have included The Best of the West, celebrating everything you love about Western Michigan, and Decolonizing Dinner at Ox-Bow School of Art, using ingredients that either exist in the Great Lakes Region naturally, or were brought by Indigenous peoples to the Region prior to 1600. There’s also the annual Summer and Winter Benefits in which artists, teachers, and students are recognized and live performances are given during the foodie-focused event.
There’s really so much to see and do in and around Saugatuck. If you’re looking for yoga on the beach, live music venues, or the best U-Pick fruit farms, drop me a note. I’ll be happy to recommend my favorites! Lakewood Lux properties are more than places to stay, they are memory-making experiences.
